19 replies to this topic

[NerfRogue83]

Ok, so at CFNO Pinz was lugging around a pile of plastic that used to be a classic---a WildFire. This is a really cool blaster---one of my favorite vintage Nerf guns. Needless to say, at the end of the war, this dismantled hunk of parts was tossed at my feet...........


As cool as the WildFire is----it has several trouble area's........the stock air tubing is terrible, the pump handle's bend, and the plastic fittings for the air lines to connect to are brittle and break. This particular WildFire had all these issue's.....

Let's begin.....The fitting on the back of the firing piston was broken off----shocker, NOT.......


So, I drilled out the hole in the back of the piston, and replaced the broken off plastic part with a brass barbed fitting.....



Ta Da!


Now, the same remedy for the cap on the bladder.....




While I had the bladder assembly out, I decided to give the 'Ol WildFire a little boost.......by adding lots of rubber bands to the bladder. Space these out evenly to cover the whole bladder like so......


On to the pump!........Here is our pump assembly---Note that the top air line goes to the Bladder, and the bottom line goes to the Firing Piston----we will be replacing both of these leaky pieces of crap....


Our stock pump rod-----weak and flexable, prone to bending


Cut several lengths of coat hanger or other manor of reinforcing material, and place them inside the channels of the pump rod----superGlue them in place.....


Fill the channel with epoxy putty---covering your reinforcing strips, and ending up flush with the top edges of the pump rod....so as not to catch on the shell when being pumped.....


Replace the pump assembly, firing piston, and bladder. Run your tubing, and secure using a sealing agent of your choice. With the internals in place, I also decided to add one more tiny boost......a few bands on the firing piston......


Turret Time!

Take your stock turret, and remove the screws holding the two halfs of the turret together. Seperate the halfs, and keep this----


DON'T POST YET!

[NerfRogue83]

Cut twenty--3" sections of PETG, and secure one over each hole in the turret----sealing at the point where the PETG meets the turret. Add a CS barrel spacer, and you get this sexy beast----


Assembled Internals!



Lastly, I threw a Deploy strap on her for good old Pinz.......Enjoy Bro!


She fires VERY well, and that sound!!!!!!!

[moosa]

Sounds like any air-powered automatic blaster, does it not?

Nice write up here. I love this blaster. :]

[nisaburo]

Finally this blaster sees some love! Moosa, its a good bit louder than a MS or RF20, all that empty shell space makes for a nice echo-y crack. Rouge, I take it that the clamps around the bottom and top of the bladder aren't broken. I would suggest reinforcing around both as a preventative thing. The last 3 I've had have had heavy leaks because of the crappy plastic cracking and tearing.

[NerfRogue83]

nisaburo, on Apr 23 2010, 01:12 AM, said:

Finally this blaster sees some love! Moosa, its a good bit louder than a MS or RF20, all that empty shell space makes for a nice echo-y crack. Rouge, I take it that the clamps around the bottom and top of the bladder aren't broken. I would suggest reinforcing around both as a preventative thing. The last 3 I've had have had heavy leaks because of the crappy plastic cracking and tearing.

Thank you for the heads up---I will certainly address this.

Moosa---You really need to hear one to appreciate it......it's great.

Edited by NerfRogue83, 23 April 2010 - 04:55 AM.

[Ubermensch]

Nice work, looks great.

EDIT: REALLY, REALLY, GREAT

Edited by Ubermensch, 23 April 2010 - 03:08 PM.

[pinz321]

Has anyone seen my jaw? I'm pretty sure I dropped it around here somewhere.

Holy crap Rogue, this is not only beautiful, but functional. Just to let you know, the people at CFNF#3 get to see my face when I fire that thing for the first time. I haven't shot an auto in my life, except for a stock MS 2 years ago.
Thank you!

[Chadpuff]

You absolutely must post a video so we all may hear the beautiful music it makes!

[Zorns Lemma]

Chadpuff, on Apr 23 2010, 08:17 AM, said:

You absolutely must post a video so we all may hear the beautiful music it makes!

[moosa]

NerfRogue83, on Apr 23 2010, 05:55 AM, said:

Moosa---You really need to hear one to appreciate it......it's great.

I actually have a Wildfire, an RF20 and a Magstrike downstairs in my living room at this very moment... Off I go!

Edit: My ears are ringing.

Edited by moosa, 23 April 2010 - 02:35 PM.

[Soothsayer]

I don't think epoxy putty was the best choice to reinforce the pump shaft. Poly, PVC, aluminum, any type of metal rod, but not epoxy putty. You'll get cracks soon enough, trust me I know.

[NerfRogue83]

Soothsayer, on Apr 24 2010, 12:38 AM, said:

I don't think epoxy putty was the best choice to reinforce the pump shaft. Poly, PVC, aluminum, any type of metal rod, but not epoxy putty. You'll get cracks soon enough, trust me I know.

Thanks for the heads up....there is metal rod that runs the length of the pump rod. The epoxy putty was simply to make the pump rod more rigid.

[Soothsayer]

NerfRogue83, on Apr 24 2010, 06:19 AM, said:

Soothsayer, on Apr 24 2010, 12:38 AM, said:

I don't think epoxy putty was the best choice to reinforce the pump shaft. Poly, PVC, aluminum, any type of metal rod, but not epoxy putty. You'll get cracks soon enough, trust me I know.

Thanks for the heads up....there is metal rod that runs the length of the pump rod. The epoxy putty was simply to make the pump rod more rigid.

When you pump guns like this, people usually pump pretty frantically, and you end up sorta pushing the rod back in at a slight angle rather than straight out and straight in.

[NerfRogue83]

Soothsayer, on Apr 24 2010, 06:17 PM, said:

NerfRogue83, on Apr 24 2010, 06:19 AM, said:

Soothsayer, on Apr 24 2010, 12:38 AM, said:

I don't think epoxy putty was the best choice to reinforce the pump shaft. Poly, PVC, aluminum, any type of metal rod, but not epoxy putty. You'll get cracks soon enough, trust me I know.

Thanks for the heads up....there is metal rod that runs the length of the pump rod. The epoxy putty was simply to make the pump rod more rigid.

When you pump guns like this, people usually pump pretty frantically, and you end up sorta pushing the rod back in at a slight angle rather than straight out and straight in.

Very true.

Pinz absolutely OWNED with this thing all day today! I have never seen someone use a WildFire as much in a war.....and it survived the intense action in superb condition.

[mr yetti]

I have recently obtained one of these beasts from a garage sale for 1$. After reading this im thinking about doing this to mine.

[Coal Ten]

Is that turret from your Rockstar 20, or is it just painted similarly?

[pinz321]

Yup, this thing was AMAZING. How loud and fun it is makes me want to shout in Arab (if I knew any) while shooting it. Out of each time I unleashed its savageness on somebody, I got at least 3 hits. One of the bursts made 100% darts hit the target. Lovely!

[ilzot]

Wow. I fucking love this thing. I already started on modding up my totally wrecked WF. It had a broken rotation mech, leaks everywhere, and a broken pump.

By the way, are the drilled holes on the bladder and piston 3/16th's?

[NerfRogue83]

ilzot, on Apr 25 2010, 12:27 PM, said:

Wow. I fucking love this thing. I already started on modding up my totally wrecked WF. It had a broken rotation mech, leaks everywhere, and a broken pump.

By the way, are the drilled holes on the bladder and piston 3/16th's?

I used 7/32", because of the barbs on the fittings.

[mitch s95]

Well i just got a wild fire that i practically nib( the guy got it nib like 3 months ago and i still got the box with it).
I will be following this wright up tomorrow. Also how much of a range boost do you get from all the bands in this gun. Ranges?