What is everyone using to remove tank regs?

[powpowpaintball]

Not a tough question, but I'm curious what people are using to remove tank regs. My 3D printed tool that I've used for years broke last week, so I'm looking for a replacement. The only thing I see on the market right now is the CP version: https://www.ebay.com/itm/22196980301...Bk9SR7yS1Zb8YA

The last time I bought one I remember there being a plethora of options, so am I just not looking in the right places? Does anyone have a tool they really like? Has anyone used the CP version? Just looking for some opinions before I order.

[Toestr]

The cheapest option would be to get a block of 2x4 and use a hole saw to cut to an appropriately sized hole, then cut in half through the hole. You can then throw that in a vise. If you don't have a proper sized hole saw you can go a bit bigger and then cut a piece of rubber hose in half to shim the wood (it doesn't have to be an exact fit, a bit smaller is fine). The downsides to this are that you will need to remove all the fittings from the reg and there is no way to torque it down to spec.

I'd be interested to know how well the 3D printed one fared for you?

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[powpowpaintball]

I liked the 3d printed one and used it to remove probably 25+ regs over a couple years. The only disadvantage is that it relies on the burst disks, fill, and gauge to work, and not all regs fit into it. It broke because I had a FS Hero reg stripped down to just the fill nipple and it was too much force with only one point of contact.

I saw your suggestion about the 2x4 and it sparked a lightbulb for me: I used exactly what you described before I got my 3d printed version. Dug around my toolbox and found the blocks, so I'll try those on the next reg.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Corner of a picnic table. Or railing rung.

[Roger7pball]

Large soft jaw vice on the reg and a strap wrench on the bottle.

I usually let it hangout in a bucket of hot water for 10 minutes prior.

[latches109]

This. ^

[Cdn_Cuda]

I’m using a 3D printed on I got from a member on here. Works well and makes taking regs off a lot easier. It’s a two piece design as well.

I know BMC fabrication makes a metal reg remover as well. Never used it but looks nice.

[Alexndl]

I usually go with lot of swear and curse...
depending on your bottle some are harder to undo than other.
Strap wrench have not worked well for me. Wood block and hole saw, soft jaw or 3d printed tool is the better option.
I have also seen proper size socket with grinded groove to fit the fittings.

[Chuck E Ducky]

The socket works good. I have a tool designed specifically for it but it don’t fit on a lot of the larger regs. I end up just using a 90* point ware two pieces of wood meet and crank it off by hand (that’s what she said) Wedge and twist it off. Let’s you get a good grip on the bottle with two hands and the wood don’t mar everything up. Taken off 100s like this including one that was red locked on with the Devil sauce.

[William the Third]

The CP reg tool, a vise, and strap wrench are my go to tools. I also have a tool I had made for removing bonnets and some gun regs (WGP in particular) by gripping around the threads. It's a vice grip mated to a cut in half CGA320 nut.

[zinger565]

I got a universal aluminum one from someone on Facebook, similar to the BMC one. $40 or $45. Works well.

[Hp_lovecraft]

I've only ever used a strap-wrench and a padded vice. But I don't think I've had to remove a valve in forever.
These days, it is more common to see loctite on tank threads, even though it is never supposed to be used.

[powpowpaintball]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Toestr's comment made me remember that I had a wood block setup somewhere, so I'm going to toss that in the vise for the next tank. I can't recall why I moved away from that, but if it is not satisfactory then I'll grab a pair of soft jaws for the vise or get something from BMC. It looks like they have metal and 3d printed options, so it is exactly what I was looking for.

Here's a pic of the 3d printed tool I had. I snapped off one of the pegs trying to remove a reg from a FS bottle. I heated the threads to soften the bond, but it still didn't break loose and I had removed everything but the fill nipple to get the reg to fit. Too much force and one point of contact led to busted tool. I haven't had many modern bottles with anything on the threads, but this one was certainly loaded.




As an aside, is there any concern about damaging the fill nipples, gauges, or burst disks (or their threaded holes) when using them to remove regs? I've always thought it was a large amount of force on small objects when you have a stubborn reg.