High Pressure Pump

[Water Rocket Expert]

Am I better off saving for a tank for $220 or buying a high pressure hand pump like this if I want like 400 to 500 psi: This should go to three thousand psi. I could practically build my own tank and pressurize it! It would take a summer of saving!

[bugwubber]

Am I better off saving for a tank for $220 or buying a high pressure hand pump like this if I want like 400 to 500 psi: This should go to three thousand psi. I could practically build my own tank and pressurize it! It would take a summer of saving!

I'd have to imagine it'd be like filling a swimming pool with a squirt gun. Yes, you could do it, but you'd be at it all day.

Bugwubber

[Reptiglorandrockets]

Am I better off saving for a tank for $220 or buying a high pressure hand pump like this if I want like 400 to 500 psi: This should go to three thousand psi. I could practically build my own tank and pressurize it! It would take a summer of saving!

I'd have to imagine it'd be like filling a swimming pool with a squirt gun. Yes, you could do it, but you'd be at it all day.

Bugwubber

I have this pump for my PCP Airguns. The out put is very little, so it would take a while to get to any reasonable pressure. If you pump too fast, the o rings will melt on you.

[Water Rocket Expert]

So would it work for high pressure rockets or should I just save for the tank? And how much does a refil cost and where can I refil or have it swaped?

[Water Rocket Expert]

I use a bicycle pump now for the 160 psi and an aircompressor tank for quick filling to 150 psi. What would the difference be of pumping it up to 400 or 500 psi, as it may just take 4 to 5 times as long?

[Water Rocket Expert]

Am I better off saving for a tank for $220 or buying a high pressure hand pump like this if I want like 400 to 500 psi: This should go to three thousand psi. I could practically build my own tank and pressurize it! It would take a summer of saving!

I'd have to imagine it'd be like filling a swimming pool with a squirt gun. Yes, you could do it, but you'd be at it all day.

Bugwubber

I have this pump for my PCP Airguns. The out put is very little, so it would take a while to get to any reasonable pressure. If you pump too fast, the o rings will melt on you.

What if I push my bike pump beyond it's max? Will the line burst or what. What makes that pump work well and this pump not be able to pump that high?

[Water Rocket Expert]

I meant my pump not be able to pump that high.

[bugwubber]

It would just fail at some point. That could mean explosively or just leaking as fast as you can pump it in. Either way, you're not getting a refund on it.

[Blenderite]

I have had a bike pump fail and it isn't pretty. On mine, the rubber hose gave way. Hot molten rubber spewed all over and gave me a burn.

I would definitely go for the SCUBA tank. But keep in mind that you also have to get all the hoses and gauges to make it work. Here is a link to a Air Command article where he describes precisely what you will need. Mind you, skimping on these components may cause damage to self or property. A scuba tank at 3000 PSI is a dangerous thing if the equipment you buy is super cheap.

[Team Seneca]

I have had a bike pump fail and it isn't pretty. On mine, the rubber hose gave way. Hot molten rubber spewed all over and gave me a burn.

I would definitely go for the SCUBA tank. But keep in mind that you also have to get all the hoses and gauges to make it work. Here is a link to a Air Command article where he describes precisely what you will need. Mind you, skimping on these components may cause damage to self or property. A scuba tank at 3000 PSI is a dangerous thing if the equipment you buy is super cheap.

If you happen to live inland on a large continent where most of the urban centers are located far from the oceans and seas, you might find that you have to travel a large distance in a vehicle that is capable of hauling a decent size canister to get it to a location that you then have to PAY to fill your tank.. Remember that hey may refuse to fill it if you buy a used tank that may have been decertified, which explains why nobody outbid you on eBay and you won it super cheap!

[U.S. Water Rockets1]

I have had a bike pump fail and it isn't pretty. On mine, the rubber hose gave way. Hot molten rubber spewed all over and gave me a burn.

I would definitely go for the SCUBA tank. But keep in mind that you also have to get all the hoses and gauges to make it work. Here is a link to a Air Command article where he describes precisely what you will need. Mind you, skimping on these components may cause damage to self or property. A scuba tank at 3000 PSI is a dangerous thing if the equipment you buy is super cheap.

If you happen to live inland on a large continent where most of the urban centers are located far from the oceans and seas, you might find that you have to travel a large distance in a vehicle that is capable of hauling a decent size canister to get it to a location that you then have to PAY to fill your tank.. Remember that hey may refuse to fill it if you buy a used tank that may have been decertified, which explains why nobody outbid you on eBay and you won it super cheap!

Good point. If you build a high pressure water rocket like X-12, you might only get 2 or 3 launches out of one of those tanks before the pressure in the tank has depleted to below the launch pressure of the rocket. Then you will need to refill it, and after spending $10 on gas and $10 a fill a few times, launching those big pyro rockets starts to look more and more cost effective.

[Rocket_Scientist]

Someone previous wrote:

I'd have to imagine it'd be like filling a swimming pool with a squirt gun. Yes, you could do it, but you'd be at it all day.

Well, I don't want to be negative, so I will say, "Let's be positive!"

One way to make these smaller hand pumps work is to use a low pressure pump first, then a higher pressure top off.

Keep your pressure hoses small in diameter to minimize the volume you need to pressurize.

I always wanted to put a shutoff valve at the launcher so you lose only a rocket worth of pressurized air, not the whole system, which for my launcher, includes a ground H-frame. Close the valve with a rope.

If there was a way to have water in your air line, that would be good too, because water is not compressible.

Keep noodling on the matter, and report back on your ideas and adventures. That's what it's all about!

[U.S. Water Rockets1]

Someone previous wrote:

I'd have to imagine it'd be like filling a swimming pool with a squirt gun. Yes, you could do it, but you'd be at it all day.

Well, I don't want to be negative, so I will say, "Let's be positive!"

One way to make these smaller hand pumps work is to use a low pressure pump first, then a higher pressure top off.

Keep your pressure hoses small in diameter to minimize the volume you need to pressurize.

I always wanted to put a shutoff valve at the launcher so you lose only a rocket worth of pressurized air, not the whole system, which for my launcher, includes a ground H-frame. Close the valve with a rope.

If there was a way to have water in your air line, that would be good too, because water is not compressible.

Keep noodling on the matter, and report back on your ideas and adventures. That's what it's all about!

Good common sense ideas. The only thing is that putting a valve at the rocket means you have to get near it to work the valve, and if the rocket is under pressure it can explode while you're working at the valve. That's the only thing you should avoid.

[Water Rocket Expert]

Just were some heavy armor! (just kidding) Actually I was pressurizing my airgun to over 200 psi with my bike pump and the rubber tube popped liked bugwubber said. No liquid rubber though just no air source except for my air compressor.

[Rocket_Scientist]

Regarding my previous valve suggestion, let me explain:
I agree completely, approaching a pressurized rocket is unsafe; come up with a better way.


You could use a ball shutoff valve, operated by a rope. With a pulley, you could pull one rope to open , one to shut...

Like an emergency dump valve, but in line with the rocket