Custom

[Scougar]

NOTE: Due to buying a house, working two jobs (wife is sick) and fixing up my house (and normal life stuff) this project remained in pieces for over a year. I finally got myself around to it at the start of June 2018 and now it is almost complete once again, and all being well with field testing, and will be running it as my main 'paint' marker. My T15 will be used as my FSR marker.

Current Status and picture:

Status: As of June 2018: Made some substantial changes. Fully functional (Fired over 50 balls on rapid fire), ready for another field test soon:
1) Added 'Guide plate' to breach (stops ball breakage due to misaligned balls)
2) Added a strengthening plate to breach
3) Reduced breach entry height and magazine position
4) Replaced faulty battery connector
5) Rewired power cables to board after they broke from fatigue during constant disassembly.
6) Rebuilt breach for more reliability and strength.
7) Fixed eye covers so magazines don't come in contact with them (resolves breach breakage and eye dislodgement).
8) Replaced airline with 800psi microline
9) Shaved down the magwell for bring magazine closer to breach, and repositioned the captive nut on the magwell. (Both this and number 3 ensure the final ball is pushed in fully so it won't break from a part feed).
10) Had to resolder 3 of the 4 eye wires.. now eyes work again.

Current firing status: Fires awesome Will eventually try replacing the rubber tipped bolt with an all metal one, but for now.. working ace. Nice and accurate as well.
Status update: I FRICKEN LOVE THIS THING. Probably staying as a paint shooter for now due to something super awesome.

Have previously run for half a day at KILO 69 magfed event and it ran well, but blew out the too low rated airline I used eventually. I have since replaced as part of the upgrades I made.

Picture:




I have just bought an Etha with the intention to make it magazine fed from the bottom. This will require moving the regulator, likely cutting the trigger guard, and redirecting an air passage at minimum (the one from the regulator to the solenoid).

This is not going to be easy, and I will take any advise I can get with this one! Should be pretty damn fun if it works though, because from what I understand it will be nice and satisfying to shoot (kick + noise), whilst still being efficient unlike blow backs/forwards.

I already have the SP-1 Mag fed project under my belt, an RF operated box mag, but this will be so much more challenging I think, unless there is an EASY way to get that air passage re-directed.

The other part is that the feed will need to be cut in the breach from the bottom, and the one in the top blocked.

If Planet Eclipse want to sponsor me... let me know lol.

[freedummy]

I was soooo tempted to do this with the Ion I just had to sell, but bigger priorities right now. Love your other builds, watching this one will be fun.

[Scougar]

Updates: Project Etha being sent to me.

If there are any friendly machinists out there.. feel free on advice.

1) Looking at the manual, I think I may be able to get away with having a custom solenoid manifold or customizing the original.

2) I have concerns over drilling the breach hole on the bottom. I may need to construct a brace of sorts on the top so that it isn't too weak.

3) As for FSR's.... I am sure the rubber tip is going to be a problem, may need to get some idea for those. (Hard replacement bottom tapered tip?)

[dano_____]

Originally Posted by Scougar

Updates: Project Etha being sent to me.

If there are any friendly machinists out there.. feel free on advice.

1) Looking at the manual, I think I may be able to get away with having a custom solenoid manifold or customizing the original.

2) I have concerns over drilling the breach hole on the bottom. I may need to construct a brace of sorts on the top so that it isn't too weak.

3) As for FSR's.... I am sure the rubber tip is going to be a problem, may need to get some idea for those. (Hard replacement bottom tapered tip?)

Be careful on the rubber tip. It as the seal between the bolt and the breach. Without it or possibly with a hard tip there is a lot of blowback.

[Scougar]

Originally Posted by dano_____

Be careful on the rubber tip. It as the seal between the bolt and the breach. Without it or possibly with a hard tip there is a lot of blowback.

Thanks for that, I had no idea. So if I were looking at that, possibly something like an O-ring to seal? FSR isn't my primary goal but it would be a nice bonus.

[Scougar]

So, did the basics, as I want to ensure it works BEFORE I do any work: Ordered the etha spares kit. Also ordered the springless poppet, just in case, as means less to go wrong.

[y0da900]

They make Etha bolts that have a regular metal bolt face with an o-ring instead of the soft tip. Not sure what they are called though.

Something to watch for with doing this mod with any PE guns - the feedneck is not drilled centered. They are intentionally off axis to try and help with balls bouncing off the bottom of the breech when feeding and getting clipped. This might make some slightly strange geometry when you fill it in to feed from the bottom.

The stock solenoid/manifold is fed through an internal passage drilled through the body. There might be enough room on the manifold to tap it for a different air source, but you would need to somehow plug the passage between the manifold and the body. There is normally a sintered brass filter that sits there - you might be able to replace that with a solid chunk of plastic or metal and have it seal right against the body. A completely custom manifold might actually be easier though. There is always the chance to convert it to a mechanical gun though too.

[Scougar]

I had been thinking through options, and converting it to mechanical crossed my mind, although i woukd definitely need advice on that!

[Scougar]

Etha should be arriving today :-D

[Scougar]

So... in terms of 'can it work'. Yes, yes it can.

A lot of design decisions to think about though. There is one major one which is related to magazine size that I also don't think anyone has done before either... but I will see how it works out with the thinking part lol.