Ask thy questions, newbies!

[Ebonclaw]

Ok, I seem to be relativly skilled at answering basic newbie questions. For "Which gun to buy" you've got the wrong thread, go check the other one called "So, you want to buy a gun?" For all the other questions, I'll take a shot at them and Magnus will be my proofreader to make sure I don't do something stupid like tell you to take the regulator off your nitro tank. (Don't do that by the way. If you do, I'm not liable for the cruise missle of HPA that your $200 nitro tank has become.) Magnus, could ya do me a favor and make sure I'm right on all these questions? Though really, I shouldn't be wrong too often, I mean hey, being god and all....

And no pros asking what the Shim modification delrin widgetmabob on their 2006 LCD DarkCockerAngel does cuz frankly, I'm just a simple blowback man!

[Magnus55]

Yeah I've been reading through all the great posts you've been making here in the newbie forum and I'm really pleased with the stuff you write. You seem to be very knowledgable in your writting and in paintball overall so I really doubt if you'll be needing me to look over your shoulder. Thats not to say Magnus isn't watching, because though it may not seem like it-- I am. Ebon, I really apreciate all the help you've been providing here when I'm not around, or busy with one of my other forums.

I just want to say thanks Ebon, and to all of the rest of you who post helpful and useful information here in the Newbie forum. :)

Ok now back to the topic at hand... ask away.

[fireblade]

hi im a 9 year old kid my parents are doctors is a dark angel a good newbie gun and what upgrades do i put on it!?!????!

Heh, I'm joking. I'll help out if I can with answering questions..

[Thor the Mighty]

same here. i have a q too. my griffin (yesum i know i still have it :rolleyes) is leaking air out of the i think its the barrel and ive tightened everting

[Codestar20]

I am here to help anyone too. And thor, check the cupseal and valve body. Get a new cupseal or if that doesn't work check to see if the valve is in backwards (small hole in first).

[Thor the Mighty]

oh dont worry the thingy is in right its just a very small leak that could be anything at all but its based in the front end of the gun

[Ebonclaw]

It could be an o-ring with wear not visible to the eye, or a cup seal with the same problem. (Yes, this IS possible. My dad's Shutter had this problem.) Tightening things generally doesn't solve leaks, it's more likely he little airflow places like the cup seal and the o-rings on the valve. Replace all three, then tell me what you get.

[Friday]

Ok, correct me if I'm wrong. When I screw in the tank it shouldn't be too tight. When I want to take out the tank I should unscrew 1/4 of the way to let the air out of the gun and then unscrew all the way.

I want to put back the safety on my Dye single trigger frame for my Spyder. I already have the pin and I think I have the spring, but I don't have the ball bearing. Can I use a BB pellet in place of the ball bearing? If so, what size BB?

Uhh... I probably have more but that's all I can think of. :)

[Thor the Mighty]

yeah dont screw the tank in all the way and to de-gas ur gun you have to unscrew until u hear the hissing noise (make sure no paintballs are in the gun) then shoot and unscrew your tank at the same time really fast

it works

ebon-i replaced all of my orings and the cup

[Ebonclaw]

Hmmmm....toughy then....it is possible to get two bad cup seals since they are just plastic. Try and get your hands on a black magic or brass cup seal. They're nice to have anyway and if it doesn't seal it then at the least you've got a nice cup seal when you DO get the leak fixed. Fairly cheap little buggers.....hmm.......how long has your current valve been in your gun? About how many shots have been put through?

[Big_Red]

What is the Hydro date of a nitro tank? ( I mean what does it represent, is their a time when a nitro tank expires or something)

Would a 68ci 300 psi tank be worth the extra 75 bucks in a deal?


thanks

[Thor the Mighty]

the hydro date is when u have to get your tank hydroed :rolleyes: and if its a dud tank then u have to get a new one

[Big_Red]

Ok but what does hydroed mean? Thanks

The guy said the date was 7 00 (what does that mean?as in is it still good?)

thanks

[Magnus55]

When they hydro test it is simply where they dunk it in a bucket of water and look to see if bubbles come out anywhere, indicating a leak. I'm not sure about the date.

[LordChaos]

Originally posted by Big_Red
Ok but what does hydroed mean? Thanks

The guy said the date was 7 00 (what does that mean?as in is it still good?)

thanks

That is the date that it was last Hydro tested. July, 2000. Fiber wrapped tanks are good for 3 years (so on a fiber tank, that date would mean that in July, 2003, you would have to send it in to be rehydroed before using it again). Metal tanks are good for 5 years.

Hydro testing involves more then just checking for leaks. It involves placing the tank under high presure (very high. A tank must hydro at least at 3 (or is it 4.. it's been to long) times the rated presure (9000psi for a 3000psi system). This is for your safety (don't want the tank to break down and spring a leak with 3000psi in it... BAD things happen in that case).

[Ebonclaw]

Lord Chaos is right on the hydro testing thing. It's a very complicated procedure in which they actually pump water into your tank at a VERY high pressure (something like 4 times is right) and then if it doesn't spring any leaks or blow up it's good to go. Fiber tanks will fail hydro if they have any scratches, while metal tanks are pretty much invincible (but damn heavy).

[LordChaos]

Originally posted by Ebonclaw
Lord Chaos is right on the hydro testing thing. It's a very complicated procedure in which they actually pump water into your tank at a VERY high pressure (something like 4 times is right) and then if it doesn't spring any leaks or blow up it's good to go. Fiber tanks will fail hydro if they have any scratches, while metal tanks are pretty much invincible (but damn heavy).

Actualy, you CAN have scratches on your fiber tanks so long as they are surface (finish) scratchs only. It's actual damage to the fibers (deep scratchs, unraveling strands, cut strands, etc) that kill the tank.

Metal tanks, as you said, are quite indistructuable from day to day use (as is your regulator nomrlay).

[Ebonclaw]

Oh neat! Live and learn. Looks like I shouldn't have let that 45/4500 tank go for $20 because it had a minor scratch after all.........

Nah, I knew that already, I just phrased it wrong. Thanks for correcting me.

[LordChaos]

Originally posted by Ebonclaw
Nah, I knew that already, I just phrased it wrong. Thanks for correcting me.

No prob. I allways assume that someone reading it won't understand the implied (such as cosmetic only damage not killing the tank), and so try to be a clear as possible.

[Paintballbabe]

Hydro testing is done as follows.
1) tank (empty) is secured into a water tank
2)water tank is filled all the way with water
3)air tank is filled to max capicity (this is higher than tank rating)
4)as the tank is filled it expands and makes the water level rise this amount on expansion is measured and calculated into a % of increase
5) if your tank expands too much it is worthless.

Visual inspection is done like this.
1)Tank is submerged in water
2)jet of colored water is run over the tank this water will show ANY defect in the shape of the tank.
3)too many defects even just surface scratches (though it usually takes a larger scratch or a ding {dings=very bad} and your tank is worthless


Hydro testing must be done every 5 years on steel, aluminium, steel alloy, and fiber tanks made by luxifer and every 3 years for other fiber tanks. Visual inspecation are at different intervals though they are usually done at the same time cause it is cheaper that way.

Also co2 tanks are suppoed to be tested every 8 years but most places don't even check them. Basically if you co2 tank gets a bad ding or is ancient get a new one and take the valve off the old one so no one else will use it.

[Ebonclaw]

Well, I asked my Dad (who used to Scuba dive so he's familiar with hydro) and he says each place has their own way of doing it that must meet certain govt standards. So there's a good chance we'reALL right.

[Richy_C]

PBbabe got it.