Unless things go very wrong, I'll definitely be going. Should be my first serious nerf war

Was on my way to Home Depot to get parts to make an AABow when I came across an old Bow 'n Arrow (along with a broken RF20; that'll probably be a slow project) at the thrift store. Needless to say, I didn't need to go to the Home Depot after that

 

 

Took me about five minutes to get the RSCB onto the BNA, and then spent another hour making it fit in the "sight" (lots of trial and error with a dremel sanding drum). I'll paint it eventually, I just don't know what color or theme to use. Any ideas out there?

I apologise if this is considered a necro, but I'd like to ask for some help.

I made the blaster and used bungee (didn't have any at first, tried springs, which didn't work at all, and latex tubing is ridiculously expensive), but the trigger pull is incredibly heavy. As in, the corner piece would rather snap off than release the catch. Is this supposed to happen?

(Also, I should mention that the catch is a nail that's been cut down, I only had 1-1/2", and didn't want to buy an entire box of 1-1/4")

No, that was probably Talio. You appear to have arrived and then taken a break right when Vacc was disappeared, then came back, then was finally sucked into the abyss.

Ahhh, yeah, talio was definitely the angry dude. I don't remember what vacc was like, but I do remember seeing his name around the forums.

Does 2010 count? Although I don't think I really posted much back then. Took a break sometime in 2011 or 2012 (lost interest in both nerf and airsoft, and now they've both been re-kindled).

 

Man, I vaguely recall Vacc. Was he the guy who was always angry?

(Sorry for the double post in advance; wanted to bump the thread so people know I updated)

 

After a few days of tweaking (tightening seals (which generally consisted of "more teflon tape"), adding a stock, and so on), I'm quite happy with the end result. Threw together a few hot glue dome stefans with .28 airsoft BBs as the weight, and 66% compression shoots them quite far. Haven't tested ranges yet, nor have I tested full compression, but I'll figure that out soon enough.

 

Rate of fire is pretty good with the RSCB; roughly one dart per second. The entire blaster, from power to ROF, can't really compete with a rainbow pump, but it's a very easy first build, and it will outperform any stock blaster --- when using stefans, anyway. The performance with stock darts in my speedloader is surprisingly underwhelming, and I can't figure out why that is. Maybe my speedloader is too short or something (this one came from my old Nite Finder, which has been replaced by the lovely doublestrike).

 

Overall, I'm rather happy with this. I was unable to find a way to quick-swap between my RSCB and my speedloader, and I waited a day too long to paint it (yesterday was 60*F, today is half that. weather op. volvo pls nrf). If anyone wants me to make a video review/just a video of it, I can make one, just ask!

 

(Sorry for the horrid image quality. I swear the original photos weren't this bad)

With the speedloader:

 

With the RSCB:

The larger, higher temperature hot glue gun (with a large, greyish stick to match) creates a much stronger bond, but takes more time to cure (as opposed to the small gun); it takes a good minute or two for it to even harden enough that you can release the objects, although I'd still be careful of them splitting at that point. I glued a stock to my C.L.E.A.R. this way and it's rock solid; I'm fairly certain I could bash someone on the head with it.
I can agree, though, that the small hot glue gun is better for dartsmithing. It's also good for paper and cardboard, or plastic bonds that don't need to last too long. I wouldn't use low temperature hot glue in a serious application.

My robotics team didn't have any lube, so I went to a local hardware store and got some graphite. Who would've thought it's a powder.
Went back and got silicone lube and now this blaster is working really well, although either I made my RSCB wrong or this blaster doesn't like them.

Either way, this is a very nice homemade. Thank you for posting it!

At 66% power (it takes 4.5 squeezes for full compression, but my ears are still ringing from shooting it, and it's not just the usual ringing I have), it can shoot a poorly made Stefan quite hard and far. No ranges yet; it's been wet outside today.

 

Edit: resolved my issues with the RSCB; it was me misunderstanding how to properly use it (understandable as it was my first time with one).

I'm currently working on a stock that will be able to hold my spare "stock dart" barrel, as well as the RSCB barrel. Will probably have pics tomorrow.

Half an hour later and a slightly damaged vice table later, the rod slid smoothly in and out of the bushing. I don't have any lube, but I'll see if my old high school's robotics team has some tomorrow.

I'm quite impressed with this thing, though. I put the plunger head in without any o-rings and was able to fire a poorly made Stefan of mine from 4 years ago ~40 feet. Bravo.

I'm hoping that when the thing is fully finished it won't have such a dreadful sound when it fires. Does yours make a very loud rattling and hard impact noise? (I should put a spacer in for the spring so it doesn't bounce around in all fairness)

If you have calipers, measure the diameter of the rod precisely and I can help you more.
 
If it is just slightly too big my guess is it may be 7mm (which is around 0.27inches).
You may be able to create an o-ring seal by sandwiching this o-ring between a pair of nylon spacers (3/8in inner diameter, 0.5in outer diameter...like this one but I'm not sure if that's the exact right listing). Put those into tubing with an inner diameter of 0.5inches. The o-ring will be kind of tight on the rod, but assuming the rod is only 0.27inches then it may work ok.
 
 
Or just go get another caulking gun with a rod that will fit in the bronze bearing, haha...just take the bronze bearing with you to the store. You could probably even return this caulk gun.

Also, definitely get some lube in there. It's just as essential in nerf as it is in a cerain necessay life function. They have it at home depot.

It's no dial caliper, but it appears that the diameter is 6 1/2 mm (a hair above 1/4").

 

Also, I put the plunger head into the tube and looked at a light, and there's far more light shining through than I would've expected from all the friction (so lube will have to be quite necessary here. Not that I haven't been told that, but still).

For o-rings falling off the plunger:
You could try using a short piece of 3/4 PVC with an endcap on either side. Or if that's too long, half of a coupler on either side (but then you would have to also plug it up somehow so air doesn't just go through it).

You said the plunger head assembly was falling apart:
Are you fastening the PVC plunger pieces together at all? You may want to put in a countersunk screw, or even just use some superglue to glue the PVC together then stretch the o-ring over it.

Are you lubricating the o-ring with silicone grease?

The cardboard seal around the rod seems sketchy, but if you say it's okay I'll trust you for now haha.

I think I could try cutting the large piece from the plunger head in half and putting the o-rings in between the two, although I don't know if the pieces will then be wide enough for a screw. I'd definitely want both secure, but one of them should be able to be taken off for o-ring maintenance. Hm.

 

I don't know if I even have silicone grease; I'll have to look around.

 

The cardboard seal definitely needs to be changed, but I don't know what to change it to.

Found myself with a lot of free time recently and decided to get back into nerf. This seemed like a good, simple build, so I set off to do so.

It's now a few hours later and the thing â€‹almost​ works, but I can't quite get the last little push.

 

A couple things had to be changed from my build and the OP; 

1) The rod from my caulk gun is just â€‹barely​ too large to fit through the bronze bearing, so I had to replace that section with cardboard and electrical tape (as far as I can tell, it's perfectly fine as an air seal).

2) The 3/4" plug on yours has a much more pronounced lip, which keeps the o-rings on better (that's what I can only assume, anyway, since the plunger head keeps falling apart inside the gun).

 

When I make the o-rings small enough for the plunger head to move smoothly inside the pipe, the air seems to escape somewhere (I suspect it goes out the back of the blaster, and that the o-ring seal isn't good enough).

However, making the o-rings large enough that it creates a good seal, but a little bit of friction, the entire plunger head assembly falls apart and it's a pain (rather literally) to reset from there.

 

Anyone have any ideas? (I'll edit the post with pictures in a little bit once my phone isn't dead)

 

(Edit: photos added, also I feel I should clarify that I'm using a #69 spring)

(Edit 2: holy butts, the nerfhaven image uploader compresses so hard)

Edit 3:
So I tried the system with a weaker spring, and it still had the same problem (o-rings sliding off inside the tube). I need to find a way to create a larger lip on the 3/4" plug.

 

Edit 4:

Enlarged the lip with thin strips of duct tape, but there's still a leak somewhere. I can't find it at all.

Just wondering, but why are you so easy to get scammed? I'm not trying to sound like I'm insulting you (even though it does sound like it... I often write things that aren't meant to be insulting but people find them insulting). It's just an honest question. Really, it is!

What store do you get the MM from?

Also I need to ask, how did you attach the shell to your MM?

It is no longer sold that I know of...

When I went to Pennsylvania last month, I saw one at a Five Below.

That's just amazing. I need to get a Barricade. Now. Too bad they're not out yet.

Wow. Like other people said, these reporters are paid to get these sorts of negative stories. People out there like depressing stories in the news; after all, there has never been a single positive story in the news I've seen. If you were the public mass out there, would you prefer something nice, like 'researchers have made a breakthrough with a cure for the common cold' (I don't know, I'm just thinking of something positive that could possibly be in the news) or would you like 'five people were shot and killed in crossfire between the police and terrorists'? We are humans, after all. Most humans can't help but like this depressing stuff. But really, why oppose Nerf when there's other stuff more dangerous? Like football.
Edit: Forgot to mention I absolutely hate it when someone calls it 'nerfs', my mom does it and it drives me crazy.

That's just awesome. However, I'd prefer to go the same way Kane did; seeing as how I'm probably never going to order from mcmaster.

That is awesome. I finally know what to do with my hornet. Do you think this would work with the Tetra Strike?

Ignore this post; there was a server error.

Wow. Those are amazing! Much better than my first batch (a good hot glue dome is very rare for me).

I say... To hell with it! Cut off the entire gray bar then put some sort of support connecting from the big yellow piece to the other big yellow piece, such as PVC or sheet metal. It'll make the stock useful and it won't break when you try to use it, and may, just may, depending on how you do it and the paintjob you use, make the stock look good. Good job anyway.

Ignore this post.

That is sick. If I may make a suggestion? (Run - Sorry, I couldn't resist ) Instead of CPVC for the arms, why don't you use PEX pipe? It's easy to acquire it at Home Depot (look for the pipe that has no name on it and is incredibly manipulative). Of course you would probably have to use PEX for a smaller bow, seeing how bendy it is. But good job anyway. I plan on making one once I get the materials and cutting disks for my Dremel.

Wow. I am amazed a that.
To anyone who thinks he should make a hopper clip: Did you read the part where he said he didn't have a wye?

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

That is awesome. If this gets 25-30 feet, I won't mind. I tend to have indoor wars with my brothers. I can't wait to buy it so I can have fun.

Hopefully the clear blasters work better. If Nerf fixed them a little (my friend has a clear mav and it works way better stock than the yellow mav) then that would be awesome. I can't wait for the clear NiteFinder to come out.

I am excited for this to come out. I will be getting one for sure! I think the front attachment looks cool.

Don't you see? You've fallen for their trap! Like people before me have said, that's far worse than the mav. I'd buy it only if it wasn't crap. Highly unlikely, although if it has a good seal and working rotation, then i'll consider it. All in all, it's just Hasbro's trap to get little kids to buy it.

You can carry 54 darts with those Good job, those are sick. Although, they do seem like overkill. I like the 12-shot length, not the 18-shot length...

Looks interesting. I'd buy it only because it would be fun to mod. And I like the drum. Looks so much easier for me to use than the raider drum.

It's my understanding that a hit he didn't feel would be rare, since I'm sure that people who have one sense taken away have the others enhanced.

Ted, i seem to recall someone playing with someone in a wheelchair, on NerfHaven. Just because someone's handicapped doesn't mean they should be excluded. If someone wants to do something, let them try to do it. More often than not, that person succeeds through determination.

I have two user names, because while playing TF2 I joined a clan.

PSN Name 1: Tomdora
Games I play: Burnout Paradise; Killzone 2 (can't play for now, my dad found it); Uncharted 2; Little Big Planet; Battlefield 1943; the rare round of Resistance 2. I also play Demon's Souls (The Atlus version), ModNation Racers, and Army of 2: The 40th Day.

PSN Name 2: TOTtomdora
Games: TF2 (can't play for now, my dad found that too)