Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Moderator: hbartel
Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
I'm trying to reduce the pressure of a bladder fuel system. ALl the bladder tubing I have been using (and for that matter, anyone else that i have bothered to notice) is 1/16 wall. I have found some 1/32 wall tubing that I am considering trying, but i have to order ten feet! So before i buy a lifetime supply I thought I'd ask, has this been tried before? Is there some reason 1/32 wall latex tubing is not suitable for a bladder fuel system?
Part of the reason I ask is that I have done a lot of experimentation with balloons of several different types and sizes and none worked well. They are definitely too thin of a wall....
Thanks guys
Part of the reason I ask is that I have done a lot of experimentation with balloons of several different types and sizes and none worked well. They are definitely too thin of a wall....
Thanks guys
Scott Gilkey
RCCA# 330
RCCA# 330
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
In my control line days we used pen bladderd from fountain pens. Thinner than 1/32 but they held up fine. I even have an envelope of them I ordered on line two years ago when I was into wings.
Bob (Longhaul) Loescher
rcca# 621 RC Combat Geezer
Bring those planes in closer where I can see them.
[url=http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11380][img]http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11381[/img][/url]
rcca# 621 RC Combat Geezer
Bring those planes in closer where I can see them.
[url=http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11380][img]http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11381[/img][/url]
- Dane McGee
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:57 pm
- Location: Greenville, Texas
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
I use the 5/16 OD x 3/16 ID x 1/16 wall thickness from McMaster Carr. I use a pressure reducer inline on all my planes, regardless of engine size and get a rock solid needle.
I don't see why The 1/32 wall wouldn't work though.
FWIW, the lowest pressure latex tubing that I have ever used was from home depot.....it was a larger diameter, maybe 3/8 with a 1/16 wall, and was really easy to use. Problem is, it was too large after filling so the bladder cavity, had to be huge. It would not work in my thin wings.
I did some tests of different tubing sizes and pressure a few years ago and found that regardless of bladder pressure, the .5 gph dripper from Home depot worked fine with every size.
I don't see why The 1/32 wall wouldn't work though.
FWIW, the lowest pressure latex tubing that I have ever used was from home depot.....it was a larger diameter, maybe 3/8 with a 1/16 wall, and was really easy to use. Problem is, it was too large after filling so the bladder cavity, had to be huge. It would not work in my thin wings.
I did some tests of different tubing sizes and pressure a few years ago and found that regardless of bladder pressure, the .5 gph dripper from Home depot worked fine with every size.
Dane "Mad Max" McGee
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Contact Phil Cartier at Corehouse. Phil is a long-time CL Combat pilot and carries some very good bladder material. I'm sure that he has it in quantities less than 10 feet:
http://home.earthlink.net/~philcartier/
http://home.earthlink.net/~philcartier/
Gary James
Weatherford, TX
RCCA #908
[img]http://www.rccagallery.com/albums/garyjames/Trample_the_Weak.jpeg[/img]
Weatherford, TX
RCCA #908
[img]http://www.rccagallery.com/albums/garyjames/Trample_the_Weak.jpeg[/img]
- Dane McGee
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:57 pm
- Location: Greenville, Texas
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Thanks for the link Gary!
Dane "Mad Max" McGee
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
I don't have any way to measure it, and I tried to calculate it but failed, but my GUT feeling is that the larger ID of the tubing, for a given wall thickness (say, 1/16), the pressure will go down. So 1/4" ID tubing should have lower pressure than 3/16ID of the same wall thickness. Dane, were your measurements consistent with this?
Scott Gilkey
RCCA# 330
RCCA# 330
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Scott, the biggest thing I found with bladders is excessive pressure that causes a problem getting a consistant run. The I/2 gal/hr drip valves was the best way to get a uniform pressure and reliable run.
Bob (Longhaul) Loescher
rcca# 621 RC Combat Geezer
Bring those planes in closer where I can see them.
[url=http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11380][img]http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11381[/img][/url]
rcca# 621 RC Combat Geezer
Bring those planes in closer where I can see them.
[url=http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11380][img]http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11381[/img][/url]
- Dane McGee
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:57 pm
- Location: Greenville, Texas
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Scott, thats exactly right. The larger sizes will have normally have lower pressure given the wall thickness and material is the same.
Dane "Mad Max" McGee
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Bob, what section of Home Depot do you get the 1/2 gph drip valves, do you have a brand or part number? thanks
Scott Gilkey
RCCA# 330
RCCA# 330
- Dane McGee
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:57 pm
- Location: Greenville, Texas
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Home depot in the irrigation section.
Part /Locator # 37.......brown in color.
Part /Locator # 37.......brown in color.
Dane "Mad Max" McGee
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
I been using the 1 gallon/hour on my open b birds, I havent had problems, I also use the latex tubing from home depot, 6 minutes of rock solid runs, I think that the regulator is what really matters(and a good needle). Ill try some 1/2 gallon dripers to see what happens.
- Dane McGee
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:57 pm
- Location: Greenville, Texas
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
Here is another dripper that I use. Available from Lowes, 1/2 gph
.
.
Dane "Mad Max" McGee
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Greenville, Texas
RCCA Vice President 684
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
I have used both brands. The one from Home Depot had a longer life span.
Bob (Longhaul) Loescher
rcca# 621 RC Combat Geezer
Bring those planes in closer where I can see them.
[url=http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11380][img]http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11381[/img][/url]
rcca# 621 RC Combat Geezer
Bring those planes in closer where I can see them.
[url=http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11380][img]http://www.rccombat.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11381[/img][/url]
Re: Bladder Tubing Wall Thickness
5234K971 is 1/32 wall 3/16 ID latex tube, 5234K981 is 1/4 ID (McMaster). You can only get 10 or 25 foot lengths. It's about 74 cents a foot (only 55, I think, for lengths over 24 feet so get a few buddies and make a group buy). I plan to try the 1/4ID since that is the size of the fittings I have (plus i want the lower pressure) but I am concerned the thin wall will blow up to higher OD which may be too big a bulge for the wings we're using- the old 1/16 wall was already a bit bigger than the wing thickness.
Scott Gilkey
RCCA# 330
RCCA# 330