WARNING: PLEASE NOTE THE WARNING AT THE END OF THIS POST. THIS POST SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED INSTRUCTIONS - MERELY A RETELLING OF WHAT I DID. THIS WEBSITE AND I ASSUME NO LIABILITY IF YOU ATTEMPT TO DUPLICATE THE ACTIONS DESCRIBED HERE.

Short story:
I just mated a snap-in tubeless tire valve to the top of an empty air duster with super glue and it works great!

Long story:
Back in March of 2002 [yes ought-two], I went to a Pep Boys or somesuch and I bought a small air compressor to pump up basketballs and pool toys and the like. The kind you use when you're inflating your tires to the proper PSI to improve your car's gas mileage.

And it occurred to me there ought to be a simple way to attach the lil red straw that comes with every can of air to my new compressor. The guy at the auto store where I was shopping recommended and sold me tubeless tire valves.

I tried just super-gluing the lil red straw into the tubeless tire valve. I think that that would work, but I believe glue got into the straw due to my carelessness and so trial #1 failed.

I backburned the project cause I'm lazy and felt shame everytime I bought more cans of air.

...Until I saw this:
Infinite Air Duster! on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Now I was no longer satisfied with my straw-in-the-valve approach - I wanted a trigger!

1] I took an empty air can

2] Cut the top off with my dremel

3] Smoothed the cut edge with my dremel and did further smoothing with some sandpaper.

4] Super-guled [Krazy Glue brand; I had some] the second tubeless tire value [Package of 2 was US$2.29] to a lil nipple inside the air can top.

Works! And as a special bonus {I think???} the seal between the air can top and the tubeless tire value isn't air-tight. I was afraid my air compressor would go up to some crazy pressure and overheat and stuff if I wasn't pulling the trigger but that slow leak solves the problem nicely.

NO MORE AIRCANS AT MY HOUSE!

This is a cool lil project since most of us have small air compressors, dremels, super glue, sandpaper and empty air cans already and tubeless tire valves are cheap!

WARNING: ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHEN USING A DREMEL.

WARNING: BE EXTRA-DOUBLE-ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT AN AIR CAN YOU ARE THINKING OF CUTTING INTO IS ***COMPLETELY*** EMPTY. I CANNOT STRESS ***EMPTY*** OR ***COMPLETELY*** ENOUGH. IF THERE IS CONTENTS WITHIN THE CAN UNDER PRESSURE, WHEN YOU PUNCTURE IT IT MAY TAKE OFF LIKE AN UNGUIDED MISSILE OR SIMPLY TURN TO SHRAPNEL IN YOUR HAND. PUNCTURING AN AIR CAN IS A STUPID STUPID STUPID THING TO DO. BE VERY WARY. EYE PROTECTION. HELMET WITH FACE GUARD BETTER.

-MF

Pictures in the morning; my digital camera battery is dead

^^DO NOT DO THIS IT IS INCREDIABLY STUPID!!! ^^

*No offense Monsignor Funkibut

Just spend $10-$15 on a refillable can at any office supply store.

ReAir can is sold at office max and cost $14 at mine. ReAir Refillable Duster >> MetaEfficient Reviews »» MetaEfficient Reviews



Or u can get refillable can at harbor freight for $11.99 Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Just use a straw. No compressor noise either!

Here's the pic

But musclecars is right - this is stupid. In my defense:

a] I didn't know any better.

b] I don't think these were around in 2002 when I conceived this project originally.

c] Refilling and refilling a can isn't as cool as the infinite [tho' noisy] supply of air a compressor can supply

d] There may be a FEW [but just a few] places my thermastratus can get that a can can't

-MF

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Sorry man, from ur first post i thought u had the valve set up so u could refill the can. From the pic i can see what u mean now.

I have two blow guns for just direct blowing from the compressor. Air Blow Gun 4" Angled Nozzle w/ Comfort Grip Handle

Pro-Grade Air Blow Gun Kit with 5 Interchangeable Nozzles


I don't have any cans with a straw right now but i think u could cut the end off a needle for blowing basketballs up and slide the straw over then glue.

Quote: Originally Posted by musclecars&computers Sorry man, from ur first post i thought u had the valve set up so u could refill the can. From the pic i can see what u mean now. I have two blow guns for just direct blowing from the compressor. Air Blow Gun 4" Angled Nozzle w/ Comfort Grip Handle Pro-Grade Air Blow Gun Kit with 5 Interchangeable Nozzles I don't have any cans with a straw right now but i think u could cut the end off a needle for blowing basketballs up and slide the straw over then glue.

I briefly considered getting a thin brass tube, a basketball needle and some JB Weld - about two weeks before I decided I had to have a trigger.

Wonder if someone makes a blow gun that would fit a lil air compressor? I think I have a blow gun to go with an ancient Sears air compressor [It's so old I think it says Sears and not Craftsman] I've never fired up - wonder if an adapter would be simple engineering?

-MF

most all compressors i've seen from the small ones up to commercial can in some way use regular air accessories. Either at the end of the hose whatever is on there will come off somehow or where the hose goes into the compressor is threaded and u just have to get a short regular hose. If you have pics or the model type, it shouldn't be hard to come up w/ something.

Quote: Originally Posted by Hak Foo Just use a straw. No compressor noise either!

I had never considered this