6 replies to this topic

[Sketch Art Online]

Sorry this  post is rather word-heavy.

 

So I recently began nerf as an actual hobby more than just a passtime.  This mod is my first large(ish) scale project.  Really i am posting this to say what, exactly, might I be doing right/wrong and discuss Crayola Barrels.  Explanation of Crayola barrels here. 

 

 

I just now realize how huge that picture is. Whoa. Ok so the paintjob is a blue spray-paint for polycarbonate so i did not use a primer.  Is this a good option? I couldn't find anything on the forums about this.  It certainly is more expensive.  Where you see the silver stripe used to be white.  But my masking tape crapped out on me, leaving nasty green and/or white lines near that area.  I tried to cover it up with silver dry-brushing and eventually decided to just replace the white with silver.  Then i covered it with matte clear coat and did some yellow details.  I really like the sidestrike's aesthetic and because the shells come off so easily, painting is a snap. Compared to other paint jobs, this is absolutely atrocious.  But it was my first, and I am happy with it nonetheless.  

 

 

So for internal modifications, I cut the barrel off right before the clip that attaches it to the plunger tube.  Then I used Duco Cement and attached a Crayola barrel. Then I removed the air restrict-or.  These simple mods have gotten very impressive results shooting 100-110 feet angled.  Because of its reluctance to stay in the blaster, some parts are being held down with electrical tape.  Now about Crayola Barrels.  I believe they are very sufficient barrel forms.  I have felt 17/36 brass barrels and really I prefer the fit of Crayola.  A friend of mine who has been doing nerf much longer than I had never used one before.  After showing this mod to him, he found it very impressive. He usually uses CPVC.  These barrels seem very effective and underused and i believe they deserve more credit.

 

 

I would appreciate any feedback about Crayola Barrels, my mod or techniques.  Also i'm sorry for anything i did wrong with this post, as it is my first post on a forum and i haven't really gotten the hang of things yet. Thank you.

[Aeromech]

Ok so the paintjob is a blue spray-paint for polycarbonate so i did not use a primer.  Is this a good option? ...  But my masking tape crapped out on me, leaving nasty green and/or white lines near that area.  I tried to cover it up with silver dry-brushing and eventually decided to just replace the white with silver.  Then i covered it with matte clear coat and did some yellow details.

 

So for internal modifications, I cut the barrel off right before the clip that attaches it to the plunger tube.  Then I used Duco Cement and attached a Crayola barrel. Then I removed the air restrict-or.  These simple mods have gotten very impressive results shooting 100-110 feet angled.  

 

In reverse order:

 

OK, 100 feet (even angled) with original spring and only a crayola re-barrel? I HIGHLY doubt that. Unless you have actually gone to a football field or laid out a tape measure, guesstimated range estimates are just that. If you broke 70 feet, I'd be surprised. 

 

If you're unsatisfied with your paint job, there are some things you can do to improve it. If you're superstitious, you wash the shell in soap and water to remove any mold-release agents left from the injection molding process. Then, You apply a base coat of black or white across every part you wish to paint. It could be primer, but often I use paint with primer in it, or plastic-specific paint for this application, so I couldn't tell you. This will prevent the green splotches you see. What's happening is the blue paint didn't fully cover that area, so the green bleeds through. Applying a white base coat will give you basically a clean canvas to work on. The color you choose will look purer because it's on white, and it will be much easier to see if you missed any spots. When spraypainting, make sure you always apply very light coats. Then 3 or 4 clear coats over that. 

 

As for the crayola barrels, they have been around for almost a decade, the earliest I've personally seen them used was a forsakenangel24 video back in the good old days of 2007. They're probably even older than that. It's nothing new in the community, but it's good to see that someone is still using their heads to come up with these solutions. 

[The2ndBluesBro]

AAAGH a crayola barrel!!! But seriously, good first mod. The issue with crayola barrels is you can't really make speedloaders out of them, they are a short, set length and you have to cannibalize crayola markers to get them. However, they are pretty decent if you lack tools like a tubing cutter that would allow you to use other, superior barrel materials. I'd use duplicolor flat black or white vinyl dye or krylon fusion black (or the camouflage ultra flat black) as a primer and either duplicolor vinyl dye (don't use this over the krylon though, it is incompatible and only works on the plastic or itself), duplicolor auto paint, or more krylon fusion (if you're cheap, the others will turn out better) and duplicolor wheel rim clear coat.  

[NetherMax1]

I like the drybrushing, but as for the barrels, 3/8 cpvc works fine.

[RandomUser]

I really don't have anything against crayola barrels except the fact that speed loaders made from them, well, it really doesn't work well. It's no huge deal, but cpvc is stronger, and while it costs a good bit more, it is altogether easier to get. Apart from that, great first mod, but make sure that your painters tape is reliable.

Edited by RandomUser, 09 March 2016 - 08:46 PM.

[Sketch Art Online]

I really don't have anything against crayola barrels except the fact that speed loaders made from them, well, it really doesn't work well. It's no huge deal, but cpvc is stronger, and while it costs a good bit more, it is altogether easier to get. Apart from that, great first mod, but make sure that your painters tape is reliable.

Yes, since i did this mod i have switched my tape and it seems to be much more reliable.  Also, i have like 40 crayola markers that dont work from when i was 4 sitting around my house.  Thanks for the feedback.

[Sketch Art Online]

 

In reverse order:

 

OK, 100 feet (even angled) with original spring and only a crayola re-barrel? I HIGHLY doubt that. Unless you have actually gone to a football field or laid out a tape measure, guesstimated range estimates are just that. If you broke 70 feet, I'd be surprised. 

 

If you're unsatisfied with your paint job, there are some things you can do to improve it. If you're superstitious, you wash the shell in soap and water to remove any mold-release agents left from the injection molding process. Then, You apply a base coat of black or white across every part you wish to paint. It could be primer, but often I use paint with primer in it, or plastic-specific paint for this application, so I couldn't tell you. This will prevent the green splotches you see. What's happening is the blue paint didn't fully cover that area, so the green bleeds through. Applying a white base coat will give you basically a clean canvas to work on. The color you choose will look purer because it's on white, and it will be much easier to see if you missed any spots. When spraypainting, make sure you always apply very light coats. Then 3 or 4 clear coats over that. 

 

As for the crayola barrels, they have been around for almost a decade, the earliest I've personally seen them used was a forsakenangel24 video back in the good old days of 2007. They're probably even older than that. It's nothing new in the community, but it's good to see that someone is still using their heads to come up with these solutions. 

It is possible that there was wind or something on the day i tested it, but i shot over my house, half my yard and into a small crab apple tree.  I haven't measured the exact distance but it is approximately 100 ft.  I will take your advice on painting in the future and thank you for your feedback.  Also i forgot to mention I fiddled with pulling the spring more and adding another.  While I did not add another, the spring still has a bit of extra give to it.

Edited by Sketch Art Online, 10 March 2016 - 07:17 AM.