hi guys. Am new to this so sorry if this is a dumb question but does clippard make a valve that works the same as a ballvalve between the accuator and accumulator so i dont have to fabricate something... or is it just better to make one?
You can use a quick exhaust valve. The plumbing is a bit different, but the airflow is similar. Clippard's JEV series has pretty good airflow for its size and the are other sources for QEVs. RCENGR posted a diagram on how to safe one without a 5-way toggle valve--just a 3-way. He also did some testing and for one 1/4" barrel a 1.0 cuin accumulator is plenty at 115psi, just short of penetrating 2" of blue Dow foam. You may need to adjust accumulator size and pressure based on how many barrels you want to fire. It should also be possible to adapt a standard Indiana style magazine to work with the exhaust port on the JEV if you have access to basic machine tools or a thread die.
I am looking at the MJV-3. do you think that it could work? i am going to run triple 1/4" big gun turrets....
The MJV series doesn't have enough airflow for three barrels. It will do just fine for one if you have an accumulator over 1.5cuin. This type is generally called an "Arizona cannon". They are great for fixed guns and you can chain multiple ones to fire at the same time. Unfortunately, rotate is difficult with one barrel in a turret, and next to impossible with more than one. These are great for fixed stern guns, and can be made with almost nothing but off the shelf components. You will not need a three-way valve on the cannon side, you will need one to activate the MJV though. If you go to the knowledge base and look at the articles "Arizona cannon" and "Single-barrel Gun System" that will give you an idea on how to make and hook up MJV derived cannon designs. Basically for each MJV, you need a MPA-3 to actuate the MJV-2. The MPA-3 is activated through a three-way valve like a MAV-3 or SMAV-3. Here you want a three-way valve to release pressure on the MPA-3 so your MJV-2 isn't stuck in the open position.
ok so basically the plan is to machine my own valve....not too much of an issue just thought i could short cut. what material do you guys use for your ball valve and where do i get the actual ball from?
I wrote a big article a few years ago about how Big Gun cannons work, and one of its points was that the "Indiana" style cannons we use for battleship turrets are incredibly inefficient. Most of those inefficiencies are necessary in order to have rotation, depression, and reloading capabilities in a multi-barrel turret, so instead of eliminating them (which would sacrifice the desired features as well) we have to compensate for them using a large accumulator and a big-*** valve. In short, no valve made by clippard has sufficient airflow to meet your requirements. In fact, to date there are no commercially manufactured valves with sufficiently high airflow, compact size, and low weight necessary for our hobby. That means you have to build your own, or find someone who can build them for you. The valve body is usually machined from solid PVC, with a buna-N rubber ball to block and unblock airflow though the valve. The buna ball you can get from Mcmaster Carr. For alternatives, solid ABS (not the ABS foam drainage pipes) reportedly is better than PVC for a valve body and accumulator, and I have seen people use rubber faucet washers in place of buna balls on occasion.
I got my balls from Amazon Supply (was Small Parts) http://www.amazonsupply.com/dp/B001...p_g2c_asin They also have PVC and I get my barrel material from them. Orders over $50 ship free, which is nice when you order 6' tubing since there is no oversized shipping charges.
Go with Mark's suggestion of Amazon Supply on the balls. They are much less there than at McMaster Carr...
am i able to use hdpe instead of pvc for the body of the valve? just because i am having trouble finding solid pvc......
