Recently I tested out an upgraded version of my homemade CPS water gun with larger 1 inch internal diameter tubing instead of my usual 3/8 inch ID. Why initially I thought the benefits of higher flow would be apparent, there was no advantage I could see aside from increased flow with a riot blast, which is not very useful. I would not recommend using larger diameter CPS tubing.
Some specific problems I noted:
- The tubing was running into the walls of my 4 inch pipe. You'll need pipe larger than 4 inches to support the 1 inch tubing. The water gun will be more powerful if the tubing can expand more as well, so definitely consider this if you want to use larger diameter tubing.
- The weight was much greater due to dead water space and the larger valve.
- The water gun felt as if it used more pumps to achieve the same amount of usable water, likely due again to the dead space.
- The price was much higher than a comparable smaller tube especially factoring in the cost of valves.
Right now I am considering reverting this water gun back to it's previous state. Luckily I made the process of reverting to the older design relatively easy with a modular design. What seems to be the best design practice when it comes to increasing power is having adequate potential for flow. The 1/2 inch barb I used was as large as the largest nozzle I would use.
Use of larger diameter CPS tubing
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Very interesting - I have actually been considering using much smaller tubing to see what the effects would be. Something like 1/4" tubing stretched over a 3/8" barb would allow for three layers and a very strong bladder. Of course, it would be an experiment regarding the effects of the flow. It might even work well enough with smaller nozzles, such as McMaster's 5/16" firehose nozzle.
But first I've got to get to the PCgH/WC hybrid...
Thanks for sharing the info. How are the water cannons coming along?
But first I've got to get to the PCgH/WC hybrid...
Thanks for sharing the info. How are the water cannons coming along?