It's been a while since I last visited NH... dropped off right about as the Recon was released, though my fervent modifications stopped around a year earlier.

I'm here because I got an e-mail that I had a private message here... So I figured I'd check around at the posted Recon mods, and see if anyone had done what I've been working on yet.

Nope, they haven't. I've got a Recon that just needs some epoxy putty and to be put back together (silly me thought I'd test it without the epoxy putty... and its spring assembly decided it would rather chill on the other side of the room), for one heckuva badass Recon.

I post this so that maybe I will have some reason to get off my duff and finish the darn thing. Y'know, expectations and whatnot, though I know that's not usually well-received here.

And then the Vulcan came out, doing away with my desire to recapture the Razorbeast of my childhood dreams. Oh, the plans I have for that $50 beauty... price tag being the main reason I haven't dived in yet. But that's a different topic.

I'm afraid, due to the exceedinly long timespan since I started and my (hopefully inevitable) completion of this mod (can it really be more than a year?), that I won't be able to offer step-by-step instructions with photos as I usually do.

Still, NH, hold me to this! I'll have it for you by Thanksgiving, gosh darn it!

But enough ramblings - as it is, it will be at least a month before I can get back to my Recon, so let me conclude with this:

The Recon's gimmick was that its "modularity." I have yet to see a mod that preserves the modularity of the barrel, stock, and primary gun pieces, while improving each one in its own right. I sought to rectify that, and succeeded, minus epoxy putty. See you 'round Thanksgiving.

They've got 'em in Houston, Texas, at Fry's Electronics and Target, at least.

I'd go over 35c/foot for the "perfect" material. Heck, I'd go over 35c/foot for your red FBR; it's just that good compared to the other choices.

I personally would like either neon green or pink. Green would blend with grass, though, so that's out on practicality issues, and pink... well, I don't think it'll "win" the popular vote. Which is a travesty.

So, let's see if we can't get some solid neon orange or red FBR.

XP. Do not plan on getting Vista. Ever.

Now imagine that, but in 1024x768 resolution, and you've got my laptop, and now imagine it with the macintosh bar at the top, instead of the start bar, and you've got my other laptop.

Yo. Computer-Science college student here, currently taking and have taken in the past classes on video game design, specifically, been to several game studios, made a few shoddy-ass games of my own.

The most important thing is contacts in the industry... somehow, you've got to know someone who's already in the industry.

Wherever you're going to school, look to see if they have a class on video game design - it's a class becoming more popular at more high schools and universities. Are you a Freshman in high school or College?

Either way, see if they have a class on video game design.

If they do
- Have you taken the prerequisites, if there are any?
-- If not, take those first. Seriously. This will probably be a computer science / programming course of some type.
-- If you have, sign up for the class.

If they don't
- See if there are any "computer science" or "programming" classes, and take 'em.

This all goes back to the "contacts in the industry" thing... people who teach those kinds of classes are likely the kind that will either

a.) Know someone in the industry, and be able to put you in contact when the time's right
b.) BE that person in the industry, or
c.) Have someone from the industry come speak to your class, or take the class to hear someone from the industry speak. "Carreer days" are good opportunities for the latter.

If you do get a job in the field, chances are you'll be playtesting the games for the designers long before they let you (or you are able to) begin working on the code.

On the more immediate, doable-by-yourself end of things, don't worry about specifics of a programming language, or even about a specific programming language. Pick something, and "learn to code." The basic concepts behind most languages that are used for anything are more or less the same - some have a few more or less or different abilities, and they frequently use slightly different syntax to express it, but the important thing is familiarizing yourself with coding in general, not with coding some specific type of language.

If you're looking for a place to start, I suggest the "Java" programming language. It is a "grammar nazi" of a progamming language, so it will force you to code smarter and neater than other languages (bulding good habits = good), and it can run on most any computer system you're likely to encounter (so you can show your friends), and it has an excellent "API" (application programming interface"), which is computer-jargon for "documentation that tells you what everything does."

Java's not really used for a lot of video games, though. A lot of video games are written in C, C#, or C++ - those are equally suitable places to start.

As for specific instructions to your programminng language? "Google up for [language] tutorial," [u]FIND SEVERAL[/b], and do each of them - don't let just one website or book be your bible.

Video games, programming, and video game design are all things I really enjoy, so if you do decide to go down that route, and need a little help here and there, I can probably provide that. But try google and large topic-specific internet forums (like, google "[programming language] forum" or something) first.

Hope that helped.

P.S. Microsoft XNA and Visual Studio C# work on XP as well - I've got 'em and am using them in one of my courses to design XboX 360 games .

Ha! I thought up pretty much the same thing a couple days ago as a possible solution to ridding the Nitefinder of its cocking handle... It disturbs me how often in the past couple of days that's happened.

Do build it

Mmm.... That's so awesome it's arousing.

I must get my school playing .

Props to the Star-trek-phaser-inspired-NF actually making someone think of the item it was based on. That's more difficult (for me at least) than it sounds.

Props to the Reactor modder. Poor thing needs some love.

I like the way the Disk Shot gun looks. That big ol' ammo storage in front is just SCREMING "integrate something!" or "clip me!"

Started with an integration: Disk Shot + SSPB. Y'all can take your AT2Ks and shove 'em wherever you want inside guns; I'll take SSPBs

Brass coupler'd barrel on the Disk shot gun, CPVC barrel on the SSPB. NF spring in Disk shot. Shoots 58' average. SSPB gets 40' average.







I also made a duct tape holster. There's a little velcro dot on the top that fastens it in so it AIN'T gonna fall out, but also allows me to effortlessly draw it.

You wouldn't add a brass barrel without a breech cut and still be able to use magazines... making the longshot single-shot and a pain to load. You wouldn't want to do that.

But if, for some strange reason, you *did* want to do that... the orange piece of plastic that grabs darts out of the magazines needs a length of brass jammed down into it, then secured somehow. You'd have to muzzle-load and possibly ramrod the LS, though.

Can you not order things online? You can buy an AR15 spring for $4 here (it's the one I used for my LS) if you can.

I had a similar thought-process as you after seeing the LS-clipped NF. Thanks for a little visualization .

The question is, can a clip be fit on a barrel airtight-enough so there's no need for a closing breech? If not, how's the closing breech to work - separate, forward-back motion, separate back-forward motion, or integrated into the cocking slider like the longshot?

That was my thought-process. I probably won't act on it for a while though (busy with Disk shot guns), so kudos to you for actually doin' it.

Are you going to stop here, or are you going to put a LS clip on it? Also, does the slider move back forward on its own like the Maverick/Crossfire, or do you have to push it back forward?

You will be fine.

And even if you're not, you'll learn things along the way.

My first mod was a Maverick. I read many writeups on the same modification, looked at all the pictures, then started with a simple, easy modification... and went from there.

I reccommend a Maverick - there's many more resources out there to help you for a Maverick than a double shot.

A bit belated, but I'd like to wish you a happy birthday as well... Seeing as that day's passed, have a happy day the day you read this.

Thank you.

Model: XPS Gen 5
CPU: Intel Pentium D 3.0 GHz
RAM: 1 GB
Video: NVidia GEforce 6800 (512 MB)
Hard Drive: 150 GB
Optical Drives: CD +-RW and DVD +-RW/CD+-RW
Network: 10/100/1000 Ethernet, 802.11 b/g card
OS: Windows XP Home
Expansion slots: 2 hard drive, 2 optical drive if I ditch the CD+-RW, 1 floppy drive.
Other: Front lights up in a variety of colors.

Anyone have one of those 8-core Mac towers?

Won't rotate? Try Problem #1: Weak Turret Ratchet Mechanism

Also you are missing rubber bands on your materials list

Naw, they're on there, right below Plumber's goop, and above sandpaper.

especially because I've never heard of a gun that required a dremel for AR removal.

Hornet and Crossfire, though the CF only needs one if you want to keep the stock barrel. It's rare that a gun requires the use of a dremel to remove the air restrictors.

With respect to air restrictor removal: I tried to keep the "actions" list limited to only the more complex, notable actions - things that really did add a significant level of difficulty to the modification. As such, a "basic air restrictor removal," I think, shouldn't go on there, but something akin to "Bastardly Air Restrictor Removal" (hornet, etc) would.

Reason being, there are many, many more specific actions that modifications require; including them all would make a daunting list indeed, and dilute the overall relevance of that category.

However, there will undoubtedly be other, similar things that might be added... I think, perhaps, I could get them all in one fell swoop by changing "dremel out shell" to "Complex" or "advanced" dremelling. This would take care of shell dremelling, those resilient air restrictors, and mastery of the dremel tool in general.

Whatcha think: Add a thing for air restrictors, or group dremelling together?

But how is cutting a breech only 2? Don't you need a dremel(which I don't have ), which is a 3?

I have cut at least 3 breeches using nothing but a hacksaw. This works okay for plastic and PVC, but not so much on brass; a dremel is so much better... which is why cutting a breech in brass is a 3.

edit- Also, I'm not quite sure about the time rank.... I mean Boom13 said it took him 90! hours. It really depends on how fast people work. I personally am a very fast worker, and nothing takes me over an hour. I'd balance the time rating out a little more fairly.

What would you suggest? The time divisions were more completely arbitrary and random than anything else - since there's no readily available data on how long all the modifications that have been done take, I had no idea of the distribution of times, so I just guessed based on my personal experience.

edit again- I have found another problem I was randomly selecting stuff on tyhe java thing and it came out to a 6.1. Then I went back and added a PVC barrel and it went down to 5.9. I understand why this happened, but should it? I mean thats just making the mod more difficult, not less.

Is it? Adding PVC means that some part of the mod will be done with PVC. If the only barrel materials were brass, you'd have to be doing that part with brass, which is harder to work with.

third edit- I also think you should add what type of barrel system the mod uses. Like
-turrets
-breech
-RSCB clip
-homeade clip
-LS clip
-coupler system
-telescoping barrel
-nested
-etc

Why? How does the type of barrel SYSTEM factor into modification difficulty? For that matter, you've thrown clip/magazines/loading systems in with turrets and barrels... two separate things.

I don't see how these affect difficulty - some may be harder to work on than the others, but that's usually due to the complexity of the gun (and, consequently, of the modification skill required) than the actual system - the longshot clip doesn't make things difficult, it's creating/working with the breech system... maybe cutting a breech out of brass or PETG... you see?

You should change something up about cosmetic mods (possibly have two scores if applicable), for instance, the brute shot is awesome, but the performance aspect of the mod isn't very hard, it's the cosmetic aspect that adds to the difficulty of the mod.

I disagree. Think to yourself what it'd be like if you wanted to duplicate the Brute Shot for yourself. All that's really been done is re-barreling a titan and plugging the pump. That ain't hard at all. But it's the whole package, cosmetics included, that make the mod, and as such, I think they should be counted as part of the whole mod's difficulty. Because if someone decides to make a Brute Shot, they're not doing it for the rebarreled, pump-plugged titan. They're doing it 'cause they want a Halo 2 weapon.

I COMPELETLY agree with Sam. But you can't make a gun rate high ONLY because of cosmetics....

Why not? Cosmetic modifications, though rarer than performance-enhancing ones range from simple (minimization) to complex (see "M-14 Nitefinder customization"), and use many of the same tools. We're shooting for "standardization" here, so I'd like a system that can cover both technical and cosmetic mods.

How can time be rated on a scale for example, when one modder does something in 4 hours and another in 6 and another in 15? Simple errors may tack on ungodly amounts of time, and some people simply work at different paces. This system also does not take into account availability of tools and materials by local region. Foam Backer Rod, for example, is given a 2. FBR is not available everywhere, as are other items, especially so outside of the continental 48. In a populated industrial area [take northern NJ], you can't not find FBR. In a very rural country area [take northern CT] you might never see it.

Time: Yes, I mentioned earlier that my divisions were arbitrary, and would love to hear some suggestions for alternate divisions.

I am aware that not everyone modifies at the same speed, and, as you say, one modder's 4 hour mod could be another's 15-hour oddyssey.

I think if, when figuring the time, people discard time spent waiting for things like plumber's goop/epoxy to dry, and discard time spent fixing their mistakes, that is, if people count only the time spent working toward the end goal, and NOT the elapsed time, that'll be as close as we can get to a standard time rating... unless y'all have some other ideas?

Materials: I hadn't thought of regional differences. I thought of Home improvent stores (lowe's/home depot for the "continental 48") and hardware stores (Ace/etc) in the generic sense for "can probably find at a store." If you live in civilization, there's probably a store like one of those near enough so you can get there, somehow.

But we can all get great FBR from Forsaken_Angel...

Any specific suggestions?

-----

I'm perfectly willing, in fact, I'm hoping to, change the "times," to something based on experiences other than mine. Either post what you think they should be, or (preferably), post how long your past several modifications have taken you.

Excellent. I have a sawtooth with no clips... not even one to try to work a homemade one off of. Count me in as "interested."

The ring itself is relatively thin, but its odd shape means you will have to cut a bit more than its thickness.

A picture's worth a thousand words, they say, so here you go:



I made one of those cuts on the top, and one on the bottom of my ring.

Okay, I've come up with a system... now I need feedback.

I've got five categories... Tools, Materials, Barrels, Actions, and Time. In Tools, Materials, and Barrels, I've tried to list every common modification item. "Actions" is for more difficult, specific actions - like cutting metal plates, or having to extensivley cut away at the shell of a gun. "Time" is how long the modification took to do.

Each item in the categories has an assosciated difficulty level. Currently they range from 1-5, roughly according to this:

1: probably already have lying around the house
2: probably could easily buy from local store
3: More expensive, and/or difficult to find
4: Very expensive or difficult
5: Only used for mods that take more than 24 hours

So you figure out what you're using in each category. To calculate a modification's difficulty level, you:

-Remove the highest difficulty item from each category. (Ignore categories with no items chosen)
-Average the remaining items in each category.
-Average that average with the removed item for each categoy. Now you have each category's score.
-Add all the scores for each category up (remembering to ignore categories with nothing marked), and divide by the # of categories you used.
-Multiply the result by 2.

This leads to a THEORETICAL range of 2 - 10 difficulty points for each modification, though 2-6 is more realistic. (Subtract 1 from the score, and you've got a 1-5 scale. Should I do that? Let me know.)

Here's the list of categories, items, and their difficulties (you can skip ahead if you want):

Tools
Scissors,1,0
Hacksaw,2,0
Dremel,3
Drill,2
Razor,2
Hot Glue Gun,1
Screwdriver,1
Clamp,1
Drill Press,4
Needlenose Pliers,2
Pliers,2
Pipe Cutters,2

Materials
Spring,2
Foam Backer Rod,2
Rubber Bands,1
Electrical Tape,2
Metal Plating,3
Plumber's Goop,2
Epoxy,2
Duct Tape,1
Zip Ties,2
Bolts/Screws,2
Wood,2
Bungees,2
O-Rings,2
Silicone Lubricant,2
Spray paint,2
Sandpaper,1
Bicycle Pump,2
Vinyl Tubing,2
Hose fittings,3

Barrels
Crayola Barrel,1
CPVC or PVC,2
Brass,3
PETG,3

Actions
Cut breech - PVC or Crayola,2
Cut breech - Brass or PETG,3
Dremel out shell,3 (like Angel's magstrike or BBB, most integrations)
Cut metal sheet,3
Cut open air tank,2
Rig a trigger,3 (commonly done to AT2ks when integrated)
Heavy shell modification,2 (Like the Brute shot, or a LS front gun integration).
Heavy original construction,3 (Angels' BBB barrel/breech system, any homemade)

Time taken
1 hour or less,1
1-2 hours,2
2-5 hours,3
5+ hours,4
More than a day of work,5


Looks a bit daunting, yes, but not to worry! I took the liberty ('twas fun, really) of writing a Java Applet that does all the math and choosing and sorting for you; all YOU have to do is check boxes next to all the items you used, and it will calculate the overall rating and the score for each category.

It is currently located here

The method of rating was a bit arbitrary, but it worked the best of any of the systems I tried out. I meandered through the modification directory and the recently posted modifications, and ran them through this rating system. Here's the results.


My modifications:
Shotgun Titan: 4.1
Clean Coupler'd NF: 3.2
CPVC SSPB: 3.2
(no writeup posted) My Longshot: 5.3

Other's Modifications:
Angel's Longshot: 6.0
Angel's BBB (deodorant clip): 5.0
Haggar: 4.2
Stinger: 3.8
XXL Bazooka: 3.6
Brute Shot: 5.3

Ideas
"Level 2" Crossbow: 3.5
"Level 4" Crossbow: 5.3
Crayola'd NF: 2.2
SNAP: 5.1-5.5 (I haven't done any homemades, so I had to guess a lot).


I think it nicely produces "Level" 2, 3, 4, and 5 modifications with consistent similarities in difficulty in levels, and consistent differences between them.

If anyone has any other ideas for modification rating systems, please, do share, so we can compare results.

Finally, the applet uses a text file (see it here) to tell it what items to list - so IF this catches on, and IF someone other than me would be better to host the applet, they don't have to know java or anything to add, remove, or customize items - just edit a text file.

Now, if you actually read all that, give yourself a HUGE pat on the back, and post some of those thoughts that are no doubt rocketing around your brain as a result.

To get you started, I'm looking for
-Materials missing from the list
-A better way to calculate ratings
-Anything else you think

If you skipped ALL the way down... well, just go here. And please, don't quote this whole post.

I think some of you have a weird idea... that there'd be one person whose job it was to rate each new modification.

While that'd be nice, it's not sustainable - people inevitably lose interest, don't have time, or something else. What we (or at least I) am "shooting" for (heh), is a system by which modders can come up with a number describing the difficulty of their modification, so others have some idea of what to expect.

every 7 should be just as hard(for the most part) for them.

That's the primary goal, in my opinion - for there to be a relative frame of reference between modifications that enables the "I did this, so I can do that" chain of thought.

Brass or PETG is the "ideal" barrel material, if you can get it. For a Longshot, you'd probably want to use brass, though PETG's been done.

If you can't get Brass or PETG, CPVC is what you'll want.

Nitefinder's going to be the easiest to modify, plus they're cheap. If you have to choose between one and a Tech Target, pick the Nitefinder.

Okay, enough speculation. I'm going to make a standardized system of rating modifications. At the very least, I'll use it on all of my modifications that I post.

Of course, one person doing it on their own, with no input, wouldn't be, couldn't be too relevant.

So, to start off, here's a list I've come up with of common items used in modifications. I have a plan and all, but right now, I need the community's help making sure I don't miss things.

What's missing?

Tools
Clamp
Dremel
Drill
Drill Press
Hacksaw
Hot Glue Gun
Needlenose Pliers
Pipe Cutters
Pliers
Razor Blade
Scissors
Screwdriver

Barrel Materials (including couplers)
Crayola/Rose Art Markers
PVC
CPVC
Brass
PETG

Other Materials
Bolts / Screws
Bungees
Duct Tape
Electrical Tape
Epoxy
Foam Backer Rod
Metal Plating (Steel, aluminum, etc)
O-Rings
Plumber's Goop
Rubber Bands
Silicone Lubricant
Springs
Wood
Zip Ties

Gengar - Why would it need to encompass the tools the modder has? The rating system would define the mod based on what the post(s) about it state. I.e. this tool, and these others are necessary and you must do this with them. You could easily say this is "x" hard for me with just that information, right? I mean, if they didn't have a tool and tried to improvise with another tool, it could be harder or easier, but the point of the system is to rate what people have posted, not with you might or might not be able to do.

I guess it shouldn't incorporate what tools the reader has on hand...

Shadow - the idea here, I believe, is discussion of a standardized rating system that wouldn't leave decisions up to the original modder - they'd just figure out where their mod fit in the system, and their number wouldn't be subjective, like OMC said, but rather it would be more meaningful because it would have a basis for comparison - the system itself and other mods that had been rated.

Just like we talk about "Level 4," or "Level 1" crossbows, except extended and generalized to describe all mods.

You're, uh, forgetting the ~$30 for a Titan, too. .

Thank you for the list + prices, though, it was immensely helpful and reassuring.

I believe a "rating" system for difficulty, to be truly useful, should base its ratings on

a.) The tools required
b.) The actions requried (cutting brass, epoxying, etc)
c.) The tools the modder actually has.

Hot damn, that's beautiful. I want one... doesn't hurt that I'm a semi-rabid Halo fan, myself... I dearly hope I can find the time and money to make one.

When I read it, I got the impression that he was talking about an unsharpened, new pencil - so the "pencil" was just a round wooden weight that was about the right size to fit inside a dart. And by "got the impression," I mean "read the first line of the post."

Matrireals:Dart,unsharpened pencil.

Anchor it in there with glue of some sort and you've got an easier-to-obtain alternative to BBs, fishing weights, etc.

Here are the reasons why your idea is bad:
1. The dart will fall apart after repeated firing
2. The is the possibility of wounding someone
3. They are most likely quite inaccurate
4. You waste a pencil for every dart you make

1. Not if it's constructed properly. But really, even my stefans fall apart after "repeated" firing - part of the normal wear-and-tear of being shot out of Nerf guns.

2. Point. BBs, steel shot, and lead fishing weights are much safer.

3. But you didn't bother to find out for sure, right?

4. You use 1cm long pencils? Mine are significantly longer, maybe up to 20cm. What about all those BBs, washers, and fishing weights wasted on regular stefans? Who will mourn their passing?



It's a new way of making darts that could be useful to people who don't have ready access to conventional dartmaking supplies.

Also, when I was a wee laddie, I stabbed myself in the palm with one of my dad's metal-tipped mechanical penciles - the one with a very skinny metal tube that surrounds the last couple millimeters of "lead" before it comes out. Embedded a piece of pencil lead in my hand (that was at LEAST 10 years ago), and it's still there, visible, to this day.

8 (the "safe," reccommended # of pumps from the packaging) to 12 (starts making popping noises that I hope is the release valve) pumps.

I recently got myself some SSPBs for the purpose of experimenting with integration into other guns. One of the things that would have to be done to each gun before integrating it into anything is re-barreling it... and I was so pleased with a simple CPVC barrel on one of them that I did it a second time, and now I rock games of assassin with my friends - I can put one in each pocket and not even feel it there, and they each get a good 60'.

Then I noticed that the only SSPB writeup in the mods directory is a converstion to gun-form. This writeup isn't anything original, new, or spectacular, but it's not there, so I figured it should be.

So, to re-barrel a Secret Strike Pocket Blaster...

Go and get ur toolz:


That's a

• Secret Strike Pocket Blaster
• CPVC barrel (I used 3")
• Screwdriver
• Sandpaper
• Hacksaw
• Hot Glue Gun
• Epoxy

I broke the bottom loop for the keyring holder off to see if I liked that better than leaving it on the shell. Either way, unscrew it.

Doesn't that look like the base of a sword? I'm so doing that to one of my SSPBs

Anyway, lookie here: The pump is easy to locate, but where to cut along the barrel? I've labelled the parts of the blaster for you.


Now cut it like so:

If you can, leave as much of the little plastic ridge that connected the pump to the stock barrel as possible - you'll want it later.

And sand down the plastic stubble on the end of the air tank until it is flat. Before you continue, pump and fire it a few times to make sure it's not leaking and that it's working correctly - I think pieces of plastic that were sanded off caused mine to act up. I washed them out and it's fine now.

I did not plug the pump, and do not reccommend it, for three reasons:

• The whole thing is one piece, and would require sawing/dremeling and gluing back together to get at the pump
• The air tank is not a solid tank, but has a rubber membrane that bulges as you pump - which looks much harder to fix than a crack in a solid plastic tank, if not (near) impossible.
• It shoots 50-70 feet as-is. For something this small, that's more than sufficient for me.

Grab that barrel - I used 3" of CPVC, which is a bit much for the little gun. A dart placed all the way to the rear of the barrel will actually shoot out partway, and then retract on 4 or less pumps. However, the longer barrel allows me to fit my standard 3 shotgun stefans down the barrel with ease, and it's not long enough to get in the way. You can use ANY barrel material - PETG, Brass, CPVC, Aluminum, PVC, or Crayolas - and the procedure's the same.

According to the correct way to epoxy things, rough up the base of the barrel a bit, then glue it on.


Now, if you were to put pressue on the end of the barrel, it would probably snap right off... so you want something to keep it from moving, like that bit of plastic that was connected to the stock barrel that you just cut off. Never fear, just slather the gap with hot glue!



It may help to have some kind of cup or bucket of cold water nearby to dunk it into to cool the glue faster, as that much hot glue will take a good while to completely harden.

When the glue's done, put the case back on if you want, and now you're done. You may have to melt a little groove in the hot glue glob for the little yellow piece on the front of each half of the shell that goes between the pump and barrel - the two pieces want to touch, but excessively globbed hot glue will prevent them, and make the shell not close.


Shazam! I carry at least one with me everywhere now, and it's neither uncomfortable (I don't even feel them) nor noticeable. A nasty surprise more than once

And when you get tired of that, just take off the case and it's ready to integrate into almost anything. Gotta get more!

P.S. Is that Gengar's titan mod?

If you're going to attempt to make an analogy to mine, it's the reverse - the coupler is attached to the barrel, and lengths of PVC form the barrel attachments/shells. This is better for longer barrels, because you can GET long pieces of PVC, but couplers come in only one, relatively short length.

I love Manta Rays, and I like that it's no longer symmetrical.

Yi, yi yi, y'all talk about firecrackers like they're honest-to-god sticks of dynamite. If you're going to be setting off fireworks/crackers anyway, this is no more dangerous. The little firecrackers pictured would be hard-pressed to truly injure someone.

Myself, I used the same type of cracker, different brand, and an LBB. Point away from other people (as you would with ANY firework), don't just sit there after you've lit the fuse (like you wouldn't with ANY firework) and it's just another manner of 4th of July pyrotechnics. My group of revelers faced more danger from mortar tubes tipping over and roman candle hijinks than from the puny little crackers that I launched far away, high into the air. My worst injury came from sparks from all the fuses I lit.

It makes me wonder if y'all who freak out about firecrackers or non-standard projectiles have ever even lit a firecracker, or fired something other than a Nerf gun, or a projectile other than foam. Is it a "fear of the unknown" thing going on? Even properly abused, firecrackers aren't that dangerous.

I also didn't realize there was a specific "point" to Nerf Modification - what is it? I may have been doing it wrong all these months! Sure, the most common point may be range/ROF modification for more effective use in Nerf Wars, but I wasn't aware that was the only acceptable goal. Here we've got a Nerf gun that looks different than the stock gun, performs different than the stock gun, and shoots different projectiles than the stock gun - sounds like modification to me.

Not everyone who decides to shoot something other than foam is automatically as retarded as the kid who loaded a shotgun shell so it was facing him, then shot it at a rock. People with experience with explosives or potato guns, to give two examples, or who have experience with real firearms, are used to firing non-foamy projectiles - point being it is possible to launch things other than foam, while still being responsible and safe. It might even be fun.

Some friends and I were talking and there was one of those "duuuude... you should totally [some idea]" moments, where [some idea] is at least a little crazy and has almost no chance of happening.

The other day, [some idea] was "modify a remote-control car to launch fireworks/firecrackers."

I done did it . The "Jihad Jeep" uses 1 9.6v Ni-Cad battery pack, 6 AA batteries, 2 9V batteries, and another 9V for the remote.

The Jeep itself has had the plastic decorative covering (a red "Jeep Grand Cherokee") removed, and replaced with an aluminum tray, to protect it from burning things, and a "trunk" to store and protect its electronics.

That aluminum, incidentally, was the extra stuff leftover after using a measly 4 square inches or so of the giant pieces of aluminum that I had to buy from Lowes, for lack of smaller sizes, to reinforce my crossbow.





The remote has the internals of another remote control car's remote integrated into it, and wired such that the two buttons on either side of the remote will cause the car's motors to turn... or would, if the motors were still connected. A switch in the upper-left turns the ignition remote on or off, and a LED lights up green when the circuit is active. The center red LED lights up when the car is active.



Inside the Jeep's "trunk" are the internals of a second remote control car. 6 AA batteries power the receiver. In place of the car's motors are transistors which, when activated by the buttons on the remote, allow current from one of the 9 volt batteries to flow to the alligator clips. The orange LEDs light up when the corresponding side is active. To ignite things, usually a model rocket's "electric fuse" is clipped in them.



[Cue Music]


Now, I don't have any fireworks yet, but you can watch a video of it just burning the igniters here

So it's a modification and an integration... just not of a Nerf gun.

However, because the buttons on the remote power the alligator clips, ANYTHING electronic can be mounted and controlled on the Jeep... like that Skeet shooting nerf gun. Heck, a small motor to pull an RF20's trigger could be mounted...

There is a better way.

Find a flathead screwdriver that is the size of one side of the triangle. Insert and twist. That's what I do

Needlenose pliers holding spring (NOT HANDS) + dremel cutting wheel + safety goggles.

I started by modifying what guns I had on hand and showing them off to my friends... this intrigued them, and we started having Nerf wars... with me providing all the guns and ammo.

Now I charge for loosing my ammo, providing an incentive to make their own or not loose it (which was my major pet peeve). Those that didn't get or have their own guns got a stock Nitefinder from me and a 45 minute lesson on how to modify it.

The "1-minute" refers to the time until it sets, which is really 45-60 seconds. It claims "useable strength" in 8 minutes; I give it 30 before attempting to move/manipulate it, and I let it sit 24 hours before putting it under the full stress of whatever gun it's going into.

Can you specify which epoxy to use? I tried using the one with 2 separate syringes, one is clear and the other one is yellow and so far it has been a waste of my time. I tried using this Lepage Plastic Adhesive stuff and I think it works. Has anyone compared this to epoxy?

Generally, any epoxy you find will be strong enough for Nerf modification, and it will all come in a syringe-like thing with one clear and one yellow. Some will be slightly different colors.

My absolute most favorite friend ever is Loctite 1-minute epoxy.



Lowe's sells it. I haven't been able to find it online. This particular size comes with two long tubes that attach to the end, and can be used to apply the epoxy in a thin stream for smaller projects. I love these things... but they're not in the picture because I used them

There are several different types in that picture... some are just a little bit of e-tape wrapped loosely, some are a little bit of e-tape wrapped tightly, and some are lots of e-tape wrapped as tight as I could get it.

I couldn't get it tight ENOUGH .

So, you've got some stuff that needs gluing. Maybe a coupler to the end of a plunger, a Longshot bolt to its barrel, or something similar.

So you epoxy it, but lo and behold, the stress of your gun firing breaks the joint. Your epoxy is not too weak, but your kung-fu gluing methods may be. Here's how to epoxy things correctly.

Case 1: Longshot bolt to barrel. This longshot has an AR-15 spring added to the stock spring, and shoots 90+ feet. The bolt is epoxied to the brass barrel, and has held for over two months with no loosening.



Case 2: Crossbow coupler. This crossbow has a Defender T3 Arrow-shooter spring in its plunger, and is shown with its bungees. There is a coupler identical to the one on the end epoxied directly to the plunger tube, with a short length of CPVC extending to the visible coupler. At least 3 months now, and no loosening or coming off.



Case 3: Big bad bow coupler. This coupler, when glued incorrectly, WAS, in fact, shot off by the force of the gun. It was an "experiment" of sorts; now, glued correctly, it is rock-solid. (Looks ugly because red FBR got on it while it was still sticky)



Case 4, no picture: Nitefinder barrels. Same problem as BBB - they get shot off if glued incorrectly or weakly. The ones I've glued correctly have no such troubles.

Let's take a nitefinder air restrictor as our example (because it's what I had on hand).



You've cut out the middle, and are ready to attach a barrel of some sort, be it brass, PVC, CPVC, PETG, crayola, or a coupler. If you were to put some epoxy on there, and stick the barrel in place, you would be WRONG.

Epoxy is strong, but it has to have something to hold onto. Smooth plastic and a smooth barrel give it nothing to hold onto, so the epoxy is going to loose its grip on one or both pieces when put under stress. You need to give it something to hold onto. So grab some sandpaper, and sand every surface that will have glue on it (including whatever barrel or coupler you'll be using), until it looks more like this:



In some cases, this may not be enough. Case #3 (BBB) was one of those cases. I needed MORE, LARGER grooves and cuts for the epoxy to sink into and hold onto. So I took a dremel and cut little grooves into the area that was going to have epoxy on it. In the BBB's, case, this was 8 grooves around the outside of the front orange piece at different angles, and 8 grooves around the raised inner ring.

Here, for the Nitefinder air restrictor, I've just cut four on the raised inner ring. It is hard to see, but they are at approximately the 1, 4, 7, and 10 o'clock positions around the ring.



Sandpaper must be applied to ALL surfaces the glue will touch, if possible. The cutting of grooves should only be done in areas where it will not seriously change the overall "geography" of the surface - I cut several small grooves in the large, flat, orange area of the BBB's front orange piece, such that the coupler could still sit on there and be aligned straight. Small grooves, not large gouges.

Now, when your epoxy hardens, it will have lots of little footholds on both surfaces that were glued, and will be much less likely to detach under pressure.

Also, the more surface area that is covered in epoxy, the stronger your bonds will be. Take a look at Case #3 (BBB). There is epoxy not just where the coupler meets the gun, but along the outside of the coupler, spilling over the entire surface of the orange piece - more area for the epoxy to hold onto.

In case #1, the bottom of the bolt and the top of the brass barrel were sanded.

In case #2, the front of the crossbow plunger tube and the base and sides of the coupler were sanded. Grooves were cut into the front of the crossbow plunger tube.

In case #3, the sides of the coupler, base of the coupler, and entire orange surface were sanded, and 16 total grooves cut into the orange piece.

For my nitefinders, I sand the back and sides of the barrel/coupler, the entire front surface of the air restrictor piece, and cut 8 grooves (4 on inner ring, 4 on flat side of AR).

NO gun that I've glued this way has EVER had a problem with epoxy weakening. The plastic holding one of my nitefinders' plunger tubes in place weakened and broke before the barrel came off.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I use Loctite 1-minute epoxy for most of my gluing needs.



That image will probably break sometime in the future.

I tried that, Retiate. Some of the darts there are wrapped as tight as I could get them without tearing the joint. I was unable to wrape the e-tape tight enough.