15 replies to this topic

[scientology]

Hi guys I'm new here, I lost a part off a bbb, its the small orange square dealies on both the sides of the gun, I think its supposed to help cock the gun, and I only have 1, so its not cocking straight. I was thinking I could make a mold of that part and use it to make another one out of hotglue, since the thing is so small I think it wouldnt be too hard to do.... how hard/expensive would this be? because I have no idea how to make molds

Edited by scientology, 14 July 2005 - 09:00 PM.

[Suave]

Hotglue wouldn't work for the material.

At least I wouldn't think so.

Edited by Suave, 14 July 2005 - 09:21 PM.

[ItalionStallion]

Id reccomend just buying the part from someone off the fourms. Chances are someone is going to have a broken BBB that they are willing to scrap for parts.

Not only is it ALOT easier to get but you know the part is going to work.

Edited by ItalionStallion, 14 July 2005 - 09:29 PM.

[xedice]

Aw comon, don't discourage this kid's creativity. Since when is it fun to just buy a part when you can make it yourself?

Making a mold and filling the mold is just to clone a part you already have. Unless the 'small orange dealie' you have is exactly the same as the one you are missing, making a mold isn't the best option.

You could always travel to homedepot / lowes and browse their aisles looking for some parts that you could improvise with or just get some ideas. Some common materials that are easy to work with for nerf guns are wood, pvc, and thin sheet metal, which are all cheap and sold at most hardware stores.

Hot glue is very strong as a single part when it dries, but it is very hard to release it from the mold you use, because it is a glue... it's supposed to stick to things it touches. I've filled a section of PVC with hotglue in hopes of making a solid hotglue cylinder, but after it dried i couldn't get the hotglue cylinder out of the pvc, it was stuck. So it probably won't work for making a part.

[Davis]

Hot glue is very strong as a single part when it dries, but it is very hard to release it from the mold you use, because it is a glue... it's supposed to stick to things it touches. I've filled a section of PVC with hotglue in hopes of making a solid hotglue cylinder, but after it dried i couldn't get the hotglue cylinder out of the pvc, it was stuck. So it probably won't work for making a part.

How about PAMing the mold before putting the glue in it?

[scientology]

yup I'm trying to make an exact copy of it, there were 2 of them and they were both the same, thats why I was thinking of the mold idea. I read on a website about airplane models that you can make a mold out of hot glue and then fill it with some plastic putty (what is this).

I dont know I don't really wanna buy this little part off someone.... I'll find some way to make this thing...somehow

[Davis]

This is what you do (Although I've never done it before) :

Get some clay, putty, or something of that type. Assuming at least one side of the piece is flat, force it into the clay leaving the flat side outwards. *Note at bottom if the piece isn't flat.

Now take the piece of clay (with the object removed) and put it in the oven at about 350 degrees for a few minutes, or until the clay is rock hard. Let it sit for a while, or just douse it in continous freezing water for a minute.

PAM it up, and fill the mold with hot glue. Wait 'til dried, and remove. Hopefully, your glue won't be flimsy so that it doesn't operate well as a piece. Other fillings may work better, but I have no idea.

*Note: If not, take a chunk of clay, and cut it in half. Push the piece you need a copy of halfway into one chunk of clay, and push the other chunk on top of it until it is even with the other chunk. Then continue to heat it.

Afterwards, when gluing, assuming your piece if small, you can just overflow the first chunk quite a bit and then force the other chunk on top. After the glue is dry, just cut the chunks away from eachother (obviously not cutting the glue) and use a knife to cut away the excess glue arround the mold.

That's my advice...

DaViS

Edited by Davis, 15 July 2005 - 09:10 PM.

[xedice]

ah i see.

just google mold making or something
http://www.smooth-on...tomakemolds.htm

i also found a page where they make lego parts using a rubber mold and ABS plastic as the filler. I used to play with legos when i was younger, found it pretty interesting..

[scientology]

thanks guys, I know how to make a mold now I just need to find a filling, because I see hot glue is too rubbery and soft. I gotta find out what that plastic putty stuff is

[Suave]

If plastic putty is what I think it is...it should work nicely. You might wanna make a few though, in case some break.

Edited by Suave, 16 July 2005 - 01:34 PM.

[scientology]

i dont think I can use plastic putty anymore I am following this website http://www.hirstarts...king.html#torch

looks like you have to make a container out of legos and pour some liquid mold-making stuff called insta-mold into it. and then after that pour plastic casting resin into the mold. I'm going to check this stuff out at an art store tomorrow, if its too expensive then forget it

[Davis]

That's how they say to do it.

Theirs might come out better, but our way is hella cheaper.

You might even try melting down whatever fill your'e gonna use, then letting it dry. (Like melt the hot glue so it is a pure liquid)

[scientology]

I cant make the mold out of clay though, I tried pushing the piece in and the clay got all soft at the top and kinda caved in. This piece has to be really exact so I dont think it will work that way I am trying to find the cheapest way to do this though, I'll make sure I get the most cheapo stuff I can get



**edit** just found out you can use silicone sealer and some thinned epoxy to make cheap crappy molds, this is what Im gonna do

Edited by scientology, 17 July 2005 - 01:35 PM.

[scientology]

i did it!! if anyone wants to know! I ended up forgetting about the whole molding (it was too hard) and followed xedices method and made the part out of spare junk

its made from a piece cut out from a 1 1/2 inch pvc coupler and a plastic propeller from a tiny motor which I cut to shape and epoxied it on the pvc.

[duce]

Nice job man.

[scientology]

yeah my gun works fine now, except now it seems to be wearing down the ribbed part of the bbb cocking mechanism really fast if it keeps up, it wont be able to cock again ahh damn this crappy nerf plastic.