Hey everyone! Have you ever thought about drilling out your air fittings to get more air flow? If so, let me know in the comments. Feel free to leave a tip 😊💲VENMO: @GarageDynamics I know this video is long. So to save some time, here are links to the interesting parts of the video. If you can, please watch till the end. Thanks! ❤ Drilling: 8:45 - 13:34 Testing: 13:34 - 23:45
Great idea. I just drilled out a couple of my industrial type fittings to try out. Only thing you need to keep in mind.... At least If you're using industrial fittings, drilled out, they won't work in an industrial coupler. If you get a $5 universal type coupler (I'm using the $5 Merlin, from harborfreight) then it works perfect. I don't know it that combination flows as much as a proper high flow set up..... But, I've always used industrial fittings, and I have such a pile of them that I just can't bring myself to replace them all.
Both fittings and couplers have to be hi flow and and compressor outlet and regulator to take full advantage the air leak at end is what happens when you drill out fittings and don't have hi flow couplers they wiggle and leak loosing your drilling gain if you don't make outlet of compressor flow to the hose there is little gain. That's why hi flow fittings are sold with hi flow couplers . But if you want drilling your existing steel fittings then you need to buy hi flow couplers so they don't leak great video though
Hello bob rossi! Thank you for your feedback and kind words! As I've been working on this bottleneck I've noticed that it's coming down to the couplers. I've got all of the fittings drilled out (and have already noticed a difference) and I will upgrade the couplers like you said. That should bump up the performance a lot.
You sound like an engineer. May years ago while working in a large machine shop there was a company engineer walking around the floor looking for machinists doing something he deemed to be "incorrect" shop practices. As he walked past me I casually asked him what time it was. He proceeded to tell me how to build a freeking watch. Was that you?
Not sure if anyone pointed this out already. The error in your math is forgetting to double the wall thickness because there are two "sides" to the circle. Ex 7.8 mm neck minus 7 mm drill leaves 0.4 mm wall thickness. In practice, drill bits wobble, so it will be even thinner.
I understand your results. But I have one question: you enlarge the I.D. Of the male fitting, but what about the quick release fitting? Today 8/29/23 I undertook modifying the male fittings I wanted to experiment with. Not having a drill press I used my cordless, placed the fitting on a vice, and used the approximately same diameter drill bits. Since this was test, I installed the coupler and one modified fitting on a 25 ft ⅜” hose. The results were a total failure, I couldn’t get air to the air drill. So after messing around and not getting anywhere I took the couplers apart to see why an unmodified fitting would allow air to flow, but not the modified ones. I was able to determine that the modified fitting was not compressing the spring loaded valve that’s inside the coupler. The cause is that by drilling the fitting I.D. the tip of the couplers spring loaded valve couldn’t be compress by the tip of the fitting. It’s I.D vs O.D. relationship. I resolved the ID OD issue by lightly tapping the tip of the fitting to slightly deforming the tip and thus allow it to compress the coupler’s valve. Yes deforming the tip does slightly change the ID of the fitting but that didn’t impact the mass airflow which drastically had increased my air drill performance. I’ll test the modified parts on my 22 gallon 175psi with a 50 foot hose to see if results don’t change.
The high flow connections need to be on both ends of your hose. That in combination with a 3/8” air line, you’ll definitely notice a difference with tools having a high CFM rating.
Hello Ftw9195! Thank you for your feedback. Yes, that's what I'm working on now. I have drilled out all of my air fittings and I've noticed more flow 😁
I just bought a few sets of the Merlin kits at Harbor, I've connected all my compressors via unregulated paths, and all my hoses are not only 3/8th, but large bore crimped ends, (there are many sizes not just the hose size) I've recently discovered that Milton has and does make the hiflow V style, and that's a superior product, but since Harbor is down the road, availability wins it for me, they are backwards compatible with my low demand tools, but after doing all my mods, my air gun almost blows me back when I trigger, just a little thoughtful planning and inspection makes a major difference. (Get me outta this rabbit hole please lol)
I really haven't used a paint gun and you do need a big enough compressor but aren't you at sub 50psi so i don't think the high flow will make any difference on that
You could probably boil all that down to about a 20 second video. And if you want to even have a chance of running impact, you need to get wider hose , possibly add a secondary air tank depending on your compressor size
I liked the video ans idea. Not so much the execution. You are very well spoken and methodical. First thing I would say is although the rest of the world uses metric, thr fact that everything related to air compressors and these drill bits is imperial. It would've been more beneficial and relatable to have measured in .001". Second suggestion would be to have established a control. Explained the compressor setup, fittings, couplers and hose size and length. So as the viewer has an expectation of what to expect from their setup or how it may differ. The problem with the modified steel fitting is it didn't look like you took into account the inside diameter of the threaded end of both fittings. As I have just been through this myself, there is a huge variation in both end inside diameters across the many different brands and materials of these fittings. Thanks, I'm fixing to watch part2
Hey everyone! Have you ever thought about drilling out your air fittings to get more air flow? If so, let me know in the comments.
Feel free to leave a tip 😊💲VENMO: @GarageDynamics
I know this video is long. So to save some time, here are links to the interesting parts of the video. If you can, please watch till the end. Thanks! ❤
Drilling: 8:45 - 13:34
Testing: 13:34 - 23:45
I've never been paint balling before but I appreciate the breakdown of your video and how you compare the speeds with your testing. Very informative!
Hey Pablo! Thanks for the kind words. Actually it's for the guns that spray paint onto cars. Adding more air flow helps keep the flow consistent.
Great idea. I just drilled out a couple of my industrial type fittings to try out. Only thing you need to keep in mind.... At least If you're using industrial fittings, drilled out, they won't work in an industrial coupler.
If you get a $5 universal type coupler (I'm using the $5 Merlin, from harborfreight) then it works perfect. I don't know it that combination flows as much as a proper high flow set up..... But, I've always used industrial fittings, and I have such a pile of them that I just can't bring myself to replace them all.
Both fittings and couplers have to be hi flow and and compressor outlet and regulator to take full advantage the air leak at end is what happens when you drill out fittings and don't have hi flow couplers they wiggle and leak loosing your drilling gain if you don't make outlet of compressor flow to the hose there is little gain. That's why hi flow fittings are sold with hi flow couplers . But if you want drilling your existing steel fittings then you need to buy hi flow couplers so they don't leak great video though
Hello bob rossi! Thank you for your feedback and kind words! As I've been working on this bottleneck I've noticed that it's coming down to the couplers. I've got all of the fittings drilled out (and have already noticed a difference) and I will upgrade the couplers like you said. That should bump up the performance a lot.
You sound like an engineer. May years ago while working in a large machine shop there was a company engineer walking around the floor looking for machinists doing something he deemed to be "incorrect" shop practices. As he walked past me I casually asked him what time it was. He proceeded to tell me how to build a freeking watch. Was that you?
Not sure if anyone pointed this out already. The error in your math is forgetting to double the wall thickness because there are two "sides" to the circle. Ex 7.8 mm neck minus 7 mm drill leaves 0.4 mm wall thickness. In practice, drill bits wobble, so it will be even thinner.
Also it's not great to say "7mm is the maximum we can safely go to" and then immediately abandon that premise.
Decent Drill bit is ~ Same $ as buying the purple parts Kit. Plus it IS tricky to adequately Centre the drill hole (it was OFF centre in this Video)
Aftermarket is probably polished hole
I did this a couple years ago and after drilling the male end it would not push the center down in the female coupler.
At 3:18 the fitting ID was 5.02mm, not 5.2mm (and nowhere near 5.4mm)
I understand your results. But I have one question: you enlarge the I.D. Of the male fitting, but what about the quick release fitting? Today 8/29/23 I undertook modifying the male fittings I wanted to experiment with. Not having a drill press I used my cordless, placed the fitting on a vice, and used the approximately same diameter drill bits. Since this was test, I installed the coupler and one modified fitting on a 25 ft ⅜” hose. The results were a total failure, I couldn’t get air to the air drill. So after messing around and not getting anywhere I took the couplers apart to see why an unmodified fitting would allow air to flow, but not the modified ones. I was able to determine that the modified fitting was not compressing the spring loaded valve that’s inside the coupler. The cause is that by drilling the fitting I.D. the tip of the couplers spring loaded valve couldn’t be compress by the tip of the fitting. It’s I.D vs O.D. relationship. I resolved the ID OD issue by lightly tapping the tip of the fitting to slightly deforming the tip and thus allow it to compress the coupler’s valve. Yes deforming the tip does slightly change the ID of the fitting but that didn’t impact the mass airflow which drastically had increased my air drill performance. I’ll test the modified parts on my 22 gallon 175psi with a 50 foot hose to see if results don’t change.
No oil when drilling?
The high flow connections need to be on both ends of your hose. That in combination with a 3/8” air line, you’ll definitely notice a difference with tools having a high CFM rating.
Hello Ftw9195! Thank you for your feedback. Yes, that's what I'm working on now. I have drilled out all of my air fittings and I've noticed more flow 😁
I just bought a few sets of the Merlin kits at Harbor, I've connected all my compressors via unregulated paths, and all my hoses are not only 3/8th, but large bore crimped ends, (there are many sizes not just the hose size) I've recently discovered that Milton has and does make the hiflow V style, and that's a superior product, but since Harbor is down the road, availability wins it for me, they are backwards compatible with my low demand tools, but after doing all my mods, my air gun almost blows me back when I trigger, just a little thoughtful planning and inspection makes a major difference. (Get me outta this rabbit hole please lol)
I really haven't used a paint gun and you do need a big enough compressor but aren't you at sub 50psi so i don't think the high flow will make any difference on that
You could probably boil all that down to about a 20 second video. And if you want to even have a chance of running impact, you need to get wider hose , possibly add a secondary air tank depending on your compressor size
I liked the video ans idea. Not so much the execution. You are very well spoken and methodical. First thing I would say is although the rest of the world uses metric, thr fact that everything related to air compressors and these drill bits is imperial. It would've been more beneficial and relatable to have measured in .001". Second suggestion would be to have established a control. Explained the compressor setup, fittings, couplers and hose size and length. So as the viewer has an expectation of what to expect from their setup or how it may differ.
The problem with the modified steel fitting is it didn't look like you took into account the inside diameter of the threaded end of both fittings. As I have just been through this myself, there is a huge variation in both end inside diameters across the many different brands and materials of these fittings. Thanks, I'm fixing to watch part2
Need to lube that bit before and during drilling, brother.
THANK YOU, FOR DOING THIS DEMO, AND EXPLAINING THIS ISSUE. ARE THERE CLEAR "WINNERS" AVAILABLE, NOW?... I WANT TO GET "THE BEST", AND DUMP THE REST