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#351954 My koosh vortex rings

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 02 March 2016 - 10:21 AM in Darts and Barrels

NIB RINGS ON AMAZON!

Look for "Zing Air Zyphoon Blaster Refll Pack" (sic). The Zing rings are functionally identical to the smaller Koosh Micro rings.



#351734 My koosh vortex rings

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 23 February 2016 - 11:30 PM in Darts and Barrels

That was a few years ago. Since then, it's been buried under Nerf Vortex and Star Wars Angry Birds Koosh pages.

All you do is cut rings off the saber blade at the right diameter for your blaster. Remember, Koosh had two different size rings.

The airfoil wedge has little effect on the ring's flight. The main source of lift comes from the rotation imparted by the blaster.



#351672 "Sharkbite" Pipe Question

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 22 February 2016 - 12:12 AM in Darts and Barrels

Sharkbite brand PEX is available from Home Depot in 2-foot lengths, which cuts down on the bend factor. Additionally:
-comes in the same sizes as copper pipe and CPVC, and therefore compatible with their couplers
-slightly cheaper than CPVC
-lighter and easier to cut & carve than CPVC
-comes in bright white, bright blue, and BRIGHT RED. The color codes are intended to distingush hot and cold water lines, but bright red barrels have a fairly high "don't get shot by trigger-happy cops" factor.

I've found red PEX makes great Nitefinder and Firestrike barrels, and just finished rebarreling my Maverick and DTG.

Also, the printing along the tubing (<SHARKBITE>, size info, bar codes) comes off with some acetone nail polish remover.



#351658 I need help for a certain modification!

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 21 February 2016 - 12:06 AM in Modifications

Actually, the Modulus stock might be your best bet. It's the right size, and if you unscrew the casing the whole orange coupler block comes off. That leaves a nice round hole just asking for a cheap LED flashlight for a lighting kit.

Either that or a Firefly for the bullpup grip.



#351655 My koosh vortex rings

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 20 February 2016 - 10:02 PM in Darts and Barrels

I've been making my own for YEARS by simply cutting the tops off Lipton Pure Leaf Tea bottles. The sides of the caps are a perfect match for the smaller rings. Other brands of bottles juice work too, and provide other colors. Larger bottles (same size as the Vitamin Water bottle caps used for Titan mods) work for the larger rings used in earlier Koosh guns.

HINT: I've found that it's MUCH easier to trim the tops of the bottle caps while they are still on the bottles. Same goes for drilling holes for the Titan mods.

Some Google-fu back when I was first trying to replicate the rings myself found a non-Haven mod for cutting select segments off plastic Star Wars lightsabers. I'd recommend experimenting with knock-offs first. There's a Nerfhaven guide for making duct tape rings, too



#344142 Where To Get Best Deal On Large Quantity's of E-putty

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 10 January 2015 - 10:50 PM in Modifications

WASH YOUR HANDS?!?!?

You're supposed to wear GLOVES while working with E-putty. That stuff is kind of TOXIC.

It's sort of why the X-ray tech gets a lead apron and a bunker wall to hide behind while the patient gets to be at ground zero. Repeated exposure is a BAD THING.

That's why Mighty Putty (which works great, properly mixed, and if you can still find the stuff) came with a pair of gloves.



#333458 Are Non-Elite's Worth the Buy?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 25 August 2013 - 11:18 PM in General Nerf

Actually, the Nitefinder has a larger plunger tube and draw than the Firestrike.



#332387 You say Panther?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 27 July 2013 - 11:20 PM in General Nerf

Anyone try a pump replacement yet? This could be a viable alternative to the increasingly hard-to-find Airtech 2000 tank in internal-replacement mods such as the Wookie Bowcaster.



#328237 Silencing a Max Shot

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 20 March 2013 - 04:09 PM in General Nerf

All right, so I just scored a Lanard MaxShot off Ebay, and it is WICKED! From what I can tell it lives up to its reputation as being OBSCENELY overpowered.

It's also VERY LOUD! I've already taken a mod out of SGNerf's playbook and put a foam pad on the plunger head but it STILL makes a racket with every shot. It sounds like the spring is ringing.

Any ideas for noise-suppressing this thing? Trolls step away from the keyboard, I already tried the mod directory and the search function.

So far the only mods I've made are the plunger padding and a CPVC coupler with a dart stop.
Seeing as how the MaxShot is also famous for EXPLODING, I'm not going to remove the lock keeping it from firing with the cocking lever up.

So, any ideas for noise reduction? I'd also appreciate any advice from other MaxShot owners.



#327859 Ballzooka-compatible ammo?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 10 March 2013 - 09:33 PM in General Nerf

UPDATE:

So, yeah, I'm buying Draconis' balls.

...that came out wrong.

Seriously, the lack of new ammo for old blasters like the Ballzooka will be a continuing problem. Personal ammo dumps like Draconis' will wear out long before the blasters do, and unlike megas you can't roll your own out of insulation. With the introduction of the in-name-only Koosh balls (slightly LARGER than green Ballistic Balls) this will soon affect even last-gen Reactors and Buzzsaws.

So, my original question. Does anyone know of a source of foam balls compatible with older ball guns like the Ballzooka or Master Blaster? Such as a brand of foam golf balls without the dents?

P.S. I actually FOUND a source of working balls. Only problem is, they are the Angry Birds Star Ears Koosh balls.
PRO: the balls are a softer grade of foam than the stock Koosh balls, and therefore fit in my Ballzooka. Works PERFECTLY, and even looks cool having Pork Vader's schnoz sticking out the barrel. BUT...
CON: with both the Star Wars AND Angry Birds Licenses, they're a bit pricey. Plus, the promotional line won't be around forever.



#327807 SpyNet Secret Sleeve Shooter

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 08 March 2013 - 03:29 PM in Modifications

The movie in question is probably "Taxi Driver" in which Robert DeNero strapped a drawer rail to his arm to make his own secret sleeve shooter. Either that or "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" which had Andrew Dice Clay use a similar setup that had a bad habit of dumping his gun on the floor.

As for the gun, nice mod! I've got that SpyNet shooter too, and it STINKS! Overpriced, proprietary ammo, piss-poor range, but you brought it back from the dead!

Try replacing the orange tip with a copper coupler in the air restrictor cavity. (A cpvc one won't fit)

I rather like the idea of priming the blaster and pulling it back at the same time



#326973 Hasbro Ironman 3 inline Jolt

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 18 February 2013 - 03:52 PM in General Nerf

I've got one, and modded it.

No need for Jolt internals, it IS a Jolt! The Jolt seems to have taken the Nitefinder's place at Nerf R&D for cosmetic mods. Besides the Iron Flyer and the Clue Eliminators, Jolt tech also appears in the new Ultimate Spider-Man Crossbow.

There are two ways to remove the air restrictor (the peg sticking out the tip of the launcher.

From the back, unscrew and remove the plunger assembly as usual for any Jolt. You will notice that they went back to using a screw to connect the plunger head to the rod. (That smegging Elite rivet always snapped on me) Snip out the cross-shaped bit at the end of the plunger tube and the restrictor assembly will just pop out. Re-assemble and mod as you like. I also included half a Tek4 spring for extra kick.

OR, IF YOU WANT TO DO IT THE CLEVER WAY...

Cut from the FRONT! Slice off the ENTIRE launch peg and enlarge the hole left until the air restrictor pops out the front. Leaving the cross-shaped plunger stop in as a dart stop, you now have enough room for half a CPVC coupler or 1/2 to 3/4 reducing bushing. (I had to shave mine down to almost paper-thin to fit. In retrospect, it would have saved a lot of time and aggravation to use a COPPER coupler instead.)

Pop in a few inches of CPVC for a barrel, then say hello to the Nerf Gator KILL Stick! No dead space, and fits in the palm of your hand.



#326354 Ballzooka-compatible ammo?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 05 February 2013 - 03:34 AM in General Nerf

So, as I noted over in the Trading forum, I just got me a Ballzooka with no ammo. Both the current Green balls and the new Koosh balls are too big.

All the practice golf balls available to me locally are molded with the traditional dented surface. Good for the golf course, but not so hot for maintaining the seal on a pressure-based ballgun.

Any ideas for compatible ammo? Store weblinks welcome.



#326351 Singled Nerf Rough Cut

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 05 February 2013 - 02:59 AM in Modifications

That's TAPE on the barrel?!?

Thank goodness, I thought you raided the dumpster behind a brothel for parts.

Nice "veined" grip, there.



#299158 Nerf Mono Blast mod write-up

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 01 June 2011 - 10:02 PM in Modifications

At last, another Mono Blast! I was beginning to think that I'd have to post myself.

A few tips:

The flare on my plunger head is also a tad too narrow, so I'd say it's a product-wide defect. I just removed the rubber head, wrapped the blue disk on the plunger head in hi-grade E-tape, let the tape cure overnight to pre-shrink the plastic. I then replaced the original rubber head to serve as padding. After a little trial-and-error, that blue disk made a perfect faux o-ring seal. I highly recommend it, especially after seeing the molten mess you made of your plunger head.

I went with the "coupler at the end of the plunger tube" technique, but instead used a 3/4-to-1/2" reducing bushing. It's essentially a coupler pre-cut in half. Why? NO dead space between the plunger tube and the barrel!

I kept the stock barrel, after sealing its hole in the plunger tube with epoxy putty. Aesthetics, plus ammo-holders. It looks even cooler underneath the new CPVC barrel.

I kept the stock spring (from the days before Nerf started nerfing their springs), as I didn't want to over-stress that blue plastic. Speaking of which, I reinforced the hollow blue-plastic plunger rod by filling it with self-mixing 5-minute epoxy. More strength, and still crystal-clear!

One silver paint job, and it's Buck Rogers time!



#287282 Review: Lego Exo-force Blaster

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 20 October 2010 - 10:10 PM in General Nerf

Hang on, the bulb just twisted off in my hand, barrel and all. A slightly more deliberate tug took the black cone off the front of the cylinder. Now I've got an intact arm casing, ready to admit new internals. My first-gen Mega-Missile looks like the internals will fit, but I want to check out the current-gen. It's smaller internals might make a better fit.

Believe it or not, I've also got a still-functional squeeze-bulb blaster! The internal bulb is sort of a squarish version of the Pop Shotz, sort of like a craft foam Double Shot. The barrel's a little loose on darts, though. Apparently, it relies on the rubberized "matchstick" heads of its stock darts to make a seal.



#287247 Review: Lego Exo-force Blaster

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 20 October 2010 - 04:28 PM in General Nerf

So, I was browsing Amazon for blaster deals when I stumbled over this oddity:

Posted Image

Instantly, visions of Noob 001's Arm Cannon danced through my head. Fantasies of dressing up like Megaman and blasting the crap out of Eggmans (as in throw at my car windows) in eleven days.

What the hell, it was only $5. $10 after shipping.

So, review time!

PRO: The tube is large enough (3.75 inch ID, 9.5 inches long) to admit an adult hand, and I've got pretty large hands. The darts are comparably-sized to Micros, sort of a "matchstick" version of foam-head Buzzbee darts. The barrel has no air restrictors or post!

CON: IT'S A SMEGGING CARDBOARD TUBE WITH A SQUEEZE BULB. The decorative fins and dart holders are just craft foam, albeit thick craft foam. Stock range is laughable at best, limited to how fast I can squeeze the pistol-shaped grip inside the tube. Again, it's just a squeeze bulb like those cheapo guns in the front of TRU or the overpriced abomination that is the "Pop Shotz 3-in-1 Air Blaster." It's not even Lego-compatible! You'd think they'd add a few token sockets for bricks on the side.

MODDING POTENTIAL: Actually, pretty high. As I said, the tube's large enough to admit my over-sized paws. So, rip out the bulb and replace with guts from another blaster. Current-gen to keep costs down, air-powered so the plunger rod doesn't rip my hand open. Maybe a Buzzbee Mega Missile, stripped down until it fits inside? Only $5 from my local Five Below.

VERDICT: If you've got $5 to burn, why not! A kid-safe gun.



#252020 New Stefans

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 28 September 2009 - 07:17 PM in Homemades

New Jersey is anal about all things that are potentially dangerous. Only people over 18 can carry a knife with a blade longer than 3 inches. Slingshots and wrist rockets are illegal. Airguns are only legal to posses if you have a valid gun license, therefore no BBs.


If you can't get BBs, there's always fishing weights.



#249329 Look What I Found.

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 01 September 2009 - 02:20 PM in General Nerf

Well I might as well say what I have to offer.

When I got the gun, I was completely amazed by the stock ranges. I opened 'er up and got rid of the AR in the plunger tube, and added a spring. For some reason, it didn't even shoot now. What I think is the problem was A) the rubber head bounced off the front off the plunger tube because it was traveling so fast, and :( Because of the amount of air, it took the path of least resistance and escaped to the outside of the shell because the AR in the shell was blocking it.

So, obviously I went to go take the AR out of the shell and get rid of that spring. Also, Nerf darts can't fit in the stock shells because they are too long. I wanted to fix this, so I got rid of the AR's (the post and the black disc). Then, the darts were way too loose, so I figured I needed to re-barrel the shells. I busted out the drill press and the 9/16 drill bit and cleaned out the shell. Then I took some 17/32 brass, a couple wraps of e-tape and glued the segments in the shells. I tried it. Sometimes the darts would go launching out of it, sometimes they didn't shoot, and still other times they barely hit the walls 30' away. So they inconsistency has increased, and the range only increased slightly. And I still don't know what's up. I plan on doing a writeup, if only I can get this thing to work uniformly.


There's a mechanism in the gun that pushes the plunger tube forward as the ammo door closes. Did you damage it when you took out the plunger tube? Check the internals directory.

Also, when you modded the shells, did you cut through the small plastic circle protruding out the back of the shell? That's part of the seal between the plunger tube and each shell. Damaged seal rings on some of your shells would account for your gun's inconsistent performance.

You can still repair your chain shells without buying a whole new gun:
-buy a refill pack of Buzzbee shells
-pop out the damaged ends of your bad chain shells. I just stuck a screwdriver in the air hole and levered it out.
-cut the bottoms off the new shells to make a patch for the old ones.
-glue the new bottoms onto the old shells with gap-filling Super Glue.



#249306 Look What I Found.

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 01 September 2009 - 10:52 AM in General Nerf

I just want to get my two cents in on the Belt Blaster.

I've got mine in pieces right now for modding and repainting as a pseudo Halo Spartan Laser.

Two things of note:
  • The shells CAN be modified like Double Shot shells, but DO NOT CUT OFF THE FRONT HALF OF THE SHELL WHEN RE-BARRELING! The ridge at the tip of the shell forces the back of the shell against the plunger tube for an airtight seal. No ridge means no seal! Instead, after removing the peg and air restrictor you can dremel the inside of the shell until it can fit PETG or brass. (The metal "High-Speed Cutter" tip will be your best friend for this job. Wish I had it when I modded my Hornet!)This also means no Vulcan chains until someone figures out how to mod the gun to keep the seal.
  • There's an air resistor in the tip of the plunger tube. To remove it, open the gun and remove the plunger tube from the gun and the plunger. Then stick a screwdriver in the plunger tip from the outside and shove until a piece of plastic pops out of the inside. That's the resistor.
Also, after hearing so many horror stories about the Chainblazer and Rototrack ammo chains falling apart I took the precaution of reinforcing the hinges of the BB chain with Mighty Putty. I welded them into 10-shell chains so i can still shorten and lengthen at will.

Mod away!



#245666 Kung Fu Panda Commander Crossbow Barrel Replacement

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 05 August 2009 - 07:24 PM in Modifications

Dremel inside the stock so it can rotate 90 degrees, like it was in the packaging. Then just rotate the stock before you cock. I've got a Home Depot NF spring in mine and rotating the stock make cocking MUCH easier.


Does it just make it easier to rest against your body while you cock it or does rotating the stock affect the internals in some way that is unknown to me? I don't have any difficulty pulling that little tab back; I'm just getting unimpressive results. Even with half a [k25] spring in I could depress it as far as it would go, but the sucker wouldn't catch.

Also my lithium grease lubricant seems to have enlarged the O-ring which it hasn't done to any of my other guns (a fair few). Is there something different about this O-ring?


Actuallly, rotating the stock simply moves the edge of the stock out of the way of the cocking tab. This let's you pull the cocking lever back JUST a little more so it can catch.

No idea about the O-ring, though. I use silicone Plumber's grease.



#245589 Kung Fu Panda Commander Crossbow Barrel Replacement

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 05 August 2009 - 10:13 AM in Modifications

Well it certainly has a lot of potential, but I have yet to unleash most of it. The gun refused to catch with the [k25] spring even after I cut it down quite a bit so I went with a stock crossbow spring (partially for the sake of irony), and the range may have increased 5-10 feet, but the dart doesn't have much velocity at all. It just kinda floats on the air (although it is quite accurate) and would be very easy to dodge. I might try putting the stock spring on in addition to the crossbow spring tomorrow and see what happens.


Dremel inside the stock so it can rotate 90 degrees, like it was in the packaging. Then just rotate the stock before you cock. I've got a Home Depot NF spring in mine and rotating the stock make cocking MUCH easier.



#245341 Kung Fu Panda Commander Crossbow Barrel Replacement

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 03 August 2009 - 06:07 PM in Modifications

I picked up one of these dark horses myself.

I went with the 1/2-inch CPVC coupler myself. A perfect fit in the stock barrel... after a bit of sanding. (All I had were the "bulgy" kind. Great for plumbing, not so hot for DIY-gunsmithing.) Works great, and the coupler even fits the stock ammo.

I agree with your assessment of the plunger head, but found a tedious but workable way to fit an industrial NF spring. "Key-ring" the sucker onto the plunger shaft. It wasn't easy, but it did the job.

I also whittled inside the stock a bit to restore the rotation. I thought about replacing the "little finger handle" with an actual key ring a la the LNL, but the plastic loop seems a little flimsy. Rotating the stock before cocking the bow made pulling back the cocking handle on that industrial spring a LOT easier.

I realize that eventually the plunger head will rip itself off the rod. I'm actually looking forward to it. Since the head is set off-center on the rod, traditional "washer" head replacements are out of the question. When the head breaks off I plan to put in a BBB spring; then use small washers, goop or epoxy and a wood screw to re-attach the head.

All in all, a sweet little gun.



#243169 Couplered Rattler

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 22 July 2009 - 01:38 PM in Modifications

Sorry to necro, but I just BOUGHT this Rattler off Blue via an E-Bay lot.

The hot glue he used to attach the bushing adapter broke, so I took the opportunity to widen the air hole a bit then re-attached the bushing with gap-filling Super Glue Gel. The plug in the side hole came out as well, so I just left it open.

Since Blue kept his PETG barrel, I added a CPVC 1/2" coupler to the bushing so I could use a 4-inch CPVC barrel. The barrel is unglued and dremeled at both ends to facilitate rear-loading.

No ideas for a stock yet, but it makes a nifty "riot gun."

BTW, this isn't the first time this gun's been on E-bay! According to Blue, he originally added the bushing because whoever sold it to HIM neglected to mention the BROKEN TURRET, disguising the gun in the listing by cropping the picture. Buyer beware!



#242141 How To Not Hurt Yourself. Must Read Before Modding A Firely.

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 15 July 2009 - 10:28 PM in Modifications

Actually, I once read a story about a man who electrocuted himself with a small battery. (no link, too tired to Google)

The trick was that while fooling around with connected wiring, he pierced both thumbs with the positive and negative contacts, TURNING HIS OWN BLOODSTREAM INTO A DIRECT LINK TO HIS BRAIN.

Ever see "The Green Mile?" That bit with the wet sponge under the headset of the electric chair? Blood is mostly water, water conducts electricity.

That said, Firefly electronics should be safe enough, unless you plan on wiring it to your veins.



#241921 Some Interesting Air Gun Finds

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 14 July 2009 - 01:53 PM in General Nerf

My Target here in Towson MD has the pumps in stock, and most dollar stores have similar ones for use with balloons.

I integrated one into my Buzzbee Mega Missile, replacing the ludicrous one-inch stock pump.

I'm DEFINITELY stocking up on these babies!!



#241919 Wayne Tech Utility Belt Blaster?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 14 July 2009 - 01:43 PM in General Nerf

I've got one, it's garbage.

Proprietary ammo made of plastic and heavy foam, awkward two-handed trigger, weak flywheel propulsion system. Pretty much all the disadvantages of the Auto Tommy 20 or Dual Shot with none of the advantages, or even the looks.

There are only 3 reasons you might want this gun:
-you want to complete your Dark Knight and/or Nerf collections,
-you want to tear out the guts of the gun, put a snap pistol in the casing and make a Humming Bird out of the flywheel, or
-you are under 12 years old.

One the up side, it comes with a plastic cape.

AVOID THIS P.O.S. LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!



#238591 How Did You Break Your Longshot?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 25 June 2009 - 05:37 PM in Modifications

A few weeks ago, I asked the 'Haven in general which spring combo would work best in my brand new-ish Longshot.

I wasn't being lazy, I just wanted to avoid reinventing the wheel. Between all the hardware & sporting goods stores in my area plus assorted Bow springs in my parts bin, I've got access to ALL the traditional Longshot replacement springs. I just wanted to avoid testing them all. Field-stripping a Longshot is NOT easy.

Now here's a related question that might just benefit every LS owner.

After reading so many posts about boltsleds breaking under stress, I wondered...

What spring combo is most likely to break the gun?

It seems to me that the BBB spring (longer than the actual plunger tube) would put CONSTANT stress on the gun internals, while an industrial NiteFinder spring from Ace or Home Depot wouldn't. Am I wrong?

MY CURRENT MOD PLAN:
-remove all air restrictors and pegs, seal holes in the barrel.
-replace or combine the springs in the main and front gun.
-replace the front gun barrel with CPVC.
-ditch all the safety junk in the gun so I can dry-fire, pop the clip, etc.
-sand-dremel the bolt tooth so it doesn't shave my darts.
-replace the stand by integrating the front gun with the main gun. The front gun's handle is missing, anyway.
-finish it with a new paintjob in Krylon Fusion Hammered Finish Metallic Black with trim in Krylon silver and copper, keeping the orange tip so the cops don't shoot me.



#238169 Nerf Sighting In Marvel Comics

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 23 June 2009 - 10:55 AM in General Nerf

It's a LITTLE off-topic, but it's Nerf enough.

Last week, in issue 600 of Marvel Comics "Captain America" (they're bringing Steve Rogers back from the dead, BTW) a prison guard in a jail for super-villains can be seen wielding a pistol taser. On close-up of his weapon, it can clearly be seen to be a MODDED NITEFINDER.

That's right, prison guards in the Marvel Universe are ARMED WITH NERF GUNS.

Which would explain why the villians keep escaping from jail. In that very issue, even.

I'll upload a page scan later.

Jim



#235352 Wildfire

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 09 June 2009 - 10:48 PM in Modifications

I just got a Wildfire myself, and it ROCKS! The trigger leaks a bit during the first few pumps, but works fine once you build up enough pressure to seal the valve. (Hint to anyone complaining of leaks, TRY THIS FIRST!)

I've seen this mod done with the RF20, and I'll DEFINITELY be doing it with mine!

Nice touch with the pump rod. Have you plugged the valve in the bladder yet?

Is it just me, or does the paint job look like live-action Optimus Prime?



#235344 Longshot Replacement Springs?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 09 June 2009 - 10:40 PM in Modifications

Thanks for the tips and the commentary, everyone.

I'm just trying to take advantage of the greater experience of my Nerfhaven peers.

I've always seen this forum as an idea-mine, both good AND bad.

Putting a Big Bad Bow spring in a Longshot = GOOD idea.
Putting a Big Bad Bow spring in an ELIMINATOR = BAD idea.

Holding your thumb on the back of a nearly-cocked Arrowstorm = GOOD idea.
Holding your cheek on the orange tube of a pre-recall Recon = BAD idea.

Gluing a Crayola marker into a gun's barrel = GOOD idea.
Gluing a Crayola in, without taking the wick out first = BAD idea.

Get the idea?

I just want to hear some ideas BEFORE cracking open my new-ish gun, both for my benefit and for my fellow noobs.

This way, we can all avoid repeating each other's MISTAKES, and avoid seeing the ever-popular "Exploding Plastic Gun" trick up close and personal.

I'm STILL growing my eyebrows back after the LAST time.


P.S. just for a laugh, try sticking a marker wick in the barrel of a pump gun. Modern art, anyone?



#235196 Longshot Replacement Springs?

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 09 June 2009 - 01:33 PM in Modifications

I just scored my second blue Longshot as part of an Ebay lot. I already stuck an industrial NF spring in my existing Longshot (air restrictors out? but of course.) and was wondering what to go with for this one.

I've still got plenty of Home Depot NF springs, and the original springs from my red BBB and my Scorpion Bow (replaced them with NF springs and a PVC coupler, FYI).

Suggestions?



#234967 Need Sizes On Koosh Vortex Rings!

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 08 June 2009 - 12:03 PM in General Nerf

Thanks, JSB, but what I really need are the length and width of the rings.

Also, are your rings the orange Spinfire or the smaller green Micro Spinfire?



#234267 Need Sizes On Koosh Vortex Rings!

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 04 June 2009 - 01:20 PM in General Nerf

. . . and YES, I already tried the SEARCH button. Both in the 'Haven and Google.

I just scored a Koosh Vortex Powerstrike as part of an Ebay lot.

Unfortunately, it came with no ammo. (Surprise, surprise, surprise) I know Koosh ammo is rarer than NIB crossbows these days, so I'll have to brew my own.

The tutorial on making rings out of duct tape and e-tape was a big help, but a tad labor-intensive. Also, it doesn't include any ring sizes.

Another web page suggested "cutting rings out of a broken Lightsaber" but that'll only get me 2-to-4 useable rings from one saber. Also, that lacks the "airfoil" curve of stock rings.

What I'd like to do is cut rings from a plastic tube of consistent diameter (PETG, or maybe light garden hose) then coat one edge with spray paint or Plasti-Dip to add weight and fake an airfoil. (Got any better ideas? Love to hear them!)

WHAT I NEED are the exact dimensions of stock Koosh rings; inner and outer width of the ring, length front-to-back, etc. Since the Powerstrike fires both orange Spinfire rings and the smaller green Micro Spinfire rings (at the same time!), I need sizes for both.

Anybody got some stock ammo in their junk drawer? Got a ruler?

Thanks!

P.S. Yes, I'm going to try modding it for stefans, but I want to see how rings fly first.



#232984 Crayola Barrel Making - Full Write Up

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 27 May 2009 - 11:23 PM in Modifications

My advice is to use Rose art markers instead its alot easier and simpler. besides some times i feel bad ruining such a good marker but i dont feel bad at all ruining the crappy Rose arts.


They're not THAT bad. Still, considering they're $1.99 for an 11-pack at Wal-Mart it's not a bad deal.

Personally, when cutting down marker barrels I use a Brasscraft pipe cutter to get a good 90-degree cut. If the cutter blade doesn't break through the soft plastic, I follow up on the score with a box-cutter.

I like to cut the marker end off right at the cap with my box-cutter. Again, 90-degree cut plus a little extra plastic to contact.

Pliers are also good for taking off the bottom caps.

I tried with a 1/2 inch drill bit, and screwed right through the side of the barrell somehow.

I'm such an idiot.


Hopefully, you didn't try using that trick with an actual DRILL.

Just HOLD THE DRILL BIT IN YOUR HAND and twist it like a screwdriver.



#231838 Captain Slug's Dart Design

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 22 May 2009 - 10:40 AM in General Nerf

Actually, now that I think about it, "slug darts" are rather fitting. One definition of "slug" is a disc of cheap metal, sometime used to cheat vending machines.



#231837 Captain Slug's Dart Design

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 22 May 2009 - 10:36 AM in General Nerf

Personally, I'm leaning towards "sluggos" or "slugs" over "CS darts."

Why are you trying to come up with an official name for something I made?
To me they're just felt+washer stefans, but "Slug Darts" has been passed around at wars and works just as well.


Sorry Captain, I'm kinda new here. I wasn't trying to name them myself. I was just suggesting that the design was different enough from Stefan Mohr's that it should justify a separate name, and perhaps a write-up that wasn't buried in two separate posts in the stefan-making discussion. (Hint, hint, a link on your homepage isn't enough.)

Also, did Stefan name his design after himself or did someone else do it?


(Do not taunt Happy Fun Moderator.)



#231744 Captain Slug's Dart Design

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 21 May 2009 - 06:58 PM in General Nerf

From Help! Painting Stefans, coincidentally started by me.

If you make CS darts with white felt tips, then you can put glow in the dark paint on the tip. I color the tips of my CS darts with a yellow marker, so you should be able to use paint.


Now, if I hadn't been busy making my own darts, I wouldn't know he was talking about Captain Slug's variation of homebrew darts.

Am I the only one who thinks that his felt tip & washer design deserves its OWN name?

-the manufacturing process is SO MUCH easier than traditional stefans
-the weight distribution allows for more reliable darts
-converting stock darts is also SO MUCH easier

And, in the words of the good Captain:

(QUOTE)
- Significantly lower cost per dart. If purchased through mcmaster, the washers are $0.0074 each, and the felt discs are $0.01 each. The liquid nails cost is too low per-dart to calculate.
Fishing weights, even if purchased as low as $1 per bag of thirty, cost twice that amount ($0.03). And that cost is not including the hot glue you would need to attach them.
- Much easier to make with high consistency.
- Higher foward-loading since the weight is distributed even closer to the tip of the dart
- More unique and visually appealing. Felt discs are available in white, black, green, and brown.
- Does not require the application of hot glue
- Tips can dry in any orientation without affecting shape/performance of finished dart
- They hurt less. The felt is a much softer tip than hot glue, and personally I think these hurt less than streamline or dart tagger darts which tend to leave hickey marks because they deform on impact.
(UNQUOTE)

Personally, I'm leaning towards "sluggos" or "slugs" over "CS darts."



#231687 Help! Painting Stefans

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 21 May 2009 - 01:09 PM in Modifications

By God, that may just work!


Oh but it does work.
Posted Image


My God, It's Full Of Stars...

That's PERFECT!

Better than perfect, even. After removing the heads for Captain Slug's dart mod, stock darts fit too far back in the barrel for the strobe to charge the sides.

But it has a PERFECT angle to charge the heads!

(Am I the only one who got "Poltergeist" flashbacks from that one?)

So it's either GITD hot glue or painted felt tips for me!

(18 posts in one day? Thank GOD and the Moderators (same diff.) for clearing me to post!)



#231684 Help! Painting Stefans

Posted by Jimu RetroGuru on 21 May 2009 - 01:00 PM in Modifications

Try boring(sp?) out the PETG with a drill bit with the same circumference as the dart. If you can't find the perfect size drill bit, try using the sanding bit on your dremel lightly trimming the inside of the PETG. Also, remember that unless you're planning on making CDTSs out of the glow in the dark darts, to cut the PETG to allow for the tips.


I guess you havent seen PETG. It is way to thin for that.

Instead, use CPVC. Not that 1/2 inch stuff that makes a good seal, but the rarely-found 5/8. That should do you up nice.


That'll be worse-than-useless for charging the GITD paint, unless you know someone who sells crystal-clear CPVC.