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#304296 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 04 September 2011 - 07:33 PM in Homemades

You can use a homemade pump to fill the tnak. It just takes a very very long time. An alternative would be to buy a $20 compressor that runs off the jack in your car...

Maybe I have the OPV and the main tank set to different pressures. You are saying that I should not have bleeding if the main tabnk is pumped to 60 PSI and the OPV is set to 60 PSI as well?

Those were hypothetical numbers, not hard facts. The main tank is always kept at 60 PSI, and yes, I realize that the main tank really does need a way to limit pressure. WOuld a regulator, where I can pump up and then manually let air out do the trick?



#304057 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 29 August 2011 - 10:52 PM in Homemades

You bet I did :)

Do you find it at all difficult to fire the tank at 60PSI? Do you think a hindered trigger pull is hurting your ranges?


Sorry? What's hindered about the trigger pull? It's extremely easy to fire at 60 PSI and even a bit higher.



#304026 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 29 August 2011 - 08:36 AM in Homemades

@ roboman: it was actually lying on the side of the tubing before I took the picture. It's not usually all that srucnched up and kinky.

@ricochet:7/8" long, 1/4" dia., 1/32" wire dia. It's a pretty strong spring.

@Zorn: Wouldn't that make the air transfer from the main tnak to the pVAT alot slower? Maybe I'm not following...

@Kane: I think curly explained it pretty well. In fact, he's the one that brought the placement matter to my attention. I have the pSI guage there, so for me, I just don't go over 60 PSI. The OPV leaks when the button on ricochet's valve is depressed because that opens the line for air from the main tank to flow into the PVAT. Lets say there is 60 pSI of compressed air in the main tank. That tank is very large compared to the PVAT, so when you open the ricochet valve, all the air in the main tank tries to force itself into the PVAT. 60 PSI in the big tank however translates to a much higher psi in the much smaller PVAT. lets say the main tank is trying to force in what translates to 110 psi in the PVAT, but is only 60 PSI in the main tank, while the OPV is set at about 50 PSI. There is your bleed. The trick is just to hold the button down for a very short period of time and let the excess bleed out. It does so pretty quickly.

It takes between 3 and 5 pumps to fill the PVAT, depending on what pressure you want. i don't quite understand the second part. You dont have to pump after each shot. The homemade pump is only for when you've exhausted your supply of air in the main tank. Then you switch OFF the main tank selection and use the homemade pump to pressurize the PVAT directly.



#303243 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 12 August 2011 - 10:07 AM in Homemades

OPRV Update

I added an OPRV just outside of the PVAT. It follows Venom’s OPRV writeup, but I used a nylon tube instead of PEX. The hole is about 5/32” I think. It could be larger to increase air flow out of the tank. The OPRV is fully adjustable, and can range from about a 55-85 PSI break point. It follows, then, that I can get between 2 and 5 pumps in before it kicks in. The one bad part about the OPRV is that when using the semi-auto function, pushing the button on the ricochet valve directly connects the main tank to the PVAT, which causes the OPRV to leak air from the main tank. Essentially, holding the ricochet valve’s button down for too long causes you to lose air from the main tank. To prevent this you simply have to push the button quickly, whereas without the OPRV you could hold the button down for as long as you wanted and the same amount of air would always find its way into the PVAT. Bottom line: The OPRV works great for the pump mechanism, but not quite so smoothly for the semi-auto function. Still, the gun is safer now.
PICS:
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The OPRV is held onto the gun’s main body with Velcro so it can be quickly and easily removed for adjustments.



#302697 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 02 August 2011 - 10:00 PM in Homemades

@RedRanger: I suppose you could put a check valve in the pump head. The shaft would have to be hollow to allow the air to be moved through the check valve and the pump tube would have to accomodate the OD of the checkvalve. It seems I have more work to do on the pump! I have been thinking of ways to do away wiht the Tee in favor of a coupler...The o-ring is 13/16" OD X 5/8" ID.

@venom: A venPVAT could also be used. I chose a PVAT becuase I was already building one anyway. The original also holds a bit more air, and built right, they shouldn't need to be taken apart. I can see how being able to is a valuable asset though. I also really like that quick connect fitting for the tubing input. There's no reason NOT to use a venPVAT, like i said i just had a PVAT in the works.
There's no need to eliminate the check valves. The pump works smoothly and has a logical air movement pattern. it's simpler than stock pumps in a way. It's cheap, simple and efficient, as it costs next to nothing, requires very little cutting and sanding, and fills a PVAT wiht 3-5 pumps depending on what pressure you are going for.
Yes, it does need an OPRV. That's in the works. Ideas and suggestions are welcome.

I don't feel you come off as self promoting; you're right: this si in no way perfect, and hopefully I'll get around to doing some more thinking, work, and updating on it.

Thanks for the comments everyone.



#302546 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 30 July 2011 - 01:49 PM in Homemades

Thanks Tantum. Yeah, at 60 PSI I'm not worried.

The dul check-valved homemade pump is the first one I've seen here on the forums, but I'm sure others have done it elsewhere and for different applications. I need to work on reducing deadspace in it though, because after three or so pumps, the pump shaft starts to push outward because of the excess air in the Tee that has not made it past the check valve.



#302539 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 30 July 2011 - 11:10 AM in Homemades

The homemade pump functions exactly as a hornet or bike pump does; by using the 2 check valves. they are absolutely necessary.

The OPRV is the one thing I'm still trying to figure out. On the one hand, I have a PSI guage so I know exacly how much pressure is in the main tank. I suppose I could install an OPRV on the main tank and/or the PVAT but I could also just make sure not to pump the main tank higher than 60 PSI. Suggeestions are always welcome.



#302490 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 29 July 2011 - 02:16 PM in Homemades

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ZOMG FPS View!!! Kewlz!!! I can liek haz hedshotz!!!
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The secondary tank is easily detachable should the need arise
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Firing Videos - CLICK ON THE PICTURES; THEY LINK TO VIDEOS HOSTED IN PHOTOBUCKET

General
Quality is not great and it cuts off at the end because my crappy camera used up all of its miniscule memory space on these 5 minutes. Also, sorry about having to show the compressor filling the tank. I have no way of editing video from my computer. Posted Image
I still have to play around with the trigger, but if you get comfortable enough with the pneumatic timing, it’s possible to hold the ricochet valve’s button down and pull and release the trigger very quickly. This is dangerous though, because you run the risk of emptying your hopper or whopper clip in about 2 seconds flat in a haze of powerfully propelled but minimally aimed darts.
Toggle Valve
One thing I didn’t get to mention is that the 3 way toggle valve is what decides how the PVAT is filled with air. One setting allows the airtank ONLY to fill the PVAT, another allows for ONLY the pump to do so, and the third allows for both.
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Homemade Pump
The homemade pump works by utilizing two checkvalves. On the pump pull, one check valve, the one pointing IN towards the Tee allows air to come into the pump chamber. On the pump push, that same check valve does NOT allow air to escape from whence it came, instead, it must escape through the only other opening; the other check valve. This checkvalve, pointing AWAY from the Tee, lets air out of the pump, but not back in.
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Whopper Clip
I got the idea for the whopper clip from the nerf flip clip. The main idea behind the whopper is to allow fast, constant rate of fire for high rate of fire blasters without having to reload every 6 shots because you’ve just burned through your clip. My design can be scaled up or down depending on how many darts you want to hold, but end to end my whopper lip is about 22” long. It holds 12 darts in each clip, for a total of 24. The ball valves allow more mobility because you don’t have to worry about darts from your second clip falling out while on the move or reloading.
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Ranges
All ranges were taken on a level grass field with no wind or breeze on a warm, humid day. The PVAT was filled with 5 pumps from the homemade pump, and shots were fired level from an elevation of 5 feet. Some darts skipped, but most didn’t. The grass did a good job of keeping them down after they hit.
Single barrel: 118, 122, 127, 127, 131, 128 --- high: 131, low: 118, average: 125.5
6 dart hopper: 118, 107, 106, 97, 91, 84 --- high: 118, low: 84, average: 100.5
I haven’t tested the shotgun attachment yet, but I would assume that ranges would be between 60 ft for the first volley and 40 ft for the last. In tests with the original FOMAS, that was about what happened. Dart spread was around 8-10 ft.

I have taken the tank up to 60 PSI, and that's about it. I don't see the need to go higher right now becase I'm getting 30-45 quality shots when filled to that PSI.

Final words
This blaster is not something one should attempt as your very first foray into homemades unless you already have experience with working with plastics, hand tools, and adhesives. It’s not overly complex, and it doesn’t require elaborate tooling. It certainly HELPS to have a chopsaw and bench grinder, and bandsaw, but It’s not necessary. I made the majority of my cuts with a steady hand and a coping saw. That, and a dremel are mainstays in almost every nerfer’s shop, and those are the tools I used most often. It’s also good to have a few good pairs of pliers, and you MUST have a sharp exacto knife. Yes, I used a bandsaw and chopsaw for some cuts, but for $20, you can get a miter box and achieve the same thing.
Overall I am extremely pleased with how this blaster came out. It works well; it looks nice thanks to Tamiya primer and paints. They are simply wonderful and I recommend them to anyone. Also, Pledge with future shine is a great thing to have. It’s floor polish, but it makes for a very nice, durable clear coat. The font used for the FOMAS 2.0 on the gun is Xirod, downloadable from fonts.com I think.
The gun is a little heavy, it has no “handle”, and it is a bit unwieldy. The weight isn’t really that much of an issue, just like the handle it will take some getting used to. You have to sort of find your comfort zone with the butt of the gun. I press the back of the main tank to my shoulder like you would a regular stock. It can slip sometimes, so you have to find what works for you. Obviously the tank could be put in a backpack and the weight, handle, and stock problems would be eliminated, but I tried that out in the prototype stage and I didn’t like how you had to have a long vinyl tube running from the backpack to the gun. It could snag and get cut, you could get tangled, etc.

Time and price:

The gun took me about 3-4 weeks, start to finish. That includes time spent painting, which account for a week and change. The majority of the work is simple cutting asnd drilling, and alot of the other time was spent waitng for all the different adhesives to fully cure. I probably spent $40-$50 on the gun, but I had alot of the parts. Someone completely new to nerfing and homemades could probably expect to pay anywhere from $60-$80 I would guess. Then again, it's probably not a great idea for someone who's so new to nerf to try something like this. It could be done though I'm sure.


Questions and comments are welcome. Post here or PM



#302489 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 29 July 2011 - 01:52 PM in Homemades

Toggle Valve Assembly
Now assemble the PVC parts as shown in the following picture. Leave everything loose enough to twist off but tight enough that it stays for now. The endcap on the far right should look like the second picture. That’s a ¼” hole that I sanded out a little so that vinyl tubing can slide through easily.
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Next, measure 4” back from the 90 degree elbow and mark it…
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Then measure 1.5 and 4.5 CENTIMETERS from the mark we just made. Sorry about changing units of measure, but it was more precise in this case.
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Drill out the marks you just made (The ones in BLUE in the previous picture) with a 5/32” drill bit
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Now use the given measurements in the picture below to measure, drill, and tap two 7/64” holes in the BOTTOM of the front end of the tank
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For this part of the toggle valve assembly, you will need your ricochet valve, a 3/16” drill bit, a drill, and a 3 way toggle valve.
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Cut the toggle valve like so:
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Then superglue/PVC cement and goop it into the 3/16” hole you drilled in the ricochet valve
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Homemade Pump
Assemble these pieces
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Now chop the sides off the Tee and drill a 5/8” hole I the endcap. Be sure to leave the “lip” (shown in 2nd Pic-marked in blue) alone in the Tee. That’s what your washers will rest on.
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Superglue and goop your metal washers in
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Glue 2 ¼” long segments of ½” PVC onto the ½’ CPVC
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You will then need to plug the end of the CPVC. I used some ½” nylon rod. This took some doing, but I eventually got it to stick there. Superglue and goop it in.
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Pop your o-ring on
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By now, the glue should have dried on the Tee assembly. First, superglue a check valve to one side of the tee, as centered as possible on the washer. This one is the one that should fit your tubing. It is important that it is pointing AWAY from the Tee, as seen in the picture.
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Cut down the other check valve, this one does not have to fit your tubing. Superglue it to the other side of the tee, this time pointing in TOWARDS the Tee. As a side note, you could leave the nipple on the outside of the second check valve and use it as a vacuum pump. Goop both check valves in place after the superglue has cured. Apply liberally; these need to be airtight.
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Now grab your 12” length of ¾” PVC. Superglue to it a metal washer with an OD no larger than that of the PVC and an ID that will NOT allow the CPVC to slide through. This is to prevent the pump shaft from sliding all the way into the pump and getting stuck.
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Once ALL of that is dry, you may assemble it in full. The length of ¾” PVC goes into the third outlet of the Tee, the CPVC pump shaft slides into the ¾’ PVC (don’t forget to LUBE!!!), and the end cap slides over the CPVC to close everything up. You may add a handle if you like. I did.
It’s all ¾” CPVC. That piece at the end is a ¾” to ½’ reducing coupling
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All assembled. In this picture you can see the epoxy putty I added for stability
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The last step is basically just to put everything together and/or paint. I decided to paint before I put everything together, so the next few pictures will be of painted pieces. In terms of tubing, exact lengths aren’t really necessary as what looks good and what is possible will vary from one person to the next. If you don’t know how to install a quick connect fitting, there should be an instruction manual that came with it, so save that. The fitting is not strictly necessary, but I highly recommend it because it makes taking the PVAT out of the tube much easier in the event that something breaks. Here are my lengths:
Tank connector: 3 ½”
Main tank to ricochet valve: 20”
Ricochet valve to quick connect fitting: 3 ¾”
PVAT to quick connect fitting: 1 ½”
Pump to ricochet valve: 17 1/2'”

You can install the pump wherever is comfortable. I chose the bottom because it can also act as a handle down there. It is held on by industrial strength Velcro patches and zip ties. It is very sturdy and completely removable. The gun is not difficult to assemble, but if you have any trouble, go back and look that writeup, the following pictures, or PM me.



#302487 FOMAS 2.0

Posted by Whisper101 on 29 July 2011 - 01:35 PM in Homemades

FOMAS 2.0
Preface:
When I built the original FOMAS, I was aiming for a relatively cheap, relatively easily reproducible homemade airgun. Utilizing a modified version of Lt. Stefan’s PVAT, a Titan pump, and a rough interpretation of the templates for the L+L provided by CaptainSlug, I believe I succeeded. The FOMAS 2.0, however, was created, basically, because I saw potential in the original FOMAS to be something more than a standard “pump up the tank and pull the pin” air blaster.

Credits:
Lt. Stefan - It was his design for the PVAT and idea to somehow turn it into a functional gun that inspired me to implement it.
Ricochet - The valve connecting the airtank to the PVAT was his design. His video writeup for it is superb.

Links:
Original FOMAS - http://www.nerfrevol....php?f=9&t=2528
PVAT- http://nerfhaven.com...=1
Richochet’s valve -
McMaster - http://www.mcmaster.com/#
Ark-Plas plastics - http://www.ark-plas.com/
Parts list:
- 1x PVAT – I would recommend also getting an o-ring to help the front seal (see below for dimensions)
- 1x Ricochet’s valve (you DON’T need a barb for the side)
- 2x 4” PVC endcaps
- 13 “ of 4” PVC
- 2x 1” PVC endcaps
- 15” of 1” PVC
- 1x ¾” PVC tee, endcap
- 12” of ¾” PVC
- 1x ½’ PVC endcap, 45 degree elbow, 90 degree elbow
- 12” of ½’ PVC
- 1x ¾” CPVC endcap, 90 degree elbow, ¾” to ½” reducing coupler
- 2 pcs. Of ¾’ CPVC, one 2 1/4” and the other 1 1/4”
- 13” of ½” CPVC
- ¼” polycarbonate
- 2 ft. of 9245K51
- Metal washer- ID between 3/16” and 1/4” (either will work), and OD between 7/8” and 1” (same as before)
- 2x metal washers w/OD that fits into a ¾” tee and is held by the lip, ID just has to hold the checkvalve
- Assorted 6-32 thread screws – 2x 1”, 4x ¼”, 4x 3/8”, 1x1/2”
- Your choice of size in vinyl tubing, brass/plastic barbs (x3), and quick connect fittings (x1). I used 3/16” ID, ¼” OD tubing to increase airflow a little, but 1/8” ID tubing and fittings would work fine as well.
- LOTS of electrical tape
- 1x 13/16” OD, 5/8” ID o-ring for PVAT
- 0-100 PSI guage
- 3x check valves, only 2 have to fit your tubing size (AP19CV0012NL for 1/8”, AP19CV0018NL for 3/16”)
- 1x 3 way toggle valve (AP12SCL3SSSCL)
^^^These items can be easily sourced from Ark-PLas plastics (link in preface) for FREE. The company offers free samples, and you simply add the items to your samples cart, give them your address, and they pay for shipping to you.

TOOLS (necessary and Optional):
- Something to cut plastic tubing with (coping saw, bandsaw, crosscut/chopsaw, pipe cutters, etc) - Necessary
- Belt sander - Optional
- 6-32 tapping bit – Necessary
- Assorted drill bits – Necessary
- Drillpress or drill – Necessary (drill probably more practical for this application)
- Adhesives: superglue, PVC cement, PVC primer, epoxy putty, GOOP - ALL necessary
- Hot glue gun and hot glue - Necessary




WrIteup

PVAT and trigger
We will start with the trigger. The following picture is self explanatory. After doing this, drill a 7/64” hole through the two prongs at the bottom, thread one of the holes with your tapping bit, and enlarge the other to 5/32”.
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READ BEFORE BUILDING THE PVAT:
Insert an o-ring into the front coupler part of the PVAT to help the seal
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Forget the barb mentioned in the writeup. You want to end up with something like the picture below, so just drill a ¼” hole in the tank, goop 3” of your tubing in, and let it dry.
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Lastly, you will want to glue a metal washer to the very end of the carriage bolt. The washer should look like this (the black part should be cut out so you can slip the washer over the shaft of the carriage bolt. This helps to increase the rate of air delivery because it enables the piston to be pulled farther over a shorter period of time.
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Next, wrap the PVAT in electrical tape until it fits snugly in the PETG. You want it to be snug, but also easy enough to take out when needed. Drill a hole 3 1/4” from the front of the tube at whatever angle you want the tubing to come out of the tank from. The hole needs to be large, so drill with a ½” bit and then sand it out to about the size of a penny.

Next, take your PETG tube and cut it down to 22.5” long. As shown in the picture, measure the given lengths from the FRONT end, and cut it out. The slot is about 7/8” in width. An easy way to measure this is to measure 7/8” onto a piece of paper and then wrap it around the tube.
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Check that your slot is the correct size by sliding the trigger into it. It should be a loose enough fit that the trigger can slide in and out easily, but it shouldn’t “rattle” around in the slot. This is the top of the tube now.
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Next, mark out the given measurements on the UNDERSIDE of your tube, still at the same end as before. Cut this larger slot out.
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Slide the PVAT into the tube and test your trigger for fit. The two prongs should slide over the carriage bolt of the PVAT and then exit through the larger slot in the bottom.
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Main Tank
Take all of your 4” PVC components (endcaps and tube) and prime them with purple primer. Let that dry and then apply PVC cement. Slide the endcaps over the ends of the tube and let dry.
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While that’s drying, insert your PVAT into the front of the tube and drill 4 7/64” holes equally spaced around the tube. Tap them with your tapping bit. Eventually, we will insert the ¼” 6-32 screws in these and tighten them down to keep the PVAT from sliding when the trigger is pulled.
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Next hot glue your tube to the 4” PVC tank so that the end of the tube and the end of the tank are square, or that they form a perpendicular line to the table.
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Now, set your drill bit in your drill chuck so that after drilling through the thickest part of the tube it still have about ¼” of clearance. On the front endcap, drill perpendicularly through the tube and ¼” into the PVC endcap in two places, shown below.
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Widen the 4 top holes to 1/4”
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In the diagram, the 4 red dots at the top are 1/4” holes, the blue dots are 5/32” holes, and the green dots signify the original 7/64” holes. The hot glue is then removed (or left on if you want, it doesn’t matter)
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Now insert the 4 3/8” long 6-32 thread screws. Make sure everything is tight and sturdy, and then disassemble the two parts.
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Mark and drill a hole about a ½” away from the back endcap. In the picture I drilled mine too close. It’s not a problem really, it just makes things easier later on if you drill it a little farther away.
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Here’s what you’ll need for this next step (that’s a dremel, a drill, a 3/16” drill bit, and a check valve):
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Measure an inch and a half from the hole you drilled earlier (This is the one on the bottom), and drill it out with the 3/16” drill bit.
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See how the check valve comes to a point on one side, but is flat on the other? That’s a built in arrow to signify which direction it will let air flow. Use the dremel to sand the flared portion of the nipple on the side that the arrow points to until it is flush with the “stem” of the nipple.
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Test for fit, rough the stem with sandpaper, then superglue, solvent weld, goop, and epoxy putty it into the hole you drilled. (The picture doesn’t show the epoxy putty, but I promise I did it!)
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2nd tank
Moving on, assemble your PVC primer and cement, as well as your 1” PVC components. Prime solvent weld, cure, blah blah blah
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Drill a 3/8” hole 1” from the endcap
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Pop the tank into the back end of the tube. Turn the tank so that the hole is at about 45 degree angle between the top of the tube and the tank. Posted Image
Mark the spot on the tube where the hole in the tank lies, and drill it out with a 1/2” bit, then extend the hole as shown in the picture
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Lastly, and this is sort of a feel thing, drill a 3/8” hole on the side of the main tank you tilted the secondary tank towards
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#296656 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 26 March 2011 - 03:58 PM in Homemades

Whoah!! I still exist!! Yes, i do in a way. I have this hooked up to a PVC hardtank backpack, and I fill the tanks up to about 75 PSI. I get maybe 20 shots, usually a few less. I;m not sure if this helps. I do remember that, when testing one fo my earlier PVATS, they reached may pressure at about 50-55 PSI.



#295623 Bs-12 Advanced Tactical Nerf Rifle

Posted by Whisper101 on 08 March 2011 - 11:31 PM in Homemades

That beautiful, beautiful lathework make me want to shed tears of slightly jealousy twinged elation. I feel like this is what we've all been striving for, but you made it happen man. PM me if you get the chance, I'd love to talk about those turnings.



#295590 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 08 March 2011 - 06:55 PM in Homemades

@nerf_gra: The stock's top, long peice is 3/4" PVC, and the other two, shorter peices are 1/2' PVC. I used a bandsaw to cut the joints, PVC cement to secur them, and epoxy putty to add structural support. On the front is a 3/4" to 1/2" PVC reducer coupling. You may be seeing a little tof the blur from the pics, as it's not really all that clean and "blended".

@PVC: yeah, the first thing that came to mind after reading your suggestion was how would I do the trigger? It would be alot harder I think. I didn't take any insult at all. I very much appreciate your suggestions and comments, as they are well thought out and constructive.

Filled, wiht 4-6 pumps, the bolt is very difficult to grasp and pull by hand. Thjis is because I have a very strong spring in there, as well as tons o' air pressure. The washer helps a little, so maybe at 4 or 5 pumps I could still pull it. With the trigger, its much easier. at 5-6 pumps it's a stiff pull (insert sex joke), but not unmanageable by any means. The only challenge is that at the higher pressure you have to opent he valve faster to achieve max performance. This means squeezing harder (again, insert sex joke).

@ nerfgeek: it uses a lever trigger. it's very similar to a lever trigger 4B. the slot in the trigger is really just to give it a little play, which is actually necessary. It is not at all a slide trigger, as that would put a huge amount of stress on the joint betweent he trigger peice and the fork that sits in fornt of the washer.

@utahnerf: Yeah, the shell ties everything together nicely in my opinion. that's another good point about the shell; it's very solid and stable. I literally just modified the sideplates to accomodate my visual needs, and cut the handles differently so the'd be more comfortable.

Thanks for the questions guys, I hope I've answered them adaquately, and if I haven't just let me know. Keep 'em coming!!!



#295505 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 07 March 2011 - 03:43 PM in Homemades

Yeah, you're right; checking everyone's homemade air gun at a large war is not a good idea. That's a good point though, and other solutions could certainly be worked out with some thought. The FOMAS is not intended to be one fo those ball valve or solenoid guns you mentioned at all, that's why it's the assault SYSTEM. I completely agree with what you're saying VACC, and maybe in the future if these become more popular, it'll be sort of assumed that they're ok for wars. We'll see what sort of modifications people make to the basic design...



#295446 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 06 March 2011 - 10:51 AM in Homemades

@PVC: But eliminating the shell would take the fun out of it! it's true; it's not strictly necessary, but then it wouldn't be a L+LPVAT, or FOMAS. PLus, the shell is purty. I think I take your hint about discouraing new builders, but I speak from experience when I say that it's good to take challenges, just not unreasonable ones. If a new nerfer tries to make this as thier first homemamde, chances are slim, not impossible, but slim that it will come out how they want it to. They might get frustrated and drop nerfing altogether which would be a shame. I was just saying that this is probabaly a good homemade to work up to.



#295424 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 05 March 2011 - 10:59 PM in Homemades

Or you both could stop arguing and make sure you understand that it is not at all necessary to plug the pump. That seems to be the debate here. let's break it down: Plugged titans are not allowed anywhere. My tank is smaller than the titans, and therefore has less volume. Unplugging it would give me an unplugged gun with a smaller tank. On paper, it war legal, and 1 shot will show any war official that it is. Seriously guys, this is simple; it's easy to push a gun to it's fullest potential and then dumb it down for wars.



#295402 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 05 March 2011 - 04:34 PM in Homemades

Yeah, they're harder to make, and very finicky, but they're so versatile and really should be allowed at wars. If constructed by someone who is sane, safe, and knows the limits, they're no more dangerous than a 4B.



#295374 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 05 March 2011 - 09:47 AM in Homemades

@tantum: It appears I'm not the only one to have though of the inline shotgun attachment. FOME tried the same thing a while back, but he couldnt get consistent results. The inline shotgun peice actually took me more time than the actual gun to build and perfect, as the dart feeding was so finicky. It works perfectly alomst every time now.

@kidflash: I love it. It's actually sick. May I ask how you made it? I'm very interested in pursuing this further...

@blitz: Hmm, that's a good point, but if I unplugged the pump it would still get almost as good ranges, and upon demenostration to war officials, I can't see them banning this and allowing, say an unplugged, hoppered, 4B. I hope to et the package shipped out this weekend BTW.



#295362 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 04 March 2011 - 11:52 PM in Homemades

It’s one of the fittings show on the top left of the page (http://flexpvc.com/c...VC-Distributors), and a 1.5” X .5” reducer bushing, with a segment of ½’ PVC in the end.
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Barrels are 2” long and heavily beveled and sanded for easy dart feeding. They are held on by endcaps that have been drilled out.
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The whole setup
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A little graphic I drew for the system as a whole: FOMAS: Foam One Man Assault System
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Hole placement reference pic
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Trigger measurement reference pic

The FOMAS name, as states above, stands for Foam One Man Assault System, and as you can see, there is a veritable plethora of different setups for the gun. I compare it to what Hasbro was trying to do with the Recon, but unlike the Recon, the FOMAS can achieve much better range by being shot than by being thrown. This has been scientifically tested in a controlled setting. This means in a fit of rage whilst modding a recon in my basement. The name also sounds cool.

So the shell modifications have really been covered. The other part of the gun, the tank, has had a few modifications done to it as well. Instead of a plastic barb, I used a brass one and drilled a 3/8” hole in the exposed 1” PVC portion of the tank. I used some pliers to self-thread the threaded end of the barb into the tank, and then super glued and gooped over that. Also, I glued an o ring to the back of the bushing at the front of the tank. The rubber to rubber seal seems to work better for me. The spring Lt. mentions in his writeup is an ACE #62, but at least at my ace #62 did not fit correctly. You’re on your own in this regard. Don’t forget the washer on the back of the carriage bolt; it helps with the trigger stroke. A very important thing to note is the holes that were drilled directly into the tank. THEY DO NOT GO THROUGH TO THE INSIDE OF THE TANK. This will obviously cause leaks, which are bad. To get a constant depth in all my holes, I simply wrapped some tape around my 7/64” drill bit ¼” or so from the tip. That way all the holes would be ¼” deep and from there I could thread them and insert screws.

This gun really isn’t too hard to build. Just machine and assemble everything from the L+L that is not involved in dart propulsion, and then look at the pretty pictures. If you really just want the bare bones, the back piece that the endcap is glued/puttied to is not completely necessary. It does help with keeping the side plates together and makes the gun a bit sturdier in my opinion. It also gives the builder an excuse to carve out a cool iron sight; something I’ll never pass up. The sideplates are also a little bit different from those of the L+L, but I only did this to accommodate the pump, as well as for aesthetics. Other places/modes of pumping may result in different sideplate dimensions.


Ranges…Because I KNOW you goobers will ask.
OK, so where I currently hold my place of residence, approximately 2.5 feet of snow is molesting the ground.

The ranges below are relative:
-Single 18” CPVC barrel: dart penetrates the front of a stampede box, and then exits cleanly out the backside with some force. That or the hot glue head falls off.
-Hopper w/12” CPVC barrel: Darts penetrate front of box, and either dent or stick in the back of the box. Same deal with the heads.
-Shotgun attachment: A few darts penetrate the front of the box, most stick in the front, and the rest dent or bounce off the box. Again, same goes for the heads.
-I also have a missile attachment that I am still fiddling with. Ranges could be 6 feet or 60 feet.

The titan pump that serves as the air source is plugged, but I did this only because I wanted to see how many pumps was physically possible. 6 is the absolute max.

Questions? Comments? Hooligans who enjoy engaging in flame slinging shenanigans? PM’s are OK too.



#295361 Fomas

Posted by Whisper101 on 04 March 2011 - 11:50 PM in Homemades

-FOMAS-

Cool Philosophical Babble: There is a blatant lack of new, homemade air guns on this site. I could hypothesize and speculate, and generally get nothing done for days about why exactly this is, but it may just boil down to the fact that air guns are harder to make and therefore take more time to build and make work consistently. They’re in a different class from homemade springers because lines between nerf and paintball begin to blur when considering the homemade nerf air gun. Often times the air source for these guns are HPA tanks used in paintball. These and all of the fittings associated with them are expensive, and deter many people, myself included. Rather than turn away from homemade nerf airguns altogether, I set out thinking about how to make a relatively inexpensive and relatively well-performing homemade nerf air gun. I think I succeeded on both counts. As for you nitpickers, I mean the guns that have air TANKS, either pin or backpressure, so I better not get any smartasses saying, “well technically, all nerf guns are AIR guns…”. That pisses me off to no end, just like whoever said that we shouldn’t call our guns guns. Idiocy!!

Next up, a big shoutout to Lt. For inventing the PVAT, and for also jumpstarting my brain by hinting at something along the lines of this project. I thought, after having made my own PVAT and seeing it’s power and potential, that the tank itself finally had to be harnessed in the form of a gun. This is where the inspiration for this gun came from if any of you are wondering. Lt. also took the time to answer my many questions and was more than patient in helping me work out the kinks in my original PVAT.
So the general premise of the L+LPVAT is a PVAT filled L+L. I constructed the “shell” from one of the various write-ups around the haven. You will need everything except anything to do with firing of a springer L+L. For this reason, I won’t put in the write-up how to make the shell, as it is readily available elsewhere.

Places to look for additional information:
- Lt. Stefan’s PVAT writeup: http://nerfhaven.com...c=19073&hl=PVAT
- Hereticorp’s L+L writeup- no pics, but if you are literate this will help: http://nerfhaven.com...c=19073&hl=PVAT
- CaptainSlug’s partlist and template files: http://nerfhaven.com...showtopic=13999
- Slug’s guide to machining plastics as well as the tutorial on solvent welding could be useful, but only if you haven’t read them before. If you haven’t read those two guides or something more comprehensive, you shouldn’t be building this homemade.

On the topic of who this is geared towards, I would not recommend starting with this as your first homemade, or even your second, third or fourth. It’s fairly involved in cutting the “shell” parts, and getting the PVAT to seal perfectly can sometimes be a bitch. Bottom line: If you have made a polycarbonate homemade and a PVAT before, this gun is one you should be able to build.

Begin Picture Barrage:
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Finished product- there are no in progress pics, as I never take them. Ever.
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Trigger mech
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Side off
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Side off closeup
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With stock
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Stock and hopper
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Stock and dipshit barrel, used for general jackassery when engaging in shenanigans
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Shotgun! Oh mah gawd!!
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-wait for 2nd post-



#292005 Homemades Picture Thread

Posted by Whisper101 on 01 January 2011 - 01:49 PM in Homemades

^^^^^Do I really have to follow THAT up???!?!?^^^^

Anywho:

BOW
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MINI BOW
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It utilizes a butyrate plunger tube and a grommet plunger head. Shoots hawd!

I made a PVAT
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And liked it
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So I made some improvements (extra o ring @ front for seal, brass nipple, more)

And then I made another one
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It's bigger.

That's 2" PVC, same length as the original PVAT, but double the diameter, takes about 10 pumps from a BS pump, and shoots through everything wiht a barrel that is obscenely long. Same improvements as the other one.

PM me with any questions 'n stuff.



#292004 Modification and Paintjob Pictures

Posted by Whisper101 on 01 January 2011 - 01:39 PM in Modifications

Next is a clear NF. not much to say, but it does utilize a grommet plunger head that I found at ACE. +1 for me!
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Ranges are in the high 70s low 80s

Although I am not a _xX_GaM3rZ_Xx_ (hardcore gamer), when I say that Black ops had a knife that shot knives, I realized that this had to be adapted to NERF, sort of. Sodizzle put together a sexy crossbow, here's a ballistic knife interpretation:
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]http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac239/hadleyfarm/017-3.jpg[/IMG]
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I took my broken SSPB, mauled the tank, and glued on a hornet tank. It has a PVC/CPVC breech which is the "blade", the dart is put into the breech, the gun is pumped about 290 times, and then the blast button is pressed and the dart kills cardboard...a little.
Ranges are good, probably about 70+, judging by what it does to cardboard.

PM me with any questions 'n stuff.



#292003 Modification and Paintjob Pictures

Posted by Whisper101 on 01 January 2011 - 01:36 PM in Modifications

Well, I haven't posted anything here in a while!

Meh Longshot:

Whole slew of mods done, includes polycarbonate trigger and catch, 1/2" nylon plunger rod, and the simplest breech that i've Never seen on the forums. More on that later... Also, it's pump action.
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breech open:
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Ah likah teh moneez! (money shot)

The breech is about 10" of CPVC which acts as the male where the 21/32" brass is the female. The brass is affixed to the black peice in the plunger tube, and the CPVC is glued to the shell. Ranges are 90'-100'

Next is one of my favorite guns, even though its an absolute beeeeyatch to fully prime.
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Yep, that's a diddled scout shell wich accomodates a hornet tank with a CPVC tank epansion (kudos to brokenSVT). This/these tanks are pumped via the tiny ass SSPB pump hiddedn where the old scout springer firing mech used to live. The gun is pumped by pulling back the slide on the top of the gun, just like in the springer version. Even though the SSPB pump is plugged, it takes about 9 billion pumps to fill the tanks. the gun is fired by pulling the trigger which in turn depresses the blast btton hidden in the handle.
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Ranges are pretty damn good, it breaks cardboard at not even close to full pressure.



#289769 Racking My Brain To Make A Nerf Rifle

Posted by Whisper101 on 02 December 2010 - 05:24 PM in Homemades

That seems to be a fairly defeatist attitude Talio! Besides, isn't that what nerfing is partly about; taking a crazy shit idea and making it work? I'd like to see some pics, and I don't that that just because nobody has done it means that nobody will help. Yes, this is a far out idea, but so is almost everyting progressive. With pics and a clearer description, you'll better your chances at leatrs of getting some input.



#289146 Mag3k

Posted by Whisper101 on 27 November 2010 - 06:20 PM in Modifications

I beleive the bladder acts a tank expansion. Imagine banding this bad boy!!! Theoretically, if you didn't give a hoot about aesthetics, couldn't you keep the original bladder size? This is really an ingenious idea with a bunch of potential for building off of. I really like this Fishy, and please correct me if I am wrong.



#287394 Nerf Stampede Ecs Problems

Posted by Whisper101 on 23 October 2010 - 03:33 PM in Modifications

Try it with just the stock spring. It may be that you overloaded the gears torquing ability.



#287194 Nitefinder Secret Strike (sspb/as-1) Combination Question

Posted by Whisper101 on 19 October 2010 - 08:51 PM in Modifications

I like this idea, and I don't beleive that it's been done before. For $15 you can go out and buy both guns. It's not a huge loss if you screw 'em both up. You could most likely still use the NF and even if it did not work you could report your findings to the community.



#286774 Snapbow Mk. V, Revised

Posted by Whisper101 on 10 October 2010 - 08:52 PM in Homemades

I figure I'll add my 2 cents, as I am currently working on my first SNAP and have some comments and ideas.

In your writeup, the washers as well as a few other parts looked like theywere supposed to be eleven fourths of an inch wide/long. This confused me until I realized that you were just trying to say that they were one and a quarter inches long. I suggest adding a space between the two ones:

11/4" ----> 1 1/4"

I'd also suggest that you put next to the bushing that a +Bow bushing is essentially what you are using.

Also, wooden clothespins work just fine. Just be sure to DRILL the hole, not hammer it. Hammering it will most likely split the clothespin. I am currently using one on my SNAP and it holds up very nicely.

Just use silicone grease. It comes in a tub that costs about $4 at ACE and will last you a while. The silicone spray degrades polycarbonate and expands the rubber washers. I found this out the hard way.



#286698 Snapbow Mk. V, Revised

Posted by Whisper101 on 08 October 2010 - 05:46 PM in Homemades

Great!!! Thank you both!



#286687 Snapbow Mk. V, Revised

Posted by Whisper101 on 08 October 2010 - 04:43 PM in Homemades

I don't beleive you mentioned the lengths of the plunger rod, the roofing nail, or the diameter of the hole that one has to drill in the PC as well as the clothespin. I'm aware that the hole diameter is subject to variation but what do you typically use? What are the lengths?



#282852 Homemades Picture Thread

Posted by Whisper101 on 11 August 2010 - 02:24 PM in Homemades

Yet another iteration of the pump action +Bow:

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I had a spare NF handle with the trigger and catch still usable. I decided that I wanted to do something new with it. It's plunger tube is made of 12" of butyrate (YES, IT WORKS!!!), and the portion of PVC is 1.5" ID I beleive.
The arms are PC and they have shown no signs of bending under the pressure so i think they should work. the priming mechanism is basically what Split came up with, it's made of 1/4" PC. The plunger rod is 3/8" pvc square bar. it is holding up nicely.

PM with questions/comments.



#281352 Grommet Plungerhead Mini-writeup

Posted by Whisper101 on 27 July 2010 - 07:09 AM in Homemades

Any particular reason that part number 93505A480 wouldn't work? It's the same male/female hex standoff as you found Lt. but in 6-32 version. I'm just thinking about using the 6-32 version because it woold save about $10 on a tapping bit and wrench.



#281317 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 26 July 2010 - 09:39 PM in Homemades

VACC: If, theroretically, I were to come to a war thyat you also attended, we could have a long winded and possibly heated discussion about this gun being pointless or not. However, I will not, so it appears we are at an impass. No seriously though, why then do people use +Bows at nerf wars if this gun, which is essentially two +Bows, has the same or most probably better function?

BigBen: No. Not funny. Ever. I like your breech idea though. On my breeches you pushe the PC peice forward to open the dart slot so your picture is not oriented correctly to fit this specific breech. Still, I see, and like very much where you're coming form.



#281123 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 24 July 2010 - 06:58 AM in Homemades

Split: I kinda see what you mean but think about it, if both guns are primed you fire the bottom then the top. You can certianly prime the top alone and fire that without ever having to prime the bottom. I thikk what you are saying is when getting rushed wiht linked breeches you CANNOT: load 1, prime1, fire1/load2, prime 2, load1/fire2....

Next point: Breech. Stop arguing about it. As Fome said, it' an optional attachmnet ant can be detached in about 3 seconds. If the general consensus is that it is impractical, someone send me two wyes ans I'll hopper the guns!

PVC arsenal: read the part about the ROF in the original post. Then read above.



#281099 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 23 July 2010 - 11:11 PM in Homemades

Why couldn't I have explained it like that!!???!??!



#281097 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 23 July 2010 - 10:56 PM in Homemades

I think I see where you are coming form Lt. You are saying that if the breeches were not linked, I could load breech one, fire it, and while I'm firing load breech two? Then while I'm firing breech two I could reload breech one? I see how that could work but the gun is a bit much to hold with one hand. It would make the stability and overall accuracy of the gun go waaaay down.

Thanks guys for all of the comments and ideas. I really do appreciate them.



#281089 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 23 July 2010 - 09:34 PM in Homemades

Zorn: This is better because you can combine yourself and your friend. I'm not sure you are understanding the fact that there are TWO +Bows in this gun that can be primed and fired separately. Besides, none of my friends Nerf.

What the hell are you talking about in terms of the breech? You open it, load a dart or two and fire. I'm not even breaking a sweat!



#281076 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 23 July 2010 - 08:09 PM in Homemades

Because I just made TWO regular +Bows in one gun that can both be hoppered. I don't have any wyes.



#281074 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 23 July 2010 - 07:35 PM in Homemades

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Full body shot
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Trigger
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Everything but the stock
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Before making this gun, when planning my objectives for the build, I decided that rate of fire was irrelevant to me. This is because with the invention of the hopper clip and the fantastic way that they work on high powered guns, there really wasn’t much to do in the way of improving the ROF short of buying a mill and machining a certain groove in a certain ½” X ½’ aluminum square bar *cough*ryan*cough*. Ha ha, no. What I mean is that this gun has a tiny boost in ROF in that it can fire two consecutive primary-worthy shots before reloading, but hopper it and I can have the same or better ROF than everyone else, just like everyone else. Make sense? I guess what I’m trying to say if you didn’t buy the aforementioned mill then you + high powered blaster + hopper clip=just about everyone else in terms of ROF. ROF is really not very different in a hoppered BBBB than in a hoppered +bow.
After that nice little spiel, here’s something that I just had to do.
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Yup, that’s a PVC/CPVC breech X 2. It’s basically two breeches connected with a 1”X 2” piece of Polycarbonate with a stub of ½” nylon rod for a handle. Both breeches are 100% airtight and use 5/8” OD O-rings to make the seal. Both breech slots open at the same time. I like it. A lot.
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Open
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The handle
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Useful links:

- Captain Slug’s Original +Bow Writeup: http://www.captainsl...m/plusbow2.html
- +Bow DIY thread: http://nerfhaven.com...showtopic=10521
- Louiec3’s Dr. Frankenstein: http://nerfhaven.com...;. Frankenstein

Last words:
I’m extremely happy with this gun. If you don’t like it well, then, you’re not my friend (anyone get the Talladega Nights reference??!?!). No but really, I like it, it does what I want, it’s damn comfortable, and not nearly as ungainly as I thought it would be. Plus, instead of one primary shot and then one backup on the gun, I now have two primary shots! Next step is to buy a mill and make it pump action!!! I kid, I kid. The gun has given me some rather sinister interesting ideas though….

And because I know you guys will ask for ‘em, ranges. Upwards of 100 ft. A lot contributes to this I think:
-reduced plunger mass/weight
-skirt seal
-holes in plunger tube are a tad smaller than 5/32, 9/64 I think
-Use of o-rings to help seal
-combo of goop, e-tape, super glue, and more e-tape to seal in the bushing.

I sincerely hope I have accurately conveyed the nature of this gun and the various processes used to make it and in the process helped others to better understand it and hopefully someday replicate and improve on it.
Questions? Comments? Name ideas?

(YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND POST NOW)



#281073 Double +bow

Posted by Whisper101 on 23 July 2010 - 07:33 PM in Homemades

More pictures of the plunger rods…
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The plunger heads: I used two skirt seals sandwiched between 1/8” and 1/4” polycarbonate circles.
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The bushings: I wrapped them in E-tape and then super glued them in. I then sealed it with goop and E-taped over that so it would be purty. I am also using 2 ACE #61 O-rings to help seal the bushing.
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Another view
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PVC foregrip: optional, but highly recommended!
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Wooden +Bow handles are da bomb!
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A good view of the extension spring
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Various pieces of the gun
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Back catch plate
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PICTURE LIMIT-DO NOT POST