12 replies to this topic

[interflop]

I was looking around for something to polish my brass breech and found that turtle wax worked very well! I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this in but here are some pictures.



Comparison


I think it's a pretty significant difference and it looks fantastic

[roboman]

That looks quite nice. Does the wax lubricate the brass?

[Draconis]

It is worth noting that you should perform any tooling and adhesive work to the brass BEFORE using wax on it, or you may have problems. NO glue will stick to the waxed surface as it should.

[interflop]

roboman: I'm still waiting on my 9/16" barrel since no store around me has them in stock but the brass feels noticeably slipperier. I imagine that it'll make the sliding action of my breech a bit smoother. I was going more for the aesthetics so any performance gain is just a bonus.

[roboman]

Interesting. I wonder if the wax would help prevent the oxidation on my aluminum barrels...

[interflop]

It might work. This is what I used on my brass.

[utahnerf]

It might work. This is what I used on my brass.

I've been wondering if someone other than myself uses auto cleaners/polishers/etc. for Nerfing purposes. I've been using scratch removers and waxes/cleaners for my blasters for the past year or so. I am a huge fan of the brand Armor All and Mothers. I have also found that using a paintball squeegee and waxing/cleaning the inside of my barrels adds about 10 extra feet of range. My brother is moving out in a year, so he has left all of his auto products to me. I use wax/cleaners on my paintjobs, as the wax adds an extra barrier for dirt, dust and skin oil. It has helped to preserve my PJs for years to come.

Also, for removing wax, I use Windex. I am also a fan of Future floor polish as a clear coat, as it is cheap as HELL.

Edited by utahnerf, 25 June 2011 - 12:59 AM.

[Boot]

Interesting, another thing that works great as a brass lubricant (or breech lubricant in general) is trombone/ brass instrument wax. I recently dug up a huge jar of the stuff, and since it is designed for this purpose its perfect. (It is also dirt cheap, at least in China, compared to other brass waxes since there is more demand for it).

Discoveries like this I always find interesting, I didn't even know turtle wax existed before

[ChaosPropel]

You wax your turtles?
All joking aside, this is a great idea. I'll have to try it on my brass breech next time I get around to tuning it up!

[TantumBull]

You can also probably use the polishing bit and mix that comes with a lot of dremel kits to a similar/better effect, but I imagine this is MUCH quicker.

[Buffdaddy]

I just thought about it: I've tried making blast valve and other things with telescoping brass, to no avail. While it's great for barrels, it's not airtight enough to actually hold pressure. I wonder if this, or any other method, could be used to help seal things up. If so, the I can envision several valves, and perhaps even a pressure regulator, that could be made out of sliding brass pieces.

Just thinking.

[Buffdaddy]

Maybe.
I suggest Future Floor Wax (also known as Pledge with Future Shine) as a coating that can be applied by dipping, and which will build up after curing (but will probably still need some polishing even on inside surfaces). It is a water-thinned acrylic-based clear coat, and while a built up thickness of it isn't likely to have the same strength or wear resistance as extruded acrylic tubing, it could function, and brass is available in a lot of sizes.

My guess is that any valves made this way would wear through the coating within a single busy season of nerfing. But that might be okay if the "rebuild" process can be not too complicated.

Ok, I think I'll add that to my long list of things I still need to try and mod. Honestly, if this could seal up the space between the brass pieces nicely, you could make amazingly efficient triggers for dumping pilot air in BP tanks.

[utahnerf]

Ok, I think I'll add that to my long list of things I still need to try and mod. Honestly, if this could seal up the space between the brass pieces nicely, you could make amazingly efficient triggers for dumping pilot air in BP tanks.

Be careful if you ever decide to put Future on a paint job, the paint must be completely cured. If it isn't, solvents will evaporate through the Future polish, causing crackling/cracking (I know this from experience).

Edited by utahnerf, 29 June 2011 - 03:21 PM.