32 replies to this topic

[shadow4437]

Alright, so I wanted to start a nerf workshop, finally deciding that I should mod my own guns, since it would be cheaper.What do you believe should be in a workshop?

[analogkid]

A dremel, no question. Also, hot glue for stefans, CA glue for attaching plastic to plastic, probably some type of epoxy, and electrical tape AND duct tape. Other handy tools: #0 and #1 phillips head screwdrivers, scissors, utility knife, pliers, and safety goggles. It helps to have some spare parts on hand also, but you're new I assume, so you probably won't have many, they just kinda build up as you mod. Save scraps too, you never know what something could be reused for.

EDIT: A couple different barrel materials are good to have around also.

Edited by analogkid, 09 October 2008 - 04:59 PM.

[Rogue Warrior]

It's also nice to have a hacksaw and band-aids on hand.

[CaptainSlug]

Wire cutters, hand files, forceps/hemostats/tweezers, power drill or drill press, band saw or scroll saw, small tapping set.

[hereticorp]

Good lighting, Music (MP3 Player + Speakers), lots and lots of shelves and drawers, a good place to set finished guns, a target for test firing, a 200-300' measuring reel...

I'm sure I'll think of more.

This is what I have in my workshop garage:

Wall mounting area for finished guns
Total of 10 drawers for parts/finished stefans
A 25 drawer set for small parts, screws, seals, O-Ring, etc
A five-shelf set for stock guns
A top rail for the 800' roll of FBR and a roll of paper towels
An automated FBR cutter
A workbench with built in vice and measurements
A standard work light that will take 100W bulbs, 3 LED worklights
A Dremel with the fine-tooling attachement
A ton of dremel attachments for all sorts of shaping, most notably a quick-change cutoff wheel and a straight cutting bit
A JigSaw with various blades
Several forms of Hacksaw
Scissors/Sheers
Tin Snips for heavy plastic cutting
Wood Saw
Miter Box and Miter Saw
Every screwdriver known to man, and every bit ever made
A power drill
An Exacto knife and extra blades
Pliers, both needlenose and regular
Hemostats
Easy-Open/Close clamps
40W Hot Glue Gun with Dual-Temp glue for gun work
10W Hot Glue Gun with Sparkle Glue for Stefans
Zap-A-Gap, Gorilla Glue, Amazing Goop and Liquid Nails
Stocks of regular BBs and 1/4" Fishing Weights
Spray Paint in about 15 colors, and Vinyl Dye
A flat area covered in cardboard for painting
A LARGE trash can
A tool chest with drawers to keep all the tools and etc in
A large fan to keep cool in the summer
A floor heater to keep warm in the winter
Various thicknesses of Polycarbonate
Screws, nuts, bolts, washers, O-Rings and misc springs
Silicon Lube and Teflon Lube
150 Grit and 300 Grit sandpaper
Drill and Tap set for making new screw holes
A supply of 12" PETG barrels
A supply of all sorts of sizes of Brass
A supply of 1/2" Sch40 PVC
A bunch of 1/2" Sch40 PVC Slipcouplers
Electrical Tape
Files and rasps in several sizes
MP3 player attached to speakers over the workbench

I think that's everything that's in my workshop at the moment.

Oh right, snacks. One of the drawers has candy and other stuff to keep me going when I'm modding.

Edited by hereticorp, 09 October 2008 - 06:00 PM.

[shadow4437]

Alright, thanks for all the replies. Over the weekend i'm going to clean out my garage, hopefully make a workspace.

[Ubermensch]

A drill, pliers, gloves and all types of glues. Hot glue, epoxy, JB weld, and Plumber's goop all work.

[Rover]

I find calipers very useful. Not essential enough to run out and buy, but always good to have in a workshop if you've got 'em.

[flashflint]

My sugestion is to not get a dremel. I bought one when I first started modding, and think I could have spent my money much more wisely. Hold out on the dremel, at least untill you are doing things such as angel breaches where it is absolutely imperitave.

just my 2 cents

[Echnalaid]

If you got a laptop, that's an alternative to and MP3 player and speakers. I personally watch Family Guy and Iron Man repeatedly. Also, a brass cutter can help, and maybe some soda and some sandwiches if you're working for extended periods of time.

[Wes7143]

If I could add: A pipe cutter. It's been the most useful tool for me. Cuts anything cylindrical from Big Bad Bow Barrels to brass, this thing does it all.

[angelof DEATH182]

You'll also want a bigass vise, I have one, works great for cutting PVC, blaster shells, really anything you need to hold.

[laxtk88]

All I use is screwdrivers, needle nosed pliers, pipe cutters, exato knife, and occasionaly my dremel.

[Ubermensch]

Yeah, a clamp or a vise is pretty much essential for getting glue to dry in the right way, or holding stuff to cut/dremel.

[ShadowFire]

Nearly anything from any hardware store.

[Lynx]

A simple workshop:

Sturdy tables, a $30 buck toolbox (hacksaw, screwdrivers, pliers, scissors and the works), hot glue (gun too), cpvc/pvc/petg, and 17/32, 9/16, and 19/32nds brass.

Also, epoxy putty and plenty of NERF GUNS also helps.

Finally, you can get all of those for around $50 bucks with things that you already have. Yes, nerf is a 50 buck hobby.

Edited by Lynx, 11 October 2008 - 01:11 PM.

[Forsaken angel24]

Me.

[Zaxbys]

Forsaken_angel24, on Oct 9 2008, 10:18 PM, said:

Me.

Wish I had one in my workshop... great product and warranty I hear but they sound pretty costly...

Edited by Zaxbys, 09 October 2008 - 09:20 PM.

[Shadowblade]

Forsaken_angel24, on Oct 9 2008, 10:18 PM, said:

Me.

Any idea where we can pick one of those up?

[shadow4437]

Mhm. Heard they can do almost anything. Thanks for all the posts guys, I'm going to try to get an NF modded soon, make a post about it.(Hopefully within the month.)

[Mr BadWrench]

I cringe every time someone suggests a hacksaw...

http://www.harborfre...temnumber=39273

a PULLSAW is what you want and everyone should at lest try one.

http://www.harborfre...temnumber=94722


http://www.harborfre...temnumber=92599


once you use pullsaw (as long as you don't cut yourself) nothing else will ever do.

Don

[Rover]

Mr BadWrench, on Oct 9 2008, 11:06 PM, said:

I cringe every time someone suggests a hacksaw...

http://www.harborfre...temnumber=39273

a PULLSAW is what you want and everyone should at lest try one.

http://www.harborfre...temnumber=94722


http://www.harborfre...temnumber=92599


once you use pullsaw (as long as you don't cut yourself) nothing else will ever do.

Don

Hmm... I've found my Japanese backsaw to be pretty bad at making straight cuts, but that might just be the blades. The best tool for precise cuts in plastic are: coping saws, Dremel cutoff wheels, and of course a scrollsaw or bandsaw. For cutting of brass barrels and such, I find that a hacksaw with good blades and a miter box allow for the most precise cuts besides a pipe cutter, which will deform brass.

Edited by Rover, 10 October 2008 - 12:17 AM.

[Kingboy]

Mr BadWrench, on Oct 9 2008, 11:06 PM, said:

a PULLSAW is what you want and everyone should at lest try one.

Hobby pullsaws like this are handy as well, especially for making straight cuts in Nerf blaster shells:


Hobby Razor saw.

I use an el cheapo Atlas Super Saw, and it works great, unless I have to work in really tight areas. For that I have a saber saw set, for which I need to get some of the razor saw blades.

On the matter of adhesives, I have a recommendation and a question.

For joining plastic to plastic, cyanoacrylate (a.k.a. Super Glue/Zap-A-Gap, etc.) is alright, and handy to have around, but it can't compare to this:


Plastrust Plastic Weld brush on liquid cement.

Seriously, this stuff is amazing. It chemically melts the two plastic pieces together, often forming a stronger section than the surrounding stock plastic. Some of you really need to give this stuff a try so we don't have to see Longshot front integrations held on by great gooping wads of hot glue anymore...

Now, as to the question—does anyone have a good idea what sort of adhesive Hasbro uses for the internals of some of their pump air guns? I'm thinking specifically about the Titan air tank and Hornet internals I have lying about at the moment. I'd love to have a better idea of what sort of glue that is before I go hacking into those parts.

One thing I need to add to my kit is a set of screw extractors. Ideally you'd never need these if you're using a properly sized screwdriver for opening up blaster shells, but stuff happens. All I know is that if I ever want to get into this Disk Shot sitting on my desk without destroying the shell, I'm going to need some of these to remove the couple of screws I stripped.

[mystefansdontflystraight]

I used to use a hacksaw for everything. My cuts were messy and didn't hold very long. I personally would reccomend getting a good dremel and qualiy pipe cutters. I know flashflint says hold off on the dremel, but yor cuts will be so much cleaner, and the pipe cutters allow for very precise cuts, Very worth it in my opinion. Glue wise, get Goop, this is amazing stuff, also get some Zap A Gap or fishin glue, because they are great for angel breeches/cpvc for longshots. Epoxy works well, but I would reccomend epoxy putty, because that stuff dries on rock hard, and is awesome for integrations.