2 replies to this topic

[rusty]

A long time ago in a land far far away, a friend of mine bought a 14' trampoline at BJ's. After one new england winter, you could snap the metal legs off by hand. In the end I walked away with a bag of large trampoline springs. I finally got around to building something with them. Here's is my first prototype:



This is a parts shot, with the plunger, the plunger tube, and the spring layed out for size comparisons.



The spring hooks to the bolt in the plunger tube like above.



The plunger assembly. The plunger assembly is a turbuckle with two washers on one end. Inbetween the washers is some squashed vinyle tubing which creates the seal with the plunger tube. The other end of the turnbuckle will eventually have a chain on it, for cocking the gun.

Eventually, I'll add a coupler at one end of the plunger tube to attach different barrels, and also design a firing mechanism.

Questions, comments, suggestions?

[NerfMonkey]

Looks very nice, but unless you plan on adding a cap to the back end, isn't there a slight chance that hook could slip off and the spring fly and hit you in the face?

Anyway, I like it. I never thought to use a spring like that, I always thought you had to use a spring like in the stock guns.

EDIT: Oh, I get it. Never mind, looks really good.

Edited by NerfMonkey, 06 September 2005 - 06:16 PM.

[MattPaintballer]

Hmm, interesting idea.

I wonder how powerful it will be. I remember when I was helping put our trampoline together it was pretty hard to stretch the springs from the tarp to the base ring thing. I had to use the hook from a bungie cord to do it.

Yeah I was thinking of the spring flying out, too. On a trampoline the springs are already pulled a bit so they don't fly off and kill somebody in the face, but you're not going to be holding the spring back all the time (that would hurt after a while).

By the way, I'm digging your signature.