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Nite Finder custom coupler and speed loader
Pretty basic, but I'm bored.
Nite Finder:
Start off with your plunger tube, cut it back to the base, drill out the air restrictor and sand it nice and flat. Set it aside for now.
Grab about an inch (25mm) of 20mm Conduit. Now, I'm sure this won't work with some brands of Conduit and to clear up, I use Keyplas Conduit. Make sure both ends of your Conduit are nice and flat, which will definitely help you later. Once you've done this, clean up the edges. Cleaning up the edges, giving them a slight aris, it just makes everything easier. On one end, take off a fair bit on the inside (when I say fair bit, I mean about half of the wall) and sand it out so it's nice and smooth. This will make loading your speed loader a lot faster and easier.
Once you've done that and you're happy with it, drill a 2mm hole close to one end, about 1 - 1.5mm up. Take your time and make sure you get it nice and even, so the holes are as close to opposite as you can get them. To mark out the second hole, I actually turned the drill bit in my fingers, making it easier to line up the hole.
Now, I used a nail for this. Make sure you cut both ends off. Being careful, as it'll get hot, cut a small amount of the tip off, then measure out how long you need it roughly and cut the other end. Once you've cut it, smooth off those edges nicely, so you don't cut yourself.
Now test fit everything, make sure it's all nice.
Speed Loader:
The way I did this requires you to build the speed loader in the middle of modding the NF.
This is insanely basic and I could really just write 'Glue two bits of pipe together', but I won't, because I'm bored.
Measure out whatever you think is best for a barrel, I have a 4.5" and a 5" speed loader. Once you've cut them both with your pipe cutters (if you don't have pipe cutters and work with pipe a lot, get some. They're cheap and make life really easy)
spend some time cleaning up those edges. Also, like you did with the coupler, take even more off the inside of one end of each piece. This will make loading darts a lot easier.
Once you're happy with both pieces, stick one of the ends that you'll be loading darts into in your coupler. It doesn't have to bottom out, but push it in a fair way and make sure it's not going to fall out. Stick your other barrel, facing the opposite direction, onto the side of the first barrel, with the end touching the coupler.
Now tape them together, just one piece of tape wide, at each end. Wrap a few layers around, so you know it's held together. Now take the coupler off, you may need to tap it off with a steel ruler or something. Lay the speed loader on a flat surface like a kitchen bench and press down on the four corners, so that the barrels are inline with each other.
Now glue down the connection. This part is up to how sloppy or nice you want it to look, or you may want to add tape, so it won't matter. Leave it to set, or if you're impatient like me, place it in the freezer. Take it out, turn it over and repeat. Once both sides are cool, take the tape off and glue where the tape was. Add tape, paint it, draw on it, do whatever you like, that's finished.
Nite Finder:
Get out your three-day epoxy, or go buy some, mix it up and glue in the nail. This stuff stays pliable for a fair while, so don't try and rush. Once the nail is glued in, move on to your 'coupler'. Make sure all surfaces are clean from sanded plastic and what not, then put epoxy glue all around the end you've decided will be attached to the plunger tube (remember which end you smoothed the inside out, for the barrel) then some on the plunger tube as well. Place the two pieces together. This part is crucial, if you don't do it right, or haven't prepared your edges well enough, your barrel will not be straight and you either won't be able to aim properly, or you'll have to compensate, which sucks. Make sure the coupler and plunger tube are
1) centered
2) straight
3) together
If one of these is off, fix it. If you can't fix it, start again.
Let that dry for at least three days. I tried to use mine after one day and it broke off, so don't get impatient.
Once that's set aside, on a nice high shelf, or just somewhere where it won't be bumped, move on to the rest of the Nite Finder and do some basic Modifications. Minimize it, add a spring, work the seal a bit, though not too much, as you can't test fit into the plunger tube. Upgrade the catch spring, reinforce a little around the catch spring area. If you can't figure out how to do any of these things, give your blaster to someone else and pay them to do it for you.
I really do apologise, as my photo quality here is extremely poor and no where near up to my usual standards. I also apologise as this is probably put together pretty poorly. I hope you can understand it.
Finished product, the only picture I actually cared about, I guess. Didn't even pay enough attention to this one.. Whatever, this sucks, I don't care.
Cody
Pretty basic, but I'm bored.
Nite Finder:
Start off with your plunger tube, cut it back to the base, drill out the air restrictor and sand it nice and flat. Set it aside for now.
Grab about an inch (25mm) of 20mm Conduit. Now, I'm sure this won't work with some brands of Conduit and to clear up, I use Keyplas Conduit. Make sure both ends of your Conduit are nice and flat, which will definitely help you later. Once you've done this, clean up the edges. Cleaning up the edges, giving them a slight aris, it just makes everything easier. On one end, take off a fair bit on the inside (when I say fair bit, I mean about half of the wall) and sand it out so it's nice and smooth. This will make loading your speed loader a lot faster and easier.
Once you've done that and you're happy with it, drill a 2mm hole close to one end, about 1 - 1.5mm up. Take your time and make sure you get it nice and even, so the holes are as close to opposite as you can get them. To mark out the second hole, I actually turned the drill bit in my fingers, making it easier to line up the hole.
Now, I used a nail for this. Make sure you cut both ends off. Being careful, as it'll get hot, cut a small amount of the tip off, then measure out how long you need it roughly and cut the other end. Once you've cut it, smooth off those edges nicely, so you don't cut yourself.
Now test fit everything, make sure it's all nice.
Speed Loader:
The way I did this requires you to build the speed loader in the middle of modding the NF.
This is insanely basic and I could really just write 'Glue two bits of pipe together', but I won't, because I'm bored.
Measure out whatever you think is best for a barrel, I have a 4.5" and a 5" speed loader. Once you've cut them both with your pipe cutters (if you don't have pipe cutters and work with pipe a lot, get some. They're cheap and make life really easy)
spend some time cleaning up those edges. Also, like you did with the coupler, take even more off the inside of one end of each piece. This will make loading darts a lot easier.
Once you're happy with both pieces, stick one of the ends that you'll be loading darts into in your coupler. It doesn't have to bottom out, but push it in a fair way and make sure it's not going to fall out. Stick your other barrel, facing the opposite direction, onto the side of the first barrel, with the end touching the coupler.
Now tape them together, just one piece of tape wide, at each end. Wrap a few layers around, so you know it's held together. Now take the coupler off, you may need to tap it off with a steel ruler or something. Lay the speed loader on a flat surface like a kitchen bench and press down on the four corners, so that the barrels are inline with each other.
Now glue down the connection. This part is up to how sloppy or nice you want it to look, or you may want to add tape, so it won't matter. Leave it to set, or if you're impatient like me, place it in the freezer. Take it out, turn it over and repeat. Once both sides are cool, take the tape off and glue where the tape was. Add tape, paint it, draw on it, do whatever you like, that's finished.
Nite Finder:
Get out your three-day epoxy, or go buy some, mix it up and glue in the nail. This stuff stays pliable for a fair while, so don't try and rush. Once the nail is glued in, move on to your 'coupler'. Make sure all surfaces are clean from sanded plastic and what not, then put epoxy glue all around the end you've decided will be attached to the plunger tube (remember which end you smoothed the inside out, for the barrel) then some on the plunger tube as well. Place the two pieces together. This part is crucial, if you don't do it right, or haven't prepared your edges well enough, your barrel will not be straight and you either won't be able to aim properly, or you'll have to compensate, which sucks. Make sure the coupler and plunger tube are
1) centered
2) straight
3) together
If one of these is off, fix it. If you can't fix it, start again.
Let that dry for at least three days. I tried to use mine after one day and it broke off, so don't get impatient.
Once that's set aside, on a nice high shelf, or just somewhere where it won't be bumped, move on to the rest of the Nite Finder and do some basic Modifications. Minimize it, add a spring, work the seal a bit, though not too much, as you can't test fit into the plunger tube. Upgrade the catch spring, reinforce a little around the catch spring area. If you can't figure out how to do any of these things, give your blaster to someone else and pay them to do it for you.
I really do apologise, as my photo quality here is extremely poor and no where near up to my usual standards. I also apologise as this is probably put together pretty poorly. I hope you can understand it.
Finished product, the only picture I actually cared about, I guess. Didn't even pay enough attention to this one.. Whatever, this sucks, I don't care.
Cody
