"Requiem", my first homemade... made from Copper!

[Aurum]

Hey, if this thing works, i'll try to get one of my industious friends to build one himself. He's always doing BIG DIY projects. and he's only 17/18 like myself. i'll see if i can get him to do one and likely, he'll manage to out-build me. THEN we'll have something truly terrifying in our midst.

And thanks, i hope this build goes well too

[aEx155]

Originally Posted by Drenchanator

If you're thinking about what I'm thinking, I don't think that would work. Just putting an O-ring inside the end of a pipe wouldn't work as a nozzle because it would get blown out once the water's turned on. Are you thinking about something other than this that I'm maybe not thinking about?

I was talking about the o-rings in the pump. If the gun was going to be all metal, then what about the o-rings?

[Aurum]

well, im sure there can be a few exceptions, to help keep the pump water tight etc

[Drenchenator]

I was talking about the o-rings in the pump.

Oh, oops. Sorry for not thinking straight. I guess that would be a problem if it really was all metal, but I'm sure he could get a wooden dowel at the hardware store if he needed to. That stuff used everywhere. Same goes for O-rings; you should be able to pick them up at a hardware store. You can't really build a gun completely out of metal, but most of it could be metal, I suppose. If you were good with metal working, you might be able to make one pipe seal with another so that you wouldn't need an O-ring, but I don't think there's a need to reinvent the wheel in this case.

[aEx155]

To make a pump without o-rings, I remember reading somewhere a guy (I'll see if I can find the link) used telescoping copper tubes to make an air engine. They were very close in ID and OD, and to make a seal, he just added oil. If you wanted to, you could try that...I don't know about pressures though...

[Silence]

That's possible. Telescoping copper comes in diameter increments of 1/32". Because the wall thickness on each side is 1/64", each increment of tubing fits nearly perfectly within the next. A good lubricant, either oil-based or silicone, should create a solid seal. However, it's true that the pressures could make a big difference and also that the seal may not be reliable for two reasons: (1) the variance in the copper's thickness may not be very high, and (2) the pipe may be deformed at the ends if it's cut using scissors-style pipe cutters.

[Aurum]

Hey. Sorry, was busy yesterday. I now have that reducer i was missing, and the water resevoir is not fully cleaned. Unfortunatly, the place i was told i could get customised lengths of Copper Piping dont actually do that, and their minimum length is also 3m!

So, im trying another place to get my piping, and in the mean time i'll start work on creating the pump, and attaching the shower hose to my resevoir. Hey, Rome wasnt built in a day you know

[Drenchenator]

Well, all I can say is keep at it. Many good projects get pushed aside at the first sign of trouble; it's good to see you're willing to put some effort in it to get it done.

[Aurum]

Well, ive already spend just over £40 ($80?) on this, im not going to give up now

[Silence]

I'm just wondering, where was most of the expense concentrated? When buying PVC, the actual pipe is rather cheap, and the expense lies in the check valves and ball valve (especially with brass ball valves). So for us, homemade check valves would be a very good alternative. But would homemade valves help reduce the price of copper water guns? If so, I'll be sure not to overlook copper measurements...

Oh, and <insert Aurum joke here/>.

[Aurum]

Heh, yeah, the cost of my copper gun is coming from the valves etc, sure its more expensive than PVC on the whole, but the main chunk of things are from the junctions/valves etc.

BTW

My Water resevoir is complete now. I re-attached the straps (had to remove them to mod it first). one of the caps on the top which housed a gap to let the pump through has been capped (wood/sealant), tabs have been cut from the bottom to make it stay upright/stable (these tabs held an extra section of the pump apparatus). Also, I've made a hole in the side near the bottom and attached a spare copper threaded coupler to, which is also attached to a gate valve.

I added the gate vavle to the pack, as due to the hose connection which can be removed, the backpack resevoir can be taken to a refill spot without having to hassle with the gun (IE remove the gun/hose easily). Also, It can serve as a in-field refill station for team-mates. To operate, simple shut the gate valve off, remove hose, place other resevoir beneath, and open the valve again, shutting when done.

Bet none of you ever though of anything like that. Heavy duty gun, and a portable refill station in one. Simple. At least i can carry 10+ Litres, havent tested with more yet...

[Ben]

Good idea to make it easy to adapt the backpack to a refill station. Thinking about it, your teammates often do need water and with a normal backpack, water transfer is difficult. That's where this would come it.

[wetmonkey442]

This might have been brought up already, but when you begin to assemble the body of the gun, try to measure the connection pieces between the check valves and the tees so that you have less space in between. In other words, measure the depth that you can slide a pipe into each fitting and then cut the pipe to fit the combined depth so that there is very little piping exposed between the two fittings. This will not only reduce the overall length and weight of the gun (which lends it a more professional look), but it will also help you to reduce hte amount of dead space that will accumulate water between each time you pump and fire it. This water will sit in your gun when you're not using it, and we all know water can get pretty nasty after long periods sitting in the same place. Not only would it necessitate more extensive pre-pumping (to get old water out of the system of the gun before you actually use it in a water fight), but it could eventually corrode the workings of the gun, especially around the check valves where the springs inside are ofen made of an metal prone to oxidization, such as steel.

Besides that, the design looks solid, good luck on the build. Remember to update us with pictures once you have this thing hammered out, so to speak.

Soak On

[Aurum]

Hey again. Thanks for the tips Wet monkey, i didnt even think about the dead space issue, thanks for warning me.

OK, i had some issues regarding the backpacks-water tightness where the water exits via the hose. I was silly to use sealant, its too soft and rubbery when dry. Anyway, I made some adjustments with some PTFE (spelt right?) Tape, that thin white stuff you wrap around the thread to increase water tight-ness. Anyway, thats sorted. Also, one of my check vavles was already broken? I didnt notice untill yesterday, so ive since gone and replaced it. Although i no-longer have 2 Double Check Vavles, i now have a Double and a Single now (which both work btw) as the shop was out of the same kind.

Anyway, All's going well, but the pump still isnt finished and im still waiting on my free piping from my nan's friend. It should be ready to use by Monday i hope... Which is good, As i have an A-Level exam on Wednesday, and im sure my mates will want to 'cool off' after it

I'll try and get pictures up soon

[Drenchenator]

PTFE (spelt right?) Tape

Yes, you spelled it right. It stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, which commoners just call teflon.

Also, one of my check vavles was already broken? I didnt notice untill yesterday, so ive since gone and replaced it.

That was unfortunate, but you did the only thing you really could do, replace it. Already manufactured parts tend to be replaced much more easier than repaired.

Still, I can't wait for the pictures and results. Good luck on your exam.