53 replies to this topic

[Wes7143]

I'm going to skip the intro and hit ya' with a finished picture.



KA-BLAM!

Material list:
1 1/4" sch.40 PVC pipe
3/4" sch.40 PVC pipe
1/2" sch.40 PVC pipe
1/2" CPVC pipe

1 1/4" x 3/4" PVC T joint
1 1/4" x 3/4" bushing
1" x 1/2" bushing
X4 3/4" endcaps
X2 1/2" CPVC couplers

X2 rubber O rings
Clothespin
Nail
handle of some sort
+bow spring

Tools and other helpful materials:
lathe
Silicone lubrication
pipe cutters
dremel
drill

Let's start with the plunger head.

take a 3/4" endcap, and cut two grooves in it with the lathe.

Then take another 3/4" endcap and round one end, then cut it off.



Attach O rings.



Glue it on to a 3/4" pipe segment, and glue a CPVC couple in the back of that.



Construction diagram:
http://s482.photobuc...t=SnapRifle.jpg

EDIT: RANGES!:
14 degree weather:

68'
74'
67'
81'
75'
90' (good dart)

Average: 76'

Edited by Wes7143, 08 February 2009 - 10:53 PM.

[BustaNinja]

With a better handle, this would be awesome. I like it, but the fact that you have to use a lathe kinda makes it hard for those of us who well... can't use one. (like me) so it kinda degrades from the whole "SNAPs are easy for anyone to make"

[Magic]

With a better handle, this would be awesome. I like it, but the fact that you have to use a lathe kinda makes it hard for those of us who well... can't use one. (like me) so it kinda degrades from the whole "SNAPs are easy for anyone to make"

What do you mean by better handle? I personally like this better than the original SNAPbow, although it does look a bit weaker, it also looks much cleaner. Nice work.

EDIT: Nevermind, I believe you were referring to the priming handle. Woops.

Edited by NerfOnFier, 01 February 2009 - 11:43 PM.

[Wes7143]

With a better handle, this would be awesome. I like it, but the fact that you have to use a lathe kinda makes it hard for those of us who well... can't use one. (like me) so it kinda degrades from the whole "SNAPs are easy for anyone to make"

the original plan was to have a large knob, that would be easy to grip. The one I have on there now is really difficult to pull back. I'm still looking for a nice handle.

[Kid Flash]

Do you happen to know what size oring you used?

[BustaNinja]

With a better handle, this would be awesome. I like it, but the fact that you have to use a lathe kinda makes it hard for those of us who well... can't use one. (like me) so it kinda degrades from the whole "SNAPs are easy for anyone to make"

What do you mean by better handle? I personally like this better than the original SNAPbow, although it does look a bit weaker, it also looks much cleaner. Nice work.

EDIT: Nevermind, I believe you were referring to the priming handle. Woops.

No, I was referring to the main handle. I don't like that it is set at exactly 90 degrees. I think it would be hard to hold and almost feel like you have to aim back, which would mess up aim (for me atleast. I like slanted handles)

And although you may have bought one, there were other SNAPs before the SNAPbow... Please. This is alot more like Carbon's then Rorks. Get your Nerf right.

And to Wes, I am talking about the grip. Its to small, to circular and its not slanted back for my tastes, but if it works for you, more power to ya. And the charging handle is fine. I like that its small. Hard to grip with gloves on, but atleast it doesn't slow down the plunger stroke too much.

Ranges are really really low. Im using 3 ACE#49 springs (shorter then a +bow) and I am getting atleast 80 feet with a bad dart. and over 120 with bungees. You might think about trimming down that opening for the charging rod so its not as tight

Edited by BustaNinja, 02 February 2009 - 06:55 PM.

[Wes7143]

And to Wes, I am talking about the grip. Its to small, to circular and its not slanted back for my tastes, but if it works for you, more power to ya. And the charging handle is fine. I like that its small. Hard to grip with gloves on, but atleast it doesn't slow down the plunger stroke too much.

Ranges are really really low. Im using 3 ACE#49 springs (shorter then a +bow) and I am getting atleast 80 feet with a bad dart. and over 120 with bungees. You might think about trimming down that opening for the charging rod so its not as tight

Yes, the handle is at 90 degrees. I tried adjusting my hand, and it would be really awkward the way I have the stock set up to hold it in a slanted position. Also it's attached with a T, which is much more stable than glueing a PVC piece to it, and not available with a slanted bottom. It's actually pretty comfortable to hold, but uncomfortable to prime, which is what I'm working on.

I know ranges are low (14 degree weather!). It's not like I stepped out side and fired it in the cold. The gun sat there in the cold for about an hour as I dug my bike out of the garage, and then got it into working condition, and documented....yata yata yata. Anyways, it got really cold. I made a thread about how a measured the ranges (If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about with a bike). I'm sure it could hit 100' or so in the summer. Oh, and no bungees in mine!

The charging rod is pretty loose. It's just sitting in 3/4" PVC, which is only tight enough to stop the spring from exiting the gun.

[BustaNinja]

Oh, I understand. Whats your barrel? Because even in the cold I was hitting 100 FT with my SNAP. (yeah, us MNers are hard core)

[Wes7143]

Oh, I understand. Whats your barrel? Because even in the cold I was hitting 100 FT with my SNAP. (yeah, us MNers are hard core)

CPVC. It fits my darts perfectly, and was a little loose when it got cold.

Cold slashes ranges pretty bad. I should try darts that are normally too big for my barrel.

[BustaNinja]

Oh, I understand. Whats your barrel? Because even in the cold I was hitting 100 FT with my SNAP. (yeah, us MNers are hard core)

CPVC. It fits my darts perfectly, and was a little loose when it got cold.

Cold slashes ranges pretty bad. I should try darts that are normally too big for my barrel.

I've been talking with Venom about this, and do people really have that loose of foam? I use foam that I think looks really thin, but it wont even fit in CPVC.

[Carbon]

Ranges are really really low. Im using 3 ACE#49 springs (shorter then a +bow) and I am getting atleast 80 feet with a bad dart. and over 120 with bungees. You might think about trimming down that opening for the charging rod so its not as tight

I know ranges are low (14 degree weather!). It's not like I stepped out side and fired it in the cold. The gun sat there in the cold for about an hour as I dug my bike out of the garage, and then got it into working condition, and documented....yata yata yata. Anyways, it got really cold. I made a thread about how a measured the ranges (If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about with a bike). I'm sure it could hit 100' or so in the summer. Oh, and no bungees in mine!

Cold or not, I'd concur that the ranges seem a little low. I used my SNAP at Minnesnowta (about 20 degrees for four hours), and got ~70' range or so. That's using an ACE #62, which your +bow spring should kick up and down. Is your spring cut down? Your pressure chamber section seems to be pretty sort, considering a full +bow spring is 12" or so. Also, I wonder about the relative friction of the plunger itself. Boltsniper found that two O-rings were pretty unnecessary, and just increased drag.

That said, it's a beautiful plunger head...nice lathe work. How much did you end up shaving off the front endcap?

[Wes7143]

Cold or not, I'd concur that the ranges seem a little low. I used my SNAP at Minnesnowta (about 20 degrees for four hours), and got ~70' range or so. That's using an ACE #62, which your +bow spring should kick up and down. Is your spring cut down? Your pressure chamber section seems to be pretty sort, considering a full +bow spring is 12" or so. Also, I wonder about the relative friction of the plunger itself. Boltsniper found that two O-rings were pretty unnecessary, and just increased drag.

That said, it's a beautiful plunger head...nice lathe work. How much did you end up shaving off the front endcap?

Whell the average is near the ranges you just gave. I did wind up putting only 1 O ring in because of the added friction. The pressure chamber is 5" long. I found with my last homemade, that too much plunger draw is a very bad thing.

I only took off that pesky price tag with the lathe for the plunger head, along with O ring slots. The front is actually a fuck up, where I realized "oh shit, I don't have a coupler", so I discovered that a 1" X 1/2" adapter will fit inside of 1 1/4" PVC.

The gun performs exellent inside. My longest length indoors is around 65', and it will nail about 3' from the floor from a flat angle. Like I've said, I'm sure it will be fine in the summer.

Edited by Wes7143, 02 February 2009 - 09:15 PM.

[Carbon]

Our cold weather averages are similar, but your spring is easily 30% stronger, maybe more (not sure about exact poundage). See what I'm saying?

I only took off that pesky price tag with the lathe for the plunger head, along with O ring slots.

Considering the close fit of a 3/4" endcap and 1.25" PVC, and how much those o-rings are sticking out, my guess is that your plunger friction is still pretty high.

Don't get me wrong, it's a well done piece. It just isn't as powerful as it should be, for whatever reason.

[stuck by stefan]

Will you be bringing this to the March mass war? p.s. I made a snap bow... it will destroy evreybody...

[Wes7143]

Will you be bringing this to the March mass war? p.s. I made a snap bow... it will destroy evreybody...

I'll bring it, but there is no way in hell I'm using it. It frightens me.....

Are you bringing your X-bow that you supposedly have?

[stuck by stefan]

Will you be bringing this to the March mass war? p.s. I made a snap bow... it will destroy evreybody...

I'll bring it, but there is no way in hell I'm using it. It frightens me.....

Are you bringing your X-bow that you supposedly have?

Umm, well, I had it... but It kinda umm... blew up? kinda mad because It was a birthday present.
But I like the snapbow better than it as a primary anyway.

[stuck by stefan]

Will you be bringing this to the March mass war? p.s. I made a snap bow... it will destroy evreybody...

I'll bring it, but there is no way in hell I'm using it. It frightens me.....

Are you bringing your X-bow that you supposedly have?

Umm, well, I had it... but It kinda umm... blew up? kinda mad because It was a birthday present.
But I like the snapbow better than it as a primary anyway.

There's people (me, for one) who'd pay maybe $40 for a severely damaged xbow, if all the parts are there. I don't need it to be structurally sound to make molds from it...

I'd sell it to you, but the plunger head is a disaster and the plunger rod is dead. it's not fixable. but I will sell you the trigger, catch, shells, and plunger tube

[stuck by stefan]

wow stupid flood control made me double post for some reason sorry guys

Edited by stuck by stefan, 08 February 2009 - 09:54 AM.

[rork]

If you limited your plunger travel to 5", that's probably your problem, along with excessive friction. My SNAPbow uses the same spring and has 6 3/4" of plunger travel.

[jackster57]

Sweet. Everything you make is cool. Everything I make has a pound and a half of hot glue. Or more.

Your going to that Mass war? I want to, but I have not a ride. Oh well plus I need to get my ass a big blast. Have fun.

[Wes7143]

Sweet. Everything you make is cool. Everything I make has a pound and a half of hot glue. Or more.

Your going to that Mass war? I want to, but I have not a ride. Oh well plus I need to get my ass a big blast. Have fun.

I could bring you.

[nerfnrg]

Since rork mentioned extending plunger travel on the SNAP Rifle, how would you actually extend the plunger travel for this particular homemade?

~nrg

[Wes7143]

Since rork mentioned extending plunger travel on the SNAP Rifle, how would you actually extend the plunger travel for this particular homemade?

~nrg

Put the clothespin trigger further back.

[nerfnrg]

What do you mean by putting it farther back because from the pictures, I see that the clothespin trigger is already as far back as it can be.

~nrg

EDIT: Also, in the "write-up", aren't those adapters actually called bushings?

Edited by nerfnrg, 08 February 2009 - 10:01 PM.

[Wes7143]

What do you mean by putting it farther back because from the pictures, I see that the clothespin trigger is already as far back as it can be.

~nrg

EDIT: Also, in the "write-up", aren't those adapters actually called bushings?

Yep, th trigger is as back as possible, due to the spring's length in relation to plunger tube length.

Good man! That's the word I was looking for!

....Bushings.......