my Monster X story

Repairs to water guns. Please put repair topics in this forum so that people do not have to sort through so many topics when looking for a repair. If a fix is included in the topic, please add (Fixed) before the topic title to indicate so.
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VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

my Monster X story

Post by VAJMH » Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:18 am

I got ahold of an old monster X for really cheep because of the trigger having snapped in half (the external finger trigger had separated from the trigger ring that goes on the pump shaft).

So I got this thing home and god was it sad. When I opened her up the insides were bright blue and green, but the outsides had faded to navy and a pale lime. Sun damage. I tested the clear plastic over the firing chamber and found it to be sound, so I went to work on the trigger. I first tried a combination of hot glue and wire to glue it back into its original form.

I got it back together rather quickly and pumped up. Hoo boy. Good shot, but the water was leaking from the QFD, and after the first shot it dribbled with each pump. So I opened her up again and this time decided this gun wasnt going to be a simple fix. I spent three days taking the shell down to component parts (the shell on a monster x has like 3 panels you can take off) and painting each one. The translucent material I left as it was since it wasnt too faded, but I ended up painting the pump, nozzle, handle and tank bright red, as well as redoing a lot of the black trim where it had been viciously scuffed. The stickers were faded so I ended up painting over them in silver.

Then I learned that the tank is made out of an evil material meant to not hold paint... So I peeled off what now looked like a latex glove and sanded the tank. Then I repainted it. Finally got it all back together and found out the trigger still felt flimsy and that the firing problem was due to the trigger sticking. Its two weeks into this project now and I have now rebuilt the trigger and the action almost completely. I replaced the wire that goes from the trigger to the firing lever. I hot glued the external trigger directly on to the pump ring (the way Larami should have had it in the first place IMHO)

Then I began sanding and smoothing every imaginable surface the trigger could be hanging on. And just to make damn sure it didnt get stuck open and dribble anymore I added in two elastic bands on the firing lever and firing pin. Finally I found that it was one of the little deals from the shell meant to keep the pump shaft in place that was catching the trigger ring. There were three others so I burned this one off. Then I filled the QFD with hot glue to stop the leak there. I also wanted to poke into the firing chamber to see if the ring was alright, but it had been opened by the previous owner and epoxied shut, and the trigger repair fixed the problem completely.

I got some red ribbon and made a new strap to match my all red and black color scheme, tethered the cap into the tank, and finally I have a fully functioning and aesthetically pleasing weapon.... Think I'll sell it now lol. I'll have photos soon. Here is what it looked like before my modifications.

Image

here is what a new one looks like thanks to http://www.isoaker.com

Image
Last edited by VAJMH on Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

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Silence
Posts: 3825
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:01 pm

Re: my Monster X story

Post by Silence » Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:50 am

Haha, that's persistence. Hope you get a few offers, although I wouldn't expect much in September.

Also, you may want to have the second image link to the page you got it from as a form of attribution.

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cantab
Posts: 1492
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:35 pm

Re: my Monster X story

Post by cantab » Sun Sep 27, 2009 2:26 pm

Wow, that's a lot of work.
I don't think the 'before' colours look bad though. The stock colours are rather bright, a bit of fading makes things less lurid.
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:

VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

Re: my Monster X story

Post by VAJMH » Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:48 pm

Silence- Do you think it would be better for me to wait until Spring? I've never sold a water gun before (so I'll probably shed a tear or two when this one goes in the mail!) but I was shooting more for collectors than people that just wanted to have a water war. This thing's been through a lot as you can see and I want it to have a good home.

Cantab - The before colors are ok, but I didnt like the two tones, and the obvious sun damage, it would have driven the price down, and it just didnt look good. To me a SS should only ever have three colors, a body, a tank/pump/nozzle and tubing, and then a detail. most of the classic models are like this, all the way up to the early CPS. So thats kind of what I was going for. Now the thing is just red black and silver, which is not only a more attractive combination, but also simpler.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

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JuchTurtles
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:52 pm

Re: my Monster X story

Post by JuchTurtles » Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:04 pm

You know, I would buy this if you were selling it real cheaply ($15 or less). Of course, you wouldn't sell it for that [old collectable gun]. :cool:

By the way, you did a ton of work on that thing. Can you post a picture of it now after modding? I kinda wanna see it. :p
The name's Juch, just Juch.
Also known as Commander JuchJawsTurtles, commander of the C0BALT TiDE team in The Ocean Volcano Union.
SPLASH! You're dead!

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cantab
Posts: 1492
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:35 pm

Re: my Monster X story

Post by cantab » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:14 pm

VAJMH wrote: I was shooting more for collectors than people that just wanted to have a water war...
Now the thing is just red black and silver, which is not only a more attractive combination, but also simpler.
I'm not sure about water blasters specifically, but in general collectors want things in original condition. A gun that's been repaired so much might put them off. Those looking to use it for warfare, OTOH, will probably welcome it. I'd be interested if I had the money to spend, but I'm in England, and international shipping isn't cheap. I bought some guns from the US last summer, but that was when we had the two dollar pound.
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:

VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

Re: my Monster X story

Post by VAJMH » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:50 am

Image
here's muh babeh!

I also added in an LED flashlight where the QFD nozzle had been just cuz.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

User avatar
JuchTurtles
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:52 pm

Re: my Monster X story

Post by JuchTurtles » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:37 am

Wow, that thing is HOT! Nice paint job!
The name's Juch, just Juch.
Also known as Commander JuchJawsTurtles, commander of the C0BALT TiDE team in The Ocean Volcano Union.
SPLASH! You're dead!

User avatar
cantab
Posts: 1492
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:35 pm

Re: my Monster X story

Post by cantab » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:18 pm

Pretty damn impressive. Colour scheme reminds me of the 2100.
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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