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Air Regulator

Turbo911

Member
I just started this journey and the learning has just begun. I practiced on rivets on a i-phone holder test kit from Cleveland Tool. Well, turns out the rivets do not like a 3x gun at 115 psi (that is our standard shop air).

So I set out to extend the air piping system into my airplane shop and install a regulator to regulate the air down to something like 70-90 psi and have small regulator at the gun. Got that accomplished with no leaks, Great!

Well not so fast, the regulator I bought from the local air supply shop basically reads the shop air pressure 115 and as I try to adjust it, it start leaking like a crazy and the main air screw compressor kicks back on and up to 115 I go.

I'll include a pic, where did I go wrong?
 

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Regulator

The regulator will read shop air pressure till a load is triggered. Adjust under load to desired pressure.
Personally, I prefer a pigtail at the device with a RTI 1/4" mini regulator adjusted to the tool needs. No flow restrictor. Harbor Fright mini regulators work ok as well.
 
Sounds like the regulator is plumbed backwards. When you adjust the line pressure down in a normal setup it lets pressure out of the line downstream to the set pressure. Can’t tell by the pics.
 
Regulator

I tried running a 4000 rpm drill wide open and adjusting. The regulator reads shop air from 120 down to 105 and then goes back up to 120. That is how the screw compressor is programmed. I'm still stumped. I have a small regulator from Cleveland Tools at the air drill. The small regulator does seem to work, but my whole point of this exercise was to be able to start from 90 psi at the wall.
 
Sounds like the regulator is plumbed backwards. When you adjust the line pressure down in a normal setup it lets pressure out of the line downstream to the set pressure. Can’t tell by the pics.

My initial thoughts as well.
 
I have two regulators in my setup:

1 is set for the "master" pressure (90PSI), but I usually just set that at the compressor because it will leak a bit if set to a lower pressure.

I have a manifold with one line leading to a second regulator used only for riveting. FYI with a 2x gun I typically rivet around 20-25 PSI for AN3 and 30-35 for AN4. Much easier to control the gun and I get consistent results.

Picture of my setup:

IMG_0520.jpg


(Shop is NOT that clean any more - took this photo when I moved to hangar on previous build and re-arranged things a bit. Same setup in my home shop now)


This is the regulator I use for rivet gun:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GK9Y1S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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Regulator

I'm guessing I plumbed it backwards, the problems I'm seeing fits that description. I will check and post findings. Thanks for the ideas.
 
Regulator

Sure enough, there was an "IN" on the inlet side of the regulator. I flipped the regulator around and all is well. Learned something new today. Thanks for the help. Now I can practice riveting at something less than 115 psi, did not go well.
 
...and

...and 90 PSI on a 3x gun is still going to be too much, especially for the -3 rivets. My regulator is set at about 45 psi. Two small Bbrrrts and the rivet is set.
 
Pressure

Depends on the gun too. Sioux 3X, 22psi (#3), 30psi (#4). Maybe 2 second burst.
Slightly higher for longer rivets.
 
I leave 90psi for the 3X gun, and use the flow restrictor from harbor freight on the gun inlet. I find a setting that works on the -3 rivets, and when I do a -4 rivet, I open the restrictor 3 clicks counterclockwise. This prevents me from trying to use other tools at 45 psi, or worse, using 90 psi on the air drill, pneumatic squeezer ect, then forgetting to turn it down for the rivet gun.
 
Regulator

I have an in-line flow restrictor on the 3x gun. I also have a digital air adjust valve on the my paint gun. I have set the wall pressure at 90 psi and will work from there. I do not know what the pressure is at the 3x but a setting of 2 works for smaller rivets and just over 4 for bigger ones. Test riveting is way better at the reduced air pressures. Another learning experience. Thanks for all the help, I'm sure I'll be back for more.
 
regulator

I bought a couple HF regulators. I set one for -3 rivets and a 3x gun and the other for -4 rivets and the 3x gun.

I just plug whichever regulator is needed in for the job...never need to change the perfect setting...
 
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