Jump to content


Photo

Sm1.5k Petg Mod

How to get your barrels straight!!!

15 replies to this topic

#1 TantumBull

TantumBull

    Member

  • Moderators
  • 1,929 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 12:37 PM

As the title states, this is a Sm1.5K Petg mod, including an innovative way to get straight barrels. The barrels stubs on the turret are slanted inwards, so if you simply glue in e-taped barrels, they will form a cone sort of shape. While it wouldn't be too hard to adjust to how the gun shoots high, I wanted the barrels to all be perfectly straight, or very close to it. I had done Cx's AT3K barrel mod on both of my 3K's about a month ago, and so the following spawned in my mind.

First off, disassemble the gun and take out the turret. Look at the back and turn the turret until the hole in the back of the turret line up with the screws holding the black turret divider in. Unscrew those, keeping the screws separate from the rest. Pull off the black piece.
Posted Image

Now remove the stock barrels.
Posted Image

Take each stock barrel, and cut that little nub on the bottom that's super glued on.
Posted Image

Here is the barrel with the piece I was cutting earlier removed. As you can see, it really is just a tiny sliver.
Posted Image

Now widen the base of each stock barrel until it accommodates Petg snugly. I used some big ass rusty scissors, and sandpaper rapped around plastic piping. I advise to not use a dremel here, as you want the inside of the stock barrel to still be a perfect circle.
Posted Image

After you have done everything above to all 4 stock barrels, it's time to deal with the new Petg barrels. Cut 4 barrels, 9 inches each (this changes depending on dart fit). Wrap e-tap around the base of each barrels until it fits sort of snugly but loosely in the stock barrel stubs. They need to have wiggle room, because the barrel stubs are all slightly slanted inwards, but when the stock barrels are connected on top of them, they are perfectly perpendicular to the turret base. Now you're probably starting to see why I chose to use the stock barrels. So when this is all done, the Petg will be perfectly alligned with the stock barrels, but not with the slanted barrels stubs.
Posted Image

Okay, now take off that e-tape you just put on, and hang it somewhere where nothing will fuck it up. We just put it in earlier to see how much was needed. You could really do the previous step later, but I screwed up and did it first. It really doesn't matter which way you do it, but this write up documents what I did to the gun.

Now wrap some e-tape around the Petg in the same spot as in the following picture. This needs to be able to fit in the upper part of the stock barrel (we widened the bottom earlier, but the top is top is too wide in diameter to fit the Petg snugly).
Posted Image

And test fit it.
Posted Image

Okay, now with the Petg inserted, wrap a piece of the e-tape we took of earlier onto the same place it was before. Now you see why I had to take off that piece in the first plae. With it on, there's no way to slide the Petg into the stock barrel because of the other piece of e-tape.
Posted Image

Now put the whole barrel assembly into one of the barrel stubs. Do not glue it yet.
Posted Image
3 more to go.

Finally, all 4 done!
Posted Image

Now put the black divider back on, you don't have to screw it in. Look at the top of the barrels. Are they in a near perfect square? Look at them from the side. Are they straight? If your answer to either of these questions is no, the take off the black divider, take out the barrel assemblies and put them into different stubs. Then, put the divider back on and check them again. Keep doing this until your answers to the two previous questions is yes. I think the reason they aren't straight the first time is because I didn't keep track of what stock barrel originally went in which stock barrel. Color coding everything could help the barrel be straight on the first try, but I'm not certain.
Posted Image
This is as close to perfect as I got.

Once you finally get them perfect enough, take the divider off once again and begin individually gooping (your goona want a good seal) the barrel assemblies in. Screw the barrel divider back on and your almost set. Now take a piece of 1/2" PVC and glue it in between the barrels at the top. My barrels were alrighty pretty damn straight, so I also did this for stability. It may push ot your Petg ever so slighty, but don't worrk about it. It isn't enough of a difference to make the dart drop.
Posted Image
I also wrapped in very lightly in e-tape.

Warning in regards to the previous step:

Anyway, about that ring of Pvc at the ends of your barrels. I recommend against it. It would be fine if you had a rigid barrel material, but the petg will slightly deform. What it will usually do is just oval out slightly, and what that does is squish the dart right at the end, slowing it down, and often hurting accuracy. You may not have e-taped it very tightly, so you may or may not be seeing these effects, but I just thought anyone reading this should know that bit of info. Try it without the ring there.

~Splitlip

I just removed the PVC ring for fear of deformation. I think I'll wrap a piece of CPVC with e-tape until it has a good fit between the barrels, and then I'll goop (so I can remove it with a knife if I need to) that in.

~My Response

In other words, don't use a divider so big that it will put stress on the Petg!





Finally, you finished the turret!
Posted Image
I aslo wrapped e-tape around the stock barrels, except here I did it really tightly to keep them perfectly in place.

Now just plug the pump, hot glue the valve opening spring (or else the gun won't fire half of the time), and you have a beast. Don't pump it more than 4 times.
Posted Image

Edited by TantumBull, 18 December 2008 - 03:06 PM.

  • 0

#2 Ice Nine

Ice Nine

    Prince Dangus

  • Administrators
  • 1,460 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 12:45 PM

I really like the clean look and clear pictures, but in my experience I've found that just using scraps of PVC around the PETG where it would make contact with the black piece works just as well to stabilize it and keep it straight. Plus, it doesn't use the stock barrels, which I really hated dealing with. It was only slightly difficult getting the PETG straight inside the turret without the original barrels, I just had to make sure I had wrapped them in e-tape enough times for a snug fit and then got enough glue in to fill dead space and close up leaks.

Given the opportunity with a new SM1500 turret, I think I would use this method, though. It looks far cleaner and it probably wouldn't take much more time to do.

Props. It looks really clean and the SM1500 is a fantastic gun.
  • 0

Unholy Three: DUPLUM SCRTA, DUPLUM PROBLEMA (2009)

But Zeke guns tend to be like proofs by contradiction

Theoretically solid but actually non-constructive

Rnbw Cln


#3 TantumBull

TantumBull

    Member

  • Moderators
  • 1,929 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 12:51 PM

Thanks! You know it's funny, right when I was typing up the part about the little nub of PVC I used to further straighten the barrels, I thought to my self, "hmm, now why didn't I just do that instead of mess with the stock barrels?" I guess what it really does is provide stabilization and structural integrity. It also, I think, might help make the barrels a little straighter.
  • 0

#4 Icespartan 1114

Icespartan 1114

    Do NOT buy/sell with me

  • DO NOT TRADE
  • 934 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 01:03 PM

Wow, thos barrels are straight. :o Really nice writeup, very clear pictures and very easy to understand. Are the ranges usual Sm1.5k ranges.
  • 0
QUOTE(Zaxbys @ Mar 2 2009, 02:08 PM) View Post
I won't be there til about 1-2...

Church... gotta soak up that Jesus!


NERFSTRONG #51

#5 TantumBull

TantumBull

    Member

  • Moderators
  • 1,929 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 01:07 PM

Thanks. I haven't tested ranges yet. I'm home from school on a snow day, so its a little cold right now. The funny part is that it isn't even snowing right now, but its supposed to start soon.

Edited by TantumBull, 17 December 2008 - 01:17 PM.

  • 0

#6 Daniel Beaver

Daniel Beaver

    HQRSE CQCK

  • Moderators
  • 2,096 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 01:27 PM

Nice, this looks very clean. I keep my PETG barrels straight on my SM1.5k by sleeving PVC over them, but this makes the gun very front-heavy.
  • 0

#7 Banshee

Banshee

    Member

  • Members
  • 668 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 04:28 PM

While we're on the topic of stock barrels, does anyone know if brass tubing will fit into an AT2K turret so I can do a similar mod to an easier to find gun?
  • 0
Like my page on Facebook! PM me, I do commissions!

#8 orogomi ninja

orogomi ninja

    Member

  • Members
  • 95 posts

Posted 17 December 2008 - 04:56 PM

Cool, good job cutting your thumb.





While we're on the topic of stock barrels, does anyone know if brass tubing will fit into an AT2K turret so I can do a similar mod to an easier to find gun?


I don't see why not it is exactly like using PETG I'd Imagine. Crooks did it,

Crooksbow


It only shows the gun itself I'm just showing it has been done.

Edited by orogomi ninja, 17 December 2008 - 10:32 PM.

  • 0
QUOTE(Blacksunshine @ Dec 23 2008, 06:18 PM) View Post

Thats the way I do it. Use a rag with some light fast rubbing.

Sometimes I hate my uncontrollable imagination....

#9 TantumBull

TantumBull

    Member

  • Moderators
  • 1,929 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 11:59 AM

I don't see why not it is exactly like using PETG I'd Imagine. Crooks did it,


If it is possible with PETG, then it would definitely be possible with brass. 17/32" and 9/16" brass both have smaller OD's than PETG.
  • 0

#10 Galaxy613

Galaxy613

    Member

  • Members
  • 999 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 12:34 PM

This mod also works with CPVC.

Posted Image

Except I didn't need to use E-tape at all, and I used a 5/8'' wood drill bit to the back of the stock barrels.

Edited by Galaxy613, 18 December 2008 - 12:36 PM.

  • 0
[Former Caretaker of the Guru Mk2]

#11 TantumBull

TantumBull

    Member

  • Moderators
  • 1,929 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 01:10 PM

Nice. Is that version the same internally to mine?
  • 0

#12 Split

Split

    Member

  • Members
  • 1,771 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 01:24 PM

Galaxy, I loved your beast of a thing you had at Dcno.

Anyway, about that ring of Pvc at the ends of your barrels. I recommend against it. It would be fine if you had a rigid barrel material, but the petg will slightly deform. What it will usually do is just oval out slightly, and what that does is squish the dart right at the end, slowing it down, and often hurting accuracy. You may not have e-taped it very tightly, so you may or may not be seeing these effects, but I just thought anyone reading this should know that bit of info. Try it without the ring there.
  • 0
Teehee.

#13 imaseoulman

imaseoulman

    Member

  • Members
  • 1,005 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 01:27 PM

Internally they are essentially the same. The only differences are the length of the rod on the firing pin (the turret/tank on the new version is much further away from the trigger, so a longer firing pin is necessary) and length of tubing to reach from the pump to the tank. So really, placement just changed a bit. Externally the new version has a dart holder and smaller handle space, due to the pump being beneath the handle.
  • 0

#14 TantumBull

TantumBull

    Member

  • Moderators
  • 1,929 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 02:51 PM

Anyway, about that ring of Pvc at the ends of your barrels. I recommend against it. It would be fine if you had a rigid barrel material, but the petg will slightly deform. What it will usually do is just oval out slightly, and what that does is squish the dart right at the end, slowing it down, and often hurting accuracy. You may not have e-taped it very tightly, so you may or may not be seeing these effects, but I just thought anyone reading this should know that bit of info. Try it without the ring there.


I e-taped as loose as I possibly could because I didn't want to misalign (firefox tells me that isn't a word) the barrels. Do you think I should still remove it?

Edit: I just removed the PVC ring for fear of deformation. I think I'll wrap a piece of CPVC with e-tape until it has a good fit between the barrels, and then I'll goop (so I can remove it with a knife if I need to) that in.

Edit Again: Alright, thanks for the info imaseoulman.

God Damn, Another Edit: Write up has been amended to fix the PVC problem

Edited by TantumBull, 18 December 2008 - 03:07 PM.

  • 0

#15 Galaxy613

Galaxy613

    Member

  • Members
  • 999 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 03:09 PM

Nice. Is that version the same internally to mine?


Yep. The only difference I know is the pump placement and obviously the shell is different. IMHO I really perfer this new-style SM1.5k (which is why I have two, ;)) than the older style SM1.5ks. The first DCNO I went to I used someone's Old-Style SM1.5k, and more than once I scraped myself on the barrels while pumping.

Galaxy, I loved your beast of a thing you had at Dcno.


Yeah me too. I absolutely LOVED getting amazing ranges with the Sm1.5k part, then having 3 backup shots on call whenever. :D Sadly the Maverlous Salvo part of the gun is out of comission right now. The tubing connectors aren't doing their job right now, I need to get some plastic tubing connectors from McMasterCarr or ACE once I get some money.

If anyone is wondering what we're talking about, check my sig for my "SuperSalvo".
  • 0
[Former Caretaker of the Guru Mk2]

#16 TantumBull

TantumBull

    Member

  • Moderators
  • 1,929 posts

Posted 18 December 2008 - 08:59 PM

JSB: If you ever find the dimensions for the 1.5K's turret, let me know. I don't really have the means to find the exact dimensions, but I do have access to a laser cutter.
  • 0


0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users