Handheld technical help needed!

General water gun discussion.
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christhetiger
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Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:57 am

Handheld technical help needed!

Post by christhetiger » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:04 am

I'm brand new to all of this water gun business and I want to build my own for a specific purpose. I want a pistol sized gun with a pipe attached to a reservoir. I don't need a big squirt, just a couple of metres is fine, and I don't need to soak people, just wet them slightly! My problem is is that the gun needs to be able to run for a couple of hours without being reloaded. I can't find any ready made guns on the market so am fully prepared to made one myself! The reservior cannot be attached to the person firing the gun either, just to make it a little more complicated! It's for a performance, not a water war!
Any help GLADLY received...
Chris.

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C-A_99
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Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Handheld technical help needed!

Post by C-A_99 » Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:43 pm

This sounds like a ton of water guns already on the market, except for the reload. For the reload, you definately need some kind of external reservoir. If having a tube stick out of the gun is not acceptable, then you'll need to cram as much as you can into a small space, and limit the output very strictly, even to that of a squirt gun. Otherwise there will be a long tube going from the pistol to the reservoir, wherever it's going to be placed. Can the water gun you need be pumped or not?

The problem with homemades is that their design tends to be big, often much bigger than necessary. The valves, pipes, etc. are always big since we don't have the tech. to make our own smaller parts nor layouts that can be crammed together. Because of this, there is pretty much no such thing as a homemade pistol. The next possibility is to buy guns like the Hydra Pak, and extend their tubes with your own. Or, if having to pump isn't a problem, any seperate pressure chamber gun will do, as long as you can connect the reservoir's tube to the gun's reservoir.

Perhaps the others may have some ideas.

christhetiger
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Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:57 am

Re: Handheld technical help needed!

Post by christhetiger » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:07 pm

Having a tube would be fine. Maybe I should expand more on what it is all for.
The performance will be similar to that of a Living Statue. The theme is James Bond (hence the pistol, nothing bigger) and would last for about 4 hours. Ideally the performer wouldn't have to pump anything allowing them to stay still for as long as possible. A tube to the gun could go up the sleeve of the performer then down the trouser leg and out. It could use electricity if necessary.
Theoretically, could I get something like a hydra pack and easily attach it to a pistol? If it could be hidden under a dinner jacket then maybe it could be worn, if not, it could go on the floor.

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Silence
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Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:01 pm

Re: Handheld technical help needed!

Post by Silence » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:25 pm

I wasn't sure before, but now it sounds like you don't need to be firing constantly, only intermittently.

Would you be happy with a squirt pistol's power? They use the trigger action to power the shot, so no pressurization needed. Cut a hole in the bottom and epoxy on a vinyl hose leading to a bag of water, and you're set.

I'm a little worried, though, because the reservoir lies below the water gun. This means gravity can't help you refill the gun. If your squirt pistol has good seals everywhere, then air can't get in, and the suction after firing will draw up water. Problem is, these guns are designed to leak so that air can come in and displace the water.

A Hydra Pak at very low pressure could work. If it makes water leak out of the pistol, then you'll have to build your own pistol, as already discussed.

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cantab
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:35 pm

Re: Handheld technical help needed!

Post by cantab » Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:26 am

Here's my best idea.

Get a garden sprayer, something like this

http://www.amazon.com/HDC-Automatic-Gar ... B000TMDM8Q

(yes I know that one's out of stock)

Cut the lance to the minimum length possible, so the nozzles right close to the handle. Then build a pistol around it (wood, cardboard, whatever)

You're liable to get the trigger in an odd place, but otherwise this should work. Once the sprayer is pumped, it will shoot for a LONG time. I have a 3 litre model and it will shoot for around 3 minutes continuous. Since you'll only be making tap shots, it should last for your performance, unless you have a lot of people going by.
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

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