6 replies to this topic

[Buffdaddy]

The Xploderz Xblaster 200, if you haven't already heard, is a pull and release blaster, made to shoot tiny gel balls. Pulling the plunger brings back a small "sled", which loads the ammo; release launches the sled to the end of its tube, where the gel ball continues to fly. Obviously, we have different purposes for this blaster.

Jerm already posted this mod, in its essence, on his blog, Nerf or Nothing. You can look there for the basic pics of the stock blaster and the regular internals. I'll examine the rest of the blaster, and show what I did with it.

Let's look at the plunger tube first.


Pretty beefy, actually. However, we have a slight conflict if we dissect farther, between spring compression (this thing primes pretty hard for a pull and release) and volume. The tube is ~7 1/2 inches long, but on the plunger tube...



...we find the spring is pretty awesome, and already under compression. The spring itself is approximately 9" long, with 1 1/32" OD and 3/64" wire diameter (I really need to find my calipers). With the plunger head on, you're compressing it over an inch already, but there's a white spacer compressing the spring an additional 2 1/4". I took out the spacer for more usable volume, so we'll see how that affects performance.

While we're on the plunger tube, let's look and the plunger head:



As always these blasters have almost perfect seals; it's like having two tiny skirts, one facing each direction. It's held on by a push pin, measuring about 1.8" in diameter. The end of the plunger rod (hollow on the inside) measures 1/4" in diameter. Just to give you guys some ideas as to what you might need for a homemade trigger. I'm sure you could throw a couple pieces of polycarbonate together, and make a NF-like trigger mechanism.

Now for the mod: open up the blaster, and gut the internals, save the plunger assembly/tube. Save the orange loading mechanism, as we're trying to keep this looking stock. Also, it'l help line things up.


The insides come out with removal of one screw and some prying. Carve as needed, so that a 1/2" CPVC ball valve will fit underneath.

[Buffdaddy]

For the RSCB tube, I used the scraps I had on hand: 6" of 5/8" brass, another short length of that brass. Place on either side of the ball valve, and cut the end of the short length so that it will line up with the back face of the blaster.

The stock barrel fits loosely over it, so wrap some tape (I used plain duct tape)around the ball valve end of the RSCB clip, until the stock barrel fits over it. This helps line up everything with the blaster shell.

Now for the connections: I just used a 1/2" CPVC tee and elbow, with a piece of CPVC connecting the two. Epoxy in place (like I do everything), and make small shell carvings as necessary. On the plunger tube lip, smooth down the two ridges, and it'll slide perfectly into the elbow.




Now for the last little bit: carve out a slot for the ball valve handle to stick out:


Last pics:




Notes:
-The CPVC ball valve was previously drilled out, to 19/32", I think? Otherwise, you're not gonna squeeze stefans through that.
-The clip should hold 4, with another in the barrel.
-Tests to be conducted later, when it's actually daylight.
-My usual method of epoxying the shit out of everything may not work here, depending on how well it hods up to repeated firing (and believe me, if I decide to use it, it will be fired over and over to get a feel for it, since that's the only way you're going to get accuracy without a trigger). So if the elbow separates, we'll have to try something else. JB weld works on everything, doesn't it?

Edited by Buffdaddy, 02 March 2011 - 09:30 PM.

[knexpert66]

Nice! How strong is the stock spring?

[utahnerf]

JB Weld generally works well on everything, so it should work for the elbow. Just make sure to sand all pieces before applying the adhesive.

[Dyxlesic]

Dude, you have gone nuts with these writeups, in the good way. Keep up the good work
So how are the ranges on this thing, with the deadspace from the rscb and all. It looks nice, and very clean.

[Draconis]

Buff, is the plunger tube polyethylene too? I know the rod is.

[Exo]

JB steel-reinforced epoxy is obscenely strong, but it takes a day to cure. It only costs $5 a stick at Harbor Freight. Depending on the range, 5 shots should be fairly useful. Clean integration, definitely thought through. These things are about $10, right?