37 replies to this topic

[telekinetic]

So, I lost the chargers to BOTH of my cameras...ridiculous! A friend has the same battery as one of them, though, so I charged it up and snapped some shots of my mods and works in progress.



Here's my workshop at the moment. As we all know, nerf guns are a really awkward shape, and hard to store, so I came up with this solution. I haven't put all of my guns up yet, but I'm sure the entire wall will eventually be filled.



First up, AT2K Scope. I shortened the pump by an inch or two, plugged the overpressure, and added CPVC. The astute will note I don't have a trigger...any good ideas? I got distracted before finishing.





A little triple-CPVC barrel Titan shotgun action. I plugged the in-between gaps with FBR strips.



This wasn't crooked before one of my cousin's in law dropped it...I should have used epoxy instead of hot glue.



A little paint job action. Kind of sloppy, it was really just a technique test before painting the Hornette (spelling intentional) for the wife. She picked up some smaller crystals to spell 'Nerf' but hasn't glued them on yet.



A sneak preview of my incredibly ugly, work-in-progress 20-ish round drum magazine. I'm still figuring out the exact geometry. It's made with 2" ABS nested in 4" ABS nested in a 5" ABS coupler. The 5" coupler and the 2" abs are epoxied to the sheet of Lexan, and the 4" will be free floating with a couple scoops on it. Ruberbands wrapped around the 2" center will provide rotational springy power.


On to dart making...


I made a big batch of these fun Plastidip darts. I think they're called Matchstick Stefans, but I'm not sure. They're dipped in 5 coats of plasti-dip, they don't fit down barrels, so you can't use them in long-range breech applications, but they are absolutely painless to get hit with, and you can use them in short barreled stock-like applications. Fun fun fun!


Having one titan dart isn't as much fun as having a bunch!


I'm not sure how useful this knowledge will be for most of you youngins, but champagne cork is the perfect plug for a hollow pool noodle.


The other end I hollowed out with a serrated knife. Not the cleanest job, but just a prototype.


I've been working on a feline-based dart retrival system. Progress is slow.


The retrival units have begun to recognize darts as objects to pick up, but post-pickup the proceed in completely random directions. More training definitely necessary before they will be ready to be used in a war.

I haven't been around the NIC long enough to know which (if any) of these various little projects are of interest enough to post about in more detail, so feel free to give comments, criticisms, or questions, and I'll happily snap more shots and give more explanation.

Thanks for all the inspiration, everybody!

P.S. Mods, if you feel like this should just be in the Mod Pics thread, feel free to merge it...I was thinking it had enough content to stand alone.

Edited by telekinetic, 19 August 2007 - 02:48 AM.

[soccerdog813]

Some of that stuff looks pretty sweet.I really like the round clip. I wish I had the space for a work station like that. That would be really nice to have my own little area.

[Borgadin]

A sneak preview of my incredibly ugly, work-in-progress 20-ish round drum magazine. I'm still figuring out the exact geometry. It's made with 2" ABS nested in 4" ABS nested in a 5" ABS coupler. The 5" coupler and the 2" abs are epoxied to the sheet of Lexan, and the 4" will be free floating with a couple scoops on it. Ruberbands wrapped around the 2" center will provide rotational springy power.

I would use a Torsion spring (they don´t wear out or become brittle as fast as rubberbands)this type of Spring is used in Mousetraps.

Apart from that keep up the good work.

Edited by Borgadin, 13 July 2007 - 05:28 AM.

[shadowkid33]

Drum Mag, absolutely crazy. How exactlly does it work though?

[hoshiadam]

Another option is finding a long, low force Constant Force spring. The difficult part is getting the darts to go all the way up to the breech when the drum is nearly empty.

For the titan missiles:
1. Get a shaving cream can with a rubber plug at the bottom.
2. Empty it as best you can with the dispenser.
3. Poke in the rubber plug. Note that it is still pressurized, so shaving cream will come out of it.
4. After it stops leaking shaving cream, cut off the end and file the edge down till it is sharp.

Now you have a circular cutter that can cut several inches down (instead of being like a doorknob cutting saw, which typically only goes 2-3"). You might be able to find one a shaving cream can that is slightly smaller circumference than the orange titan barrel, that would be the best choice.

Adam

[Flaming Hilt]

I like the drum mag. I was just going to say, couldn't one use rubber bands...
Borgadin is right, though, a torsion spring would probably hold out longer. So are you planning on putting that baby into an LS?

...actually my favorite part of your... innovations... is the dart retrieval system. I tried that once, but my retrieval units (being more canine) tend to eat said darts instead of retrieving them. : o( So good work. ;o)

[telekinetic]

I like the drum mag. I was just going to say, couldn't one use rubber bands...
Borgadin is right, though, a torsion spring would probably hold out longer. So are you planning on putting that baby into an LS?

The difficulty with torsion springs is finding a spring that will hold the tension I want for 300°...enough to propel them, but not enough to crush the darts. I looked at mousetrap springs, and the force varies too much as you twist it that far (also a little strong for my taste).

Honestly, I am keeping my eye out for one of those pull-back/release cars, and I'm going to gut the internals out of it. But until then, rubberbands make a nice tuneable solution. And yes, it's definitely going in an LS. As you can see by its taken-apartness, my LS is getting WORKED...nice easy 2-piece CPVC breech system, internal shotgun pump handle, spring replacement...One step at a time, though, so I'm trying to make this work first.

Another option is finding a long, low force Constant Force spring. The difficult part is getting the darts to go all the way up to the breech when the drum is nearly empty.

Yeah, once I get the general idea working (and let me tell you, that will be a very exciting moment) I'll refine it to get the darts 100% shootable. I'm thinking the best solution is to trap the stock spring with a shaved down pusher at the very beginning of my dart stack, if that makes sense. Great idea on the Missile cutter...I'll try that this weekend!

Edited by telekinetic, 13 July 2007 - 11:02 AM.

[nerfturtle]

My two favorites were the painted 2k (HAWT) and the cats, the scope also. I would just suggest having the 2k trigger come out the side of the scope. But I don't know how everything is set around inside so it's hard to give an opinion. I really can't wait to see the "hornette", that made me chuckle.

[commander erik]

I still can't believe somebody actually painted a nerf gun pink and then had the audacity to be-dazzle it.

Bags, maybe. But anybody else, hell no.

[nerfer34]

That's a sweet workshop!

I like the guns and everthing. That drum clip, looks like it'll pack a punch.

Very nice.

For the scope 2k, I would have the air tank so it would come to the side of the scope( forcing the firing pin to do the same). Then I would drill a small hole in the side for the firing pin to slightly come out and then I'd just put on a keyring.

[BustaNinja]

Nice drum mag. You could almost, if thought out correctly, make a C-mag like on the MG36.

[Shorty]

Damn y'll some smart SOB's I like that titan noodle idea. And that drum...sexy. It would go nice on a RF20. Great job!

[kingshane50]

1. Can we get a drum-mag write-up when it's finished?

2. Yay!! cat power! That can get Gus some exercise.

[Grenada]

Wow! Thats great. The plast-a-dip darts are genius. If that drum magazine works, I am pretty sure people would be buying longshots, simply to have justification to do that. And a write-up would be very nice. The nitefinder's good, but the titan and 2k aren't special in my book.

[Thom]

Wow, telekinetic! That stuff is amazing! That AT2K is damn sexy. Is the longshot in the workbench picture functioning?

[Carbon]

I'm highly envious of your workspace...someday, someday.

The drum mag is something that has been long sought after....good luck getting your springs working.

Nice find for the noodle plug. But your darts and that titan rocket made me mentally combine the two...matchstick Titan rockets!

[Spectre666]

I've been trying to make my own Titan missiles too, but I haven't had much success. Does that prototype missile actually work? And if it does, are the ranges as good or better than a standard Titan missile?

[Fenixharth]

Danm-it you beat me to it! I've been slowly working on two drum mag designs myself. One is a 22 rounder that has a 4 1/4 inch drum at the bottom and i think you are useing a simular elastic torsion mechanism to feed the rounds. If my laptop put out enough energy to power my scanner I would post my blue print for the 22rounder and for laughs I would also post the 94 round mag design aswell. that one is just insane and would require a support to attach to the rail on the top of the gun... and has an 8 inch diameter drum.... it could also be modified to hold more but yea... that would just be silly!

[Retiate]

I really like the drum mag. It's so unique and innovating. It's just awsome to see what people can do with Nerf blasters, accessories, or anything.
As for the spring issue, I don't know if this would even be possible, but would some kind of magnet set up work? If you had 2 magnets, set to repel from eachother, then have the back one stable while the one contacting the darts would try to repel away, acting like a spring. Each magnet would have to advance forward as the darts emptied. But this would keep a constant pressure the whole way through, and you wouldn't have to worry about darts being crushed when the drum is too full. In theory, it seems like it would work real well, but details like having the back magnet advance, and getting the magnets to work properly would be pretty difficult to figure out.

Another thing I liked was something probably many people missed. It's that red and black Nitefinder on your work table. I think it looks real nice.

The pink 2k and the ATScope are other things I like. They're both so different.
The ATScope really puts a use to the Longshot scope, and now you have a 2k you can mount on any blaster with a rail.

Edit: Forgot to ask, how are the ranges on the pool noodle Titan missle?

Edited by Retiate, 16 July 2007 - 10:54 PM.

[telekinetic]

Whoa, this thread exploded overnight! Lets see if I can hit all the major points....

I still can't believe somebody actually painted a nerf gun pink and then had the audacity to be-dazzle it.

Bags, maybe. But anybody else, hell no.

Hey, I'm not gonna tell my wife she can't have a pink gun

And btw, those are Swarovski crystals (not kidding)...she used to have a side business customizing gymnastics clothes for rich girls who liked shiny things

Wow, telekinetic! That stuff is amazing! That AT2K is damn sexy. Is the longshot in the workbench picture functioning?

If I put it back together it would be. Took it apart to take some measruements...the drum magazine is going to require me to cut away a portion of one side, but I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be going so high up as to interfere with the bolt sled.

I'm highly envious of your workspace...someday, someday.

The drum mag is something that has been long sought after....good luck getting your springs working.

Nice find for the noodle plug. But your darts and that titan rocket made me mentally combine the two...matchstick Titan rockets!

Yeah, the workspace is great...the other half of the room is all sewing stuff I actually have a whole other desk in our storage unit (accross the carport) for painting and using Plasti Dip.

I tested the drum with rubberbands last night...seems to be working good! Now I just need to permanently integrate the 'clip' portion (the test was just the drum) to make it useful.

Matchstick titan rockets....I'll have to give that a shot!

Danm-it you beat me to it! I've been slowly working on two drum mag designs myself. One is a 22 rounder that has a 4 1/4 inch drum at the bottom and i think you are useing a simular elastic torsion mechanism to feed the rounds. If my laptop put out enough energy to power my scanner I would post my blue print for the 22rounder and for laughs I would also post the 94 round mag design aswell. that one is just insane and would require a support to attach to the rail on the top of the gun... and has an 8 inch diameter drum.... it could also be modified to hold more but yea... that would just be silly!

Scan it up! i think this version is just about finished but I'm always open to new ideas for round 2.

I really like the drum mag. It's so unique and innovating. It's just awsome to see what people can do with Nerf blasters, accessories, or anything.
As for the spring issue, I don't know if this would even be possible, but would some kind of magnet set up work? If you had 2 magnets, set to repel from eachother, then have the back one stable while the one contacting the darts would try to repel away, acting like a spring. Each magnet would have to advance forward as the darts emptied. But this would keep a constant pressure the whole way through, and you wouldn't have to worry about darts being crushed when the drum is too full. In theory, it seems like it would work real well, but details like having the back magnet advance, and getting the magnets to work properly would be pretty difficult to figure out.

Edit: Forgot to ask, how are the ranges on the pool noodle Titan missle?

Magnets don't make good springs, due to the fact that magnetic force isn't linear. And I dunno, haven't range tested it. I'm sure it's not quite as much, just as a prototype. I'll make a good one with fins and a clean bore and test it out when I get the chance.

[six-five-two]

Awesome drum magazine!!

Question: Are you planning to sell your feline-based dart retrieval system anytime soon?

[telekinetic]

Awesome drum magazine!!

Question: Are you planning to sell your feline-based dart retrieval system anytime soon?

As the units are a male and a female, if I don't get them fixed soon enough, they will become self-reproducing, so, should that happen, yes, I would definitely be willing to investigate marketing the system.

[Fenixharth]

sorry for the crappy quality of the photo's. my scaner won't work on my laptop and my normal picture taking spot is covered in crap and the lamp that I use for the disfused lighting is broken... so yea...

[n-strike]

I've been working on a feline-based dart retrival system. Progress is slow.

I think you should put Kibbles 'n Bits inside the darts.

[Prometheus]

For my FAR magazine, I used a constant force spring, found from either an old alarm clock or a chainsaw recoil. Car seatbelt springs might work, but they do not put out much force. I say tear old useless stuff apart, and try to find a spring that works well. There is no real way to determine what strength of spring you actually need.

Edited by Prometheus, 19 July 2007 - 08:02 AM.