11 replies to this topic

[Saikyo219]

Ok I made an attempt to make a batch using 1/2" FBR Once I got to the point of warming them up to straighten them I made a mistake and ended up with a ball of goo. I'm trying again being very careful, but I still can't seem to get it right. I want to know if my venture is fruitless or if there is a simple remedy to what I'm doing wrong. I'm using the hair dyer pillow case method and in trying to avoid turning them in to a ball of goo I've set the dryer to warm on low and check every minute or so to see if they've shrunk. Its been a tedious process and no success what so ever. I'm determined to use the stock barrel (using nite finder and mavericks btw) so is there an easy way to make them fit through the barrel or am I doomed to haveing to do extensive mods to my guns?

I would also like to know the distance you get per stefan ie: tac stefans,bb stefans,fishing weight and how accurate they are.

I would like to make it clear that my main delema seems to be getting the straightened foam to fit into the stock barrels of the nite finder and the maverick because the 1/2" FBR is still too thick to allow its self to intsert easily.

Edited by Saikyo219, 31 January 2006 - 06:25 PM.

[Oddball]

Try using a shoebox with a hole cut in on end for the hair dryer, and ventilation slits all over.

Although I've never used a pillow case before, I would think that a cardboard shoebox would work better, as the stefans are constantly kept in motion since they bounce around a lot.

[The Infinite Shindig]

I usually use a cereal box, shoe box, or the dryer. If you want to prevent harm to the darts in the dryer, put the darts in with some wet towels or something. The trick when using a hair dryer is to run it for about 30 seconds, then stop and let the darts and box cool, and repeat until they are straight. Make sure you make some holes in the box to provide ventilation. Shake the box as well.

Another method is to have long pipes of PVC and insert the entire length of foam into them. If the PVC and the foam are a good fit, the foam will straighten with time. Besides, it is always a good idea to make sure your PVC and foam fit well otherwise you will sacrifice gun performance.

The distances on stefans depend on the gun and the barrel type, not the dart itself. However, a shitty stefan will yield poor performance in a gun, so it is important to make quality stefans.

[Dys70pia]

I'm not 100% on this, but I don't think the point of heating your FBR is to shrink it, but to straighten it.
I did the pillowcase method and it worked wonderfully. I cut the FBR into the 2" lengths, threw about 20-30 of em in a pillowcase, and put my hairdryer on hot and high for about 20 seconds, then onto a lower heat setting for about 10 seconds. Straight as a ruler. And they fit perfectly in my firefly (and fire farther than I can measure indoors).

For the tips I used 2 steel/copper BBs, lined up one in front of the other. I've tried with just one and with more than 2, and 2 seems to perform best for me.

[nerfer34]

I grab a pillowcase or a net type thing and put them in the dryer for 5 minutes, works perfectly.

edit changed it to them

Edited by nerfer34, 31 January 2006 - 03:13 PM.

[LordoftheRing434]

Another method I found is to make several 1/2" holes in a piece of wood by means of a drill press. The holes may need to be a bit larger than 1/2", so the dart can fit in. It should be snug, but not impossible to fit. This holey wood will hold your stefans while they dry, and over time, it will straighten them (similar to the PVC rod method).

This method will increase your stefan yields too. I currently have 7 blocks of wood with 20 darts each. Like canning/pickling veggies, the more you let the stefan age, the better. It will be straighter and it should be more stiff too.

If you are impatient or need to make an emergency batch, the hair dryer will work for the pinch, but keep it at a lower temp, as to prevent your glob of goo. A combination of these methods proves effective as well.

~Rings

[Matchstick Man]

edit

Edited by Matchstick_Man, 23 June 2006 - 02:24 PM.

[Saikyo219]

Ok so I finally was able to get them to fit in stock barrels now I have another question, is its really nessary to have the holes through the middle? Most of the faqs I've read either never mention them or are mentioned in an off hand sorta way? what is the big advantage if any?

[LiterSize]

They're only for fitting over the poles in a stock barrel. You don't really need them if you're making stefans and removed the restrictors entirely. Personally, I still have the stock barrels on my SM3k and put the hole in the back with the hot glue gun so the darts fit snug at the bottom of the barrel.

[Dys70pia]

The purpose of the hole in the center of the dart is to focus airflow. A dart with a nice, straight hole down the center of it will fire farther and straighter. This all depends on how even your holes are, and how big they are. For the most part, I doubt the ranges possible with your average modded Nerf gun are really affected by holes or no holes. If you're shooting darts long distances (like those crazy 100ft+ guns I keep hearing about... crazy!), I would imagine it makes a big difference...

So instead of me talking about what I DON'T know, I'll tell you that I use a tiny screwdriver (the same one that unscrews 90% of the screws in nerf guns) to punch a hole through the back. I also do the glue gun dent in the back, so it's a combination of the two practices. I don't know if the thin holes in mine really make a difference, but thats how I do it... so the moral of the story is, use a screwdriver to poke holes.... in nerf darts.

[Suave]

Whoever said the purpose of the heating isn't to shrink but to straighten:


It does both. Down south we have to clothes-dryer our foam so that it will fit in the PVC. Once the technique is attained it makes for superior darts. I consider the straightening to be the icing on the cake.

[euphemism]

For the most part, I doubt the ranges possible with your average modded Nerf gun are really affected by holes or no holes. If you're shooting darts long distances (like those crazy 100ft+ guns I keep hearing about... crazy!), I would imagine it makes a big difference...

If you shoot darts with long, wide holes in them out of high powered guns there is a very good chance they will rupture at some point along the side due to the much higher pressure.