15 replies to this topic

[NWT]

Hey guys,

New to the site, have been lurking around for a while and am newly back into the 'Nerf scene' you could say.

I was in search of a 35 round magazine holder and never found much content on the net, so I set to making my own custom holder.

I made two versions of the same design. The first version was made entirely of cardboard, hot glue and black duct tape so as to get an idea if the design would actually work and if it was practical in the field.

The design I came up with is a back mounted holder which loops through a normal belt. The magazine simply slides into the holder and is secured using a nylon strap and a velcro tab. It worked quite well and I was very satisfied with it in the field as it allowed me to carry a second 35 mag and gave me the ability to quickly draw it out to reload.

The only issue was the actual construction. As it was made with cardboard/duct tape/hot glue, it wasn't exactly solid, but has held up pretty good considering.

Alas I opted to upgrade and start version 2.0.

For the second version I decided to work with fibreglass. It is strong, light and very easy to mold and create smooth curves.

I had an old 35 mag in which the casing was cracked and went to work. I essentially stuck to the original design and the final product came out nicely. I lined the inside of the holder in both plastic and felt cloth. The plastic was used in the tip where the magazine slots in the the dart blaster. The body of the holder was lined with felt to give it a snug fit and reduce any rattling sounds that would give away your position as you moved.

I do not have pics with me at the moment, but if people are interested, I can certainly post some up.

Steve

Edited by Aeromech, 23 November 2015 - 03:07 AM.

[Nerfgirl36]

Id like to see some pics.

[Longshotlord]

I would like to see a picture as well.

[NWT]

As requested.













The paint is charcol textured Krylon fusion. I have used this on several fibreglass/plastic projects and it holds up quire well.

[roboman]

That is awesome. What did you use to make the form for the fiberglass - did you just alter the broken drum, or what?

[Darkdragon]

Im sorry, I didnt catch something, did you use the broken casing in this drum holster or just to form the shape?

Nonetheless, Pretty neat. Can you show a few more pics of it attached on to you?

[Ezio Nerf]

Damn! Thats actually better than I expected it to look like! This design could also be effective with the other drums as well. Since the 35 Drum is the biggest wouldn't the 25 and 18 Drum fit inside? And you could probably sell these if you had a faster process to create a lot at one time. That's something to consider looking into I'd say.

Edited by Ezio Nerf, 19 April 2014 - 06:29 PM.

[bum]

This is amaze-balls; I want one. How much did all the materials cost and did it take a long time to make?

[NWT]

Hey guys/girls,

In regards to the questions, I simply used the damaged 35 mag to get the shape. (SeeI pics) I added layers of cardboard to the mag, using hot glue to hold the cardboard on the sides to build up the height and even the shape of the drum so the curve would be right. If you simply wrap a material around the drum, you will notice that due to the design of the drum, it will be angled ever so slightly.

I then created the curved by using layers of Bristol board. I used several layers so that I could account for the extra space I would need later to add the felt lining to the finished product.

After the Bristol board was attached, I created a top and bottom plate and the same again on the mag tube which inserts into the dart blaster. I essentially completely encased the entire magazine inside the Bristol board.

Then I began to add 2 layers of fibreglass in different stages to the entire mag.

Once I had 2 layers completed, I did minor sanding to smooth the rough edges and then cut the magazine out using a Dremel tool. You can see how I cut the mag out, I simply cut a pie shape off the end and pulled it out.

Next, I removed all the Bristol board. It comes off pretty easily and you are left with a nice fibreglass case.

After that, it was simply a matter of creating the back belt mount, adding resin to smooth out the edges and low spots, sand, paint and add the felt lining.

The strap is actually set into the fibreglass so there is no worries of it coming off.

In the regards to cost/time: this was the first remake, so it did take some time prepping the mag to use as a mould, etc. in between work and waiting for the resin to set, it took about 2 weeks to complete. Cost is minimal but varies where you buy your materials. You need chopped fibreglass mat, resin, hardener, cardboard/Bristol board, sand paper/sander, dremel/cutting tool, strap/Velcro, felt and paint, hot glue and some tape.

Hope that answered your questions.

Steve

[NWT]

[Majestic]

The final product looks wonderful. I like working with plastics so I intend on trying to recreate this in acrylic or polycarbonate. Would you describe the felt a little more? Did you use the adhesive backed stuff on a roll?

[roboman]

Very nice. I love seeing the process behind projects like these.

This seems like the kind of thing that would lend itself very well to vacuum forming. MAKE Magazine had an article about doing it at home with an oven and a shop vac a few years ago. I know Lucian tried it with a SS2 shell, but it couldn't hold the detail necessary for a good imprint of the shell. I think a shape like this could work really well, though.

[NWT]

The felt is heavier quality and is not the sticky back kind. I used a 3M commercial grade spray adhesive to adhere it to the inside. I went this route given the wear and tear of removing/inserting the magazine.

Vaccum forming would be amazing way to do this project. Essentially, once you get a mould, you could pump them out quite quickly and the quality would be consistent.

I have searched around quite a bit; has anybody done something similar to this? I'm curious as to their designs.

[Rommel McDonald]

I have searched around quite a bit; has anybody done something similar to this? I'm curious as to their designs.

That design is just freaking awesome! It looks incredibly durable and highly functional. I've never attempted hard cases or shells, but I've made a few drum holders out of heavy duty webbing and rivets. These ones are a bit clunky on the thigh, but great on the chest or back of the belt.


Here is another variant with different orientation:

[Duke Wintermaul]

http://propweaponsco...-accessory-mod/

[jboynerf345]

Wow, looks very sleek and clean, I like it a lot.

The only con I see is that it wouldn't be very practical for battle, as the drum is very bulky. Also, in most NIC wars we would use stefans, not stock darts.

Nevertheless, I would probably use that a lot in most "un-NIC" style war I would attend. Again, nice design!