# Custom regulator. PICS ADDED.



## wazuck (10 Jul 2012)

I've been planning my custom regulator and registered to swagelok today. Within 30mins of doing so I received a call from them to chat about what I'm using them for. Brilliant customer service froma top company. Can't wait to pick the parts now and get building. I wonder how much it would cost to have the bottle stem and nut chromed? Would look awesome.


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## Aqua sobriquet (10 Jul 2012)

*Re: Custom regulator.*

Go stainless!


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## wazuck (10 Jul 2012)

*Custom regulator.*

Yeah either is good with me. All the fittings are stainless. Most of the reg is stainless aswell. Building my brass dual stage to sell on but will keep it brass all the way I think.


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## Aqua sobriquet (11 Jul 2012)

*Re: Custom regulator.*

Let's see some pictures when you get them.


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## wazuck (12 Jul 2012)

*Custom regulator.*

I certainly will. Just for you


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## Aqua sobriquet (12 Jul 2012)

*Re: Custom regulator.*

Thanks, I do like looking at tech stuff!


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## wazuck (13 Jul 2012)

*Custom regulator.*

I'll be sure to post my DIY led light when I get round to building it. I'm going to do a small one as a test that can be dimmed via a knob before building one that runs off an arduino micro computer. Full auto dimming. Eventually building one with lots of different bulbs to change the colour as I see fit. Would be pretty cool to set it up to mimic a sunrise/sunset with the right colours. If all goes well I will consider building these for ukaps members for a small fee


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## wazuck (14 Jul 2012)

*Custom regulator.*

Ok so the second regulator build can begin. Just won a brand new boc 8500 4 bar dual stage regulator for... Wait for it... 28.50! Now that's a bargain. Saving of what? £100 there abouts. My heart was pounding for the last few seconds of that auction. This means that ill build my murex and put it up for sale if I dont decide to run it on a tank.


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## wazuck (19 Jul 2012)

*Re: Custom regulator.*

It came today. The BOC 8500. It makes my murex look like an antique. I need a really nice cylinder to pair up with this. An FE simply will not do. This reg does not deserve that. Unless perhaps a chrome FE. Anyone know where I can by a chrome or stainless cylinder? I'll post a pic of this baby soon.


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## wazuck (19 Jul 2012)

*Re: Custom regulator.*

A few pics 




The BOC and MUREX.



The BOC.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (19 Jul 2012)

They are both hugeeeee!


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## wazuck (19 Jul 2012)

Laboratory grade dual stage regs. Blows the rest out of the water.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (19 Jul 2012)

I would need a cabinet upgrade to accommodate that bad boy


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## wazuck (19 Jul 2012)

And this is it without the solenoid and metering valve. I'm building my stand around this! I like new toys!


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## Joecoral (20 Jul 2012)

Expensive?


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## Aqua sobriquet (20 Jul 2012)

That's a nice BOC Reg. As said, a chromed nut and pipe would look great!


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## wazuck (21 Jul 2012)

Joecoral said:
			
		

> Expensive?


I got the BOC regulator for £28.50 but they are worth over £100. It was an eBay bargain, brand new aswell. The murex cost me more than the BOC. Finishing the builds off will get expensive, the solenoid is around £40, metering valve £60, plus add on another £30 for adaptors, elbows, nipples and check valve. That's just for the BOC. I'm making the murex more of a budget build In the hope of selling it for a small profit. Anyone wishing to build there own dual stage, calor gas dual stage regulators are available from eBay for £39. Send them a message to get it down to £35.


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## wazuck (21 Jul 2012)

Aqua sobriquet said:
			
		

> That's a nice BOC Reg. As said, a chromed nut and pipe would look great!


it would wouldn't it  Altho it may also look good having the rest of the fittings in SS, brass and chrome. I'm not sure I'd want to risk having the regulator taken apart to be chromed. If something went wrong there's no way i would get another one for that price. I waited about 8months for that one to pop up on eBay.


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## wazuck (28 Sep 2012)

Money has been a big set back so I have decided to stray away from swagelok parts and have ordered two Parker metering valves which cost me £41 with shipping. As I own two optiwhite tanks I'm going to build both regs at the same time and keep both now.


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## Tony Swinney (28 Sep 2012)

Hi Wazuck, nice project with the regs.  Could you let me know where you've ordered the Parker MV's please - I've been trying to get accurate flow meters for a while, and that seems a very good price, thanks.


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## geoffbark (28 Sep 2012)

yeah could you share with us the supplier where you got your parkers, Was that 41 each or for both.

i spent about 6mths looking for good needle valves in this country, swagelok where the most expensive at £100 a valve. Parker i could not get hold of, ideal i could not get hold of. In the end i got two hoke valves, good but not as cheap as the parkers that you got.


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## wazuck (28 Sep 2012)

Sure I will post the item number in a minute. It was $24.99 per valve with $16.95 shipping or something like that. I'll just go find the item number. They are from the US so I have to wait for them. Any ideas on a solenoid? Was thinking about a burket but the price and the fact they run hot is a turn off. Missed out on two Parker solenoids the other day. They went for £15.


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## wazuck (28 Sep 2012)

140857586196 (item number) the shipping was only £1 more to ship both valves so I bought both there and then to save the pennies.


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## wazuck (28 Sep 2012)

Also note that they are npt fittings but easily converted to bsp if needed. If I remember rightly my reg is bsp so I will have to convert somewhere down the line. I'll get my thread measurement tool before I start putting things together.


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## wazuck (28 Sep 2012)

Another bit info on the Parker valves, they are 15 turns from closed to open so should be very good for fine adjustment.


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## wazuck (7 Oct 2012)

My metering valves arrived today so it's time to buy some more parts. I think I'll get the elbow to bubble counter next. I'm still stuck as to what solenoid to use and may just get a burkett. Then I'll just need another elbow and maybe a check valve to protect those expensive regs.


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## wazuck (7 Oct 2012)

Ok so I've ordered two silver jbj style bubble counters. They should have 1/8 npt fittings. That's great as my metering valve is 1/8npt. So valve, elbow, check valve, to bubble counter. Simples.... Erm well I guess not. I need to find a suitable 1/8npt check valve. I've found the right one but in 1/8 bspp fitting. Which would mean going valve, npt to bspp elbow, check valve, bspp to npt hex nipple to bubble counter. Oh it's all so confusing. Note to self never try to build a custom reg. I'll be taking that back if I get it finished tho


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## wazuck (8 Oct 2012)

Check found has been found. Sadly it's not silver but it will have to do. Also found the elbows I need. But are from the US so I need to send some emails and hopefully get them shipped. May just bite the bullet and get two burkert solenoids. It's going to cost about £60 for the pair :O these regs are costing me a bomb. But more than worth it to know I have a regulator that out performs any pre built regulator on the market.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (9 Oct 2012)

I'll stick with my JBL, just the thought of building my own scares me


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## wazuck (9 Oct 2012)

Honestly it's not that bad. Plus the end result is a regulator that you can set and forget until you need to refill the co2 tank. Oh and the feeling you get from building something great


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## jimwalsh (1 Feb 2013)

I have purchased one of these off ebay not as cheap as yours but still not bad at £45

I have also purchased the parker metering valve from the states

I am about to hit the button on a burkert 6011

do you have any advice on check valves (1/8 npt)

but I am getting very very confused with the fittings I need to stick them together...

from what I can gather I need :

regulator to solenoid: 3/8 BSPT male to 1/8 BSPP male 
solenoid to metering valve: 1/8 BSPP male to 1/8 NPT male
Metering valve to check valve: 90 degree elbow 1/8 npt 
check valve to jbj bubble counter: 1/8 npt hex nipple
I would appreciate any advice you can give as I am getting a bit confused

if you had any part numbers of bits you have got in the past I would be eternally grateful!

thanks again and your posts have inspired me to roll my own regualtor!


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## wazuck (1 Feb 2013)

That all looks fine to me. When I get a chance I'll find the check valve I keep meaning to order. It's the smallest I have found so far. Note with BSPP fittings there should be a rubber washer between them to form the airtight seal. Apart from that all looks good.


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## wazuck (1 Feb 2013)

Also the check valve i found is female to male so a hex nipple isn't needed to mount the bubble counter. £45 is still a great price as they are over £100 new.


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## nayr88 (2 Feb 2013)

Out of interest..why are you going through all this trouble to build your own reg when there are plenty enough decent ones about?
I'm not trying to be all knowing and as this is writing and not spoken word there is no tone or anything in my question, I'm genuinely interested as to why  

Cheers


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## jimwalsh (2 Feb 2013)

cost is one factor.

this reg with solenoid and needle valve will cost me about £100 

the JBL with solenoid comes in at about £170

fingers crossed this should be a better set up 

I also like to fiddle with things


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## nayr88 (2 Feb 2013)

jimwalsh said:


> cost is one factor.
> 
> this reg with solenoid and needle valve will cost me about £100
> 
> ...



Haha ok mate, fair play, it does look the part I must admit. I went for a cheap I one and the needle valve is crap!!


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## wazuck (2 Feb 2013)

nayr88 said:


> Out of interest..why are you going through all this trouble to build your own reg when there are plenty enough decent ones about?
> I'm not trying to be all knowing and as this is writing and not spoken word there is no tone or anything in my question, I'm genuinely interested as to why
> 
> Cheers



Ok well one a regulator should be a solid investment. Building your own means that you can pick the parts that should last the longest time. These regulators will hold the same output until the bottle is empty. Single stage regs will have a pressure change towards the end of the bottle. Building your own also builds on your knowledge of fittings and makes it easy to add onto your reg in the future, if I had a big cupboard free you could get the biggest co2 tank that would fit and add some parts to your regulator




Then run all of your tanks from it


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## jimwalsh (6 Feb 2013)

with the dowty washers do you still need ptfe tape?


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## Palm Tree (9 Mar 2013)

I'm looking at building a custom reg, could I connect 2 5kg FE's to a BOC 8500, then to a solenoid, then to a metering valve, then to a manifold with about 4 outlets so I ciould run 4 tanks off it ? By manifold I mean something like this- 360420777752


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## Palm Tree (5 Jun 2013)

Have you looked into Clippard mouse solenoids, on the American forums they seem to be the best, they are only 0.67 watts so no heat at all really. They are also pretty cheap.
I just brought a BOC 8500 10 Bar yesterday for £42 + postage and i'm planning a multi tank setup like the one you posted earlier ( that is a clippard solenoid in between all the needle valves).


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