and gals 
Modding has been kind of slow lately hasn't it? I mean with the anticipation of those new Nerf guns to come out, and the long wait for Amazon to restock those shotguns from Lanard that many of us *waves hand* has pre-ordered... and stuff.
While waiting for all of those new stuff to come out, I hit the local Toys R Us with my best friend, we came across the water gun section and one of the guns captured my attention right away. Heh... the Super Soaker 50. Apparently it was Super Soaker's 20th anniversary this year and to celebrate it, they re-modded their most famous gun. I recognized it right away because they didn't change it much; the water bottle was still green, the gun shell was still highlight yellow, and I was still too poor to afford it. But being a best friend, as usual my friend got it for me as long as I pay him back
Many of you were probably not even born yet to know what gun I'm talking about, so here's a pic of the original Super Soaker 50
and here's the new 20th Anniversary Super Soaker 50
(Only a few small differences in design, but the best was probably the fact that you refill the tank right from the top of the gun now, instead of having to unscrew the bottle... then fill it... then screw it back on...)
Bleh, anyway... back to the topic. To convert this SS into an air pump Nerf gun isn't really difficult. To make it shoot air instead of water is simple, just block off the connection that allows the water to enter the gun.
I waited one day before starting the mod because I wanted to give the water gun one last day before dissecting it, and changing it's role from shooting water... to shooting foam. (Eh. call me sentimental, or call me crazy if you want, it's a free country~)
*sawing sounds*
Here's what the SS50's insides look like
(Beautiful ain't it?)As you can probably guess, we won't be needing the water tank, BUT WAIT! Don't just toss it out! We might need that o-ring (it has attached to its' rear) for later.
Let's check out that upper barrel. If you have some 1/2" PVC that you bought from Home Depot, then you are in luck my friend. Because the ID of the gun's upper tube, matches the OD of the 1/2" PVC (from Home Depot) PERFECTLY!! If you don't have the PVC at hand... then maybe you could go get some (they're only like $1.60-$1.70 per 10'). If you want to make the type of barrel I use, then keep reading... if you want to make your own, then skip this part and build your own (best of luck).
I used the black PVC; PVC SCH 80, in this one pic because it's easier to see, and it has the same OD as the one you'll be using later on (PVC SCH 40).
You see that SUPER THIN tube that was inside the gun barrel? Well that's actually where the water shoots out from, and you won't be needing it from now on, so take your dremel and saw it off (but feel free to leave maybe 1/4"-1/2" of it left (where it starts to get thicker).
Sorry for this next bad image, but I guess something interfered with the camera at the moment I was taking the pic. Remember that O-ring from the green water tank I said to save before, you could use it now (or use a thicker O-ring if you'd like; I did). Take your dremel and saw off a very little piece of the area above where the air releases from (so that the O-ring can fit around the tube)... yeah I know, that was confusing... so look at the badly taken pic for a better comprehension.
To make the type of barrel system I use, you'll need 1/2" PETG; about 4" long (Thick or Medium wall; whichever you usually use that best fits your foams), 1/2" PVC sch 40; 2.5" long, 1/2" PVC sch 40; 7"-9" long... sorry I forgot... that part it's really up to you); and some E-tape.
I hope the pic is easy to understand because I might not answer your question(s) (Because I'm a big old meanie).
Okay, now lets move to the back of the gun.
You see that opening on the back/top area? (with that little circle net)
That's where the water normally goes into... when it was still a water gun... but now, it's a big leaking hole.
You'll need to seal that big hole up, and seal it well!! Do the soap & bubble tests on it when you're finished sealing it to make sure there are no leaks what-so-ever!! If there are any super tiny leaks, they can probably be fixed by applying Krazy glue over the tiny openings.
Hmm... this part is kind of up to you for whether or not you want to do it~
If you would like to plug the pump, it's a very simple 1 step-step.
Just apply some hot glue to the hole in the center of the pump like in the pic
For the frame of the gun, you could've done it anytime before, but I felt it was best to leave it until now~
You wont need much of the upper area of the gun frame, so it can be removed. I sawed mine then sanded it to look like this
When everything was put together, this was what the gun looked like~
After playing with it for a few hours... I wasn't fully satisfied because it didn't shoot as powerful as I had hoped. The main problem was most likely how the air is released in this system. Unlike most air pumped Nerf guns... this WATER gun used a gate type valve... so the speed at which the air was released wasn't as fast or hard as some other guns... not to mention that the chamber that the air was held in was not exactly the best.
I was going to toss this mod in the "disappointment bucket" (recycling bin), but then decided to give it one last chance. So I took a few of those orange clamps that comes with the BBB's (the orange clamps that hold onto the spare arrows) and attached them to the sides of the gun frame. Then I connected 2 Big Salvo air tanks to a Tee joint. Next, I drilled a small tight hole where the water normally entered the water gun (the hole area that you sealed up in the beginning), and shoved the Tee joint into the hole (and made damn sure that no air was leaking; even after 30+ pumps). Finally, I just snapped the BS air tanks onto the BBB clamps, and it was officially done!! This is the finished product!!
Here's some side views just in case you'd want some better views of... the sides~
Edited by b00m13, 14 April 2009 - 02:12 AM.
