CO2, DIY w/paintball tank, 7g cartridges, or other "tank"?

manowar669

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Sep 11, 2004
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Has anybody rigged a paintball gun tank, 7g CO2 cartridges, or other "tank" as a DIY CO2 system? I've read the other DIY CO2 threads with the 2 liter bottles, sugar and yeast. From what I've read, you would need like 3-4 bottles of sugar/yeast going for a 55G tank to make a significant difference.
I was just wondering if there was an "intermediate" between a full tank/regulator setup, and the soda bottles. I was thinking something like a camp stove or grill valve to regulate flow, tubing, diffuser etc.
 
Have you ever tried this paintball cylinder setup? I'd be interested, too, since a paintball cylinder can be had in an ideal size for a smaller tank. My two larger tanks use 10-lb. kegger cylinders, but I'd like to do a little CO2 for my smaller tanks...maybe paintball setup is the answer.

v/r, N-A
 
Becomes expensive in the long run.

Why not run an extra line w/ a manifold from your 10# tanks to your other tanks?
 
I was mainly interested in a home-built rig. Since I have paintball tanks around. I didn't really want to spend $100+ on a regulator, but something in between soda-bottles, sugar, and yeast; and a full-blown tank w/regulator.
 
You know what, when it comes down to brass tacks, epicfish is right: in the long run, a good regulator, plumbing and CO2 setup is less expensive, plus it is a lot less headache.

Once done with the initial investment, it only cost $9 per cylinder for 10 lbs. of CO2.

I might go see Rex Grigg's website and see about ordering his CO2 gear. I can tell you from personal experience that if you don't get the best gear (regulator, check valving, needle valves, low-side regulator, etc.) you'll work a little harder at it instead of having a system "easily" capable of hands-off operation. My Milwaukee MA597's are fine, along w/ the JBJ bubble counters w/ integrated check valves, but the stuff on this site is the bomb:

CO2 gear

v/r, N-A
 
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