Since no one else has posted anything recently, I might as well throw this up. Without further ado:
Welcome to another edition of
Jwasko's Wacky Nerf Idea Theatre!
*fake audience clapping, since I'm not popular enough to have a real audience
*
So the other day I said to myself: "Self...It just occurred to me that one of the reasons my/your springer has so far failed is probably because of too much friction between that leather washer and the inner wall of the plunger chamber"
My self replied, "Well, duh, you knew that a while ago. You were just too lazy too do anything about it."
*fake audience laughing, for the aforementioned reason*
So I says to my self, "Well, it also just occurred to me that this whole thing about using o-rings and washers and whatnot is terribly wasteful of the energy in a spring anyway. So, let's stop doing that."
*fake audience gasping, for the same old reason*
My self, after taking a moment to make sure he understood what I was saying, said, "Now, how the heck are you going to do that?"
And so I began to explain how the heck I was gonna do that:
"Well, self, it's quite simple. You see, the trouble with using o-rings and washers is that a careful balance must be found that gives a good seal while also minimizing friction. That springer that we tried to make? It was definitely too far gone down the seal side, thus producing too much friction. Heck, that one spring could barely get it to move! We had to use another one, and even then it didn't work that well.
"So, we're going to leave that sealing item (o-ring or washer) off. The plunger will be able to slide quite freely, and gain maximum acceleration from the force of the spring. In order to provide a way to compress air, we'll instead use an 'air bag' made out of some flexible yet fairly airtight material. It will be similar to what I used on the skirts for the (model-size) hovercrafts. Remember those?"
"How could I forget?" my self replied.
"Then you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, a large area of the bag will be attached to the front of the piston's head, in order to draw the bag back, yet keep it open enough. If I only attached it by a single point, the bag would just stretch out yet become thinner, instead of opening up and filling with lots of air like we want it to.The opposite end of the bag would go around the outside of the barrel, just because it would be easier to make a good seal. Maybe, if the exit of the plunger chamber is a 3/4 inch PVC fitting, and the barrel is 1/2 inch PVC, I can just pinch the fabric between those and then add some epoxy or something to hold it in place. So, what do you think, self?"
"Well, it makes sense to me, but maybe you're just fulling your self." *
*
*fake audience laughs, for the same reason once again*
By the way, since you guys can't see my mental picture (unlike myself), I guess I'll post an MS Paint diagram.
Oh, and one last thing just occurred to me. If this works, it may be particularly well utilized in homemades that use a system similar to the FAR, SCAR-N, LS, and (I think) SHA's shotgun. To be more specific, I'm talking about homemades where the front wall of the plunger chamber is pushed back in order to push back the plunger. My idea eliminates the need to seal the bolt to the plunger chamber, as the air bag could be directly connected to it.
Also, to all you other inhabitants of this foamy universe: Post something!!! More to the point, post something that actually has something to do with nerf! Do you have an idea that you're not sure about? Just post it, talk it out with your peers. Maybe we can help you. Or, if you have a question, ask it. Don't be afraid someone will call you an idiot; and if they do, they'll get what's coming to them. Just contribute!