ADA: Ask Doc Anything!

[dartamon]

The Monsoon is mine, I hunted after it for 8 years. Dave Brisco, who built it, also used to have a Raptor with hand painted flames.

So it sounds like I don't have any particularly wild ideas for it. Would you care to throw some out?

[DocsMachine]

The vertical feedneck has a hole drilled through it to reduce blowback, so it needs to be replaced - I think better bolt timing/length can get rid of the blowback issue.

-You're always going to have some blowback in a blowback. The only exceptions are for things like the VM or Golden Eagle, whose hammers are so big the whole cycle is slowed down. We can lose the vent if you're going to go with a modern force-fed loader, but I'd recommend keeping it if you'r ejust going to use an agitator.

I have a BE Eagleworks/Jacko barrel that I'd like to Freakify for this.

-Easily done. I wound up with a binful of those years ago. Rethreaded most of them for other guns, Freaked just about all of them- since the bore is like .693".

The regulator will be a MaxFlo coupled with the BE expansion chamber as a foregrip.

-Max Flow, yes, expansion chamber, no. Well, let's say I wouldn't recommend it, anyway. Won't do you any good, other than slightly reducing your per-tank shot count. Personally, I tend to prefer the old KAPP gas-thrus. If one can't be found, I can make one.

Bonus points if you can recess a gauge into the bottom of the expansion chamber.

-That would indeed be cool, and yes, I think it can be done, but just about any generation of the Max Flows up to the screw-ins had a built-in port for output pressure.

The grip frame should be the double trigger pot metal, but maybe reworked/polished up to look better.

-Easily done. But pot metal tarnishes rapidly, especially in contact with a sweaty hand. The frame would have to be painted, Cerakoted or plated.

The Monsoon (in the second picture) has a nickel plated pot metal frame and an anodized trigger.

-I haven't seen the Monsoon in years. Is that your photo? Is it still around?

Folks used to also put a cocker rear rod onto the striker and a custom beaver-tail to make it rear-cocking.

-Easily done.

Then custom milling and anno.

-Also easily done.

If you really want to get wild, make it mech full-auto the way ME262 designed it 20 years ago. A ram (air cylinder) coupled with a needle valve and a quick exhaust to slow down the cyclic rate. You could even fit it all inside the top rear plug and make it selectable by turning it (selecting different sized exhaust hole). But that may be too much without getting CNC involved.

-It's not something requiring of CNC, but that kind of setup tends to be pretty finicky. The kind of thing that works great in the shop or the backyard, but can be troublesome out on the actual field.

Other options: It can be remachined to take Autococker barrels, we could make a new ASA, even one of the classic 15 degree ones the Automag and Autococker guys were once to fond of (or, alternatively, angle it a few degrees back to match the main grip angle) and there's always things like custom grip slabs. I also have a laser, so adding a name, slogan or signature after it's done, is also possible.

Doc.

[dartamon]

There's plenty we can do, but you gotta understand, it's kind of an open-ended question. It's like "what can I do to this car?" Well, are you going to drag race it? Mud-bog it? Autocross?

In the case of a paintball gun, are you looking only for maximum performance? The best consistency, accuracy and efficiency? Are you looking for a wild showpiece that looks as good as it plays? Are you looking for a major reconfiguration, like an electro conversion?

Repeating my last answer: Bolt, definitely, maybe a better detent; we fit it for an Empire style feed neck, and a Freak back.

After that? If you wanted to give it a swing, we could try one of those low-recoil valves, add some body milling and have it custom annoed, and if you really want to get wild, replace the pot-metal grip frame with milled aluminum.

Throw a midrange-pressure inline reg on there and do some tuning for consistency. If you have a choice of rail or ASA, if that needs a T-slot or dovetail, that can be added too.

I need at least a little guidance. My idea of cool and radical might not be your idea of cool and radical. I mean, I might wind up trying to fit a Gamma Core engine in there.

Doc.

Wild showpiece is definitely the right direction, staying mechanical. So here is the pic of the VRaptor. The vertical feedneck has a hole drilled through it to reduce blowback, so it needs to be replaced - I think better bolt timing/length can get rid of the blowback issue. I agree on the detent. I have a BE Eagleworks/Jacko barrel that I'd like to Freakify for this. The regulator will be a MaxFlo coupled with the BE expansion chamber as a foregrip. Bonus points if you can recess a gauge into the bottom of the expansion chamber. The grip frame should be the double trigger pot metal, but maybe reworked/polished up to look better. The Monsoon (in the second picture) has a nickel plated pot metal frame and an anodized trigger.

Folks used to also put a cocker rear rod onto the striker and a custom beaver-tail to make it rear-cocking. It makes sense since there are no slide slots on this body. Only the top-cocking slot.

Then custom milling and anno.

If you really want to get wild, make it mech full-auto the way ME262 designed it 20 years ago. A ram (air cylinder) coupled with a needle valve and a quick exhaust to slow down the cyclic rate. You could even fit it all inside the top rear plug and make it selectable by turning it (selecting different sized exhaust hole). But that may be too much without getting CNC involved.

[DocsMachine]

My Victory had a good sounding set of pipes on it. It wasn’t obnoxious[...]

-That's the key, right there. Totally unmuffled pipes are obnoxious. Tuned pipes and a sweet rumble, that's cool. I don't in the least mind- and often love the sound of- a well done exhaust system. But I hate obnoxiously loud ones.

The car example is the same as the difference between a set of straight pipes with maybe something like glasspacks- which borders on the obnoxious, but on a good V8 isn't too bad- and the rusted-out exhaust under some big eighties' battle-barge. That's obnoxious.

One of my neighbors has a Corvette (70's) with some kind of "lobulated" pipes- sort of a pair of long baffled glasspacks, as I understand it? Even though it's just a small-block, that sounds cool.

Doc.

[DocsMachine]

It also reminds me: What do old Harleys and hound dogs have in common? The both ride around in the backs of trucks & leak a lot of fluids.

-My favorite, told to me BY a Harley owner (three, including a handbuilt chopper, plus a Triumph Bonneville) is what's the difference between a Hoover and a Harley?

On a Hoover, the dirtbag goes on the inside.

Doc.

[Tinybear]

Well being a long time motorcycle rider with 13 different motorcycles in my past (4 of which had louder exhausts installed). And also a rider that was nearly killed By an inattentive cager.

I think I’m well qualified to chime in on the loud pipes saving lives debate.

And the short answer is it’s a load of B.S. Much same can be said for bright coloured clothes and the such.

When I got hit the driver. She would have been looking straight at my head light and turned into me regardless (can’t confirm if I honked or anything really as I lost most memory of the day prior to walking up on the road).

I have had many drivers before my accident and since who just didn’t bother looking and went to change lanes into me. Didn’t matter if I was riding my loud piped Victory or my near silent Vstrom.

Additionally I have fixed big diesels my whole life. Those are never really quite and they get hit all the time. Presently I fix school busses there loud have loads of light and are bright bloody yellow. But yet despite it all. My bus body repair skills are tested regularly.

That all being said I’m all for a well sounding bike with a good exhaust. My Victory had a good sounding set of pipes on it. It wasn’t obnoxious and combine with the intake and programming really woke the bike up even more. Same can be said for the 2-1 Cobra and max air kit/carb jetting I had on my VStar 1100. Not obnoxious but a bit louder and A LOT more power. Also put a Akrapovic on my Honda CBF600 that cost a fortune and only really made it sound slightly better. One my bikes a TW 200 came with a aftermarket pipe and I absolutely hated it. It was obnoxious and annoying. I put in a baffle to that pipe to make it somewhat tolerable, but was always looking to replace it with a stock pipe. Rest my bikes had stock pipes. Thought I maybe looking to sell my duel sport and get another cruiser to ride again with the wife. And I do enjoy well tuned pipes on v twins so may end up with one more.

[Paintslinger16]

There is certain point that loud pipes make people aware. But completely open pipes or the cut off LAF pipes are not it. They actually result in power loss, 2:1 with a baffle make the most power

[DocsMachine]

To me the "Loud Pipes Save Lives!" argument is bogus.

-It is, and I can prove it.

If loud pipes did indeed save lives, then a far cheaper solution would be to wire the horn to sound constantly as long as the key is on. Horns are designed and intended to alert other drivers, after all.

Why doesn't anyone do that?

Because that wouldn't be cool. Loud pipes sound cool, buzzing horns don't.

Ergo, coolness takes precedence over safety. The proper phrase, therefore, is more like "Loud Pipes Make My Balls Feel Big!"

(And before anyone gets indignant at me again, that comes from a hard-core, dyed-in-the-wool musclecar enthusiast. I love the sound of a good tuned exhaust. The problem is, most Harley exhausts aren't tuned- they're just bare pipes. They don't 'rumble', they 'blaaat!' But straight pipes are way cheaper than tuned pipes with resonators, so apparently in descending order, it's cheap, cool, then safe. )

Doc.

[DocsMachine]

Which do you rate higher and why: Snowcat/Bombi or snowmobile?

-That's like asking what I rate higher, a car or a pickup truck. They're two different things, serve two different purposes.

The Snowcat/Snow Trac/Nodwell/etc. type vehicles are workhorses- those are used for trail grooming, hauling lumber, hauling people out to camps, that sort of thing. Handy, but not what you'd call sporty.

A proper snowmachine is meant for recreation- to go out and carve some trails in fresh powder.

Never owned a Nodwell, have owned several snowmachines over the years.

Doc.

[un2xs]

Leave that to the Harley owners.

This brings up something I have never understood. Why do a lot of Harly riders remove the baffles on a perfectly good straight from the factory bike?

To me the "Loud Pipes Save Lives!" argument is bogus. All those loud pipes really seem to do is piss off people like me when the bike goes through my neighborhood at Oh dark thirty.

It also reminds me: What do old Harleys and hound dogs have in common? The both ride around in the backs of trucks & leak a lot of fluids.

.

[Paintslinger16]

Leave that to the Harley owners.

I will have you know I had AR (anti-reversion) cones drag pipes on my Harley! 🤪

[un2xs]

Which do you rate higher and why: Snowcat/Bombi or snowmobile?

[DocsMachine]

Regarding the Blade...[snip] I have no idea what custom milling costs.

-It varies. My shop time is usually $50 an hour.

As an aside, do you charge more or less when a customer says use your imagination on a gun? Does the charge for your services boil down to just machine time? Do you include artist think time in the final billing?

-Good question! You gents are lucky that I'm an enthusiast; I've done considerable work for players over the years, for comparatively cheap, simply because I thought it was a fun and interesting project. It's another one of those things that probably lists me as a terrible businessman, but there's far more to life than money. (Although admittedly money is an excellent lubricant to make going through life a lot easier. )

If money were my sole drive, I've gotten any number of offers to work on the North Slope as a machinist- there was one in '07 from a close friend of the family and was $85K to start. Today I'd be making twice that- and Slope work is generally two-on, two-off, so that's $160K for half a year's work.

But, it's also boring. Turning the same drill-pipe stem threads every day, or rebushing yet another 1,000HP pump scroll- usually while the boss stands behind you checking his watch every thirty seconds, because that pump being down is costing the company $50K an hour...

No thanks.

I charge what I think the job is worth. I'm a player myself, and I've never had money to throw around, so I tend to price things to about what I'd want to pay for the same thing, myself.

On another topic: Chainsaws! What advantage does gutting a muffler give? Is it worth doing? How does it affect durability? Any other thoughts on this?

-In a typical two-stroke chainsaw (or other small-implement engine) the muffler is an important part of the exhaust system. As mentioned back in the 2-stroke porting post a few pages back, the 'reversion' or reverse pressure wave in the exhaust is an important part of the cycle- it helps keep too much of the fresh fuel charge from escaping out the exhaust, and the initial expansion of the charge helps draw the fuel charge in to the cylinder.

To work properly as designed, the engine needs that additional restriction from the muffler. Back in the early days, mufflers were afterthoughts, and in many cases probably did, in fact, hurt performance. But today's engines have that muffler designed into the system- taking it off or gutting it upsets the 'timing', for want of a better word.

Yes, you can get a little more power out of a modern saw engine, but it's like any other engine; you need to work both ends- intake and exhaust- and do so in a proper, effective manner, not just cracking off a muffler and thinking you're getting twice as much power because it's twice as loud.

Leave that to the Harley owners.

Doc.

[DocsMachine]

Oh your post about the raptor makes me thing it be really nice to have a milled aluminum trigger frame for a tippmann Pro/Carbine.

-That can certainly be done. I made one for my own personal Carbine shortly after they came out. But there's no way I can hand-make one as inexpensively as the APP unit.

And to expand on my earlier inquest about the Pro/Carbine Foregrip. I more ment just the feed elbow aka like a 68. Carbine but in aluminum and with a modern clamping setup.

-Just the feed neck would be fairly easy. It'd be a touch awkward as it'd have to extend down to the bottom 'rail' of the body to have a place to firmly bolt it, or it'd have to have a sort of "clamping half" to fix it to the body firmly, but yeah, that can be done fairly easily.

of course this is a dangerous rabbit hole.

-Aren't they all?

Doc.

[un2xs]

Regarding the Blade...

-Good question! And hard to answer.

On one hand, they're rare.

On the other hand, they've been around for some 25 years now, and there's really never been any collector's interest in them.

I can pretty much guarantee that if you customized one, you'd have the only one, ever.

Doc, the idea intrigues me. However, I have no idea what custom milling costs. Unfortunately, it is more than likely to be out of my funday funds. I suppose I should field one as designed before contemplating customization.

As an aside, do you charge more or less when a customer says use your imagination on a gun? Does the charge for your services boil down to just machine time? Do you include artist think time in the final billing?

On another topic: Chainsaws! What advantage does gutting a muffler give? Is it worth doing? How does it affect durability? Any other thoughts on this?