I've committed. I've also invited about fifty engineering students from LeTourneau University, including quite a few upper classmen and graduates--people who actually know engineering.
I can see this being a pretty cool site. I'm studying mechanical engineering, so I could potentially ask and answer questions.
DartSlinger's Content
There have been 211 items by DartSlinger (Search limited from 23-December 96)
#343732 Engineering Stack Exchange
Posted by
on 26 December 2014 - 06:41 PM
in
Off Topic
#338168 Where can I find a write-up for this?
Posted by
on 09 April 2014 - 05:10 PM
in
Homemades
There isn't a write-up on how to build this particular variant of the +bow, but you could build it by just looking at the pictures Nerfomania took of it (found here; you'll have to go through the pages of his images to find them, but there are tons of images that detail his build process, so it should help you quite a bit) and applying what he did to the original +bow design.
#338061 Stock dart diameters
Posted by
on 05 April 2014 - 07:29 PM
in
Darts and Barrels
Glad to help, Ben. Here are my measurements.
Nerf suction cup dart—foam:
.4995
.4965
.489
.5005
.501
.500
.4925
.507
.497
.4995
_______
Avg=.49825 Rounding for significant figures
.498
Nerf suction cup dart—head:
.578
.564
.5675
.5825
.569
.5685
.573
.5725
.567
.573
_______
Avg.=.5715 Rounding for significant figures .572
Buzz Bee suction dart—foam
.502
.503
.505
.503
.5035
_______
Avg.=.5033 Rounding for significant figures .503
Buzz Bee suction dart—head
.596
.5945
.5905
.596
.596
.592
.5935
.5915
_______
Avg.=.59375 Rounding for significant figures .594
I'm pretty sure that none of these darts have ever been used. I measured these with digital calipers and made sure that the calipers touched but did not compress the foam or head during measuring.
Nerf suction cup dart—foam:
.4995
.4965
.489
.5005
.501
.500
.4925
.507
.497
.4995
_______
Avg=.49825 Rounding for significant figures
.498Nerf suction cup dart—head:
.578
.564
.5675
.5825
.569
.5685
.573
.5725
.567
.573
_______
Avg.=.5715 Rounding for significant figures
.572Buzz Bee suction dart—foam
.502
.503
.505
.503
.5035
_______
Avg.=.5033 Rounding for significant figures
.503Buzz Bee suction dart—head
.596
.5945
.5905
.596
.596
.592
.5935
.5915
_______
Avg.=.59375 Rounding for significant figures
.594 I'm pretty sure that none of these darts have ever been used. I measured these with digital calipers and made sure that the calipers touched but did not compress the foam or head during measuring.
#337457 The Official Internals Directory
Posted by
on 08 March 2014 - 03:19 PM
in
Modifications
Nerf N-Strike Elite Stryfe
#337322 The Official Internals Directory
Posted by
on 26 February 2014 - 11:04 PM
in
Modifications
Nerf N-Strike Blazin' Bow (Note: this is not N-Strike Elite, this is N-Strike.)
Except for being a tad bit shorter, the arrows are exactly the same as the Big Bad Bow's arrows.
That hole in the plunger tube comes with the blaster. (It ruins the plunger's seal.)
In case anyone is interested, here is a review of this unimpressive blaster.
https://www.youtube....h?v=dc7uzyqZYg8
Except for being a tad bit shorter, the arrows are exactly the same as the Big Bad Bow's arrows.
That hole in the plunger tube comes with the blaster. (It ruins the plunger's seal.)
In case anyone is interested, here is a review of this unimpressive blaster.
https://www.youtube....h?v=dc7uzyqZYg8
#334462 LS mod ideas
Posted by
on 03 October 2013 - 10:38 PM
in
Modifications
Here is the internals directory. You'll find a ton of mods for the Longshot in here. I suggest reading up on the different mods that can be done, and then deciding what you want to do. The internals directory (and Google if want things other than NerfHaven write-ups) is basically the place to go when researching what mods are out there.
Two great Longshot write-ups that you won't find in the internals directory are these:
http://www.modworks....-mod-guide.html
http://modworks.blog...mod-update.html
Two great Longshot write-ups that you won't find in the internals directory are these:
http://www.modworks....-mod-guide.html
http://modworks.blog...mod-update.html
#334186 Mark 8
Posted by
on 21 September 2013 - 01:48 PM
in
Homemades
I second this. I believe he made them using Google Sketchup, but I'm not sure.How on earth did you make those pictures? They are amazingly well made.
Fantastic write-up, man. This is very detailed and well done. This will definitely help people who are trying to get into homemades cheaply.
Oh, by the way, I've been in a hardware store where you could buy nails by the pound. It was a True Value, and it had the old manual scale and the fork-thing to scoop the nails with. No screws, though, so I guess it was only semi-legendary. Since you're ninety-seven, I guess you remember clean back to when people used wooden pegs instead of nails.
#334172 2013 JSPB Works
Posted by
on 20 September 2013 - 05:19 PM
in
Homemades
You guys know that YouTube does captions, right?
#334106 Dart reccomendations for Remedy Metals kit.
Posted by
on 18 September 2013 - 02:14 PM
in
Darts and Barrels
You can modify Nerf magazines so that they work with stefans. You can also substitute the brass rod used in the write-up for a dowel.I have tried half length slugs with the ACE hardware foam, they fly fine, but I would like to use an 18 drum with the kit.
#334085 Larami SuperMaxx Ball Shooter
Posted by
on 17 September 2013 - 02:18 PM
in
General Nerf
Dude, congratulations on the awesome find! Those are extremely rare and worth quite a bit of money. The blaster you have is either a Larami SuperMaxx Xtreme Ballgun, or a Larami AirMaster 2000 Ball Blaster. The difference between the two is this: the AirMaster 2000 Ball Blaster has a sticker on the left side of the orange tank that says "AirMaster 2000 Ball Blaster", whereas the SuperMaxx Xtreme Ballgun has no sticker on the tank. If you could take some quality photos of this blaster, I would greatly appreciate it. There are so few photos of these super-rare older blasters. The other blaster that you were thinking this might be is called the Larami Super Maxx Ball Shooter.
I would advise you to definitely not modify this. The reasons are numerous. If these things are really as powerful as people say they are, it wouldn't be of much use in a war, and besides, you could get just as good performance out of some other more common air blaster. Also, the plastic on these older blaster is notoriously thin and weak, so it would probably break. If you were to sell this, you could gain enough money from the sale to finance at least several extensive modifications. The biggest reason, though, is the scarcity of these blasters. There are only a few of these blasters in the world, so if people modify them, there aren't going to be any originals left. It's ultimately your decision whether or not you modify this, but I'm just saying that conservation of endangered species is a good thing.
I would advise you to definitely not modify this. The reasons are numerous. If these things are really as powerful as people say they are, it wouldn't be of much use in a war, and besides, you could get just as good performance out of some other more common air blaster. Also, the plastic on these older blaster is notoriously thin and weak, so it would probably break. If you were to sell this, you could gain enough money from the sale to finance at least several extensive modifications. The biggest reason, though, is the scarcity of these blasters. There are only a few of these blasters in the world, so if people modify them, there aren't going to be any originals left. It's ultimately your decision whether or not you modify this, but I'm just saying that conservation of endangered species is a good thing.
#334060 new style RainbowPump Writeup
Posted by
on 16 September 2013 - 03:31 PM
in
Homemades
If the priming sheath failed to catch, why would it fly forward? It's not as if you let go of the foregrip once it catches. You still have to pull the sheath forward. People usually maintain a firm grip on the foregrip whenever firing the blaster.It would protect your face against the priming sheath if it failed to catch and flew forward.
#334021 W.W.A.C. (War Worthy Air Cannon)
Posted by
on 15 September 2013 - 09:02 AM
in
Homemades
Using a ball valve is probably the most common trigger mechanism that air gun beginners use, but they're just plain terrible. The air release is slow, shaky, and requires two hands. You've apparently gotten used to these characteristics by now but, you could easily make a much better trigger by putting a homemade check valve in between your tank and barrel and having your trigger be a cut off nail, screw, or something similar that presses on the ball in the check valve. In essence doing what 3DBBQ does in all of his homemades, an example being his Mad Ghost. He always uses a PVC check valve, but those are much more expensive than making a check valve.
#334019 new style RainbowPump Writeup
Posted by
on 15 September 2013 - 08:40 AM
in
Homemades
It doesn't need a cheek-diddle sheath because nothing flies forward when you fire it.However it doesn't have the best feature of the original, a cheek-diddle sheath around the back.
#333961 new style RainbowPump Writeup
Posted by
on 12 September 2013 - 07:32 PM
in
Homemades
Someone on a budget could save about thirty dollars by just using wood instead of the airsoft components you used.I kept the price under about 150$ My mcmaster order was under 105$ shipped to me. The paintball/airsoft was about 33$ shipped to me from 3 different locations using the given links. And the small quantity stuff should be under 10$.
#333939 Buying Foam
Posted by
on 11 September 2013 - 06:01 PM
in
Darts and Barrels
Best Materials sells their beige foam by the foot here, so you can order whatever length you like. This stuff is supposed to somewhat fat, so you may have to use different barrel material. But it's also supposed to vary quite a bit in the roll, and you could also stretch it to fit whatever barrels you have.
You could also purchase some of Mod Man's red foam.
You could also purchase some of Mod Man's red foam.
#333707 Air Max 6 Mod Guide
Posted by
on 03 September 2013 - 06:43 PM
in
Modifications
Where did you buy your AirMax10? I haven't been able to find it anywhere.
Kmart is the only place I believe that is currently selling the 10's.
I have seen the Air Max 10 at one Wal-Mart in my area, so Kmart is not the only place that sells them. They are pretty rare though, stores seem to mostly sell the Air Max 6.
#333645 A New Style Pumpaction Snap Writeup for New Members
Posted by
on 02 September 2013 - 11:54 AM
in
Homemades
How many inches of draw does it have.There's some extra room that you could shorten the design by an inch if you wanted to, but it also doesn't have a ton of draw.
#333644 Looking for a good blaster to hopper and use as a primary.
Posted by
on 02 September 2013 - 11:46 AM
in
Modifications
Ice Nine is being sarcastic. You could also use a Buzz Bee Air Max 6 or 10. You could probably just glue a coupler to it without having to use a dremel. You could also buy a Buzz Bee Panther and just use an RSCB on it. It will still get great range, and you can get all the parts for an RSCB at a hardware store.I'm a huge stryfe/rapidstrike user, but I didn't know you could use a hopper with it easily. I know you have to mod the dart pusher but can you post a picture of the internals so I can see what I have to do.
As for rotary tools, you can buy this from Harbor Freight for about eleven dollars. Yes, it's small and cheap, but it will get you through your first projects just fine. There's no need to buy expensive tools when cheap ones will work fine.
#333616 A New Style Pumpaction Snap Writeup for New Members
Posted by
on 01 September 2013 - 02:48 PM
in
Homemades
What I think that PBZ is trying to ask is that why is there so much more space between the catch face and the plunger head on this design than on Nerfomania's design. For instance, here is a picture from Nerfomania's write-up.There's also a coupler inside my ramp. I don't think it adds extra length. And even if it did, it would be negligible.
Also, how long is this design (without a barrel), and is it longer than Nerfomania's design. (His design is about 27 7/8" long without a barrel.)
#333611 MEGA dart barrel material?
Posted by
on 01 September 2013 - 12:45 PM
in
Darts and Barrels
2044T45 will almost certainly work. Apparently you don't realize that a barrel has to have a slightly larger inner diameter than the size of foam you are using. For instance, a 3/4" diameter dart would not even fit into a pipe with exactly a 3/4" inner diameter. Oh, and apparently you don't even know the inner diameter of 3/4" PVC. It's .824", which is way bigger than 2044T45.I don't think the McMaster you linked will work, I'm actually looking for something that's smaller than 3/4 pvc as I mentioned it was too large.
#333596 For those who are interested in making air blasters
Posted by
on 31 August 2013 - 09:49 PM
in
Homemades
Yes, he did.Didn't Ryan also use one in his fairly recent extension spring/later blaster?
#333593 MEGA dart barrel material?
Posted by
on 31 August 2013 - 09:24 PM
in
Darts and Barrels
You might want to specify that you're talking about the Nerf Centurion's "mega" darts. The reason for specifying is that the term mega can be confusing because mega darts usually refers to darts that are 5/8" in diameter. Nerf's old mega darts were this diameter, and the mega stefans are 5/8" in diameter also. Unfortunately, Nerf renamed their new Centurion darts "megas," even though they are 3/4" in diameter, and are NIC-wise, jumbos. Not at all meaning to be a pedant, your question was just somewhat confusing at first.
On searching McMaster-Carr, 2044T45 looks as if it would surely work. It's inner diameter is just a tad larger than 3/4," so it should work excellently. As for items that you could find at a local hardware store, you might try 3/4" CPVC. I just used digital calipers to measure the inside diameter of some that I have, and I came up with .709". That's way too small, if Centurion darts are actually 3/4" in diameter, but knowing that the tolerances of pipe are very loose, you might try sticking a dart into the pipe. Who knows, you might find one that's looser than you thought.
On searching McMaster-Carr, 2044T45 looks as if it would surely work. It's inner diameter is just a tad larger than 3/4," so it should work excellently. As for items that you could find at a local hardware store, you might try 3/4" CPVC. I just used digital calipers to measure the inside diameter of some that I have, and I came up with .709". That's way too small, if Centurion darts are actually 3/4" in diameter, but knowing that the tolerances of pipe are very loose, you might try sticking a dart into the pipe. Who knows, you might find one that's looser than you thought.
#333541 Stryfe problems
Posted by
on 28 August 2013 - 06:06 PM
in
Modifications
Actually, you can. You can keep the sensor depressed by gluing something over the front. A thin piece of plastic such as a bread bag closer and super glue would work well.When you remove any locks on an electronic blaster you'll have to rewire too. There's no way to remove the locks without rewiring.
#333530 A New Style Pumpaction Snap Writeup for New Members
Posted by
on 28 August 2013 - 03:34 PM
in
Homemades
It just might be. It could be less durable though, because the catch ramp is made of PVC, which is softer than epoxy putty.As someone who's never built a SNAP, I must say, this design looks so much better than using putty.
#333525 A New Style Pumpaction Snap Writeup for New Members
Posted by
on 28 August 2013 - 01:02 PM
in
Homemades
Here is the catch. It's perfectly functional, and the catch ramp is the nested PVC.Your plunger head seems to be missing a few pieces for the catch, and that would affect how you pump it? There is no ramp for the nail to ride on, so you have to pull the trigger just to prime it?
#333439 Stock Darts Cut In Half
Posted by
on 25 August 2013 - 09:21 AM
in
Darts and Barrels
Be careful though, using shortened Elite darts as a substitute for more durable homemade ones such as slugs is not really advisable. When used in higher-power blasters, the foam around the hollow cavity in Elite darts will split, making your darts worthless. Basically, if you want durable, long-lasting darts, make slugs. They will last much longer, and will be much more accurate than any Elite dart ever will be.
#333370 The Official Internals Directory
Posted by
on 22 August 2013 - 09:25 PM
in
Modifications
Nerf Vortex Proton
#333351 Help With Homemade Air Blaster
Posted by
on 21 August 2013 - 09:30 PM
in
General Nerf
There are one-way PVC check valves that you can buy at a hardware store, but they are extremely expensive. Here is a homemade valve that is extremely inexpensive and works very well. Even though pipe and fittings in Australia are different sizes, I'm sure that you could adjust it accordingly.Really the only thing i am having trouble with now is finding a one way valve for the tank.
#333337 Help With Homemade Air Blaster
Posted by
on 21 August 2013 - 01:36 PM
in
General Nerf
That looks like a solid design. You could also use the stock air bladder instead of a PVC hard tank to make it semi-automatic. If you went that route, you could wrap the bladder with a section of inner tube to make higher pressure. This would give you more shots and higher range. Schmee has done that before with successful results.
#333334 NH Homemade Contest: Design and Write-up a Noob's first Homemade
Posted by
on 21 August 2013 - 01:19 PM
in
Homemades
Are non-springers allowed?
#333289 Has anybody gone far enough to create a Vortex Homemade?
Posted by
on 20 August 2013 - 02:58 PM
in
Homemades
Actually not. Vortex discs are extremely prone to being severely thrown off course by crosswinds and up or down drafts. Even a light breath of air that moves your disc three inches can result in it being several feet off course when reaching the target. They also start to curve beyond about twenty feet. This is how people can fire them around corners. These characteristics make them undesirable for outdoor wars. Homemades are almost exclusively used for outdoor wars, and discs don't work very well outdoors, so why would someone build a homemade disc shooter? This and that most people probably view the Vortex line as a passing fad are probably the main reasons why people haven't explored homemade disc shooters.The design of a disc already makes it more stable than a dart, which translates to near straight firing and long ranges.
#333155 The Official Internals Directory
Posted by
on 17 August 2013 - 11:48 AM
in
Modifications
Nerf Elite RapidStrike
#333129 How do you cut Plastic Tubing from McMaster?
Posted by
on 16 August 2013 - 04:55 PM
in
Darts and Barrels
I wouldn't advise using scissors to cut these, although I'm sure it can be done. I don't know of any pipe cutters that give you an angled cut, but you can cut the tubing with whatever pipe cutters you have. I would advise using the twisting around and around and periodically tightening method that is used with this kind of tubing cutters.
You can still use that method with these kind of pipe cutters.
Just shearing straight through the pipe with scissors or pipe cutters might crack or damage the pipe.
Another method is using a scroll saw. OneManClan used this method to cut hundreds of feet of PETG back when he used to sell it. And as said by Naturalman7, you can use a hacksaw too if you want to. You will most likely have to deburr the ends once you are done cutting, though.
You can still use that method with these kind of pipe cutters.
Just shearing straight through the pipe with scissors or pipe cutters might crack or damage the pipe.
Another method is using a scroll saw. OneManClan used this method to cut hundreds of feet of PETG back when he used to sell it. And as said by Naturalman7, you can use a hacksaw too if you want to. You will most likely have to deburr the ends once you are done cutting, though.
#333119 Help With Homemade Air Blaster
Posted by
on 16 August 2013 - 12:59 PM
in
General Nerf
There are quite a few ways to release the air. What are the specifics of your design? Could you give pictures if you have built it so far, or drawings if you only have a tentative sketch of what you are doing? This would greatly help people in giving advice.
Before trying to build this, I suggest doing a lot of research. Here is an article I wrote specifically for introducing people to air guns and helping them to understand how they work. This will probably help you a lot.
As for an over-pressure valve (also called a pressure-relief valve), here is a nice explanation of how one works. They are really quite simple. And here is a tutorial on building one.
I hope this helps.
Before trying to build this, I suggest doing a lot of research. Here is an article I wrote specifically for introducing people to air guns and helping them to understand how they work. This will probably help you a lot.
As for an over-pressure valve (also called a pressure-relief valve), here is a nice explanation of how one works. They are really quite simple. And here is a tutorial on building one.
I hope this helps.
#333020 Where can I find CPVC barrels for nerf guns?
Posted by
on 14 August 2013 - 09:53 AM
in
Darts and Barrels
CPVC pipe can usually be bought at any hardware or plumbing store. Since you're having trouble finding it, call around to hardware stores, plumbing supply houses, farm supply stores such as Tractor supply or Atwoods, and maybe even lawn and garden stores to see if they have it. You can find listings for such stores in the phone book or online. When online, just search for "*insert desired product* *insert your town*". Example: CPVC pipe Joplin MO.
As Langley said, it's also possible that your town just doesn't carry it, so you might have to order it online. You also could just not be looking correctly in the hardware store. It should be in the plumbing section right next to the PVC pipe. It has a yellowish or brownish look to it. It's also a good idea to ask employees, because it could be in a totally different section of the store.
Don't use font tags without good reason.
As Langley said, it's also possible that your town just doesn't carry it, so you might have to order it online. You also could just not be looking correctly in the hardware store. It should be in the plumbing section right next to the PVC pipe. It has a yellowish or brownish look to it. It's also a good idea to ask employees, because it could be in a totally different section of the store.
Don't use font tags without good reason.
#333018 I'm Hoping to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed
Posted by
on 14 August 2013 - 09:43 AM
in
Homemades
You definitely don't need to have any sort of degree to build a homemade blaster. When you start out you will think that you do, though. When I started on my first homemade (pumpSNAP) I seriously doubted that I could even build one. But humans have an interesting quality about themselves: we always underestimate our own ability. Once it was built, it didn't quite work, so I had to rebuild the catch ramp once and the trigger twice. But now it works very well. Here is a picture of it.I can't help but feel I may require a degree in physics or career in engineering before I have a hope in Hades of constructing something that rivals what $12.99 and a trip to Target would get me. But it would also be great to know if there's some engineering prerequisite I need to have. Which I have none.
The main reason that I picked a pumpSNAP as my first homemade was that it is very cheap to build. You can build one for thirty to forty dollars and then have almost enough leftover parts to build several more. One's first homemade is always a learning experience: I learned a tremendous amount of information while building it. I can now build SNAPs with ease. My brother and I are each building one now, and I'm customizing quite a few parts of the build.
Building a homemade appears quite daunting at first, but you'll find out that it's really surprisingly easy. Building your first homemade will give you valuable experience and confidence. I'm sure that people who are a lot less smart than you are have build homemades. In case you decide to build some kind of SNAP, here is a tutorial on how to build a SNAPbow. The videos in the playlist are made by Nerfomania, who has made about forty homemade blasters! The videos are quite detailed and will help you with whatever kind of SNAP (or any kind of homemade, for that matter.) that you're building, because they contain a lot of useful tips and tricks. I found the parts about building the SNAP trigger especially helpful.
REMOVED FONT SIZE TAGS. Your post is not +1 more important than everyone else's.
#332846 Nerf RapidStrike Review, Internals, and Locks Removal
Posted by
on 09 August 2013 - 10:48 PM
in
Modifications
Lock Removal
If you want to be able to fire your blaster without the magazine in, you will have to remove the locks preventing it from doing so.
You will need to remove the white piece and the sensor it triggers. Snip both red wires that attach to it and solder them together.
Now you will need to remove the white piece and its minions. Take out the screw that is left of the pictured circuit board. Then remove the circuit board. I suggest doing this by bowing the small orange tab outwards with a small screwdriver, such as I am doing in this photo.
Then remove the circuit board.
Now hold this piece open while removing both white pieces pictured below. Needle nose pliers are quite helpful.
Now you can fire your blaster without magazines.
And here is my review of this blaster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0oAfCvdjP8
Have fun!
If you want to be able to fire your blaster without the magazine in, you will have to remove the locks preventing it from doing so.
You will need to remove the white piece and the sensor it triggers. Snip both red wires that attach to it and solder them together.
Now you will need to remove the white piece and its minions. Take out the screw that is left of the pictured circuit board. Then remove the circuit board. I suggest doing this by bowing the small orange tab outwards with a small screwdriver, such as I am doing in this photo.
Then remove the circuit board.
Now hold this piece open while removing both white pieces pictured below. Needle nose pliers are quite helpful.
Now you can fire your blaster without magazines.
And here is my review of this blaster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0oAfCvdjP8
Have fun!
#332845 Nerf RapidStrike Review, Internals, and Locks Removal
Posted by
on 09 August 2013 - 10:44 PM
in
Modifications
Everything about it is very nice. Here are some photos before the internals and locks removal.
It has the Stryfe's wonderful, middle-finger magazine release button.
.
The foregrip seems Magpul inspired.
The stock has two settings: all the way out, and all the way in. It's quite comfortable, and one can actually get his face low enough to look through the ghost-ring sights.
In stock form, it fires roughly 216 darts per minute, which is quite a bit faster than a Stampede. I feature both of those in my review video, in case you're interested.
Internals
The flywheels: standard stuff.
The rectangular box that is above the trigger is the dart pusher. It works like this.
This is what it looks like when it is split open.
The worm gear on the end of this motor spins this gear on the bottom of the metal bar.
The small gear spins a large disc, which in turn moves the dart pusher back and forth. This video quickly explains it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdR0a01VLmY
#332580 Need help with my Firefly
Posted by
on 01 August 2013 - 02:15 PM
in
Modifications
Does the orange part have no tension on it when you pull it back? If so, you probably left out some metal bar that pulls the plunger back.The most I can figure out is that when I pull the orange part on top to cock the blaster it doesn't engage.
