propaine air tool attachment

This intructable will show you how to make a adapter for air tools.
It will basically make youi able to run certain air tools (I only got small nail guns to work)on propane with no combustion.
(The only air tool i suggeste is a small nail gun because the propaine only come's out the top of the gun and can not ignite)

Im not responsible for any injurys.
This is just an ideas.'''

Step 1: Materials

What you will need:
-two bernzomatic torch
-solder
-flux paste
-one female air adapter
-one male air adapter
-propane tank(for torch)
-drill
-9/32 drill bit

Comments

[darrenhall]

I really like this idea - not so much using the gas, but! the idea. Substitute the gas for a different power source and it is a really handy idea. What you have done is like taking the old plug in electric tools and made them battery.
I bet with a bit of thought and the mod of say, a oxygen bottle from a small MIG welder this could work great.
Tool goes at the top - charging port at the bottom and what you have is an air tool that is portable (maybe not for hundreds of uses - but depending on the tool, well pretty handy).

Please keep thinking and posting stuff - we need folks who try out ideas, even if they are not right on target first time - but if others can take the basic construction and tweak it then who knows what might emerge.

DZ

[1161858]

what if you used a paintball co2 tank would that work and not explode?

[richie_114]

BOOM! Sorry.. That's all I can think after reading this.

[mikesnyd]

Even the at best of times my nailer sometimes doubles up on firing. And when i let the greenhorn use it i have heard a four shot. Mind you a small shot would probly only produce a small but semi scary flame. Hopefully the triggers is depressed faster then the flame reaching the canister. I wouldnt think this is safe. It is far simpler to use a small air tank for say a paintball gun that come with accessories. Like a belt and coiled stretchable hose.

[VadimS]

I'd also like to mention that some nail guns use a steel wire belt to connect the nails. Thay tend to spark inches away from the exhaust. Not the best idea in my mind. But a re-filable CO2 canister would work nicely (they have bean used in industry) but need a regulator.

[johnsned51]

After looking over some of the comments posted on this idea, and as a propane supplier and service tech for 25 years let me add some information.
First, will propane explode? YES,YES,YES!!!! If you don't believe me ask the residents of Richland, IA, Seven Dead, several injured and burned. 18 million dollar lawsuit! 30 minutes after the EXPLOSION, nothing left but a foundation.

Explosions happen when you confine a combustable product with the right mixture of air in a confined space. What will produce only flame in open air, will destroy if confined.

Will this idea work? most certainly, and probably very well! It just has this little problem called flammability. 

While the person who presented this idea is probably very knowlegeable and would use it responsibly most of the time. There is no guarantee that every one reading the article and using the idea will act in the same manner. Every industry has it's rules and operating procedures, and even though we sit there and say, "Great, another rule!" we all know that  for every rule written there was someone out there that screwed up.

Is it LEGAL to use propane in this manner? NO, check with your state fire marshal!
Can you get sued if something happens as a result of using this idea? Bet your boots you can. As well as the company that supplied the propane, the company that transported the propane to the retail facility, the wholesaler, the pipeline, AND the manufacturer of the nail gun! Of course, you won't care much cause you're toast, literally! Might bother your family some though. Their the ones who are going to spend the next three years in court!

If I seem passionate about this, I am. Remember Richland? My company paid 10 Million of those dollars because a DIY'r thought he was smarter than he was and stepped over the line and we didn't understand that we could be sued for something we didn't even know was happening. we do things differently today.

As a propane supplier, I consider this to be a very BAD idea! 



 

[burton6054]

thanks hank hill :)

[stephenniall]

Hmm use an airgun and you could make a serious flamethrower with this !

[bassbindevil]

I'm not sure this is safe or sensible for everyday use, but there could be emergency situations where it was worth the risk. Like a 4x4 expedition where filling a flat tire with propane is better than walking out and being eaten by lions.

[magickaldan]

Why not scratch the propane idea and go with CO2 cartridge buddy cheaper and safer. Not a new idea but better.

[The Lightning Stalker]

CO2 cartridges are under very high pressure so it would require a special regulator. Even then, it would only last a few nails because they store the CO2 as a gas. Anyway, this isn't unheard of. Those portable horns they sell for boating and sporting events use isobutane, the same thing as cigarette lighters. You can even light the gas as it comes out of the horn.

[magickaldan]

also they make special combustion nailers to. they run off a mixture of butane I think. Never used one just seen them in stores.

[The Lightning Stalker]

The reason why nail guns work is because they store the pressure in the handle. You have to drill out the orifice in the torch in order to get more flow.

[Ben.land101]

i dont think theres a single comment on here thats not about propane exploding or burning.

[uberchoob]

Of you people badmouthing this idea, have any of you every USED a propane torch? ? Obviously, it has a CONTINUOUS flow of propane which is PURPOSELY IGNITED! It DOES NOT explode... it just burns... The only danger I can see in using this with a nailgun is if it is used in an unventilated area where the released propane builds up and then ignites.. That said, I would love to see a pneumatic conversion from a paintball CO2 tank!

[85rocco]

Venting a heavier than air, highly combustible gas into the air just seems like a recipe for disaster. As for doing this with a paintball tank, I did it using a tank adapter fitting that I got off of ebay for about $7, I plumbed that to a nitrogen regulator I happened to have kicking around. Also, there are commercial available unit that use paintball tanks, google "Jacpac".

[crapflinger]

this just sounds like SUCH a bad idea....the tool might not cause the gas to explode...but the spark from a nail might...VERY bad idea in my book (and i usually like explosions)

[DrStoooopid]

agreed.

[irwinner]

propane doesn't "explode" it burns it does not detonate as something like hydrogen does. stop freaking out people its fine!

[DrStoooopid]

you're thinking of natural gas, my friend. Propane on the contrary DOES explode. I work in propane, and I've seen entire porches blow off the back of houses because people were doing things they shouldn't have done. While in an emergency something like this would work, it's not the safest thing to do, nor is it without risk.

[DrStoooopid]

the hell it doesn't.

[sounddr63]

Yea, why not try this with a pnuematic grinder, on a piece of steel. That would be fun to watch. A grinder / torch combo tool. yea, you might be onto something there! Better contact black and decker. The black and decker, project wrecker.

[sounddr63]

And with a pilot light option, could also be a cordless flashlight. WOW.

[brandon borick]

yes it DOS you ever put thermite on top of 1 light it and ran ca boom

[sdedalus2000]

I've seen propane explode fill a balloon with it and throw it on a fire.

[steven123654]

It's not really an explosion more like a fire ball an explosion is a really fast combustion and that is'int

[irwinner]

in the balloon it is roughly a 100% fuel environment when thrown into a fire the rubber containing it quickly punctures letting the propane gas mix with air. now becuase its a bonfire or something there is a huge constant ignition source so once the propane is at the optimum mixture there is a 100% chance of ignition. with a nail gun there is an no constant ignition (and possibly no existent) source which is the hammer hitting the nail *possibly* causing a spark. either way propane is still only burning not detonating

hehehe... ever thrown a hydrogen balloon in a fire? how bout a pure oxygen one? now those are both far more powerful than any propane.

[drcrash]

I'm unconvinced that it's fine. Flammable don't have to "explode" with a bang to burn you. (Ask me how I know.) It's clear that the author of the instructable hasn't really addressed the safety issues. I'm not clear on the issues with brad nailers, but this is presented as a means of driving "air tools," with no hint as to which air tools could be used safely this way, and with what precautions. Lots of air tools vent the compressed gas continuously, creating a cloud of exhaust around the tool, with a gradient from high-density exhaust gas to ambient air. And lots of things create sparks, such as static discharges on dry days, dropped metal objects hitting concrete floors, electrical switching, etc. If the exhaust gas is propane, somewhere in the exhaust gradient will be a zone where the mixture is very combustible. 999 times out of 1000, a spark would probably miss that zone. But the 1000th time could be a doozy. (Gasoline fumes aren't normally very explosive either, but occasionally a static discharge at just the right place in the density gradient sets them off when somebody's just filling their car's gas tank, and ruins their whole day.) For very light use, a compressed air tank is a better bet. (You can get a 7-gallon air carry tank from Wal-Mart for $20 and fill it up with air at a gas station. You don't need any custom fittings, because it's designed for compressed air storage.) For heavier use, that might not be enough air; you don't get the advantage of storing the gas in a dense liquid form. On the other hand, for heavy use, using propane means venting a lot of propane. Not a good idea, IMHO.

[irwinner]

fine all give you that after extensive usage in a sealed area you could potentially cause an explosion. but if this were to be used out doors or in a well ventilated are you will be fine. still i think even the biggest dumb ass would stop when the smell of propane go that strong. well this may be cheaper using something like co2 is still a hell of a lot safer (at around 800 or 900psi it is also liquid just as propane meaning it is very dense) although you would need an expensive regulator to get it from its storage temperature (800-900psi) to the air tools desired pressure (80-100psi)

[crapflinger]

actually...propane DOES explode when it's in a compressed tank such as the one hanging off the back of your nail gun...try throwing one in a fire and see if it just burns

[irwinner]

in a propane tank it is A 100% FUEL ENVIRONMENT it is physically impossible for a tank to explode unless it has been damaged and allowed huge amounts of air to mix with it. if you throw one in a fire the outer shell must first be melted away or punctured then it must be allowed to mix with air then it will still only burn now if the conditions are right and there is approximately a 4% propane mix you will get what most people would consider an explosion... yet it is still only burning (quite quickly i will admit)

[uberchoob]

Yes, If you fire a high powered rifle at a propane tank, it WILL NOT explode. It'll just fly up in the air or at something and cause much damage that way.

[DrStoooopid]

usefull in a pinch....BUT..be warned...one spark, and you can find yourself in a WORLD of trouble.

[0087adam]

Empty the tank and refill it with air from air compressor

[warossignol]

Hey people, they make propane nail guns. It uses a fuel cell. It mixes propane with air in a combustion chamber. When you pull the trigger. The explosion is what drives the nail ram. Check it out. My plumber buddy uses his all the time.

[dherlihy]

Gee, I like the idea. But what happens when your fastener makes a spark when it leaves the nail gun, which happens often? Almost makes one want to wrap cotton around the nail heads, soak them in white gas and add a pilot light. Who needs wood to fire a nailer anyway? I think your idea would be rather handy in a real application if the propane was removed and replaced with air. Then one could acually use it on a construction site without getting fired. (Pun intended)

[picman123]

use this gun on a hot day outside and see what happens

[moultensoul]

I've been a special effects tech for over 25 years now and I have seen some crazy stuff. This is a very bad idea. When working with flammables there can always be a problem that is hidden. Of coarse this is a self curing problem. I'm afraid this poor deluded Einstein will end up a new recipient of the Darwin award, a well deserved accolade I must say.

[Myself]

Safety schmafety, hydrocarbons are also horrendous greenouse gases. This idea stinks from all sides. It's expensive, wasteful, dangerous, AND incredibly bad for the environment.

[steven123654]

yes bad for the environment but not expensive it cost me like 15 Candian dollars