7 replies to this topic

[Buffdaddy]

I decided to venture out of my backpressure tank adventures for a bit, for pin-tank experimentation. After messing around with designs, I decided to fall back to sheer simplicity. Garden nozzles are cheap, reliable, and usually have decent airflow (or can be modded for improvement). There's your trigger. All you need at that point is a tank and pump.

So here's the result:


As far as a writeup is concerned....it could possibly be one of the simplest things you can construct.

Materials for you basic build:
x" PVC plug
x" by 1/2" PVC bushing
x" by x" by 3/4" PVC tee (the 3/4" outlet threaded)
3/4" threaded adapter
1/2" PVC
1/2" CPVC to 3/4" male hose adapter
Garden nozzle
Bike pump (Used a Bell Airstrike)
SSPB OPV or McMaster OPV

Step one:

Connect your tee, plug, and bushing with the appropriate solvent weld. Hammer the CPVC to hose adapter into a short section of 1/2" PVC, then solvent weld into the bushing. Drill a small hole in the plug, and epoxy your OPV in place. (added after initial pictures)

Step two:

Epoxy your dual action bike pump into the adapter, let cure. Cover the threads with a wrap of thread tape.

After that, you simply need to screw on your garden nozzle, and insert your bike pump, and you're set! My nozzle came from HARBOR FREIGHT, $1.49 at the time. It opens up very far, and the front seal can be removed for simple modding (cutting off the front piece of metal on the pull rod) to improve airflow. Also, it is just a tad over the diameter of 1/2" PVC, so with slight sanding of it and/or fittings, you can easily attach barrels, hoppers, etc.

I have 4 tanks built in this way, ranging from 1" fittings to 2" fittings. The measured volumes are 60mL, 100mL, 160mL, and 225mL, with various nozzles adding 20-30mL on top of that.

Firing is easy, you pull the trigger. Two handed, you have no problem, as your off hand steadies the blaster. One handed requires adjustment to your firing motion; you have to move your arm forward slightly while pulling your fingers closed, in order to keep the blaster steady. It's easier than it sounds, and once you get it in your head to do that, you have no problems with aiming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWQvcPDKbCM
Ranges: using the 100mL container, I was getting 90 ft easily, but double feeding. Will have to look at a few things, but it's definitely viable.

Edited by Buffdaddy, 10 July 2011 - 07:08 PM.

[Nerf Gra]

I love what your doing with air power. Keep it up

[SonReeceSonJensen]

Buff: stop hogging all the P0wn, there is little left to go around. But for real: modular air-power like you have is a great solution for those of us Intimidated by building plunder heads and catches. Sorry boys: not my style. But switch-outable tanks? I can work with this.

[Ozymandias]

So this thing is (amusing sane ranges and no rule against homemade airguns) war legal, right?

Also, I love what you did with the pump. That would come in handy for people who have a lot of airguns but don't want to buy a lot of bike pumps.

[Buffdaddy]

With the OPV on it, the lower ones should be legal for the micro darts we all use. The larger ones will probably have to be reserved for larger ammo/shotgunning. But hey, that's why the volumes are measured, so we can quantify what is safe in this setup.

[diamondbacknf1626]

Cool stuff man. Air guns are not really my cup of tea, but maybe that's because nobody has made strides to really optimize them, which you seem to be getting at now. One thing you may want to check out is something like this:

It's obviously for a hose, but what's unique about it is that the valve doesn't operate slowly, depending on how fast you squeeze the "trigger." I'm not sure of it's actual inner-workings, but when you pull the trigger, there's a point at which the valve clicks into the open position. To close, you pull again, it clicks again. I anticipate that this would translate into a much faster air release. I already removed the front portion, but for sake of finding this in a store, it had this on the front:


I purchased it at a local hardware store and haven't really gotten the chance to experiment with it. Maybe you could figure something out.

[makeitgo]

I have a car washing contraption that this would be perfect for. Great idea.

[Buffdaddy]

Video posted in writeup!