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**woouulf** · 11-15-2022, 10:17 PM

Yummy !

.

**Siress** · 11-15-2022, 11:27 PM

Originally posted by DocsMachine View Post

-The "plugs" are the same 6061 as the rest of the body. Not the same "billet", of course, but very much the same alloy. You don't start getting coloration issues unless you use different alloys- the famous one being older 'Cocker vertical ASAs. Those I think were made from 2021, and due to the increased copper content, don't take the color the same way. (No issue with black, but gets more obvious with lighter colors.)

I try to smooth them up as best as I can, but there will always be some trace visible. I will say on Headshot's, it looks to me like the polisher got WAY too aggressive with the buffer.

The ports can't be easily drilled from underneath (and still have a valve retaining screw, which, with an 11/16" valve, is the only thing holding the valve in place) and if I TIG welded the holes shut, which I could easily do, the welding appears as a "stain" in the anno. Anyone who's ever owned a Blazer, especially one annoed a bright color, knows about the little 'cloud' stain where they TIGged the inner air passages closed after drilling.

finally, I can use my mat sci degree... *flex*....

This has nothing to do with buffing. In fact, I'd challenge you to create a crevice with a buffer without the below being true.

One-two-three sequence here: 1) the filed finish is rough on the feature edges (both ID of hole and OD of pin), causing them to chip more than an abrasive would. Not much , but it counts. 2) those chips, or any edge defect really, are not observable because they are filled in with the fine metal powder being generated and, under those same shearing forces, can pack in tight enough to appear like the bulk material but it's really just superficial particulate. 3) and this is the big one in that it makes this all visible: anodizing requires an acid etch.¹ The little particulate have higher surface energy and etch preferentially. It doesn't take much for the particles to lose the tight packing holding them in place, so that superficial particulate falls out - if not immediately then certainly during cleaning/polishing/buffing.

All of that said, this is still about as good as one can get for such a feature. Everything else Doc said is right on the money.

For those that need clarification, the acid bath electrolysis step is an electrochemical etch of the aluminum part.

**DocsMachine** · 11-16-2022, 12:56 AM

Sweet, Woofs! My compliments to Mozak, that'll look great polished and annoed.

Siress- gotta at least partially disagree with you, there. You can see the periphery of the plug is rounded slightly- no 'acid etch' did that. That's a buffing issue.

And in this case, being an already-bare body (that is, it wasn't stripped of a previous coat) there's no "etch" step- this isn't painting, we're not prepping it for primer. Preliminary steps are washing and desmut, the desmut strips off whatever thin oxide layer has built up just from the bare metal having been exposed to air. (And, if we really wanted to get pedantic, the process uses a base, not an acid.

)

An any acid bath that could erode the edges of the plugs that much, would also similarly damage threads, making the detents, barrels, pump rod and so on looser and sloppier.

One body I did years ago, the shop did an "electropolish", or bright-dip. That does actually remove material, albeit very, very minutely, to smooth the part slightly. It removes the "points" of scratches and the like. I used to have photos of that around here somewhere, but the plugged holes were only barely visible as a faint line. Headshot's are far more visible- those were buffed, not done chemically.

We'll see one way or the other once I have 'Zilla's back.

Doc.

**SETHZILLA!** · 11-17-2022, 03:59 AM

Originally posted by DocsMachine View Post

We'll see one way or the other once I have 'Zilla's back.

Doc.

Got any idea on ETA from the annodizer?

**DocsMachine** · 11-24-2022, 08:30 PM

Technically, this one's Number Nine... and it's mine.

The others are either still in progress, or off at the anodizers.

This body ended up with two very minor cosmetic blemishes, so this one became "mine".

And, as I was waiting for Eatin' Time today, I spent a few hours out in the shop getting it a little further along. Basically just finished the backblock, and made and fitted the bolts and pins.
She still needs detents, a valve fitted, and the front block finished up, then I can finally slap it together and do a shooting video! (Only six or so months late.

)

Doc.

**Lt. head-shot** · 11-28-2022, 01:10 AM

Finally got a chance to shoot The Two-nicorn. Wow. 450 psi, heavy main string but light valve spring, underbore on the freak XL.... shoots like a champ. Literally had to do no tuning just assembled it and set the psi and I was at 290 on the dot. I can't wait to actually use it in game.

Not the greatest video but here it is in action!

**DocsMachine** · 11-28-2022, 06:49 AM

WooHoo! I love it! That thing came out sweet.

... I have got to get one together and finish that shooting video I promised... six months ago.

Doc.

**DocsMachine** · 12-11-2022, 09:48 PM

Finally, after waiting an entire week

Part Five... and a half! ... is up!

Sat down and finished up the kit I set aside for myself, raided my parts bins for some goodies, got 'er assembled and timed.... and then Ma Nature dumped another foot- and counting- of snow on us.

Stand by, hopefully I can have a proper shooting video this coming week.

Doc.

**DocsMachine** · 12-12-2022, 04:56 PM

Got a full two feet of snow Sunday, by the way. There's some 3' drifts at the front of the shop, and a 4'+ nearly covering the entire back door.

It's actually kind of a catch-22 when it gets this deep- it's too deep for the plow truck, so I gotta clear some snow before I can use the truck to clear the snow.

I'm gonna wind up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger before I'm done.

(As in old and grey, not the muscles.

)

Doc.

**Cunha** · 12-12-2022, 10:29 PM

Yeah man I love your stuff. Straight up old fashioned custom paintball.

**maggot** · 12-12-2022, 10:45 PM

I'm supposed to get approval pics from the anodizer tomorrow... excited over here.

**DocsMachine** · 12-13-2022, 04:03 PM

Aren't those R7 barrels? Do you have 2 R7's lying around[?]l

-I wish.

No, those are off-the-shelf 14" straight-bored CP barrels. I tend to prefer longer barrels, especially on a bigger gun like this.

looks great, what anno will you get?

-Haven't decided. I may just default to gloss black, let the body speak for itself. But when it comes time, I may also try a fade or an acid-wash. Much as I like splashes- and I admit the Lieutenant's looks awesome- they can tend to look "busy", and kind of hides the shape of the body.

In something like Headshot's gun up there, in my opinion, he should break up the sea of splash with a set of polished or stainless barrel backs. I'd have also kept the polished detents and bolt pins as an accent, but it's all a matter of preference.

Breakout the flame thrower!!!!

-I do want to actually keep the shop, y'know.

I'm supposed to get approval pics from the anodizer tomorrow... excited over here.

-Post pics if you can. I can't wait to see these things finished!

Doc.

**DocsMachine** · 12-14-2022, 10:42 PM

After two full days of snow removal and cleanup, I had a minute to do a little more testing with my VT.

Got some good video- though I could really use an actual cameraman

- and hopefully I'll be able to have something cool up in the next few days.

(My regular target range is completely buried.

I had to make do. )

Doc.

**maggot** · 12-16-2022, 08:28 PM

Got a preview from the anodizer. Looking forward to how it comes together in-person and in hi-res!

**DocsMachine** · 12-17-2022, 12:58 AM

Shootin' Video!

Doc.

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