603 replies to this topic

[six-five-two]

Alot of people here seeem to get their FBR in packages... at my local Rona in Canada, they sell it by the foot. It is like 6-8 cents (CAD) for 1/2" FBR. It is pretty good but it is too fat for CPVC.

[Lancaster]

Alot of people here seeem to get their FBR in packages... at my local Rona in Canada, they sell it by the foot. It is like 6-8 cents (CAD) for 1/2" FBR. It is pretty good but it is too fat for CPVC.

The kind I buy comes in clear plastic packages, I think 25' per bag. Luckily, my local Lowe's stocks 5/8" and 1/2" sizes.

[General Cole]

If your foam is to big for CPVC try 1/2 in. PEX that stuff fits my larger foam great.

[Timram]

I make my stefans using a combo of all my favorite tecniques. It allows my lazy self to make easy & effetice darts. I straighten 3ft sections with a blow dryer then cut 2.5in darts. I make the dent in the front with my glue gun fill, the hole with glue, then put a thumb tack in (the ones with the plastic or rubber coating). Then cover the exposed flat head of the tack in glue & wedge the dart in the mouth of a soda can. Gravity makes the glue set in awsome domes & the soda can is a perfect holder. My low temp glue it dry by the time I finish my 1st dart. After i make 10 darts or so I drill out the center with a bendy straw (drilling with the short part till I get to the bend). I really like these darts they really work well for me my unmodded maverick can shoot them 60ft slightly angled (no wind). This is my 1st post I hope this info will help some people with making their darts.

[six-five-two]

If your foam is to big for CPVC try 1/2 in. PEX that stuff fits my larger foam great.

I think I already tried and it didnt fit. I haven't made much stefans lately because I really suck ass at it. I bought some el cheapo hot glue gun at a dollar store... low temp like what you guys said. But it really sucks...

The el cheapo dollar store one is "10 W/120 V"
The old one I have that is broken is "AC100 V"

Which one is a low temp one?

[Omega]

Well, I have my low-temp right here in front of me, and it says that it's 120V 10W.


So, yeah, just go a craft store and get a hot glue gun. Generally, dollar store stuff is worth less than you pay for it. In my experience, anyway.

Edited by Omega, 27 October 2006 - 04:49 PM.

[six-five-two]

I need help with my darts. I am using #8x5/8 screws into my foam. I used a sharpie to dot the middle then hand screwed it in and made it tighter with a screwdriver, then finally added a felt tip. The problem is, I can't get it to be centered so now the darts fly weird... and they are 5-10feet less distance than a dart tag dart.

[Vaega]

Dude secure that screw with some hot glue or something. If you're using a high velocity gun the screw could pop out easily and hurt someone.

[six-five-two]

I am not going to shoot these darts out of high velocity guns like Titans, etc... I dont think it would be a problem. The felt tip is holding it in place.

[Vaega]

Dude believe me. Sometimes the foam itself rips.

[six-five-two]

After how long?

[Vaega]

Depends on the gun and the distance your target is.

[Retiate]

Yeah. You really should secure the screw so it wont come out. Even if the chances of the screw coming out are slim, there's still the possibility. And your how long are the screws? If they are too long, then your darts won't fly right.

[six-five-two]

The screws are 5/8's long. I screw them in with my hand then use a screwdriver to make it as tight as it can be. Then I add a felt tip for safety. I found out today that if I shoot them close range out of a BBB, it will make a slight dent in the wall... So I am still searching for a safe,fast,cheap,good safedart. I have tried Ruffstuff Safe Darts, Foam tipped darts, Stefans with felt tip and a few others... it seems that I will never find a good safe dart...

[CaptainSlug]

I have yet to dent anything with my felt-tip washer darts. Or hot glue stefans for that matter.

[Retiate]

The screws are 5/8's long.
... ...
I found out today that if I shoot them close range out of a BBB, it will make a slight dent in the wall... So I am still searching for a safe,fast,cheap,good safedart. I have tried Ruffstuff Safe Darts, Foam tipped darts, Stefans with felt tip and a few others... it seems that I will never find a good safe dart...

How long are your darts? If they're around 1" long, then 5/8" screws would be way too long. But assuming your darts are somewhere around 2", I think the screw length isn't your problem.

Your felt tipped darts are denting walls? Wow. Either that is one really high powered gun, or your walls are made of cardboard. My Pump Shotgun shooting hotglue tipped CDTS's might dent walls a little. I haven't tried. Though I know it takes some paint off the walls, that one was discovered from accidentally pulling the trigger.

[six-five-two]

My darts are 1 1/2" long. I shot it out of my BBB that was couplered. 5 feet away. My house is 9 years old though.

[elf avec gun]

Ok so thismorning I was taking my alergy medication (Darned mold) and I looked at the wrapper. It is square shaped and flat, save for one place in the middle where there is a dome. The dome houses the pill and protects it from getting crushed. So anyways I was looking at the thing and I thought: hey this thing could be used to make stefens have really aerodynamic heads! Used as a mold for the hot glue, one would simply add a step after the application of the hot glue, which would be to stick the darts head into the medication wrapper while the glue is still warm.

Now someone might ask: "But Elf wont the hot glue stick to the wrapper?"
Just use some lubricant.

What do you (the collective nerf community) think?

[Forsaken angel24]

Ok so thismorning I was taking my alergy medication (Darned mold) and I looked at the wrapper. It is square shaped and flat, save for one place in the middle where there is a dome. The dome houses the pill and protects it from getting crushed. So anyways I was looking at the thing and I thought: hey this thing could be used to make stefens have really aerodynamic heads! Used as a mold for the hot glue, one would simply add a step after the application of the hot glue, which would be to stick the darts head into the medication wrapper while the glue is still warm.

Now someone might ask: "But Elf wont the hot glue stick to the wrapper?"
Just use some lubricant.

What do you (the collective nerf community) think?

Seems like a good idea to me. This way you would get consistently perfect shaped domes.
I would only suggest getting a seperate one so you don't filthy up anything that houses medication you are using.

Edited by Forsaken_angel24, 30 October 2006 - 05:50 AM.

[CaptainSlug]

What do you (the collective nerf community) think?

It would be much easier to use the bowl of water trick, but if you want a mold I recomend buying a mellon-baller or metal teaspoon.

The plastic used to make pill tray is a thermo-forming plastic such as mylar, polyethylene, etc. and will deform when heated repeatedly.

Edited by CaptainSlug, 30 October 2006 - 09:13 AM.

[elf avec gun]

Seems like a good idea to me. This way you would get consistently perfect shaped domes.
I would only suggest getting a seperate one so you don't filthy up anything that houses medication you are using.

They are the packaging that would normally be thrown out.

CaptainSlug: As long as I do this outside there shouldn't be any problem (Toxins from the melted plastic). Or I could Just use it once, set it aside for alittle while to cool down and in the meanwhile use a different one, and keep switching molds. I have a very large supply of these and I dont think that my allergies will be going away anytime soon. These are the perfect size for my darts and they are basicly free for me. It doesnt matter if I get hotglue stuck to them, I could just throw them out, something I wouldnt want to do with a metal spoon. And plus the spoons usually come in packs of all the different measuring sizes.

[Croc]

Is it possible to buy foam backer rod from a store, and if so, where would you look to buy it?
Since I live in Canada, I don't have an Ace Hardware or Lowes near me.

[CaptainSlug]

Is it possible to buy foam backer rod from a store, and if so, where would you look to buy it?

Any store that sells weather stripping or window sealant. Just check you local phone book for hardware stores and call a few.

[cooldood31]

"Is it possible to buy foam backer rod from a store, and if so, where would you look to buy it?
Since I live in Canada, I don't have an Ace Hardware or Lowes near me."-Croc

I live in Canada also. I've been able to find 1/2" foam backer rod in the weather stripping sections at Canadian Tire, Rona, and the Building Box.

[Omega]

Hmm. I've made a batch or two of CDTSes and about... maybe, say, 60-100 normal stefans, using blackish Frost King foam at Home Depot. And, looking at pictures of your guyses darts throughout the site, I think that my domes are weird. Bad weird.

I think that I make them too wide (When I make them, it's about flush with the side of the dart, but later they spread out so that I think that they spill over the edge.)

Also, I make them pretty long. I know that this is totally a matter of taste, but about how long do you make your domes?

I hand (finger) shape them using Falcon's method, but I have zero reference point for how long to make the domes. (In case it matters, I use 2" stefans.)