Finally time to step up

[Selador]

Ok, I finished my very first build almost a week ago.

I didn't run in here and post a pic right away, because, well, it's pretty much run-of-the mill. Over and under. With a homemade piston valve, a modified sprinkler valve, and a blowgun as a pilot valve.


Second post:

Like I said, just a run of the mill, over-under. Nothing to write home about.

I will be adding a support between the end of the chamber, and the barrel.

Yes, the grey pipe on the back is plastic. It is from the sprinkler section.

Aside from the blowgun and the fill valve, there is only one metal part in there. That is a 1-1/4" metal nipple between the piston valve and the chamber.

I don't like having to use the metal, because of the possibility of causing stress cracks in the plastic, when tightening the joint.

But I am using what I have laying about, for these builds. I can't afford to go buy new fittings. And I don't remember ever seeing a 1-1/4" plastic nipple, anyway.


Third post: Refers to picture titled "third post"

Ok, this is a pic of the components of my piston.

It is simply a 3/4 cap. A 3/4 coupling. Some rubber. Some washers. And a screw.

Put together in the order you see them in the pic.

I hogged out the inside of the coupling, so I could slide it completely over the pipe. (Ignore the second coupling. LOL)


Fourth post: refers to picture titled "Fourth post"

Here is the completed piston and the pilot chamber it will be put into.

The bumper in the bottom of the chamber is a sandwich of two pieces of neoprene rubber from the plumbing section, with a piece of kneepad rubber between them.


Fifth post: Refers to picture titled "Fifth post a" and "Fifth post b"

Once the valve is put together, you can see how much travel there is.

I did it the way I did, so that when the piston throws open, the same neoprene that was sealing the barrel, now seals the pilot chamber.

This psiton works surprisingly well. Given that it is my very first attempt at one.

This forum is a great source of information. Thank you all.



Plus, I learned from Kludgeboy@kludgeboy.com, how important the condition of the barrel face is, if you want to get a good seal.

I laid sandpaper on the benchtop. And, while holing the piece of pipe upright, slowly sanded that face as flat as possible. Going through three grits of sandpaper.

The piston slaps open lightning fast !

And seals immediately, when it shuts.


Sixth post

Well, that pretty much completes the valve build.

All those extra fittings off to the left are there because the grey one actually holds the 1" pipe that is the base of the barrel. And the rest is added so I can exchange barrels via a 1-14" female adaptor.

Plus, the valve can be easily dismantled for service. I could have made it smaller, if I just glued everything together. But I wanted it modular, like it is, so I could dismantle it.

And the remaining picture is two 'loads' that I built for it, early this morning.

I don't have a video camera. Nor one of those fancy machines that tells you how fast a projectile is going. So there will be no 'damage reports' as far as that goes.

But I'll probably go out and test shoot these two loads, sometime tomorrow or the next day.

If I do, I'll get pics of the results.

So far I know that pill bottles don't go all that far, because they tumble every which way. D batteries go pretty straight, but a level shot starts falling off, at about 40 feet.

One D battery was in such bad shape, that it literally exploded in the barrel, and came out in pieces.


Seventh post: refer to picture titled "seventh post"
And now, today's build.

My second one, ever.

The piston valve is constructed using a 1/2" tee, a 3/4" female adaptor, a piece of wooden dowel, some metal repair tape, some rubber, a screw and some marine goo.

The gun is about the same size as, and handles about the same, as my 12ga pump shotgun does. Only a lot lighter. LOL

I still haven't glued anything together. That'll come tomorrow, after I test shoot the other one again.

The barrel support is just a piece of pipe, turned sideways. And a couple of nylon wire ties.

I don't think I am going to sprinkler valve this one. I am going to see how the piston responds to just having the blowgun as a pilot valve.

Before finishing the glue-up, I will add a couple of fittings on the end of the valve, so I can change barrels.

Once I have the kinks worked out of the piston valve, and have it all glued together, I think I'll make some darts for this thing out of milk jugs and nails.

In the end, this one may end up being a work in progress. I'll probably change a few things as I can afford them.

Like the trigger, for one. I may end up buying another of the other type of blowguns. Then build up around that. Possibly adding a stock, and other niceities.

[MrCrowley]

Yes, I realise the pictures are in the wrong order. It is just the way the uploader works, nothing I can do about it. I went out of my way enough to go to the trouble of editing and uploading it all in to one post, usually I would just merge the text, delete the photos and tell the member to upload the photos again himself.

Just because you want to write between each picture doesn't mean you can double post. The only way of doing this is with a third party uploader like Photobucket. I have an account there, they're pretty good and I haven't had a problem with them for three years.

I would appreciate it if you don't make any more double posts like you have been in this topic. Next time the posts will be removed without merging, I know it seems a bit Forum-Nazi, but everyone has the same rules and things have been working alright the last few years.

[Selador]

Jeez. Now I feel like a heel, having caused you so much work.

I'm sorry about that.



What a way to make a bad impression with my first 'build' post. Yeesh.

In the interest of removing my contentiousness, and making this a 'smoother read'... With your permission, I'll edit this thing again. LOL

[MrCrowley]

Yeah you can edit any of that, I'll even let you remove my moderator messages since I only put them there to let people know what happened to the topic

[Selador]

Ok, I'll edit.

But let me say again, that I am sorry to have caused you all that hassle.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Not bad for first attempts, you could have added a description along with the photo attechments though and made it easier to follow

[Selador]

Not bad for first attempts, you could have added a description along with the photo attechments though and made it easier to follow

Done.

I hope it makes more sense now.

I wish there were 'do-overs' and I could just wipe the entire thread and start over.

But there you have it. My first build post. Warts and all.



(Also wish I could change my name to just "Ox". Or "Br Ox". Or "Brer Ox". LOL)



BTW: I should say... The first one is my first build ever.

But my older brother built a tennis ball cannon, out of soda cans and tape. Using a 'churchkey' type can opener. And lighter fluid for fuel. When I was about ten or so. (In the mid sixties.)


Also, I bought some of the parts for a simple PVC spudgun, years ago. Just never built it.

So, it has been on my mind, for years.

Built in my mind, many times.

When I found Kludgeboy's website and youtube videos, I got excited all over again. Here were new ideas, clearly explained, which I could try my own hand at. (He really is good at explaining the details in a clear and simple manner.)

Did weeks of googleing. Found lots of ideas that I had never seen before.

Lurked here for a while, then decided to get active here, and learn the finer details of piston valves and guide valves.

By the time I actually registered, I had gathered most of the materials needed, and had a fairly clear idea in my mind of how to build what I wanted.

Point is, it's not like I signed up one day, then out of the blue, built my first cannon a couple days later. Complete with homemade piston valve and modified sprinkler valve.

~~~

I hope I haven't put anyone off with this first build thread.

In the forums I have been a member of for many years, if I posted a beginning post in a thread, like what appears above... The thread would be deleted. I would be chastised. And I would be told to start again, making as many posts as needed, but only one or two pics per post.

That's at least ten years of doing things the way they expect.

That's a lot of experience, to "unlearn" in favor of new kinds of posting habits.

Bear with me. I'll eventually get used to the new habits.

[MrCrowley]

I wish there were 'do-overs' and I could just wipe the entire thread and start over.

But there you have it. My first build post. Warts and all.

I'll let you create a whole new topic if you want and you can start from scratch. Once you've made your new topic I can merge the replies from this topic to the new topic and delete the stuff you don't need.

[Selador]

I'll let you create a whole new topic if you want and you can start from scratch. Once you've made your new topic I can merge the replies from this topic to the new topic and delete the stuff you don't need.

You know, I might do that !

Sometime later tonight, when I don't have a bunch of other things to do. LOL

I could probably be a bit more concise.

And could also try to get the pics in order.

Since the pics were posted in some kind of random order, rather than the order you actually posted them... I'd guess that there is a larger glitch in the upload system, than just the one where it posts them in backwards order.

One that is effected by the fact that you were 're-posting' already posted pics, as if they were new posts.

We'll see.

And thank you.