229 replies to this topic

[Lt Stefan]

I was recently at Home Depot, and noticed that they now carried PEX piping. I happened to have a dart with me, and noticed that the 1/2" x 5/8" was just about as tight on my darts a cpvc. But cpvc cannot fit in 1/2" pvc without a little sanding, but I noticed this could. So I bought a 5' length (<$2) and brought it home. Since I can't use it by itself because it's too flexible, I decided I could use it like I would cpvc, except I could easily nest it in pvc. So there should be a little help for you.

[cheesypiza001]

I was recently at Home Depot, and noticed that they now carried PEX piping. I happened to have a dart with me, and noticed that the 1/2" x 5/8" was just about as tight on my darts a cpvc. But cpvc cannot fit in 1/2" pvc without a little sanding, but I noticed this could. So I bought a 5' length (<$2) and brought it home. Since I can't use it by itself because it's too flexible, I decided I could use it like I would cpvc, except I could easily nest it in pvc. So there should be a little help for you.

Is that the very thick walled white bendy piping? And also, I don't understand how you could use it because of its really small I.D. (compared to CPVC).

[Hi Yah]

I have tried PEX from Home Depot and it is noticeably tighter that CPVC. I was able to real load with it but if I tried to ram rod the tip of the dart would go into the center of the foam behind it and would ruin the dart.

[Lt Stefan]

Well my darts are tight in cpvc as well. It's really the same fit. And CP yes it's that stuff.

[nerkum]

I have been playing around with the PETG you can get from Mcmaster, and had some great success in making many Barrel types out of it. The PETG has a 1/16" wall and is telescoping like brass. Since it is so thick I only use two sizes.

9245K25- Clear PETG Tube, 5/8" OD, 1/2" ID
9245K29- Clear PETG Tube, 3/4" OD, 5/8" ID

Inline Clip Barrel: These barrels work great on turrets so you can add two or three more darts in each barrel. It multiplies the number of shots you have. Take a length of 3/4" PETG (chamber barrel) and measure out enough to fit 2 or 3 of your best darts and add about 2-3 inches. Cut a length of 5/8" (fire barrel) and grind the edges of the inside of the barrel on one end. This will act as a funnel for darts when you point the Inline Clip down. Glue the 5/8" barrel inside the 3/4" barrel and attach to turret or breech system.
Inline clips have two parts to them. The chamber barrel and the fire barrel. In this case the inner diameter of my fire chamber is 1/2" and as you can see my darts have a snug airtight fit. My chamber barrel has a 5/8" inner diameter which allows higher air pressure to push around the dart as it tries to expand in the chamber barrel. Once the expanding air reaches the fire barrel it meets resistance from the dart that is partially in the fire barrel (and making an airtight seal). This causes the air to push the dart through the fire barrel. As you can see the last of the escaping air will cause the rest of the darts in the chamber barrel to move forward into fire position (though it helps to point the whole inline clip down to make sure the next dart is in fire position).

Here is an example of an Inline Clip Barrel firing.




Inline Clip with sliding Fire Barrel: One of the biggest problems with Inline Clips and RSCB's is after you take a couple of shots you now have a ton of dead space in your Chamber Barrel. Well with a simple redesign of my Fire Barrel I am now able to move my barrel to meet the next dart in the Chamber. This makes my last shot the most powerful, and keeps my range more consistent through all my shots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx48W5M4VbY

RSCB with Deadspace Slider: Using a pushrod at the back of my RSCB allows me to push the darts forward and eliminate deadspace. The last dart fired has the most power. The chamber barrel is 15" long and holds 5 full sized nerf darts. I'm using an AT3k for power and as you see it maintains its power curve since there is less deadspace. In times of need you can leave the pushrod in and just use the breech at the front of the barrel to load a single dart, or you can open it up and put many darts in. This barrel will hold 5 Streamlines, 7x 2" stefans, or 10x 1.5" stefans. It can even use an AT2k for an air source.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nanZCKcmVQ8

Edited by nerkum, 23 June 2009 - 05:36 PM.

[rbtying]

Interesting thing I've found (sorry if it's been posted already)

2 foot 1/2"PVC from Home Depot fits sonic darts very well, but doesn't fit taggers. It also nests OMC Thickwall PETG without e-tape.

10 foot 1/2"PVC from Home Depot fits taggers very well, but sonics drop right through.

The 2 foot pieces are a paler shade of gray, and easily distinguishable from the 10 foot pieces.

[Lt Stefan]

I've found that 1/2" Charlotte PVC (found at Home Depot in 2' lengths) Slides right over CPVC. Except for some reason HD doesn't sell Charlotte PVC in full lengths. It's great PVC.

[spartan062]

Does anyone know of a barrel material that is slightly looser than CPVC?

[Sk0rpion 777]

Does anyone know of a barrel material that is slightly looser than CPVC?

9/16 PETG is just a bit looser than 1/2 CPVC. Also check different sizes of brass.

[spartan062]

9/16 PETG is just a bit looser than 1/2 CPVC. Also check different sizes of brass.

I can't find anywhere that sells brass.

[1337]

9/16 PETG is just a bit looser than 1/2 CPVC. Also check different sizes of brass.

I can't find anywhere that sells brass.

Your BEST bet is 17/32 brass, but you can't get that, so I'd recommend OMC or Mod Man PETG. It's a big step up (much more so than 17/32 brass). But 9/16 is even bigger than PETG.

[Sk0rpion 777]

Another option that would take a lot more time is sanding out the CPVC, using a round file or drilling it out.

[spartan062]

Another option that would take a lot more time is sanding out the CPVC, using a round file or drilling it out.

Wouldn't that cause more friction when the dart is fired?

[Sk0rpion 777]

Another option that would take a lot more time is sanding out the CPVC, using a round file or drilling it out.

Wouldn't that cause more friction when the dart is fired?

I never even thought about that.

[wohnson89]

ok i have a question. i am working on a really cool moddification to the nite finder, and i got all done and the f@#ing darts wouldn't fit in the barrel well. i used 1/2 inch cpvc from ace hardware. any ideas how to fix it?
thanks.

[cannotaim]

ok i have a question. i am working on a really cool moddification to the nite finder, and i got all done and the f@#ing darts wouldn't fit in the barrel well. i used 1/2 inch cpvc from ace hardware. any ideas how to fix it?
thanks.

Use brass or PETG.

[wohnson89]

ok i have a question. i am working on a really cool moddification to the nite finder, and i got all done and the f@#ing darts wouldn't fit in the barrel well. i used 1/2 inch cpvc from ace hardware. any ideas how to fix it?
thanks.

Use brass or PETG.

Thanks for the tip but what size of brass for micro stefans and stock stream line darts
(i have no scorce for PETG because i caint buy stuff off of the internet)

[cannotaim]

ok i have a question. i am working on a really cool moddification to the nite finder, and i got all done and the f@#ing darts wouldn't fit in the barrel well. i used 1/2 inch cpvc from ace hardware. any ideas how to fix it?
thanks.

Use brass or PETG.

Thanks for the tip but what size of brass for micro stefans and stock stream line darts
(i have no scorce for PETG because i caint buy stuff off of the internet)

17/32 brass for micro stock darts and depends on stefan foam size.

[wohnson89]

ok i have a question. i am working on a really cool moddification to the nite finder, and i got all done and the f@#ing darts wouldn't fit in the barrel well. i used 1/2 inch cpvc from ace hardware. any ideas how to fix it?
thanks.

Use brass or PETG.

Thanks for the tip but what size of brass for micro stefans and stock stream line darts
(i have no scorce for PETG because i caint buy stuff off of the internet)

17/32 brass for micro stock darts and depends on stefan foam size.

ok thanks for yous help

[Gimmick]

Quick question: Since sonic micro darts have a slightly larger diameter as compared to normal micros, would 9/16 brass instead of 17/32 be a better fit for them? I mean in a spring gun, by the way.

Edited by Gimmick, 22 August 2009 - 05:26 AM.

[Fome]

Quick question: Since sonic micro darts have a slightly larger diameter as compared to normal micros, would 9/16 brass instead of 17/32 be a better fit for them? I mean in a spring gun, by the way.

No. 9/16" is quite a bit too big.

CPVC or 17/32" seems to be best for stock darts. Unsure about PETG.

Too tight >>>>> Too loose

[Gimmick]

No. 9/16" is quite a bit too big.

CPVC or 17/32" seems to be best for stock darts. Unsure about PETG.

Too tight >>>>> Too loose

How loose is too loose, really? Maybe the ID of my brass is funny or something, but with even 9/16" brass, I am already required to twist and push my darts down the barrel. I expect that with the 17/32" brass from these suppliers, my sonic darts will either not fit altogether or get seriously deformed really quickly.

[Fome]

No. 9/16" is quite a bit too big.

CPVC or 17/32" seems to be best for stock darts. Unsure about PETG.

Too tight >>>>> Too loose

How loose is too loose, really? Maybe the ID of my brass is funny or something, but with even 9/16" brass, I am already required to twist and push my darts down the barrel. I expect that with the 17/32" brass from these suppliers, my sonic darts will either not fit altogether or get seriously deformed really quickly.

Then maybe you're fine. I noticed a significant drop in performance on stock darts with 9/16" because the fit was juuust loose enough that a small amount of air was released around the dart, disabling it from building up pressure in the barrel. Springers and air tank guns. 17/32" had to be twisted in.

That's my hypothesis, anyway.

Your best bet would be to buy both if your 9/16" isn't performing well enough for you.
Do a test with the two barrels.
???
Profit.

[wohnson89]

Ok i took the advice i got from cannotaim and went to ace hardware to get 17/32 size brass pipe and guess what they didn't have it. So i thought ok I'll try Lowes or Home Depot. They didn't have it either! So now where do i go? websites? lumber yards? hardware stores? other stores?

[Collective]

Ok i took the advice i got from cannotaim and went to ace hardware to get 17/32 size brass pipe and guess what they didn't have it. So i thought ok I'll try Lowes or Home Depot. They didn't have it either! So now where do i go? websites? lumber yards? hardware stores? other stores?

Did you ask anyone at Ace whether or not they had brass? They usually have it in a little display near the nuts and screws and stuff like that. You won't find it at Home Depot or Lowes.

As for finding it online, I've seen it for sale on Amazon. It's such a well known website that you might be able to convince what/who ever isn't letting you order stuff online.

Edited by Collective, 27 August 2009 - 07:21 PM.