Made my own air pump. LOVING IT!

[FireBirdBoy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close FireBirdBoy]

So I decided since I was on a budget I would make a homemade vacuum pump out of:

2" Diameter Aquarium Gravel Cleaner Cylinder - 9$
Harbor Freight Vacuum Pump w/ gauge - 24$
Brass Fittings to connect the two - 9$

Backstory -
Started seriously doing PE since around January of this year with stretches, jelqs, and a Bathmate X40....

Found a good routine using the bathmate. Used it for about 3 months solid. Worked my way up to 20 minute sessions, 2 x 10min sets, 3 days on, 1 day rest.

Absolutely hated it.

-Having to stay in the bathroom for all that time (Normal shower + Bathmate time)... Boring + No Privacy
-Trying to get a good seal (With/without comfort ring)... Aggravating and time consuming
-Balls constantly getting sucked in... Painful
-No pressure gauge... Dangerous
-Edema under the head after almost every use... Embarrassing and worrisome
-Measurements on the side of the BM... Not correct depending how "pumped" the ribbed section is or comfort ring in/out.
-Water distorting the view of my unit inside the BM... Annoying, and unable to read a decent measurement.
-EQ was abysmal after pumping session
-If I was able to stir up an erection after, my whole unit felt squishy. Then the Edema showed up.

Quit using the thing and quit PE all together.

Started reading about Air pumps. Seemed desirable due to the fact that I can do it whenever I feel like and no water involved. So I made my own and I'm SOLD.

-I can pump in the privacy of my own room, whenever I want to.
-The clear plastic tube doesn't distort the view of my unit like water does while pumping so I can actually see what my expansion is like.
-My balls have no chance to get sucked in.
-I can READ what pressure I'm pumping at. Good expansion at 5 (whatever measurement), FANTASTIC at 7.
-NO EDEMA.
-No one wondering why the **** I'm taking so long in the bathroom.
-No having to sneak the BM from bedroom to bathroom to bedroom.
-Again... NO EDEMA! NO SQUISHY DICK!
-My EQ is good even after a full 20 min pump session at 5 (insert vacuum measurement) and today after a 20 min session at 7 (insert measurement) it was 10/10!

I can't believe I waited this long to at least try an air pump. There's no way I'm going back to a water pump after trying this. I'm sure my pumping experience will be even better with a quality brand name tube.

Before people start chiming in with the "You pumped too long/You pumped too hard/Insert Reason"...

-The pressure I'm feeling on my unit feels EXACTLY the same if not GREATER than when I used the Bathmate. Except now I can actually read what pressure I'm at instead of guessing.
-I'm also pumping for the same amount of time. 2 x 10min sets. Will be doing this twice a day very soon depending on PI's.

So why the difference?
-Maybe because my unit is now being pressurized in a 2" tube vs a 4" tube?
-Maybe the lack of water?

I don't know, don't really care to be honest. I just know I'm LOVING my homemade air pump.

(This is not a Bathmate Bashing thread, this is just my personal experience. It didn't work for me, it might work for you, if so, thumbs up)

Have a nice day guys

[raybbaby Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close raybbaby]

I had good gains with my Bathmate. I started with the Hercules model and after my girth got to 5.5" I graduated to an x40. That said I also just bought an air pump. Harbor freight brake pump, but a hose and connectors and a LeLuv cylinder. Still under $70 I think. I tried it today. warmed up for five minutes in the Bathmate, cuz, hey, it worked awesome. Five minutes of jelqs and then ten minutes in the air pump. I just went for 9 minutes at 4 hg, then up to a strong 5 hg for the last minute. I loved it too. Got good expansion and no blistering or edema. Congrats on your new pump. I can tell it's going to be addictive.

[Hopeful379 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hopeful379]

Well guys, this is making me want an air pump. I have a bathmate and while I do like it, I also hate the fluid build up (which I think is what you guys are calling edema?) and also hate having to sneak it in and out of the bathroom/bedroom. I get good expansion but I’ve not been pumping too hard because I don’t want to over do it since there’s no gauge, and also if I go too hard I get the donut effect and I hate that. Also, not trying to change subject, but a related question. After I use my bathmate there is always a thin line on top of my shaft that’s hard and bumpy, it doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t matter how long/intense the pump is and it goes away after a few hours. I tried researching it and I swear a long time ago I read it was referred to as a string of pearls but I can’t find that anywhere. But that does describe it pretty well. Anyone know what this is and how to prevent it?

[raybbaby Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close raybbaby]

It's a blocked lymph vessel. All you can do is massage it. If you feel along it from the head end of your dick back towards your body, you may be able to find the last "pearl" as it was, and squish that back and forth until it breaks up. Then the vessel may drain itself, or you may have to break up the next few "pearls" in the line. It is not a thrombosed vein. I don't think much will make it go away, and they tend to come back over and over. But they don't hurt, and aren't bad for you, so, not a big deal. Warm water soaks and massage is about all you can do.

[Hopeful379 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hopeful379]

Thanks raybbaby, I wasn’t too concerned because like I said it almost always happens and I’ve not experienced anything negative from it, but nonetheless that makes me feel a little more at ease lol

[NIK111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close NIK111]

I had that too once where it felt like a tiny string of pearls on top of the shaft behind the glans running all the way back almost to the base..Is this caused by over pumping too many times with the end result lymph fluid build up..Once I even had a ring of them around the glans about 1/4 inch back,took about a week before they were gone..For her pleasure..I thought I was growing my own pleasure Ribs just like the ones on some condoms..Lol..

[NIK111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close NIK111]

Way to go FireBirdBoy on making your own pump..Wish I had the patience and skill to try to make my own also..You mentioned no more Squishy Dick..I suppose water makes this happen..You should also market it,call it the FireBirds AirMan Pump..Get George Foreman to do your TV Commercials..Lol..Can anyone tell me why we pump with water,it's suppose to be better, by the way,with a Bathmate, compared to straight air..Does water equalize pressure more evenly or is there another reason?