# Cylinders



## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Ok i got a lot of 20 Bimba air cylinders in various sizes off an Ebay auction.. Paid about $2-3 per with shipping.

Now i just have to figure out how to make em work (lol)

So as an example I have this small cylinder with a threaded rod on the one end and the other end is a threaded fitting and a threaded opening in the side.
The action seems to be a suck into the cylinder with a spring return.

I am assuming this where the exhaust / inputs go into the cylinder. Most of the links i have looked at show 2 side connections 

What else will I need for these.. What is the typical thread sizes on these connections ( 1/8 , 1/4?)

I will post some pics when i get home of the various ones


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

Scream, 
Are you looking for a basic rundown of how to use these things? Sounds like the one you described is "Single-acting" meaning that air only makes it go one way. A spring provides the force to return it to it's initial state. Most of these work like a screen-door closer, where the spring pulls the rod back into the cylinder, but the one you describe sounds like a reverse-acting cylinder, where air retracts the rod and the spring returns the rod to the extended position. This could be used, in one example, by applying air pressure to keep a prop in the "down" position, and then turning the air supply off and allowing the spring to forse the prop up, or out or whatever is desired. Then air would be applied to return the prop to the ready position. This depends on the weight of the prop, though...

Double-acting cylinders are more versatile, I think, because you can use different pressures and speed controls to regulate how fast the extension and retraction actions happen.

In a single-acting cylinder, the air will exhaust out the port it came in through. Your solenoid valve should be at least 3-way so the exhaust has a seperate port to go through, without letting the air from your compressor through.

In Double-acting cyliders, air will exhaust from both ports, depending on the rod movement, so 4-way solenoid valves are very useful there. These would have the 2 side ports you mentioned.

Depending on the size of the cyliner, the size of the threaded ports may be 10/32 (tiny, on tiny cylinders) to 1/8" or 1/4". Most that I have encountered are 1/8", even on very large cylinders.

I would suggest quick-connect fittings and Polyethelyne tubing as well.

Is this anywhere close to what kind of info you were looking for?


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Yes this is exactly what I am looking for.. 

I have to really go through the box tonite and see what i have in there since it was an assorted lot of 20 bimba cylinders ranging in size from very small to a fairly large beefy looking one.

There just seems to be alot of threaded holes on them.. I'll post some pictures once i am home because I dont think they would think to kindly of me throwing a bunch of cylinders all over my desk when i am supposed to be working .. and my work has absolutely nothing to do with cylinders.. Unless i can say they are used for network security (lol)


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

Some of those extra threaded holes are probably mounting holes. There are numerous ways that cylinders are made to be mounted to something...sometimes with a pivot at the base, sometimes mounted at the "nose" (threaded area near where the rod comes out) or "Block" mounted, where you would have big blocks on either end of the cylinder that are part of the body, and two holes in each, on opposite sides. Holes on one side are for air, holes on the other side are for mounting screws.


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Some of them have mounting holes at the end that also flow into the cylinder ( ie if you blow into it you can move the cylinder) along with the one on the side . So i assume then this is a dual action push/pull configuration? Or would this be a mounting hole that i would have to thread a screw into as a mount/plug the hole ?

Sorry for the questions but i couldnt pass on the price even though I might not get into pnuematics this season ( or i might).


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## Death Master (Jul 1, 2007)

scream1973 said:


> Some of them have mounting holes at the end that also flow into the cylinder ( ie if you blow into it you can move the cylinder) along with the one on the side . So i assume then this is a dual action push/pull configuration? Or would this be a mounting hole that i would have to thread a screw into as a mount/plug the hole ?
> 
> Sorry for the questions but i couldnt pass on the price even though I might not get into pnuematics this season ( or i might).


Scream by what you are describing, that one is a double acting cylinder, if I had a pic to go by I could tell you if its a mounting hole, a buffer adjust, or a port hole.


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

I'll get some pics and post them of a few of the cylinders so I can get an idea of what i have here. Would have done it last nite but was just beat.. yesterday was the first day for summer hours so had to be at work an hour earlier and Wow did it ever tire me out.


Other question would be how do you determine how much a cylinder can move based on its size?


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Heres some of the pics

You can view them in the album
http://hauntforum.com/album.php?albumid=26

Or here are some pics










This is the end that i was talking about where you can blow the cylinder to move


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## Doomsday Cult Leader (Mar 21, 2007)

Check this out. Scary Guys Cylinder calculator


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## Death Master (Jul 1, 2007)

Sorry I didnt get back to this sooner, if you don't know already that is a double acting cylinder, both holes look like A&B port holes.


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Thanks Death Master.. I havent gotten around to doing anything else with them yet.. still working on other props


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