SpudFiles

Hey all,
Was wondering if anyone has any good heads up on whats the best thing to salvage small diameter barrels from, like <15mm (less than 15mm)? The best, would be cheap and easy to get household items like umbrellas or something.

Any ideas? Anyway, what are the best umbrellas to use, those handy retractable ones(they seem to be smaller in diameter but shorter) or the standard big ones(this would make a longer barrel)

Pictures of what you guys have used would be useful!

Cheers.

Why not simply buy some ~1/2" copper?

Unfortunately, most things (like umbrellas) that use "tubing" of this kind of size only have very short usable lengths (as a barrel at least), because of holes and slots cut in it for whatever reason.

They also frequently also have seams in them from the way they're made, or just rough insides.

Sorry for not including this in the first post, but the smallest size pipe available here is 15mm :(

Yea the umbrella only has about 18" or so useable length i THINK.

And where is here? Without a location, then things get harder (I don't get why so few people put their location on their profile.)

EDIT: Ugh. Try again - It's reading it as HTML tags. You're using the wrong symbol for less than. The wide end of the symbol represents the larger number, so you're actually asking for sizes greater than 15mm.

Hm some ideas.. for REALLY small diam barrels for penguns or so.. use parts of antennas found in radio or w.e they're made from aluminum .... For a good bb barrel fit eiher use the classic pen OR for a longer barrel take apart a hunting arrow and use the rod part of the arrow (the tube part) here in the U.S they fight bbs tightly...

Those are the 2 that I know.. but just looking around your house will get you some nice barrels...

@Ragnarok
So sorry for the symbols, my BIG mistake

@theBOOM
Radio antennas sounds like a good idea

use parts of antennas

Short as hell, rubbish performance.

the classic pen

Same again.

You need higher pressures for any power in small sizes, as the surface area and mass of the projectile goes down exponentially.

Most hobby shops sell telescoping brass and aluminum tubing in 1' and 3' lengths. Arrow shafts also work. Some hardware stores will also sell metal tubing for rails in bathrooms etc.

Try to avoid anything with a seam.

Yes I confirmed it today arrow shafts do work.. atleast most of them.. Some are even aluminum and their pretty cheap... maybe 3/4 of a meter long and for only 3 bucks... then you can sand or grind the arrow tip and make it sharp.. and use it as ammo on another caliber gun

Inonickname I found a way to join pens together and make them align perfectly... You find a type of crayola marker that has a bit of a bigger diam. than your pengun... Then cut it out so you only have the tube part of it and push / hammer down (yes its hard and really tight in there) Both ends... in equal amounts down the marker tube.. I made a 4 feet pen blowgun with this method

Yeh, but it's still ghetto as, and I can't see the more serious spudgunners using it on a complex gun..If it's just a simple plinker then it could work.

And I believe I proved a while ago that arrow shafts work fine

Well yeah of course these where things I used in nooby guns when I didnt know about this side.. But for people that dont have as mch acces to the things we do.. You have to use what you have

Agree with theBOOM, im really making everything out of what i have. using fully manual tools except for glue gun. And those tools are really OLD (two generations before mine)

Arrow shafts? i dont think i would get them easy as its done as a sport and not that popular. Same for telescoping material. These two won't be cheap.

Oh i do have bathroom rails, coincidentally, all of those installed are 15mm aluminium as well. Will try to find other diameters when i have the time.

Any other ideas?

I'd be surprised if you can't get telescopic tube there, it can be bought at most hobby stores for several dollars. If you can find it, get the stuff at the back stupid little kids haven't bent (roll it on a flat surface before purchase). I had to go through 5 lengths of tube before finding a straight one.

may i have a clearer picture(not literal meaning) of what those telescopic tubes you are referring to are? as in more detailed info or a picture

Help would be appreciated! Our hobby stores here sell figurines and stuff, may be hardware stores you're referring to or somewhere else.

Hmm Where do you live frozebyte here I'm prettty sure you can get it at any hobby shop such as, michaels or w.e just ask if they have small tubes or w.e , they are usually brass but they also have aluminum... (atleast in the store I go to).... You can find it up like 9 mm. Not so sure just an estimate of the bigget I have seen in my shelf... Plus to get the arrow shaft just go to any sport store... Go to the air guns, archery section and there will be alot..

im sure i mentioned SINGAPORE

only hardware stores here, no stores like michaels or lowes. Smallest i've asked around is 15mm ALTHOUGH my toilet basin uses this smaller than 15mm size pipe that seems to be good. I think i'll have to find these pipes at specialised plumbing stores, which are not easy to find.

Sports stores? As i've said, archery isn't some sport that is so popular that many own their own bows. Economically, they wouldn't earn much if they are into this business. Might be able to find an archery store or two, but its going to be expensive.