6 replies to this topic

[Gage]

I recently picked up a Tek 4 twin-pack at Walmart for $14.99 CAD. At Christmas it was down to $10, so I was a little pissed at that. Despite the price rise, I picked up the twin pack and brought it home. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed, as despite how cool it looked, the performance was mediocre. Maybe it was just the one that I purchased, but the ranges are better than normal for stock blasters on the one I picked up. Ranges ranged from 24-29 feet, not bad I guess. Time for improvement! My goal is, like it will be always, improving ranges as simply as possible. I want to do something everything can do, so I hope it turns out well.



Here she is. This blaster set comes with two Tek 4's, eight Buzz Bee darts and a target. Kind of self-explanatory, you pull the cocking mechanism back to fire the dart. The handle is kind of bulky and uncomfortable, with the massive whole inside it for no real reason apart from possibly being able to connect it to a keychain or belt (why you would want to is unknown to myself).



It's about the size of a Nerf Element EX-6, although not nearly as good. It's slightly thicker and longer than an Element though. You can get one Element Action Kit (1x Element, scope, light-beam unit) or two of these blasters plus an extra Tek 6 with the left over money, so it's your choice.



As you begin unscrewing the blaster (which should be no problem), you will notice all of the screws are the same size, with the exception of one. This screw is located on the top left of the blaster and is slightly shorter than the rest. Just something to keep in mind.



Once you open the blaster up, you'll see it has remarkably simple internals. I like the catch on this blaster much better than the one on the Dual, and if you were to find a way to do so this might be a good integration blaster.



Take out these pieces. You can try and add another spring, although it would probably harm the blaster by ruining the catch or breaking the cocking rod. It's your decision, but I decided against adding another spring.



Grab a pair of plyers and yank out the air restrictor peg. This should help boost the range of the blaster. It will break probably and you will not be able to get the entire peg out, which is good since it can still hold the dart firmly. I accidentally removed too much plastic from the peg and now when you run with the blaster, the dart falls out of the barrel. So I'd advise just removing the peg and a little bit of the left overs, as long as it's a clean shot it should be good.



Now, due to the fact that there are slits on the side of the barrels, I would advise you take some tape and go over it. I'm not quite sure what type of tape I used, I just used some tough green tape that was in the tools bin. It's probably electrical tape.



I found that exactly four centimeters worked best (roughly 1.5 inches) for the barrels in this case. I strongly recommend doing this, it helped my blaster significantly.




It should look like this when finished.



See this?



Put some tape over top of this or use epoxy or something. Anything to prevent air from getting out of this blaster is best.



So, now we are finished for today. Close it back together by putting the correct pieces back in position. Nothing too challenging here, although the cocking mechanism is a little difficult to put back together.



These pieces can now be thrown away as they are useless now.



Once everything's screwed back together, we're finished. I'm happy with the results of this blaster, I found that ranges are now from 35-40 feet, close to ten feet ahead of the old blaster. I think I have a better copy than the other mods, which got similar ranges despite better barrels. I wanted this to be a quick and easy mod for those who don't have access to brass, PVC etc. and I'm pleased with it. I tested it with Whistler Dart Tag darts. Hope you enjoyed it, more to come. Feedback would be appreciated.

Edited by Gage, 03 May 2012 - 08:26 PM.

[The Manta]

Noce job again! For some reason I feel like you could achieve MUCH better ranges with a re-barrel, but it may just be me. Also, I find it funny how the plunger head is almost exactly like a snap and the catch is close to a clothespin trigger.

[Gage]

Noce job again! For some reason I feel like you could achieve MUCH better ranges with a re-barrel, but it may just be me.

Thanks! I know I could get much better ranges, however I don't have any PVC, brass or pretty much anything except for crayola markers nearby me. I also wanted to do this as a guide that is so easy someone who's new to modding could do it. Once I get the chance to pick up some barrel replacements, however, I'll be using that in upcoming modifications. Consider my first few my "Part 1" mods Again, thanks for the support!

[Buffdaddy]

The next big step is seeing how to shorten that catch area so you can install a longer spring. I wouldn't think you'd need all of that area. Not sure what reinforcements would be needed, though.

[Aeromech]

Plunger-to-turret seal and plunger head seal would be two other things to consider that are relatively simple mods to accomplish. With such a simple blaster, I feel like you can squeeze out 10-15 more feet with this, even without barrel materials, as you mentioned. Also, re-lubricate the area inside the plunger as well as the plunger to turret seal when you put it all back together. This is redundant for most, but if this is a guide for someone new to Nerf, it couldn't hurt throwing that in the pot.

Edited by Aeromech, 03 May 2012 - 10:56 PM.

[Daniel Beaver]

As others have mentioned, consider going farther with a barrel replacement. That's really one of the most important mods you can do to any blaster.

[Gage]

Thanks for the ideas everyone! I'll be sure to try and implement those into my Tek 4 Part 2 mod, as well as future mods. I'm looking at modifying my Air Zone 8 Shooter (the one made my Banzai) next, as it doesn't seem to have very many mods yet. Again, thank you all for the ideas and feedback. It means a lot! In the future, I'd like to boost the spring size, re-barrel the turret and try and minimize the blaster for an integration. I think it will turn out well with the proper supplies!