Thread: PVC air cylinders

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i've heard good and bad things about pvc air cylinders, does anyone have a tutorial on how to make them. I don't actually have a air compressor yet but i wouldn't mind if i had some kind of cylinders ready to use for when i do get a compressor.

Thanks guys in advance

Phil

PVC pipe was not designed to handle compressed air. It can become brittle in a "haunt" environment. The last thing you want is PVC shrapnel all over your Tot's!

Here is a website that offers pneumatic cylinders and other related items at a good price - https://www.surpluscenter.com/air.asp?catname=air

Don't do it. For one, it is just dangerous. If it fails, it is going to fail like a hand grenade sending very sharp pieces of PVC. It isn't going to just bulge or split to release the pressure.

Secondly, while I think it would be entertaining to make my own cylinder, I'd rather just have all that time back to work on the prop and feel confident that the cylinder was going to work that one night in the year that I REALLY need it to work.

Echoing what Kurt and thisain'tmayberry said , I have 2 comments for the moment.
!- Call any reputable PVC manufacturer and ask if their product is made for pneumatic use.
2- Don't you think if PVC cylinders were a good idea, they would be mass produced? The fact that they aren't should be a clue. Idf you don't have a compressor right now save a dollar hear and there and purchase some REAL pneumatic devices such as valves and cylinders and any associated parts. Hope this helps , not meant to be a rant or anything - just REAL facts.

Phil don't believe all the tall tells you will hear about pvc cylinders. Of course real cylinders are better to use but some people either can't get them or don't have the money to buy a long stroke cylinder. So they build their own out of pvc.

At one time (around 2000-03 for me) most haunters built their own air cylinders it was the only choice we had if we wanted to use air. A little facts about pvc...at 36 degrees or above pvc will act like rubber. If it fails it will do so by a hole, it wont shatter.

Wrap it in duct tape and I wouldn't be afraid to use it in any type of weather above 0 degrees

BTW they do make PVC air cylinders.

http://teqcomindustries.thomasnet.co...der?&forward=1

Phil when I find the link to the how to on pvc air cylinders I will post it....I have to find it first
But like others said....you would be better off using a non home make cylinder. Not for safety but for performance.

At one time (around 2000-03 for me) most haunters built their own air cylinders it was the only chose we had if we wanted to use air. A little facts about pvc...at 36 degrees or above pvc will act like rubber. If it fails it will do so by a hole, it wont shatter

I don't know where you got your information , but I know first hand that PVC Will in fact SHATTER above 36°. I had it happen to me in a manfacturing facility that some one plumbed a machine with a section af PVC, it exploded as I was turning off a valve to shut the air off and almost lost my little finger due to the shards of PVC. The pressure was 25psi. The temp in the plant was right around 70°. As I stated before ,contact any reputable PVC manufacturer and ask if it is safe or recommended that cylinders are made out of PVC. BTW the link you posted was interesting, I noticied that it appeared that those cylinders were made out of matieral MUCH thicker that you can get at Lowes or Home Depot.

Originally Posted by bfjou812

At one time (around 2000-03 for me) most haunters built their own air cylinders it was the only chose we had if we wanted to use air. A little facts about pvc...at 36 degrees or above pvc will act like rubber. If it fails it will do so by a hole, it wont shatter

I don't know where you got your information , but I know first hand that PVC Will in fact SHATTER above 36°. I had it happen to me in a manfacturing facility that some one plumbed a machine with a section af PVC, it exploded as I was turning off a valve to shut the air off and almost lost my little finger due to the shards of PVC. The pressure was 25psi. The temp in the plant was right around 70°. As I stated before ,contact any reputable PVC manufacturer and ask if it is safe or recommended that cylinders are made out of PVC. BTW the link you posted was interesting, I noticied that it appeared that those cylinders were made out of matieral MUCH thicker that you can get at Lowes or Home Depot.

If it failed like that then it was very very very old because PVC does not fail like that unless it was defected at temps above 36 degrees. Right now I really don't have the time to look up the specs. But I know this because the subject use to come up at least once a week. Are you sure it wasn't a fitting that busted on you? If it was at the valve then there had to be some type of fitting.

I never said any reputable PVC manufacturer would say it is safe or recommended it...of course they wouldn't. Just like the maker of the wiper motor wouldn't recommend we use the motor to make a prop. Or the maker of the motion detector would recommend we rewire them to use with our props. But we do it.....right?

Maybe I should send the company that's making the air cylinder out of pvc a email and let them know it isn't safe.

I forgot one of the biggest maker of plastic air cylinders and their target is kids.

YouTube- Lego vérins pneumatique modifiés Test / Modified Lego Custom actuator

YouTube- LEGO pneumatic cylinder modified for optimal air flow by techbricks.nl

I see you all have your own opinions on pvc cylinders. I had heard they could be dangerous but i didn't know they could explode. The main reason for this thread was just to see whether or not they were reliable and to find out a bit more about them. Obviously it would be a cheap alternative (another reason why i was interested). But if the majority of you say it is unsafe then i guess we will leave it at that.

Thanks

Phil

Originally Posted by madmax

If it failed like that then it was very very very old because PVC does not fail like that unless it was defected at temps above 36 degrees. Right now I really don't have the time to look up the specs. But I know this because the subject use to come up at least once a week. Are you sure it wasn't a fitting that busted on you? If it was at the valve then there had to be some type of fitting.

I never said any reputable PVC manufacturer would say it is safe or recommended it...of course they wouldn't. Just like the maker of the wiper motor wouldn't recommend we use the motor to make a prop. Or the maker of the motion detector would recommend we rewire them to use with our props. But we do it.....right?

Maybe I should send the company that's making the air cylinder out of pvc a email and let them know it isn't safe.

The pvc in question was less than a year old, it shattered about 13" into a 36" run. There were no fittings that exploded. I did make a mistake in stating about asking a manfacturer about making cylinders out of PVC, What I meant to say was ask about using PVC as an airline , the response was that due to pulsations and oil, water ,dirt that is typically found in compressed air systems it is not permitted . If doubting check OSHA, There is one type of PVC that is allowed and probabally way above the home haunters price range. I have stated this before and will state it again. It amazes me that how many talented and smart people are on here and other forums that they will scrimp and try to use parts that are not designd for the particular application. Is a "wiper motor " designed for windshield wipers only ? Or is it a motor that was desined for another application and adapted for windshield wipers? It is a 12 volt dc motor when broken down to the basic design. It kinda boils down to the quesation I was asked when I bartended- " Can I have quarters for the pool table?" My response was " We're out of pool table quaters , all we have left are juke box and pinball machine quaters" In the videos you show there is no mention of pressure ,and they are probably 1/16" diameter? and if they are for kids they probably require a manual pump to get the "compressed air"I'm done