Lets Talk Phantom Tech Questions and Concepts

[Dirklax39]

If you know more than me about paintball tech, mods, and machining I would love to hear your thoughts and input!

1. Any way to re-anodize the end of a shortened/bobbed valve? I know most people just cover the end by tapping a gauge or hex plug onto the back, but I was curious if anyone had done or seen anything else before. I don't like the idea of just hacking it in have and leaving it raw. Thoughts?

2. Have you ever seen a front thumb screw for a phantom dual rod under-cocking kit?

3. Have you ever seen anyone make a lever clamping feed neck collar you can plug and play for an open class feed body?

4. Best way to safely store/transport a phantom and all its configurations (valves, stocks, bodies...etc). Maybe pick-n-pluck foam gun case?

5. What 3D printed files for phantoms, stock class, or pump hoppers have you loved using? Any files or concepts you've dreamed of before, but haven't seen yet?

Lets talk!

- Dirk

[BigRed]

1. No comment
2. No, it's kinda snug
3. CCI had bolt ons, CCM bolt on, Spyder bolt on and our very own flyweightnate made a bolt on that will take any empire style feedneck.
4. I have a couple of older style aluminum cases that I use.
5. There's been a bunch of 3D printed mods for the Phantom. Springfeeds, pump slides, 90 degree and Y grips just to name a few.

[Dirklax39]

BigRed

1. 10-4
2. 10-4
3. Im looking into making just a clamping lever collar (just the collar) for the body in the picture below. I use a couple of different hoppers for my OC feedneck and dont want to have to pull an allen wrench out every time I need to swap.
4. Any idea of what brand name the aluminum cases you have are? Im interested.
5. I any 3D printed mods you fancy?

[Dirklax39]

https://paintballgate.stores.yahoo.net/cciphpugun118.html

[BigRed]

I'll have to check for a brand name when I get home for you.

[Grendel]

1. Theoretically you could anodize the portion of the valve that is raw without affecting that which is already anodized. I have seen this done on mfg fixtures but the finishes/color tend to not match perfectly especially at the edges. I doubt an anodizing shop would do it for you without fully stripping the valve. The best way would be to have the whole valve stripped and re-anodized.
2. Not sure what you are asking here
3. @flyweightnate on here was making Empire style vert feed adapters for stock class phantoms that just bolt on. I have one and it is great flyweightnate might still have some or plan another run. Original CCI (Mike C.) made them as well not sure if the new CCI has any plans to make any.
4. Wrapped in something soft and stuffed into a paintball bag works for me. I usually use laptop sleeves but an old terry cloth towel works too.
5. Tons of 3D printed mods for Phantoms, do some searches here and on google.

Phantoms are the Legos of Paintball

[Grendel]

Personally not worried about having a thumb screw for the front of my Phantoms since I never do tear downs on the field and always travel with appropriate tools to work on them in the staging area but if I was going to replace I would just measure what I need and guy an industry standard thumb screw from places like McMaster Carr or if you are lucky a good traditional hardware supplier locally. Here is a McMaster Carr link for a stainless thumb screw in various lengths - https://www.mcmaster.com/thumb-screw...humb-screws-9/

No suggestions on anodizers I have not used one in a long time. If I was going to bob a valve and need it anodized I would just do it myself. Only thing I'm really missing is some H2SO4 for the bath and that is relatively easy to find. Anodizing a single color is not very difficult especially if you are shooting for Type II which is what most paintball guns are anodized. The other thing you could do is call around to some of your local machine shops and see if they have anything going out for anodizing. If you are easy going and friendly with them I have had luck with adding a part or two to their batch if I do all the prep. Just understand what you get is what you get as the run is for their needs so do not expect color matching.

[Dirklax39]

@grendel

Dude thats a great idea! I'll have to ask around to local metal shops and see if they can add my part into a batch. I'll also check out McMaster. Seems legit.

[Grendel]

hahaha, McMaster-Carr is about as legit as you can get when it comes to on-line industrial hardware. They used to send out big thick catalogs to purchasers a couple times a year. I miss those days nothing like having a paper catalogue to page through when you are dreaming up a solution for you current project.

[Chuck E Ducky]

I wrap my phantoms and alot of my markers with one of theses. I run a stock on all my setups. So no case is going to fit them without pulling the stock. That’s to much trouble for me. So it gets wrapped in an oversized microfiber towel that is also used to stage and set the marker down without messing it up and clean lenses off all one shot. I have a different brand but these are cheeper then the one I use.

https://www.amazon.com/JML-Microfiber-Oversized-Antibacterial-Multipurpose/dp/B01MSROAID/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=Large+Microfiber+Towels&qid=1646411273&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWkswU1M0QllWMTk1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjMxMTEyMlI0RDUyRUdNTU5UQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODExMzAyRlVXMEZUODZSU0xOJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[Dirklax39]

Sweet! Thanks for the tip. Ill check em out!

[flyweightnate]

Never thought about it until now... but I think I have some nylon thumb wheels that fit 8-32 SHCS. Might dig them out and see if I can press one into a screw the right length for my undercocking kit.

Almost certain to not work with a VA, though. But since my Phantom will shortly be gas- through bottomline, it's suddenly relevant.

[Chuck E Ducky]

With a VSC I probably won’t clear the Vert ASA, but with a bottom line it should. Stock one won’t work it’s to short because it sits into a recess, your going to need a longer one. You can order them on McMasterCarr if it’s to long it will enter the breach and break paint and hit on the bolt face, So be careful.

[Dirklax39]

Yes! Keep me posted. Very interested.