9 replies to this topic

[HOTH]

I have been looking for an alternative to the biege foam that I usually use. I believe it is "Best Products" brand. Its excellent foam, but as I switch to smaller ID barreling, it no longer fits my springer barrels.

I was reading through Ryan's guide, which is great, but I was wondering if anyone had any specific feedback for MD Building Products Backer Rod ? Some pro's I see are that its inexpensive, sold by Amazon, and is rumored to fit in 17/32 / CPVC / Polyester nicely for springers.

Amazon Link

Has anyone used this stuff? Is it high enough quality to buy in bulk and start to make some darts with? I will be using 17/32, CPVC, and 1/2 Polyester from now on.

Thanks

[Mully]

Your link is showing me 196 search results...

[HOTH]

Your link is showing me 196 search results...

Was it really so hard to click the one that said 1/2 x 20', especially seing as it was the very first one?

It was a link to show people the foam options.

What a helpful response.

[RVMVTVProductions]

MD-Building Products Foam is the foam I usually buy from Lowes for my darts. As Ryan pointed out, being able to buy it in store means I can sort through what they have and pick up the thickest of the batches- thus, getting it online may result in getting vastly different results than what I have written below.

From what I've bought, the fit is generally much more consistent than Frost King (Home Depot) with most having a tight-but-no-twisting fit into the CPVC I bought at the same location. However, judging from my use of brass, the fit is generally too loose to not use tightening rings in 9/16 brass for airguns. My most recent batch, and the largest diameter I have bought thus far, has trouble fitting in 17/32 brass, however. It is a more difficult twist in my smaller CPVC barrels, but it still fits and shoots nicely. Density is decent, nothing special.

The last thing to note is that the color is generally a lighter gray than the other foam I've bought around here, meaning ACE and Frost King foam. ACE is significantly darker, and Frost King is marginally darker. I have a hard time finding all of my darts in the grass after I've shot them. I don't imagine this will be as large a problem after making more darts with bulk-bought foam.

Just my two cents.

[HOTH]

Thanks very much

When you say

My most recent batch, and the largest diameter I have bought thus far, has trouble fitting in 17/32 brass,

Do you mean it is too tight or too loose in the 17/32? Sorry if my apprehension is somehow lacking.

Otherwise, very helpful. Thanks again.

Edited by HOTH, 28 January 2013 - 01:39 AM.

[mr trouble]

For most of my darts I use MD brand. It's not the best foam but at about $4 a pack it's hard to justify not trying it at least once. I find that it fits ½ CPVC very well but like RVMVTV said buying it in store is best. Usually I take a small section of CPVC with me and check if the foam will fit before I buy. I find that there is a lot of variation between each package of foam. Sometimes it just slides through other times I can't even get it inside the barrels. Most of the time it's a good fit for springers.

[RVMVTVProductions]

...
Do you mean it is too tight or too loose in the 17/32? Sorry if my apprehension is somehow lacking.

Otherwise, very helpful. Thanks again.

Whoops. Forgot to add that.

Yeah, the fit is concerning-ly tight but still possible with that batch in the 17/32 brass. I don't use my brass barrel too often, but it did still shoot.

Generally I end up with foam that has just slightly less than, if not equal to, stock foam diameter. With AMIORS the foam tends to widen, though, so that may be why the batch in question is pretty tight in the 17/32. I just checked with a couple of blanks, and they have tighter-end springer fit in said brass.

EDIT: More concisely said I generally gotten iffy airgun fit in 9/16 and good springer fit in CPVC and 17/32. My most recent batch is the only time I've gotten anything larger than stock diameter, and the difference is marginal.

Edited by RVMVTVProductions, 28 January 2013 - 01:58 AM.

[HOTH]

Excellent, thanks. I understand that each batch varies, but would you expect even the tighter fits in the brass to be able to breech load from a clip? I understand if this is beyond your scope of experience at this point.

Also, apprehension was a technically correct term in context.

[RVMVTVProductions]

Excellent, thanks. I understand that each batch varies, but would you expect even the tighter fits in the brass to be able to breech load from a clip? I understand if this is beyond your scope of experience at this point.

Also, apprehension was a technically correct term in context.

You are correct and I have reflected that in an edit.

If you mean like an LS breech, I would think so. My experience is limited but I do remember my AR-removed LS feeding 2.5" darts (from an older batch, not the newer, thicker one) feeding with an occasional jam in the winter. The thicker darts I imagine would feed much better, and you seem to be a better modder than I, so if you got a good batch I would think it would work.

[Ryan201821]

I was reading through Ryan's guide, which is great, but I was wondering if anyone had any specific feedback for MD Building Products Backer Rod ? Some pro's I see are that its inexpensive, sold by Amazon, and is rumored to fit in 17/32 / CPVC / Polyester nicely for springers.

Yes, I said I have specific experience using this stuff and it's pretty average.

Home Depot (MD Building Products)
Color: Gray
Price: $3.48
Per Foot: $0.18
Springer : ½” CPVC, ½” Polyester, 17/32 Brass
Airgun: ½” Sch. 80 PVC, ½” Aluminum, ½” thickwall PETG
Comments: I've used this stuff before and it can vary a lot. What's nice is they have a bunch of it for sale usually, so you can sift through what looks good and leave behind the stuff that's crap. Pretty similar to Ace foam otherwise.
http://www.homedepot...uctId=202066515

The difference for me is they supply it my local Home Depot instead of Frost King.

Basically, it's foam and it varies a lot, like all foam. If you can get decent stuff it fits like ACE foam. Buying over the internet you don't really have the luxury of sorting through what fits and what doesn't so anyone's reviews here are really not going to help you.