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#364731 H2O Eh-Row

Posted by Carbon on 20 July 2023 - 11:14 AM in Homemades

I love everything about this post.




#361262 SPANO 2017

Posted by Carbon on 11 August 2017 - 02:38 PM in Nerf Wars

Has everyone actually SHOT the blasters they are planning to bring?

 

WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?

 

Also, those DTC targets rock my world.




#361222 How large are your arsenals?

Posted by Carbon on 07 August 2017 - 09:37 AM in General Nerf

I should count, I'm really sort of estimating. I don't collect anymore either...blasters I have on hand are a holdover from my minor collecting days that I can't bring myself to get rid of, or that I've built. Of that collection, I have one that I use 95% of the time.




#361137 Homemade Blaster Survey

Posted by Carbon on 31 July 2017 - 01:09 PM in Homemades

The biggest complaint question could use a 'none of the above' option. I'm pretty satisfied with homemades on all those fronts.  

 

I'm pretty happy as well, but there's always room for improvement. At least, that's how I took it.




#361051 SPANO 2017

Posted by Carbon on 20 July 2017 - 08:26 PM in Nerf Wars

I'm there.




#361026 Alternate SNAP triggers?

Posted by Carbon on 18 July 2017 - 09:31 AM in Homemades

I haven't found anything more durable or convenient in the eleven years I've been building them. Mostly because it doesn't need to be more durable.

 

A clothespin is just a lever with a built-in return spring, so you can use pretty much anything that serves the same function, and any kind of spring. All the clothespin has to do is lift the nail, and then return it after firing. Keep in mind though, that the clothespin should have pretty much zero stress on it during firing and cocking. All the work of resisting the spring is done by the nail and the PVC wall.

 

In most every case I've seen where people complain of a "wimpy clothespin", it's been because the nailhole was drilled too big, transferring far too much motion and stress to the clothespin, causing binding. The SNAP has its share of faults, but the clothespin being too weak for its necessary function isn't one of them.




#360694 Snap trigger help

Posted by Carbon on 21 June 2017 - 02:53 PM in Homemades

I usually use a machine screw bolted to the trigger to act as a stop. I'm pretty sure I used something like that on the SNAP-9. Barring that, you can use most anything behind the trigger to limit its motion...I think I've duct taped a chunk of PVC to the handle behind the trigger in a pinch.

 

The more elegant solution is to make a clothespin cover out of another piece of PVC and slide that over the clothespin, which will limit its range of motion. I did that on the SNAP-1mk2, but it was ultimately more work than it was worth. They're just SNAPs, after all, and quick and dirty is the order of the day.

 

EDIT: Yeah, like this. Look at the trigger and you can see the bolt. 

 

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#360689 Dusting Off The Cobwebs

Posted by Carbon on 21 June 2017 - 11:28 AM in News

 

Carpe Testiculum has always seemed to be a consistent fun game type.

 

 

Yeah, Carpe always works well. I think part of it is that to win, you have to be aggressive and go seize some balls....hanging back and taking potshots won't work. That, and having multiple teams. Two team games always run the risk of devolving into stalemates, but having a third team jiggers the dynamics enough to keep things moving.




#360688 JSPB B&B mini-hopper

Posted by Carbon on 21 June 2017 - 11:07 AM in Homemades

He is JSPB youngling. He's been posting designs like this here since the early 2000's, and is one of the most prolific homemades builders on NH if not also Earth.

Awesome work as usual 3dBBQ

 

3DBBQ is the original mad scientist of NH. He (along with Boltsniper) are why I started building in the first place.

 

These are beautiful blasters...glad to see that you're still improving your designs!




#355234 Rochester MN possible war?

Posted by Carbon on 27 July 2016 - 01:42 PM in Nerf Wars

Attending wars is the best way to see how things should (and shouldn't) be run. Also read this:

http://nerfhaven.com...ost-a-nerf-war/



#355221 Rochester MN possible war?

Posted by Carbon on 26 July 2016 - 08:29 PM in Nerf Wars

Depends on when (my schedule is pretty tight coming up), but Rochester is definitely doable for me.




#355177 SPANO 2016

Posted by Carbon on 24 July 2016 - 11:02 AM in Nerf Wars

Pretty much.

+ Getting to see Ryan, Zorn, Venom, Beaver, Velveeta, Gears, and the MN crew after missing out the last couple of years.
- Driving to Minnesota and getting rained out.

Seriously, that was some Biblical shit.



#355118 SPANO 2016

Posted by Carbon on 20 July 2016 - 07:32 PM in Nerf Wars

Ryan and I will be bringing 3k darts, but they may or may not fly straight.

 

 

Nerf wars benefit from a certain degree of randomness.

 

Positive thing: shandsgator8 was able to get a shipment of foam off to me today. With the proper amount of prayer and fasting, it should get to me by Friday (which means I know what I'm doing Friday night)....I should be covered one way or another. Thanks.




#355096 SPANO 2016

Posted by Carbon on 19 July 2016 - 06:21 PM in Nerf Wars

Midwest nerfers: does anyone know of a good foam source from any of the chains we have available (Lowe's, Ace, True Value, Homie D, etc)? I did a McMaster order, and found that the 20' lengths of FBR they stock are the Dennis brand...same stuff that Menard's currently carries, and is woefully undersized. I'm at crunch time for foam for .5" CPVC barrels. Any ideas?




#355063 SPANO 2016

Posted by Carbon on 18 July 2016 - 10:55 AM in Nerf Wars

Let me know if you need a place to stay beforehand.
(I live in Rochester now, so it wouldn't shave that much time off of your commute).

Thanks! I'll take you up on that another trip. This time I'm driving up via Wausau and picking up some of my friends' kids (so I'm gonna be a +4 for this war). Couldn't convince any of my friends to come along....maybe next time.



#354766 Definitive AABow

Posted by Carbon on 02 July 2016 - 02:50 PM in Homemades

This topic has a picture of a PACBow (Pump Action CrossBow). There's not really a writeup (only an obsolete one that uses a +bow catch) so if you wanted to make one based on the picture that'd be great; would be a pretty useful writeup. 

Pump action crossbows (and bows in general) were something of a fad a few years ago. Here's a semi-writeup of a SNAP-ified version.




#354703 HR-1 Rifle

Posted by Carbon on 30 June 2016 - 11:33 AM in Homemades

I've always called things like these ramrockets (after the kinds of things that you can find in the toy section that shoot rockets and such). True, they're not very accurate, but they can be a lot of fun. With the right barrel, they become decent waterguns, too. 

 

I have never had much money for this hobbie so that is why most of my designs are made from old stuff that has been repurposed for new things.

 

That's one of my favorite things about nerf, taking cheap/old/broken stuff and making something fun out of it. Keep on keeping on!




#354597 Town and PD sanctioning nerf wars, etc.

Posted by Carbon on 27 June 2016 - 10:03 AM in Nerf Wars

Additionally, Sam, Van, and I will be making and setting up "mobstacles", cover made out of tarp and PVC.  The big, blue tarps on grassy fields tend to make Nerf look more like a sports game when viewed from far away.  People can't really tell what it is, but it looks like some sport or another, so they think nothing of it.

 

This is an excellent point. Also, the props that go along with gametypes help reinforce the "game" message. Kiddie pools for DTC, baskets of balls for Carpe, and large, brightly colored flags for CTF are all somewhat silly, and help keep things harmless looking.




#354376 Your First Snap

Posted by Carbon on 19 June 2016 - 10:38 PM in Homemades

I think that you are missing my point. Hacking out a handle from a old blaster and adhering it is cheaper and easier to produce then cutting out a wood handle and attaching it to something or screwing it in from the top. I agree that with time and materials there are much better ways of constructing handles, but this way is the easiest.

 

I'm actually not criticizing your choice of handle at all, just how it was attached to the plunger tube. Personally, I'm not wild about cannibalizing blasters for handles, but it's quick and gives a great feeling handle in the process. 
 

Since northeast summer wars are pretty mild, I personally don't have any troubles due to heat.

 

But that may not be the case for the next person to use your writeup, you know? It doesn't have to be screws, zip ties + adhesive works great.




#354374 Your First Snap

Posted by Carbon on 19 June 2016 - 09:24 PM in Homemades

In response to trigger - Knocking out the putty, which is what I do when something is wrong, is a lot easier than "digging it out". Another alternative is adding an extra layer of putty to the ramp. I admit that it can be fickle, but really can't be avoided when using a plastic clothespin.

 
Fair enough. My point was more that it's easier to check your nail length before epoxying it in, saving time and putty. Nails are cheap...if it's too short, just cut a new one, rather than unnecessarily adding putty to your ramp and waiting for that to dry (I'm impatient and cheap...which is why I don't like using epoxy putty in the first place).
 

On that note, common wooden clothespins are generally smaller and weaker. In my experience, they crack easily when drilled into, and are generally unreliable.


As far as wooden clothespins being too weak...they don't have to be that strong in the first place ("Weak clothespins" is a SNAP myth that I try to dispel). If clothespins are breaking, it's indicative of other problems in the build (something I discuss here). If they're cracking when you drill them, your bit may be dull and gouging/breaking the wood rather than cleanly cutting it. But that discussion is neither here nor there as far as your writeup is concerned :)
 

In response to handle - This is a tricky topic. For my blasters I use wood handles attached via thinwall, but this requires a lot more work cutting out the handle (which I take forever on), and acquiring thinwall/spending another 10 min and a dremel sanding out a 1 1/4" coupler.  Most people have blasters that they can give up, whereas buying wood can add to the cost pretty dramatically. Additionally, I've seen a number of reputable builders hot glue handles. It's a lot stronger then most people think.

 
Handle construction is a matter of opinion, so I'll leave that alone. However, while hot glue (particularly hot melt) can be quite strong, I had some soften on me (and subsequently fail) after a blaster sat in full sunshine at SPANO. Handles are a high stress point, and while they can work fine with just adhesive, it's not the best idea.




#354369 Your First Snap

Posted by Carbon on 19 June 2016 - 07:33 PM in Homemades

Nice writeup!
 
Suggestions:

Trigger Assembly: Currently, you have the builder fill in the clothespin with epoxy putty before testing to see if the nail has been cut to the right length. Not a problem if it's too long, but a PITA if it's been cut too short, as you have to dig out the putty to replace the nail. (Personally, I prefer wood clothespins. Never had an issue, and they don't need to be filled in).
 
Handle: I find that handles held on with only adhesive are a Bad Idea, and will fail at the worst possible moment. Go with mechanical fasteners.
 

SNAPS can never achieve...the insane durability and reliability of rainbows. In terms of performance, this really is a point that cannot be debated IMO.

 

I have a nine year old SNAP (used at every war I've attended) that would like a word with you.




#354324 SPANO 2016

Posted by Carbon on 17 June 2016 - 07:07 PM in Nerf Wars

Oh, I'm there.




#354102 Spring Binding in Floating-Plunger-Head SNAP

Posted by Carbon on 10 June 2016 - 07:28 AM in Homemades

Not applicable to a [k26], but the SNAP-5 used a collapsing plunger rod to get around the issue. The forepart was 1/2" aluminum, while the rear was 17/32" brass. I found the amount of friction it added to the system to be negligible (at least compared to the friction added by a spring binding against a plunger rod).




#353926 Post your DIY/Maker/Craft/Mod hobbies

Posted by Carbon on 02 June 2016 - 08:36 PM in Off Topic

Lots of really great stuff in this thread so far.

 

It's kinda similar to building SNAPs.  You wander aimlessly around a hardware store looking for cool looking tubes that will probably fit together.


That's how I build most everything. I'm not much for "planning".

My non-nerf hobbies mostly involve sculpting air, or creating the tools to do so. Amusingly enough, I started homebuilding nerf because I already had the parts and tools around from making musical instruments out of PVC (not showing a PVC flute, they're sorta boring. It's a tube with holes).

 

IMG_0226.jpg

A recent project: a tenor banjo, tuned celtic. I scratch built the neck, and made the pot out of a salad bowl from Goodwill. The resonator is a dollar store pie tin. Works fine, I've used it at a couple gigs.

 

IMG_0227.jpg

Anglo-Saxon lyre. The sides are bent oak, I think.

 

IMG_0229.jpg

One of my "wander around the hardware store" projects, a waterphone. (You know the squeaky/screechy sounds in The Matrix? One of those, but it can be used for a variety of effects. I made this track right after I built it as an experiment).

 

IMG_0231.jpg

A lot of what I make is somewhat intangible, and this is my workshop.  Ambient, orchestral, and sometimes I combine the two. I compose like I build...I'll wander around until something catches my eye (ear?) and I'll stick it on something else.




#353707 Constant Force spring blaster infodump

Posted by Carbon on 23 May 2016 - 07:57 PM in Homemades

First off, I love everything about this blaster. This is science.

 

As far as the irregular/sub-optimal ranges: what kinds of darts or barrel are you using? This may be a springer in the strictest of definitions, but the plunger acceleration is different. I'd be interested to see how an airgun fit barrel would work.




#353682 Miltown Throwdown;

Posted by Carbon on 22 May 2016 - 10:09 PM in Nerf Wars

Seriously, this was a quality war, and a great reminder of everything I love about nerfing. It's been too long, and I don't intend to let that happen again.

 

+ The Grant Park location is fantastic. Lots of trees and cover, and out of the way. For a nice Sunday afternoon, the incidental foot traffic was minimal, and the people who were there were more interested than anything else. I look forward to playing here again. Bonus: the police rolled through the parking lot, but didn't see the need to chat with us.

+ Great group of people. A small war, but good teams and a lot of fun.

+ A nice mix of blasters on the field, but yet no one was being outgunned. Sceptors, SNAPs, Big Blasts, Flywheels, Longshots, Hammershots...all good, and all useful.

+ Something surprising in the 2+ years since I've last nerfed: flywheels are now effective blasters. I spent a lot of the day dodging (and getting tagged by) swarms of darts.

 

-The SNAP-9 had a mechanical failure near the end of the day. Eh, it's taken a while to happen, and that's what I get for using thin wall in a stress area to try and save weight...

 

Thanks to Holter for a great war!




#353677 Help with repair

Posted by Carbon on 22 May 2016 - 08:19 PM in General Nerf

So is it safe to take it apart and what tools would I need to fix it?

 

Safe? Look at it this way: it's already broken, so what do you have to lose?

 

The problem with the SS2 is that there's really not much you can do inside it...it's all one large solvent welded air tank attached to a barrel (it looks like this in there). Like The2ndBluesBro (can I just call you Jake?) said, these things are notorious for leaking....they just tend to die.




#353652 Miltown Throwdown;

Posted by Carbon on 21 May 2016 - 09:01 PM in Nerf Wars

There's a McDonald's and an Arby's about a mile away, but not much else.

 

Also: it's been so long since I've nerfed that ​I couldn't find my blasters. I am ashamed.




#353628 Tornadowbow help

Posted by Carbon on 20 May 2016 - 11:38 AM in Homemades

I feel like I've used wood as a plunger rod before. Oak especially should be plenty strong.
 

A SNAPoid is definitely the way to go if you're only going to HD and are trying to keep cost down.

 

Early SNAPs used wood for the plunger rods. They're fine, just use your head as far as how big of holes get drilled in them so they aren't unduly weakened.




#353625 Musket Homebuild.

Posted by Carbon on 20 May 2016 - 11:07 AM in Homemades

A little late to the party on this one, but I wanted to add to the chorus of how much I love this blaster...it'd be absolutely perfect in a round of Civil War. I need to build one.

 

The Nerf Rival ball sits in an air tight section of the barrel, the plunger tube is its own section just behind the barrel. There is no way the ball can touch the piston, as there is a rainbow style catch between the piston and the ball. This catch is an odd one I know, but its there to stop the ramrod being accidentally fired out of the gun should something go wrong during priming the piston.

 

Clever. I was wondering how the ramrod wouldn't shove the ball all the way into the plunger tube.




#353593 Anyone have pictures from SPANO 2011? nerf stuff stolen 2016

Posted by Carbon on 19 May 2016 - 04:12 PM in General Nerf

Rat bastards. Sorry about getting your stuff swiped.

 

I don't have a lot, but here's a link to the pics I have from SPANO '11.




#353572 Miltown Throwdown;

Posted by Carbon on 18 May 2016 - 07:17 PM in Nerf Wars

shandsgator is selling a bunch, I only have 280-300 but your welcome to use em man! hope to see you out there!

 

Coolness. I'm actually getting a sample from shandsgator so I can do a barrel test, but won't get them in time. Thanks!

 

Also looks like I'm going to be a +1, my older daughter is coming with me.

 

 

OH SHIT CARBON'S UP IN THIS

 

All up in this bitch.




#353567 Nerf Wars Pictures/Footage Thread

Posted by Carbon on 18 May 2016 - 12:44 PM in Nerf Wars

SPANO 2007. Notable for being brutally hot, and my first war.

 

IMG_5656.JPG

IMG_5652.JPG

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IMG_5620.JPG

IMG_5624.JPG

IMG_5627.JPG




#353519 Miltown Throwdown;

Posted by Carbon on 16 May 2016 - 10:24 PM in Nerf Wars

Looks like I may be able to break my unintentional semi-retirement for this one. Does anyone have any slugs for sale/use? 




#345174 The Moderately-Sized List of Homemades Write-Ups Without Pictures

Posted by Carbon on 23 February 2015 - 09:53 AM in Homemades

Yeah, a few of mine there...suprised there aren't more. I lost the domain redirect that I used on NH a few years ago, and pretty much gave up in the face of needing to edit seven years worth of posts (especially with how non-nerf my past couple of years have been). I've mainly corrected posts when I get an email/PM requesting it, but I can fix the ones here.

SUPER SNEAKY NINJA EDIT: I fixed the writeups linked above...pictures should all be showing up now.



#336290 The Snap-7 Microbow

Posted by Carbon on 02 January 2014 - 11:11 PM in Homemades

I've fixed them for this post....and will gradually repair the rest of them.

I've had some issues with the domain on my server...and it's either been cough up cash for an old domain I'm not using, or fix seven years worth of posts. Cheapness and laziness has won out, at least for the time being.



#335354 Best homemade for stock darts?

Posted by Carbon on 12 November 2013 - 03:28 PM in Homemades

The cause of fishtailing is too much air behind a dart. When the dart leaves the barrel, the extra pressure puffs out behind it, causing a fishtail. So, you need to bleed off some of that extra pressure/air volume.

Probably the best way to dial back the power on your rainbow would be to make a custom barrel with some built-in inefficiencies (i.e. holes). All you need to do is drill a few very small holes in the barrel to bleed off some air volume before the dart leaves the barrel. You can do this clustered at the very end of the barrel, or use a few smaller holes at the base. Experiment....and take care to not leave any burrs in the holes.

As far as your second question, suction head darts work well in .5" sch40 PCV.



#335050 Internal Pump-Action Longshot (work in progress)

Posted by Carbon on 28 October 2013 - 08:55 PM in Modifications

Please don't make threads for "sneak peeks". If you want to show a preview of work in progress, you can post that in the Mods and Paintjobs thread, and then post a thread in Modifications when you have a writeup and pictures.



#334215 W.W.A.C. (War Worthy Air Cannon)

Posted by Carbon on 22 September 2013 - 10:20 PM in Homemades

Posted Image

seriously do you guys even read the words on pvc pipe?

Protip: don't have attitude when you don't know what you're talking about.

The 370 PSI rating is for water only. Water doesn't store energy under pressure, and a PVC pipe that fails under water pressure will just break/crack. Air, on the other hand, stores energy when compressed. A PVC pipe that fails under air pressure explodes into shards, and will basically ruin your day.

Now that the important safety message is over with: shut the fuck up. You've shown yourself to be an idiot twice already. Don't go for three.



#334206 Mark 8

Posted by Carbon on 22 September 2013 - 04:00 PM in Homemades

The SNAPbow has set a lot of standards for what's "expected" on a SNAP...as such, there's a lot of talk of increased wear due to the nail-on-plastic catch. However, I haven't found that to be nearly the concern with an extension spring. A [k26] is a *lot* of power (and requiring a burly catch), but a lot of that power is lost due to internal friction. Crossbows, extension springs and latex tubing blasters have far less friction, which means a weaker spring can be used to get similar performance....which therefore means the catch doesn't really need to be nearly as strong. It's even less of an issue on this design than on a normal compression spring SNAP, because even as the catch wears, it'll still function (and it'll take a *really* long time before it wears long enough to cause a significantly decreased draw, or a malfunction). Latex tubing is an excellent power source, and this blaster does a great job of making it newb-accessible.

My only nit right offhand is the setup of the writeup with regards to pictures and the text: your pictures are great, and the inclusion of the text writeup as well is great (and vital to the search engine), but my preference would be to have searchable text next to your excellent diagrams. This way, to search a term would plunk you in the text at the bottom, then making you navigate back to the corresponding diagram up top. That's debatable as far as utility, though. Overall, excellent work.