| Air Compressor Question?

Air Compressor Question?

asked:


I was wondering.

When making an indy film, a compressed air “squib” can be a lot safer for a gun shot than a explosive squib.

I was wondering. On a simple 2 gallon air compressor, like this one : http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=119 can I store the air in the tank, and release it all at once? That’d be perfect for what I need. The air coming out would pop the blood pack, resulting in a believable gun shot.

Thanks for any help.

Regards

Joe

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Comments

2 Responses to “Air Compressor Question?”

  1. Wupadoo on December 7th, 2011 9:33 pm

    If your just going to explode a “squib,” you don’t need to release all the air at once. A squib only needs a small amount of air to make it explode. Releasing all the air in the tank will make it scatter too much. Experiment a little, before you “roll the film”. Condoms make good ones.

  2. thewrangler_sw on December 10th, 2011 10:45 am

    Yes, and No…..

    The compressor youve shown will certainly supply the air you need… in fact, it will supply quite a bit MORE than you need.

    Ive done a little reading, and from what I can see, a common pump up garden sprayer is capable of supplying all the compressed air you need for a typical ‘bullet hit’. And its a lot cheaper than an air compressor.

    Safety concern…..a powered air compressor is a lot easier on the folks setting this up, as far as getting the air into the squib, hehehe…. as the compressor does all the work, BUT… you need to moderate the actual pressure coming out. Compressed air is more dangerous than most folks realize. I’ve seen injuries from air nozzles set at too high a pressure, and it causes bruising, at the least, and at its most dangerous, can actually blow air thru the skin, into the blood stream. So be certain to START your experiments with a LOW AIR PRESSURE. I’d strongly recommend, that you consider putting some kind of padding behind the squib, to protect your actor’s skin. You probably only need 10 to 15 psi to make this work…. that air compressor you’ve chosen will deliver ten times that, easily.

    Another concern, is how to operate the compressor… do not use an extension cord — its better to run more air hose, than to run an extension cord. Extension cords will actually cause you to lose amperage over a long distance…..as a contractor, I routinely use very heavy, long extension cords for my power tools, all but the air compressor. Most air compressors need 13 to 15 amps to kick off, and start…. a typical 100 foot cord limits you to only 10 amps, and thats just enough to damage the compressor motor, as it ‘tries’ to start, but can’t. On the plus side…. adding air hose, is like expanding your air tank, giving you more stored air to work with. It may also be helpful to keep the noise of the compressor away from where you are working — even the ‘quiet’ models, like shown, can be noisy, hehehe.

    Also, I doubt very seriously you will need to empty the tank on the compressor for your squibs…. all you need is enough to make them pop. The typical 2 gallon compressor will have quite a bit more air than that. Ive got a 2.5 gallon 2.2 hp CH brand compressor myself, and when I release the safety valve, it will take several seconds to empty the tank.

    By the way, for “multiple sequential hits”, you’d want to set up a series of air switches, which can be triggered one after the other. This is one situation where the air compressor would be very handy, as it could supply all the air needed for a ‘multiple hit’. Just remember to keep the psi low enough so your actor isnt injured.

    Here are some links you may find helpful in ‘building’ your air squibs -

    And, here are a couple of sites that show how to use compressed air in animated displays, like for halloween. They’re good reading because they show how to set up a control system.

    Have Fun