Paintball Hacks: What Commonplace Items Have a Paintball Use?

[Toestr]

What commonplace/generic/cheaper items have you used in place of more expensive paintball specific items? For example; a laptop sleeve for a marker bag or cereal containers for filling pods.

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[Olsson]

The front frame screw on a Sterling could be replaced with a strikingly similar screw that held up the inner panels in Swedish phone booths. I noticed the similarity out of coincidence, and still have at least one of those screws just in case. The Sterling had a reputation of losing the front frame screw if you didn't add an oring to increase friction, and the tighten it down like you had no intention for it to EVER come off again.

Imported frame screws were disgustingly expensive, so finding out that it was possible to use domestically liberated screws was a very welcome surprise.

[Olsson]

Well, my personal view of myself rhymes a lot more with "gentleman", "connoisseur" and "gentleman", so domestically liberated it is.

Nope, no phone booths since quite some time. The cell phone and the minimal use of cash/coins in Sweden spelled their doom. Although I'm sure there will be some smartass coming up with the idea of a new phone booth where you you can pay with an app...

[Axel]

I usually change some cash when I travel internationally, just in case technology fails. Towards the end of a trip in Gothenburg, I unloaded some of it to pay the tab at a restaurant, and the server said, "oh... so that's what our money looks like" 😆

[Olsson]

Even though that may sound like an exaggeration, it most probably wasn't. Sweden switched to a complete set of new bills between 2016 and 2017. The server probably hadn't seen them yet, since most people don't use cash any longer. Personally, I still have to check twice, if I receive a Swedish krona-bill, since I still don't know instinctively what they look like - since I haven't carried any cash for about a decade.

Actually, there are more and more businesses that flat out refuse to get payment in cash, so it is perfectly possible to work full time as a waiter/clerk, etc in Sweden, and not have a single clue as to what the Swedish money looks like.

[Trbo323]

Ikea door mat for a tech mat

It's like $2.50, flip it over and it has a nice rubber side. Cut the rubber in a few small spots and glue in some magnets for holding screws

Got an old memory foam mattress topper? Cut it up and make a marker "book" with duct tape. Multiple slots for markers

Papa Murphy's cookie dough container makes a great "hold all the screws and such from one marker" container.... Bonus! You have to get the cookie dough out first

Old junky but functional on/off ASA? 0-1500psi gauge? You now have a reg tester

Cigar cutter? You mean macro cutter!

Old tv dinner tray stand thing, perfect for laying 2 halves of a tippman down for painting. Hang other parts off the side that you need 360 access to and you can paint a whole tippmann at once



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[Alexndl]

I need to try the cigar cutter on macro line!

[Spider!]

You can often find decent used test gauges on ebay pretty cheap. I have a big 4" test gauge that is very repeatable and more accurate than any of my little gauges. That supply should fade away as test gauges are replaced by electronic gauges.

[Axel]

Cigar cutter? Why didn't I think of that????

[Brokeass_baller]

Back in the day, I was one of those kids using a garbage disposal splash guard as a speed feed. Now I use proper feeds though.

I have a nice fat piece of fabric conveyer that I use as a tech mat. The reverse side is a good tough black rubber.

I also use a camo fanny pack I won from some really dumb company moral-booster contest as a dump pouch for ten round tubes.

[Grendel]

Pump Spritzer bottle used in cosmetology and in the kitchen. I fill with alcohol/water mix and keep in my bag for occasional spritzing paint residue when at the field. It is small, carries enough for a weekend scenario and works off just a couple of pumps.

https://www.amazon.com/Misto-Brushed-Aluminum-Oil-Sprayer/dp/B00004SPZV/ref=sr_1_22?dchild=1&keywords=Pump+Spray+Bottle&qid=1630940063&sr=8-22

I buy them at discount stores usually for a couple of bucks new on Amazon they are around $10. I have been using my red original in my bag for 10+years.

[Spider!]

Gloves. Good work/hunting gloves are much cheaper for the quality compared to most paintball gloves

[MrBarraclough]

I am forever recommending cheap mechanics' gloves from Harbor Freight to newbies. Hardy brand gloves are $5.50 a pair.

[BenoitOWN]

I tried buying something that ressembled a pod cleaner from lee valley that was 1/3 of the paintball cost and is ‘telescopic’ but nope doesn’t do as good as a job.

[Brokeass_baller]

I never understood pod swabs. Do you often break paint in there or something? I usually just shake around some dish soap and water once or twice a year to get the oil out, and that's it.

[Cdn_Cuda]

I’ve used a tool bag as a 3 marker carrying case for decades now. Added a cardboard piece with foam as an additional divider.

[iamthelazerviking]

Tennis ball for rounding out the butt ini small flat tanks.
RC car spacer shims for taking out the side to side slop on triggers, like in the Etha2.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Shotgun but stock shell holder to hold 12g is my favorite way to carry them. Plexus plastic polish for keeping lenses looking new and clear.

Not a use item but definitely a hack. Shake up a bag of paint for better accuracy. Paint often sits and the thick parts of the fill settle to the bottom of the ball especially when it’s not stored properly or rotated. If you shake up a bag of paint at the beginning of the day it will fly more true. Makes a big difference when playing limited paint. It helps balance out the ball for a much better group.

[XEMON]

Similarly I have a stock pouch on my SSR for the spent 12g (I hate leaving them laying in the field).

[Chuck E Ducky]

I wrap the elastic around my wrist and keep the 12g in the inside nice and close for a change out.

[Nish]

Gloves. Good work/hunting gloves are much cheaper for the quality compared to most paintball gloves

This! My personal favorite are "Carpenters gloves" Thumb, pointer and middle finger are 1/2-3/4 closed. This leaves enough protection on the back of your hand while allowing me to deal with fine motor jobs like filling 10rnd tubes and loading them into my belt without removing my gloves every time.

Shotgun but stock shell holder to hold 12g is my favorite way to carry them. Plexus plastic polish for keeping lenses looking new and clear.

Also my favorite throughout the years. Recently I have switched to DBD's capless harness sometimes though. Stilgar had a great layout for stiching sections of a shotgun shell belt to paintball pants as well.

On the subject of paints. BDU/Cargo pants make great paintball pants.

[Meleager7]

Volleyball Knee Pads.

My Woodland BDU pants are pretty baggy, so I just wear the volleyball knee pads underneath, and they fit fine. They work great, and since I already had them, I did not have to spring for any expensive purpose built paintball kneepads.

[Seajay]

Soccer pads work pretty good too!

[wthomas333]

Nothing cosmic, but I seem to be using these items all the time.

Gun cleaning kit with 12 and 20 gauge shotgun swabs. Fits most upper and lower tubes.

For storing/shipping most of my barrels up to 14”

https://www.ebay.com/itm/203128016702

For storing long skinny guns, most of my pumps.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/222830683024

Also have an unreasonable amount of the black and yellow parts organizers from Harbor Freight and this handy little telescopic magnet for when that small part decides to roll behind or between something and is hard to get.

https://www.harborfreight.com/hardware/magnets/15-lb-capacity-telescoping-magnetic-pickup-tool-95933.html

[Trbo323]

A large fishing tackle box makes a fantastic tool and parts organizer

This one is really close to the one I use. I have the cast majority of my tools in it, all my o rings and tons of spare parts.

This also means you can take your show on the road for those big games and what not

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[Axel]

This is practically a photo of my toolbox

[XEMON]

I love those things as small travel tool bag.
with the clear window you can see exactly what you have in there, put a carabineer on the eye loop and clip it anywhere.