Easy piston for nOObs

[Pilgrimman]

This is my way of making a cheap and easily assembled piston for 2" chamber co-axial guns, as long as the barrel bore is 1" or less. The parts are as follows:

-1 1/2" to 1/2" female-threaded bushing* x2
-1/2" to male thread x2
-Small length of 1/2" pipe
-Any sealing material
-Epoxy
-Super glue or similar
-Teflon tape
-Depending on your bushing, some kind of non-scotch tape (See below)
-1 1/2" or less of 1/2" or 3/4" pipe
-Rubber band
-Old sock (Seriously ) (Ankle high preferably)

* The bushings in the brand of PVC I use have little raised bits on the edge, for gripping with pliers. This is crucial for keeping the piston concentric with the chamber.

1. Get your parts.
2. Take both 1/2" to male threads, and teflon-tape them.
3. Screw them into a bushing.
4. Put the slip end of the threaded pieces onto the short 1/2" length.
5. Put a circle of super glue around the hole on the inside of the bushing, and cut your sealing material to fit. Then glue it.
6. Once this is reasonably dry, fill the space behind the material with epoxy, by dripping it down the opposite, still open, end of the piston.
7. Let everything dry.
8. If your bushings do not have the aforementioned raised bits, wrap them in tape until they slide in the chamber easily, but stay reasonably concentric with the chamber as well.
9. Take the 1 1/2" length of 1/2" or 3/4" pipe. Fold the old sock in half length wise, and roll it over the pipe. Secure it with the rubber band.

Now you have a piston, and a bumper (The sock thing) to put behind it! Woohoo!

This piston is cheap and easy to make. However, you get what you pay for. I have no personal experience with Supah or Mauler valves, but I can tell you that this piston will pale in comparison. However, for the money, it performs pretty well, and will still send stuff into orbit! As this is my first piston, my focus was simplicity, and cheapness. Any additions to the design are welcome, but keep those goals in mind.

If I find time, I'll ad pics!

[jrrdw]

You should put up some pics of it in action.

[Atlantis]

You could also use 1/2" to 1-1/4" bushings with a 1-1/4" coupling to avoid the raised bits altogether.

[Pilgrimman]

Yeah, that'd work, but seeing how expensive PVC fittings are now, I'd rather just leave it as is. It'd probably work equally well, though. A 1" ball valve in PVC costs 5 ****ing dollars!!!!! I bet the cost of producing one isn't even 50 cents!

[schismatized]

/seconded for pics.

EDIT: YAY I PASSED 100!!! 8) :rr: :glasses5: :glasses7: :icescream: :headbang: :hello1: :pottytrain5:

[Pilgrimman]

Well, here they are! I realize that the gun is the model of inefficiency, but I just wanted a gun that uses a piston. As I gain more experience, I'll go for efficiency.