Airgun with eXplosive air-Release Valve

Forget amateurish sprinkler valves. Look no further than this type of valve for making airguns or anything where you need the air released explosively. This is my own design inspired by the valve inside an airbrush.

This instructable shows you how to make what I call the XRV (explosive release valve), which can be attached to a bicycle pump. This in turn allows you to turn an ordinary blowgun or pea-shooter into something a bit more serious.

The video does a lot of explaining, but for more detail including how it works, see the next steps.

Step 1 Materials and Tools

To make the XRV, you need a handful of easy-to-find components:

Materials

1. Flexible bike pump hose - comes with most bicycle pumps)
2. Brass or aluminium tubing (about 1-2mm) - available from hobby stores
3. O-Rings (tiny) - available from hardware stores
4. Small spring - also from hardware stores
5. Tiny screw that fits into the end of the 1-2mm tubing
6. Tiny nut or washer that fits onto the brass tubing (see video)

Tools

1. Hand drill & very small drill bit
2. Fine file
3. Blade
4. Precision screwdriver
5. Pliers or multi-grips (pictured)
6. Hand clamp
7. Superglue

Comments

[tinker234]

could i modify this gun to be automatic http://www.amazon.com/Crosman-1377C-PC77-Black-pistol/dp/B006QVTBVG/ref=pd_sim_hi_85 to shoot darts

[milamber]

i machined a much larger version of this for my air rifle would anyone like to see a slideshow or ible??? credit to chluaid
of course

[hbelanger]

I would love to see what you have

[e-mail]

[biolethal]

yeh a slideshow would be nice.

[pyrotech25]

I have been looking for this video for years. im making an automatic bb gun (pistol) and this is perfect for the trigger. thanks a lot man!

[zipzapper859]

if you make the automatic bb gun please post it on instructables because i have been also trying to make one...the hard part is making it automatic

[hbelanger]

Got to start by saying thank you for this instructable the best I've seen so far.

I haven't settles on what I will build yet, BBMG or single shoot, but one thing is for sure I will be using your valve ins some fashion.

for you gents that are looking for an automatic simple design I found the following a while back and it seems to be a nice fit for this valve.

automatic BB gun
http://www.swanstrom.net/petes/shoot/autobb.htm

Have fun and stay safe...!

[TimmyMiller]

how big of a pellet can this shoot?

[TimmyMiller]

where did u get the hand drill?
i really,really,really, REALLY WANT ONE!!!

[pdub77]

This is a wonderful design and your video was awesome as well! Good job!

[sabladask]

i want all the tubes in step 3.....
where did you get them?

[sabladask]

finaly!! i found somone who actualy knows what hes doing,.'
Grate woork!
i made a simulare gun som years back:) i have made very many air guns, and the valve you made is very good :):)
see my channel i if you are intrested in a springpowerd airpistion gun.
keep up the good woork!

[ostomesto]

hey im planning to make this but dont have the bike tube for it. could i use a ball inflation needle to do the same thing as it. i lost my old bike tub and hope this will work

[atomicwaterstudios]

why dont you just go out and buy the tube then there probly no more then 5 bucks?

[ostomesto]

i didnt know where to find them. but i got it. I made one well not really. I made one that is a trigger for my spudgun, it's the pilot on my sprinkler valve.it about 5 in long and never leaks air. It has a huge airflow too. I will post a pic of it and how to build it if you want me to

[ostomesto]

ahahahahaha i found my old tube. it was in my air compressor parts box. i looked in there hundreds of times and it was right in front of me. hahahhaha im so happy :)

[ostomesto]

one last thing. i made this and it worked great. i am going to try to make a larger scale one for a trigger on my sprinkler valve in my spud gun. any ideas on what materials i would need to make a larger scale one. oh and would a large scale one hold around 60-70 psi maybe 80

[MadBricoleur]

Happy late christmas. http://nerfhaven.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19073

[Cheeseduck]

Rather than going through the hassle of hand-drilling, you could just use the small round hand file to make the holes. If you file perpendicular to the pipe, it'll make a good path for the air to escape.

[wellbankj]

Do you have any idea how much pressure you think this little valve can take? I'm thinking of making a gobstopper gun that I can kill squirrels with and I'd like to maximize my energy output. I'm thinking of using a compressed air or CO2 tank as a power source and a regulator to tone down the pressure that's behind the valve.

[freerunnin1]

i'm going to make one of these tomorrow and im using a piece of pipe from a telescopic antenna :P, they come in loads of different sizes

[ostomesto]

ya antenna works great. just take out each pipe form it and u have lots of choices. it is a can bend and is a little flimsy though :(

[freerunnin1]

great vid! lol, how long did it take you to come up with the valve? oh and how many pumps would it take to propel a bb over say, 75 foot?

[moGuyver]

Excellent animation in the video - also great valve design.

[quirxi]

Cool vid - you should go to the film industry ! :)

[Topunisher]

Can the hose(on the pumping stick) take on the pressurized air with-out getting it explode?

[Fredock]

nice vid

[milamber]

no chance youd make my life easy and sell me one would u ?

[EnigmaMax]

Suspension pumps are not cheap! Would an tire pump suffice?

[brum]

It think adapted with a harmer or something like that with a reasonable pvc tank or something and you might have yourself a multi-shot bb gun. You could potentially up size into a paint ball gun (uses almost the same principal)

[Mattrox]

this is very cool for a blowgun or dart gun but sprinkler valves are used for their quick release of air which this wont let out enough air fast enough unless you supersize it. no offense intended very cool design by the way

[AnarchistAsian]

but sprinkler valves are big, bulky, un-stylish and over-priced! this one is small, and looks good with all the brass and other metal parts.

[Mattrox]

true but, they let tons of out because they have big openings. this has a tiny opening have a longer realese time

[thejrb]

How would you know? Have you modded your sprinkler valve or does it still use battery's? This valve is probably faster than an unmodded sprinkler valve.

[blugyblug]

UNmodded sprinkler valve. If you are comparing the XRV to an unmodded sprinkler valve thats just...stupid

[ultimachris]

that's true, but this valve was intended for shooting bbs, not potatoes. thats why it is so small.

[fork me3]

guys all you need to do is supersize the XRV!!!! i almost did it yesterday... i used 9/16th brass tubing some pvc a larger spring... larger orings... larger everything! just remember. its not im possible. all i need to do is make it air tight and im pretty much set. good luck, and wish me luck. If i get it to work im gonna hook it up to my nerf longshot :D so when i pull the trigger it released the air.

[brum]

Depending on how big it is dude it may not work that well. Because when you release this valve you a pushing in back against the stored pressure it may be quite a difficult task pushing a bolt back against 90psi of pressure. I have made a marble gun using a modified sprinkler valve and the advantage of that is you have a trigger and no effort required (if u dont know how they work: diaphragm and difference of pressures) and blugyblug, ur not talking much sense when your comparing it to an unmoded sprinkler valve because an unmodded sprinkler valve is useless for making any kind of gun (do some research and learn how they work). I do think this is ideal for something like a bb gun. I went to china as a student a few years back and bought a bb gun (illeagal in australia) and had to pull it apart and fix it once and basically when you cocked it, that was the pumping action and then i think it may have used a valve similar to this to release. GREAT VID!

[AnarchistAsian]

it's a small valve... the barrel is small, so it doesn't matter much how small the opening is. and about that release time... if you look inside a sprinkler valve, there is a big loss of power, since the air has to take several sharp turns before it even reaches the barrel. sprinkler valves suck! they're made to actuate the sprinklers on your lawn! even with modification, nothing beats a custom made one!!!

[blugyblug]

Again, ur exagerrating the loss that twists and turns do. Good release time/flow with sharp turns. Sprinkler valves dont suck.. You cant make a large version of the XRV. You wont have enough strength to push the valve backwards. There is way more air pressing against it. Like what? 500x? 1000x for massive guns?