A DIY tubeless tire pressurizer?

Important Disclaimer: Using inflammable substances and poorly engineered devices to mount tires at high pressure may result in hard bits of these devices achieving enough velocity to take an eye out and other undesirable consequences.

Random thought prompted by Dan’s link to this new tubeless tire charger from Schwalbe: I think we’ve all seen that ghetto tubeless tire charger made from a plastic pop bottle and leftover bits of valves. Surely somebody has dressed it up with ingredients similar to a PVC pipe potato gun?

DIY tubeless tire pumper

Instead of pressuring your cannister with hairspray and a match, you’d charge it with a conventional floor pump through the presta valve. I need to add a valve to the above diagram — I guess a standard ball valve would do the trick? Close the valve, pressurize the cannister, then pop your tubeless tire onto its rim by releasing the valve.

The pump head shown is the SKS EVA bicycle pump head, which does not come with the hose. You also want a grommet to seal the hose hole entry. All of this can be ordered from your local bike shop.

Your local bike shop likely stocks something like the Stan’s NoTubes Tubeless Valve Stems show above, but you can also try using valves cut from an old tube. Be sure to leave plenty of rubber around the valve for a good seal.

PVC pipe can be easily cut to size at your local hardware store, where you can also find caps, connectors, valves and PVC primer and solvent.

And come to think of it, has anybody mounted a tubeless tire with hairspray (or, better yet, lighter fluid) and a match yet? Please note that this is not an incitement or suggestion to run out and try something like this.

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