It's the GhetTurreted Chopper. It's a Turreted Chopper as cheap as I can manage to make it. Specifically, I'm talking about the part above the DMK wye.
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Materials:
- 1 x 45-degree 1/2" PVC elbow
- 1 x 45-degree 3/4" PVC elbow
- 6 x 12" long tubes of 1/2" PVC
- 1 x 2" long tube of 1/2" PVC
- 14 x 1/2" long rings of 3/4" PVC
- 1 x 3" long tube of 3/4" PVC
- 1 x 15" long tube of 3/4" PVC
- 1 x 1" long tube of 1" PVC
- Duct tape
- 4 x 10"+ zip ties
- Electrical tape
- Hot glue
- Epoxy (I use ITW Performance Polymer's 'Plastic Welder')
- Paper towels
- Plastic jar lid 3+" in diameter
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Tools:
- Ratcheting pipe cutter
- (Optional) rotary pipe cutter
- File
- Hot glue gun
- Razor
- Manicure scissors
- Rubber bands
- Sharpie marker
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A Cutting Note
Ratcheting pipe cutters are fast, but they have a hard time making a cut that is square to the pipe.
Rotary pipe cutters are more likely to make a cut that is square to the pipe, but they're slower.
To get the best of both worlds, use the rotary pipe cutter to score a valley in the pipe, then use the ratcheing pipe cutter. However, don't use it as we normally do - instead, have the razor bite into the furrow, then rotate the pipe so the razor deepens the furrow bit by bit.
However, when we do this, the pipe ends are flared out from the rotary pipecutter, so we need to file them back, else inserting the cut ends will be difficult.
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Geometry 101 - Book of 7 Rings
Wrape some e-tape around one of the rings of 3/4" PVC.
Arrange 6 x 3/4" PVC rings around it.
Wrap with rubber bands. Rest on paper towel. Apply epoxy between each ring.
When it is cured, replace rubber bands with e-tape. Fill outer hollows with hot glue. No, they won't hold, but they do help maintain the geometry later.
When the hot glue is cooled, use ratcheting cutters to make a cut on the outside of the ring-of-rings.
Last step, not pictured: Take the file and bevel the inner edge of each ring-of-ring. This will make inserting the 15" long tube 3/4" PVC much easier.
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It's a Wrap
Take the 6 x 12" PVC tube and thread them through each of the 3/4" rings. This will cause the cuts to spread slightly. Ensure one end is even - when set down on a flat surface on that end, the turret assembly will stand straight.
Note: the epoxy may break during this time if you're too rough.
Secure each ring in place with zip ties. Cut the tails off with the razor. Wrap the whole assembly in duct tape, then with electrical tape.
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Here's the Magic
Previous Turreted Choppers had a painful time getting the 3/4" encap to be properly aligned and stay on the 45-degree 1/2" elbow. I think I have a solution.
Slip the 15" long tube of 3/4" PVC through the rings and cap it with the 45-degree 3/4" PVC elbow. Put the 3" long tube of 3/4" PVC in the other end of the 45-degree 3/4" PVC elbow.
Slide one of the magazine tubes into the 45-degree 1/2" elbow. Put the 2" long tube of 1/2" PVC in the other end of the 45-degree 1/2" elbow. In the picture above, I use the DMK in place of the 2" long tube of 1/2" PVC.
Not pictured: note where the two 45-degree elbows will contact and file that surface flat to increase the binding surface area.
Secure the two with rubber bands, then work some epoxy into the gap. Let cure.
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Front and Center
Place the 1" long tube of 1" PVC in the center of the jar lid and trace it with the Sharpie.
Use the ratcheting pipecutter to cut two parallel cuts that are as wide as the 1" PVC cross-section outline.
Use the manicure scissors to cut the curve.
Note: The lid may fracture. This is not a big deal.
Place it over the 45-degree 3/4" PVC elbow, secure with e-tape.
Place the turret assembly back in place. Depending on the size of your 45-degree 3/4" elbow, the jar lid will sit on the elbow, or in front of it.
Turn the assembly over and generously apply our favourite not-structural member structrual member, hot glue. You don't need to fill the whole jar lid, just enough to cover the bottom.
Note: For best results, glue a little, let it cool, then glue the rest. In the above picture, the upper part of the elbow is glued to the jar lid - notice how the hot glue there is already translucent.
Make some dams with the electrical tape and fill the sides with hot glue. No, this won't hold by itself, but I figure it will help.
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In the End...
Rest the turret magazine on the level end. Take a chunk of paper towel and work it into a small ball. Shove into the end of a magazine tube appx 1/2". This should be snug in the PVC.
Again, add a bit of glue to keep the plug in place. When cool, add more glue.
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A Finishing Touch
Cut a slot along the length of the 1" long tube of 1" PVC. Slide it partway over the 15" long tube of 3/4" PVC. Add a ring of hot glue and slide it the rest of the way.
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There you have it - a Turreted Chopper that takes only two PVC connectors.
- The blasted thing is heavy. Mine is solvent welded to the DMK wye.
- As with any chopper, the connecting pipe ID between the elbow and the wye is key. Here, I'm using 1/2" thinwall.
- With my 1.25" long stefans, I get 7 shots per magazine, for a total of 42 darts total.
- The turreted magazine assembly is removable, so I can (and have in the past) made spare clips. To keep the darts from spilling out, cut 6 x 1/2" long rings of 1/2" CPVC, deform each into an ellipse cross-section, thread a string through them all, and insert them into the magazine tubes as corks. To use, yank out the 'bracelet' of the CPVC rings and you're good to go.
Thoughts / questions / comments / flames?
