35 replies to this topic

[quertyman]

I have made this write-up for people who are new to making homemades but are familiar with machining plastic and have power tools. This is an entry to the contest and definitely falls into the “plusbow” category. My goal is to make this write-up as easy and detailed as I possibly can.

 

EDIT: Updated Link w Pictures 2/20/2022   DOC



Credit goes to:
The rainbow clan for the original rainbow catch
Ryan McNumbers for the original rainbowpump
Nerfomania for his rainbowpump variant to which this is based off of
Phoenix66 for making a excellent pvc quartering jig writeup
Koree for the help with ideas for the paintball handles

Tools required:

Dremel with cutting disc,a carbide cutting bit, and a grinding bit
Drill (drill press if possible) with bits 7/64, 5/32, 1/8 and a countersink bit (all should be included in a drill bit kit)
Scroll saw with preferred blade (I have a 16 tooth per inch blade)
Tap wrench with 6-32 tap and 10-32 tap and ¼ 20 tap
Hack saw with miter box or anything that can cut PVC evenly (miter saw)
Architectural ruler (only because it center itself on the round PVC)
Sand paper (I have 100-600 grit)

Parts were all bought from McMaster except for the handles and tape and adhesives
mcmaster.com is a website with almost everything used for building homemades. You can find a part in mcmaster.com by searching for the part number in the search bar at the top left. Everything is a quantity of 1 or 1 foot unless stated otherwise.

9637k26: [k26] spring
4880k314: 1” to ½” PVC reducer
4880k44: 1.25” PVC tee
4880k54: 1.25” PVC end cap
49035k26: 4’ section of clear 1.25” pvc
9245k51: clear petg tube 2” OD, 1.75” ID, get 2’ of this
9245k53: clear petg tube 2.25” OD, 2” ID
9562k46: skirt seal
8663k15: 3/8” x 3/8” delrin bar
8574k281: ¼” thick polycarbonate sheet 6”x6”
96640A115: pack of 100 black 3/8” long flathead 6-32 machine screws
94035a529: precision hex socket shoulder screw 6-32 thread
93013a264: black aluminum ¼” spacer 6-32 thread x2

You will also need to purchase from a hardware store:
¼ 20 machine screw 1” length x2
10-32 machine screw 1” length x2
6-32 1.25” machine screw
6-32 3/4" machine screw x2
6-32 nut x3
silicone grease
Bob Long Single Trigger 45 Frame HANDLE

Magpul afg2 fore grip FOREGRIP

Picatinny rail RAIL

Do not get overwhelmed by all this stuff. It looks complicated but I will make sure to walk you through all of it. The price will be around 140$ or less.


Here is a broad overview of the parts you will need, I left out most of the hardware here and the slide grip.


On with the write up.
First we will start with the body, measure out 26” of the clear 1.25” PVC and cut it with preferred tool. I used a hacksaw.




Go and make yourself one of these.



http://www.nerfrevol....php?f=9&t=5285 What this is is a square with a hole in it that will help you make exact quarters on your pvc. Mine is not the best but it works, I cut mine out with a scrollsaw and used cutting board for the material. If you want you could use the polycarbonate as the jig instead.
Put it on and mark your points with the jig. Make sure one is lined up with the letters of the pvc, it will help you later and will be the bottom of the blaster.



Take your architectural ruler and line it up with the mark you made that is lined up with the label on the pvc. Take a sharpie and draw along the entire blaster along the PVC label.




Now you can use the jig on the other side and mark all 4 points. Connect the points so you have 4 even lines going down the entire length of the PVC.


Mark 3 inches in on all 4 lines and make it a circle around the PVC.




Shade in the top 2 portions of you 3 inch circle that you made. The top is the oposite side of the label of the pvc.




Now bust out the dremel with a cutting disc and cut off all the shaded area.




It will look very bad at first as shown here.




All better! I acomplished this by using a dremel and knife to get the big stuff away then used 100-600 grit sandpaper to smoothen it out.




Now that the body is starting to take shape, lets move on to the bushing. I used a dremel to grind down the hex edge that was on my bushing.




Use some sandpaper to get the letters off the top and clean up the part you grinded down.




Now wrap it in a fair amount of packing tape and cut off the excess.




Keep cutting tape off until it will snugly fit inside the pvc. Once it does mark ¾” to 1” down the pvc on the 4 lines depending on the size of the bushing that you have. Drill all 4 holes through with a 7/64 bit and tap and countersink them. Secure the bushing in with 4 flathead 6-32 ⅜” machine screws.



Rainbow Catch:

The rainbow catch was invented by the rainbow clan and is extremely durable and reliable, you can see the original thread herehttp://nerfhaven.com...showtopic=20330 .

Now how to make one, mine is different and somewhat better because it is square and doesn’t allow the plunger rod to rotate out of place.

First you must download the templates for it. Here’s a link for the templates , courtesy of ryan mcnumbers. http://ryan201821.ne...owcatchrev2.doc
Glue those on with some super glue or the adhesive of your choice. First drill out 3 of the circles down the middle only, and 2 of them on the middle and the side marks (which from now on will be called the catch pieces). Then cut them out on a scroll saw. Ignore the hole saw setup in the pictures, as I did not use it. There are alternatives to a scroll saw (such as a hole saw) but my scroll saw was the best for me.


Once all the circles are cut out tap the middle hole and chuck it on your drill press by using a long screw, a bolt, and 2 nylon spacers (optional) to protect the plastic.



Once it is on the drill, use a combination of a dremel with the carbide bit, files, and sandpaper to file the pieces down to size. The two discs with three drilled holes must be filed down to a snug fit in the pvc. The other three must be filed so they are a loose fit in the pvc. Now take the two catch pieces and take the 3/8” bar and center it on the pieces, trace it out with a sharpie and cut it out on the scrollsaw. You may need to widen the inner hole in order to get the blade inside of the catch pieces. Do this to both pieces.



IMG]http://i1288.photobu...zpsc9dac1ac.jpg[/IMG]

Also one of the two catch pieces will need the outer holes to be countersunk for your flathead screws (if that’s what you use) and widened so your screws can slide through easily. Now construct the catch by using 2 ¾ 6-32 screws and the two ¼ spacers. See here.



Make the catch using the same methods of tracing out the 3/8” bar and cutting it out. You now have a complete rainbow catch.





You may need to Dremel the screw sticking out in order for the assembly to fit inside the pvc. You can see the ends sticking out here.



Now for the plunger rod. Take a sharpie and make an x on the 3/8” bar (further on called the plunger rod). Drill a pilot hole and then widen it to 5/32 (only if you are using 10-32 machine screws.



Tap that hole to 10-32 and assemble the plunger head with a polycarbonate disc sandwich with the skirt seal in between and held down with a 1” 10-32 machine screw.



Slide that plunger down the tube all the way down to the bushing followed by a spring. Use silicone grease to make the skirt seal slide smoothly. I use ace brand grease.



slide the catch assembly down the the spring. Drill where you want the trigger screw and catch to be and tighten it down with a spacer.



Drill into the front part of the catch and tap and countersink so it is secured into the blaster. I secured my catch with 3 screws.









Put a small spring on the catch screw so the catch is being pulled down. This will complete the function of the catch.
Once the rainbow catch is positioned, mark slots that are 7”-7.5” right behind the catch. Drill out the ends and connect the lines to make your marks. Cut it out with a cutting bit.






Use the carbide bit to widen it and clean it up.

Edited by quertyman, 19 February 2022 - 11:19 PM.

[quertyman]

Don’t have good pics of this but put the plunger all the way forward and measure back to where you want the catch to lock. You will want the plunger to move back 7" or the length of your slots you made earlier so mark where it is at rest then pull it back 7", mark this point and cut it out.





I later went back and made the front cut angled so it wouldn't mess with anything. It doesn't matter too much.

Once this is done take your ¼ 20 bolt and measure it in the slot to mark the plunger rod. Cut at this point and drill and tap it the same way you did to the front of it.

Prime the blaster and screw the last disc onto the back and you have a functional rainbow.



To attach the handle you must line up the catch screw with the hole in the handle. Mark the back port and drill a 5/32 hole and tap it with a 10-32 tap, screw in a 1" 10-32 machine screw and once that is in place mark and drill the front screw port and repeat the process.


The screws will stick into the body so you must use a Dremel to cut them down so they don’t interfere with anything.

Trigger:
Draw something that looks like this, you can Dremel it later to get it working perfectly.



Glue it onto the polycarb (I used too much superglue) and cut it out.




I used a bolt and 2 spacers and an acorn nut to put the trigger on. I had to Dremel the polycarb down on the sides slightly to allow 2 spacers to fit in there. Dremel it until it will push the catch screw up to your liking.



Slide:

Cut the 1.75” id petg tube to 17.5”. Your exact length may differ slightly depending on where your slots are.

Make marks on your tube so it will go around the handle.



Measure 11.5” with your line, again with the variances in lengths.



MAKE SURE TO TAPE OVER YOUR LINES!! If you don’t it will leave this melted plastic on your pipe that you will not be able to get off.



Lots of work to clean up the cuts, use an xacto, sandpaper, and Dremel.





Test it on the blaster and mark the front part to be cut out.



Again tape it up.



And cut it out.



All cleaned up.



Make a 1” sliver (or more) of the 2” id petg tube and match the marks to your slide to cut it out. Again tape, cut, and clean it up.

Sand the inside and outside and use pvc glue to glue it on. I made it look frosty to cover the bad look the pvc glue made. This is an in progress pic.



Once that dries put it on the blaster and mark where you need to drill. Drill out both sides to 15/64 and tap to 1/4-20.

AFG foregrip:

We need to mount the rain onto the slide, draw a straight line where the grip will be placed.



Measure, drill and countersink so a 3/8” 6-32 flathead screw will mount the rail. Secure the other side with a nut. Do this to both holes.





Attatch the AFG grip onto the rail and put the slide on the blaster. Make the stock by chopping the top off and connecting the bottom with an end cap and throw it on.



Any sharpie markings can be removed with some rubbing alcohol.

Congratulations, you have successfully made a rainbowpump that will perform very well in wars.



Thanks for reading.

Questions? Comments? Flames?

Edited by quertyman, 11 September 2013 - 09:43 PM.

[quertyman]

HOPPER WRITEUP

First, here is the layout of the parts you will need, make that 3 screws instead of 2.

The materials are:
4880k636: 1/2 pvc wye
49035K23: 1/2 clear pvc pipe
6-32 3/8" flathead machine screws x3
8585k31: 1/2" ID 5/8" polycarbonate tube (clear cpvc)
1/2 pvc wide flow ball valve



First things first. Chop off the top of the ball valve and sand it smooth.



Put your clear pvc in the wye and make the mark. Cut this piece off. Also, cut 14" of the polycarbonate tube.




Sand out the nub and super glue it to the polycarb tube.



Now sand out the barrel to a deep smooth angle.



With your barrel finished put it in the wye and put the clear pvc in like so. Put in however many darts you want it to hold and mark where you need to cut. I made mine hold 7 darts.



Make a 1.5" stub and put it in the back and your hopper is technically completed.



I decided to use screws to hold it together. Make your marks like so.



You know the drill, drill, tap, and countersink. Throw in sone 3/8" screws, they may need to be dremeled down slightly.


Throw it on your new rainbowpump and you are war ready once you make some darts (hint hint).

Edited by quertyman, 12 September 2013 - 12:43 AM.

[koree]

I believe this blaster should be renamed to distinguish it from the already prolific pump action blaster with a rainbow catch.

Edited by koree, 08 September 2013 - 11:03 PM.

[quertyman]

I do agree. I couldn't think of anything else to call it as that is what it is. Just more updated and with more draw/power. If you have any suggestions, fire away.

Edited by quertyman, 08 September 2013 - 11:17 PM.

[Eh Watt]

I do agree. I couldn't think of anything else to call it as that is what it is. Just more updated and with more draw/power. If you have any suggestions, fire away.

How about Painbro Rump

[quertyman]

How about Painbro Rump

No thanks haha. I didn't realize my title was exactly the same as ryans.

[Daniel Beaver]

You could just go with "quertyman's RainbowPump". Your's and Ryan's original design are quite similar (the only major difference I see is the way the priming tube hooks up to the plunger rod in the back).

This is a very good writeup, it will be the one to beat in this category.

[quertyman]

You could just go with "quertyman's RainbowPump". Your's and Ryan's original design are quite similar (the only major difference I see is the way the priming tube hooks up to the plunger rod in the back).

This is a very good writeup, it will be the one to beat in this category.

Ok great idea, I will do that now. His design is more complicated in that the handle has to go on after the slide (not too big a deal) and the handles don't have to be crafted at all. It is also shorter (I think).

Thank you very much. I will be editing it to make it the best I can.

EDIT: could you please tell me how I could rename the title? I can't seem to find out where to do that.

Edited by quertyman, 08 September 2013 - 11:45 PM.

[BlackBoarderV]

I enjoyed this write up, However I felt you could include some more photos of certain parts such as the Skirt Seal, Handle attachment (Some underside pictures of the screws) and attaching the polycarbonate disk to the back.

Edited by BlackBoarderV, 09 September 2013 - 12:01 AM.

[quertyman]

I enjoyed this write up, However I felt you could include some more photos of certain parts such as the Skirt Seal, Handle attachment (Some underside pictures of the screws) and attaching the polycarbonate disk to the back.

I added pics and more detailed explanations involving the disc and handle. Why do I need more pics of the skirt seal? I think the pic of the plunger head shows exactly what needs to be done.

[Ivan S]

This might be the wrong place to ask, but what are the rainbow pump's advantages over the pumpsnap? They're more reliable, is there anything else?
I don't mean to criticize, just trying to understand.

[Daniel Beaver]

They're more reliable, is there anything else?

That's a big reason. The components are much stronger overall and won't wear down with prolonged use. SNAPs require a rebuild after about a year of hard nerfing. Polycarbonate blasters really only need a re-lube and a new spring - I know of a few people on this forum still using +bows that are four or five years old.

But reliability is only one of many reasons. These don't look like plumbing, and they will generally have a better fit and finish than a SNAP. They just feel better to use, and I prefer using them at wars. They won't significantly out-perform a SNAP, but they are usually less janky to use, and that counts for something.

EDIT: could you please tell me how I could rename the title? I can't seem to find out where to do that.

You can't
If you ask really nicely, I think Zorn or Langley can do that?

Edited by Daniel Beaver, 09 September 2013 - 07:39 AM.

[HasreadCoC]

Very nice writeup, and on the name/title, I think "rainbow pump" needs to be left in it in some capacity, because you've basically built on easier-to-make, if slightly less guarded, rainbow pump. I can tell you, having built 2 pullback rainbows and a pump-action-rainbow-internals-longstrike myself, but never an actual rainbowpump, this design looks significantly less overwhelming, and the writeup looks easy enough to follow. Also, since you kept it to 2 sizes of clear tube (not counting the one small ring that could be replaced with something else without ruining the look), this design looks like it could potentially be cheaper to make than past rainbow pumps. I guess it would be a matter of getting the quantities and suppliers right.

All-in-all though, I'd say this could easily win the +bow category, good job!

[quertyman]

That's a big reason. The components are much stronger overall and won't wear down with prolonged use. SNAPs require a rebuild after about a year of hard nerfing. Polycarbonate blasters really only need a re-lube and a new spring - I know of a few people on this forum still using +bows that are four or five years old.

But reliability is only one of many reasons. These don't look like plumbing, and they will generally have a better fit and finish than a SNAP. They just feel better to use, and I prefer using them at wars. They won't significantly out-perform a SNAP, but they are usually less janky to use, and that counts for something.



You can't
If you ask really nicely, I think Zorn or Langley can do that?

I couldn't agree more, I have always had problems with the nail breaking down the epoxy putty ramp on me.

Also, I don't really see too much of a need for a rename, but if people want me to I can ask langley or zorn.

Also, since you kept it to 2 sizes of clear tube (not counting the one small ring that could be replaced with something else without ruining the look), this design looks like it could potentially be cheaper to make than past rainbow pumps.

All-in-all though, I'd say this could easily win the +bow category, good job!

That ring could easily be made out of a 1.5" pvc coupler, i think.

I kept the price under about 150$ My mcmaster order was under 105$ shipped to me. The paintball/airsoft was about 33$ shipped to me from 3 different locations using the given links. And the small quantity stuff should be under 10$.

[archangel24]

As far as machining goes, this is one of the cleanest. That technique to work down the circular parts on a drill press ass if you were lathing is cool. I've have done something similar for sharpening rotary pipe-cutter blades and wood lathe work with a dremel, not easy but works if you don't have proper tools.

Over all, great design and this makes me want to make one more than a +bow.

[quertyman]

As far as machining goes, this is one of the cleanest. That technique to work down the circular parts on a drill press ass if you were lathing is cool. I've have done something similar for sharpening rotary pipe-cutter blades and wood lathe work with a dremel, not easy but works if you don't have proper tools.

Over all, great design and this makes me want to make one more than a +bow.

The circular parts would have turned out better if I had a disc/belt sander to get them to fit in the pipe first then make then look good, I may work on the hole saw method a little more and try again.

This design is honestly harder to make than a plusbow. Because it involves alot of dremel work that you don't want to mess up, especially on the slide. But, the advantage is that it looks better (opinion) and it seems more sturdy as it is made of a single piece of pvc instead of being held together by a bunch of hardware.

Edited by quertyman, 10 September 2013 - 08:44 PM.

[archangel24]

One of the problems with machining +bows is that you have to cut out each piece twice and match them up perfectly. Then there's the hardware involved. I do have a scroll saw but it's a vintage Dremel moto-shop scroll saw using 3" pinned blades which are a bitch to come by if you don't know where to look. So naturally I default to pipe based blasters, such as the R-series created by SGN.

[DartSlinger]

I kept the price under about 150$ My mcmaster order was under 105$ shipped to me. The paintball/airsoft was about 33$ shipped to me from 3 different locations using the given links. And the small quantity stuff should be under 10$.

Someone on a budget could save about thirty dollars by just using wood instead of the airsoft components you used.

[quertyman]

Someone on a budget could save about thirty dollars by just using wood instead of the airsoft components you used.

Totally agree with that statement. Also, someone on a budget could build one of these http://nerfhaven.com...showtopic=20296 But it was made to be the easiest and a very good looking style rainbowpump. Plus I don't have woodworking tools that would make the process easier.

In other news, my hopper build guide is at the bottom of the writeup.

Edited by quertyman, 12 September 2013 - 08:31 PM.

[Mully]

Could you please tell me how I could rename the title? I can't seem to find out where to do that.

Hit edit, hit full editor, and voilà!
This is a great writeup man, very well written, very easy to understand.
This is gonna be hard to beat.

Edited by Mully, 13 September 2013 - 08:22 PM.

[quertyman]

Hit edit, hit full editor, and voilà!
This is a great writeup man, very well written, very easy to understand.
This is gonna be hard to beat.

Thanks a ton for the help, think I'm going to name it new style rainbowpump write-up.

Also, be expecting a dart making write-up within the next few days to follow up on the hopper build guide.

[Just582]

First off, really love this design. The only thing I think was forgotten was how long to cut the delrin plunger rod. I could probably figure it out, but I think it would be helpful so others don't have to go through trial and error. It is one of the best write ups I have seen anywhere, an entire parts list was given, templates and helpful links were given. Great job on this and I can't wait for what you will do next.

[cheerios]

While this design fixed many of the problems of the original RainbowPump, mainly being able to disassemble it easier than before. However it doesn't have the best feature of the original, a cheek-diddle sheath around the back.

[quertyman]

First off, really love this design. The only thing I think was forgotten was how long to cut the delrin plunger rod. I could probably figure it out, but I think it would be helpful so others don't have to go through trial and error. It is one of the best write ups I have seen anywhere, an entire parts list was given, templates and helpful links were given. Great job on this and I can't wait for what you will do next.

I did include how to measure it out, but I will change it anyway. My plunger rod turned out to be about about 1/8th less than a foot, I never even measured anything, luck I guess. You could just use a foot and drill both sides without any cutting. I will change the writeup now to order 1 foot instead of 2, and also I will integrate it into the write up.

Edited by quertyman, 14 September 2013 - 09:50 PM.