ADA: Ask Doc Anything!

[DocsMachine]

Have you ever made insert tubes for FBM Autococker bodies?

If so, do you have any that need a home?

-Nope, but I can sure make some. If they include the valve, like the Fishbones, I can't promise they'll seal, but then, neither could Spanky.

Doc.

[Number six]

I need it done. Can anything be done to prevent future problems? The body is going to get anodized. Do I need to have that done first? Can the tubes be anodized before installation? I don't need it done next week, but within a year would be great.

[un2xs]

Can an ICE Panther be re-threaded to either ICD or Cocker thread? If I already have a "Panther" barrel would there be any advantage to moving to another barrel set?

[un2xs]

What are your thoughts on the Andy Greenwell Blade? Can it be lightened enough to matter? Are there any ways to improve them? Are these best used as wall hangers, door stops and boat anchors? (Its too late to use one as concrete reinforcement in Walz's shop floor.)

[DocsMachine]

Can an ICE Panther be re-threaded to either ICD or Cocker thread? If I already have a "Panther" barrel would there be any advantage to moving to another barrel set?

-Don't know. The Panther is one of the few guns I've never had through the shop. A non-destructive option might be to find some clever and stunningly handsome machinist who could make you a Freak back for it.

What are your thoughts on the Andy Greenwell Blade?

-Good attempt, lots of great ideas especially for back in those days, just somewhat poorly executed.

Can it be lightened enough to matter?

-If you wanted to sacrifice one, yes, there's (nearly literally) a ton of metal that could be milled off. I'll never be as light as an LV-1 or whatever, but it wouldn't surprise me if you could lighten it up by a full pound or two.

Are there any ways to improve them?

-Define "improve". Accuracy? Sure, get a different barrel. Consistency? Maybe with a little polishing. Efficiency? Good luck. Comfort? A custom-milled grip frame might go a long ways on that one. Appearance? It's already a Blade. There's only like three players on the entire planet that have seen one of those actually used on the field.

Are these best used as wall hangers, door stops and boat anchors? (Its too late to use one as concrete reinforcement in Walz's shop floor.)

-Hard to say. If you have one that's already well-used, don't be afraid to use it. They're built fairly durably.

If you have a clean, unused one... well, they're really not much of a collector's item, but in my opinion they're more valuable unused or low-mileage.

Doc.

[un2xs]

-Don't know. The Panther is one of the few guns I've never had through the shop. A non-destructive option might be to find some clever and stunningly handsome machinist who could make you a Freak back for it.

These can take a modified Prolite barrel. (Thanks for that info CapitolPaintball)

I don't know that there is really a need for a Freak back for it unless a person wants to focus on efficiency. The spring lever detent seems to do a decent job with various paint sizes... based on my experience with a Puma.

-Good attempt, lots of great ideas especially for back in those days, just somewhat poorly executed.
-If you wanted to sacrifice one, yes, there's (nearly literally) a ton of metal that could be milled off. I'll never be as light as an LV-1 or whatever, but it wouldn't surprise me if you could lighten it up by a full pound or two.

Interesting thought. Are these historic enough to NOT chop? Or are they just one of the many paintball experiments that are just insignificant blips in the timeline?

-Define "improve". Accuracy? Sure, get a different barrel. Consistency? Maybe with a little polishing. Efficiency? Good luck. Comfort? A custom-milled grip frame might go a long ways on that one. Appearance? It's already a Blade. There's only like three players on the entire planet that have seen one of those actually used on the field.
-Hard to say. If you have one that's already well-used, don't be afraid to use it. They're built fairly durably.

If you have a clean, unused one... well, they're really not much of a collector's item, but in my opinion they're more valuable unused or low-mileage.

Doc.

I have three Blade (Version 1) that have been in a case for about twenty years. They are in decent shape, but I have never used them. I am going to take one to a friend to rebuild... he loves oddball guns. I think it would be a real hoot to field a Blade. (I think he will get the ?PG1?, too.)

(So far my friend has gone through/re-ringed four of my guns... Blazer 1K, 98 Fox, RT Classic, Vector.)

[DocsMachine]

Interesting thought. Are these historic enough to NOT chop? Or are they just one of the many paintball experiments that are just insignificant blips in the timeline?

-Good question! And hard to answer.

On one hand, they're rare. I have no idea how many were made, but I'd guess fewer than a thousand. Probably- but still a guess- maybe only a few hundred.

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. Their value really hasn't gone up, there's never been some famous person auctioning off their personal one, there was never the least bit of aftermarket support, there's really nothing particularly strange about it that would entice players to use it (like a Nova's dildo-nose, a Vector's bark, etc.)

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

Doc.

[Cunha]

If you had magical powers (other than the ones you already have) and could magically make the paintball gun of your choice the one paintball gun that the entire paintball industry is oriented towards and becomes an Olympic game with, what would it be?

This should not include factors like "well I have a buncha spare parts for such and such" but really the one that you wish provides the definition and direction for the game.

[DocsMachine]

Well, really, that's just a long-winded way of asking "what's your favorite gun?"

Arguably, there's a dozen or more current markers that would work, from any one of the top makers.

But me, personally? I'm still a big old-school fan of the 'Cocker. Mainly just because I'm a gadget freak, and the 'Cocker is by far the most customizable marker we've ever had. I could come up with some hornswoggle about it being the most versatile, able to be a fast E-marker, a top-end mech, and even a pump, but in truth, I like 'em just 'cause they have lots of bits and bobs and moving parts and they're just generally fun to work on and shoot.

Doc.

[moving_target]

Is there any increased difficulty to boring slip fit barrels for inserts compared to threaded ones?

[DocsMachine]

Is there any increased difficulty to boring slip fit barrels for inserts compared to threaded ones?

-The actual boring? Not particularly. The application for said bored barrel? Yes.

The two slip-fits off the top of my head are the Blazer and the SL-68. On the Blazer, the OD is too small where it goes into the gun. Only .795" or so. The OD of the typical Freak insert is circa .745". That leaves you a total of about 0.050", or a wall thickness of about 0.025". That's not quite beercan thin, but it's getting there.

I've made Blazer Freak backs before, but I always make sure the owners know they're basically not warranted. You tentpeg the thing or otherwise bend it, I'm not gonna replace it. (Though in honesty, I've only heard of one being damaged, and that got squashed in his gearbag, not even mounted to the gun. )

On the SL-68, there's more sidewall meat, but the Nelson-style bolt actually chambers into the breech of the barrel- there's no inner step or wall to retain the insert.It's possible the bolt O-ring can grab the insert and pull it backward. It won't come completely out of the barrel, of course, but it also won't let another ball chamber.

To make an SL Freak, you have to have the insert come in from the front, and that means having a screw-in tip. Using a stock Freak tip means a "knuckle' in the barrel about an inch in diameter, and that of course won't fit through the pump grip.

Using an XL insert is somewhat better, as that moves the 'knuckle' where the front and back screw together, further forward, but you'd still have to bore out or saw off around an inch of the pump grip.

Doc.

[moving_target]

Caliper first. Got it.

[XEMON]

I have a 56-1/8 by 3/8 band saw (tabletop). Its usually setup for wood cutting, any metal blades out there for this saw?
Ive been looking for a bit, and would like to avoid buying a whole new saw (no room).

Thanks Doc.

[Cunha]

Well, really, that's just a long-winded way of asking "what's your favorite gun?"

Arguably, there's a dozen or more current markers that would work, from any one of the top makers.

But me, personally? I'm still a big old-school fan of the 'Cocker. Mainly just because I'm a gadget freak, and the 'Cocker is by far the most customizable marker we've ever had. I could come up with some hornswoggle about it being the most versatile, able to be a fast E-marker, a top-end mech, and even a pump, but in truth, I like 'em just 'cause they have lots of bits and bobs and moving parts and they're just generally fun to work on and shoot.

Doc.

Sort of the same question, but for me it would be more about the form of the game that shapes around the gun versus just the gun that I enjoy.

My choice would be some stock class gun because I see it as a way of play that allows for a better game, that might even be a sport. On paper at least. I could see people caring about Olympic level stock class games, but not Olympic level semi auto ball games.

[DocsMachine]

I have a 56-1/8 by 3/8 band saw (tabletop). Its usually setup for wood cutting, any metal blades out there for this saw?
Ive been looking for a bit, and would like to avoid buying a whole new saw (no room).

-I don't know of that particular size in general, but the trick to doing metal on a wood bandsaw is the blade speed. Wood blades move way too fast for metal, You probably would be too bad with thin aluminum, but for steel, you'd burn the teeth off the blade. For steel, you generally want a blade speed in "feet per minute" (also known as "surface feet per minute", or SFPM) of around 180 to 250 FPM. For aluminum you can be closer to 500-700 FPM.

If the saw itself doesn't have a way to slow it down, you'll have to add a "jackshaft" or gearbox of some sort. LOTS of how-tos online about that, a very common mod.

As for the actual blade, again, just doing aluminum, a typical HSS/carbon steel wood blade will work, to a certain extent. For steel, you'll want the real thing, though- try sources like bandsawbladesdirect.com. I've bought from them a couple times, seems like a decent deal.

Doc.

[MrBarraclough]

Some Automag-related questions:

I'm enjoying my Doc's Adapter in my Automag, but I'm a little sad that my collection of twistlock barrels are effectively now obselete. My buddy still uses twistlocks in his mag, but current force-fed hoppers tend to overpower the nubbins, especially with today's smaller paint. Have you ever milled slots for rubber finger detents into twistlock Automag barrels? I would think the tooling setup for doing so would be virtually the same as for your adapters. Or would that just not be a cost-effective thing to do compared to simply using your adapter and getting an AC threaded barrel?

Which makes another question occur to me: Would it be possible (or practical) to convert a twistlock barrel by cutting off the breech and cutting AC threads into the barrel (assuming it is a one piece barrel)?

What would be the preferable method for a home hobbyist to cut some length off the feedneck of an old stainless Automag body? Pipecutter, hacksaw, Dremel with cutting wheel, or something else? Should the inside of the tube be reinforced with a dowel or something while cutting? AGD was awfully generous with the tubing on those stock feednecks and they make for a super tall marker compared to most of today's direct vertical feed models.

Thanks,

[DocsMachine]

Have you ever milled slots for rubber finger detents into twistlock Automag barrels? I would think the tooling setup for doing so would be virtually the same as for your adapters. Or would that just not be a cost-effective thing to do compared to simply using your adapter and getting an AC threaded barrel?

-An interesting idea. I had not thought of doing so, and you're the first to ask. But yes, the wall thickness and whatnot is the same, so the only potential issue, off the top of my head, is possible interference with the twist-lock groove. I'd have to pull out an old barrel and check- and it my vary from barrel to barrel, since not all companies milled the barrel the same way.

Which makes another question occur to me: Would it be possible (or practical) to convert a twistlock barrel by cutting off the breech and cutting AC threads into the barrel (assuming it is a one piece barrel)?

-Possible, yes. I've done quite a few that way, particularly for those with "splash kits" that want to keep the matching barrel. One of my adapters, a conversion to 'Cocker thread, and a Freak bore, and all of a sudden your 25-year-old Eclipse Splash Kit can shoot modern paint again.

What would be the preferable method for a home hobbyist to cut some length off the feedneck of an old stainless Automag body? Pipecutter, hacksaw, Dremel with cutting wheel, or something else?

-If I didn't have a machine shop, what I'd do is wrap a turn of masking tape around the tend, with the edge of the tape where you want the tube cut. Wrap it carefully so the tape lines up- that is, one end comes around and is still level with the other end. That will help you make a "true" cut.

I'd then get a Dremel and some of the little cut-off discs. And with a respirator- you do NOT want to breathe stainless steel dust- very carefully cut around the tube right at the edge of the tape. Take your time and go slow. And it's usually better to cut a circle several times, increasing the depth each time, rather than trying to slice through in one pass.

You'll burn up a small handful of the wheels, but with patience it's fairly easy.

Once you've parted it off, a small stone or sanding drum can be used to smooth the edges.

Oh, and before you do any of that, double-check that you don't cut too much. It's a lot easier to take it off than put it back on.

Doc.

[MrBarraclough]

Thanks! These are great answers to questions that had been rattling around in my head. I had been eyeballing some of my old twistlock barrels and considering using my drill press to drill holes for finger detents, but decided not to chance it since I wouldn't have a good way of cutting the grooves for the detents to lay down into as the bolt passes by.

I'll actually give cutting down the feedneck a shot. Since I now have a secondhand Minimag body on my Automag, I decided to experiment with the original stock body. The tube cutter I had on hand put a shallow groove in it but I don't think is ever going to cut through, given that it was meant for copper tubing and not stainless. That is assuming, of course, that I can fix my Dremel which I nearly burned up drilling out the bolts holding the original ASA on the rail.