31 replies to this topic

[Langley]

http://fotos.miarroba.es/fo/f533/2C50035CDF294FF86C62234FF86A7F.jpg

Is the other gun a wooden pumpbow? How thick are the side plates? What are the side plates made of? I would love to see a writeup of how to build a wooden pumpbow.

[cheyner]

Is the other gun a wooden pumpbow? How thick are the side plates? What are the side plates made of? I would love to see a writeup of how to build a wooden pumpbow.

It looks like he used 1/4" MDF, in which case you would not want to get it wet at all. 3/8" plywood would probably work, but again you run into problems with moisture when using plywood. I'm sure the edges could be treated with something though to keep the layers from separating if they get too wet. You would have to get the plywood pretty soaked though before that would happen, MDF on the other hand will swell up pretty fast if it gets wet.

[pSyk]

The more I look at it, the more I love it.

Great design... I've always thought about using a pulley system after seeing the internals of a JaxxPacific Maxforce Shadow Hawk,
but now that you've actually made sure it worked, man, good job!

Quick question, and I'm sorry that it's off-topic... but what exactly is the encap on your hopper clip? Looks like a bottle cap!

[PANIC]

5mm MDF wood side, only for the prototype
The side plates will PVC 5 mm.
The red cap is a bottle COCA COLA 2L., Cut the thread of the bottle and the stopper, serves as a stopper of the charger.

[Curly]

PANIC, you're awesome.

You might be able to use varnish or lacquer to seal the wood to prevent damage. A carpenter would know what exactly to do. 5mm is just less than 1/4" which makes polycarbonate sheets possible, but I'd like to see what he changed with the pumpbow catch. Instead of using 3 wood pieces for the catch it looks like he used one and some metal. His method may work for Rainbow catches catches which would make them easier to build.

Great idea with the Coca-Cola bottle too, I might try that.

[PANIC]

The sides of the whip in 5mm pvc, more resistant than polycarbonate, more economical, you can paint,
Here's an economic cap for pipe darts, very effective.

[Meaker VI]

You might be able to use varnish or lacquer to seal the wood to prevent damage. A carpenter would know what exactly to do.

Polyurethane, Acrylic, Shellac, Epoxy... the number of wood sealers to protect any wood sheet are extremely numerous. For the average nerfer, a spray can is probably the easiest, and most spray paints with a properly-applied primer would work just fine. Sand, Prime, Sand, Paint, etc. for desired finish, just like plastic (only the wood is porous, and will swell with paint so you'll need more sanding). If you want wood grain showing, use a sealer and/or stain instead. Stain goes on first, then sealer; usually only one is necessary to protect the wood but sealer has a nicer finish IMO. In any case, with wood-product materials, always make sure to get the edges, those are most vulnerable to damage and the damage is more detrimental. All of those products are pretty toxic, work outside/ventilate/etc.

I've seen 1/4" plywood sheets at some hardware/home improvement stores, they'll be expensive though ($20-35 per 4x8' sheet). I think craft stores sell them too, but at a much higher price. 1/4" Hardboard/Masonite (the stuff pegboards is made from) is very economical; something like $8 per 4x8' sheet. I don't know if Masonite is as strong as polycarb, but it shouldn't need to be for most parts. The problem with those sheets is that one side is left in a completely unfinished state and I'm not sure how to get it cleaned up without power tools or a ton of paint. I have seen both-side finished sheets (99% sure clipboards are made with them), but they are more expensive and rare. One solution would be to get 2x 1/8" sheets and glue them back to back with wood glue.