Okay, those of you who have been modding and building your own blaster parts will be familiar with all the dust particles and toxic fumes emitted from the cutting and drilling of the various metal and plastic materials, it is really messy and requires alot of clean-up after everything is done, not to mention the dust and fumes are quite hazardous to the health of everyone using the area too.
Personally, i have no dedicated workshop space to do my hobby modding work (unlike those lucky chaps who have actual garages or workshops to work in), so my modding is usually done either at my dining or study table and both locations are not conducive for all the cutting and drilling work (and my neighbors are not keen on people drilling stuff at the apartment corridor either).
Add in the noise from the motorized tools, along with all the remaining dust particles and sharp bits lying around that end up in everyone's food or clothes for the next few days, overall not ideal environments to work in.
So i had an idea...
Make a Portable Modding "Clean Lab"!
And this is what i made in less than 10 minutes:
It works like a charm! All the dust particles and fumes stay inside the plastic box, it is portable so i can do my modding work anywhere at home (or at the office!) and all the mess is contained. After everything is done just tip out all the dust particles in the trash.
And because the entire box is sealed, even the sound of the motorized tools operating within it is muted! No more complains from family members or colleagues about anymore noisy cutting and drilling. :)
Here are some tips on how i made it with some simple household items...
Step 1: Get a suitable sized transparent plastic box (the plastic material should be as clear as possible) and then simply cut 2 holes on each side.
Step 2: Get a pair of rubber washing gloves, and simply attach them into the cut-out holes. In my example, i just used duct tape (alot of it) to secure the gloves to the plastic box holes, make sure there it is fully sealed so no dust can escape.
Step 3: Test it out... nice!
Its done! Here is to a much neater modding experience! :)
What if the Nerf Barricade could use N-Strike clips and mags?
This blaster modification project is a joint development between SgNerf and pSyK (very cool Nerf enthusiast and modder at the NerfSG forum), without him this project would still be on the drawing boards.
I initially started on the project with an early prototype but pSyK was the one who developed the final design and functionality for this Barricade clip conversion mod.
Full credit goes to pSyK for his excellent design and implementation!
Introducing... the Nerf Barricade ECS!
Before the conversion is done, the Barricades are all modded with: - Voltage Increase - Trigger Activated Power On - Flywheel Adjustment Click this link for more information on the various performance mods: Nerf Barricade Mod Guide
Okay, here is how its converted...
- Nerf Barricade Clip Conversion Process -
Step 1:
Remove the original 10-dart turret and cut a channel at the bottom of the casing, make sure the gap is wide enough to allow a N-Strike clip to fit through properly. Cut away the turret advancement stalk too.
Step 2:
We will now create the clip securing system.
Trim off the turret advancement stem part way, this will now act as part of the clip positioning design.
In my example, i installed machine screws at positions which correspond to the clip notches and dimensions, these will be the parts that will hold the clip securely in the blaster and position it in the correct alignment.
Other materials like rubber padding or plastic bolts can also be used to create the clip securing system, just experiment and try out various methods to develop other types of clip securing system designs.
Step 3:
Trim and shape part of the casing as shown in the photo below, this will also form part of the clip securing system.
Note that this particular casing part will correspond to the shape of a notch in the front of the 6-dart clip and 18/35-dart drum mags, the 18-dart clip will need just a slight trim on it's front section to match the same notch as the rest.
Step 4:
Remove the trigger lock (found behind the trigger mechanism), this will allow the trigger to be able to be half pulled without getting stuck.
For convenience, also remove the access hatch door and lock mechanism. If you have a soldering iron, you can also remove the pressure switch and re-solder the wires back together (then you'll now have a spare pressure switch to use in other projects).
Step 5:
Add some padding on the dart pusher stem to extend its travel, this will help it to push the foam darts further into the flywheels for better contact.
Make sure the dart pusher travel is neither too long or too short, it must be just right. Keep testing until it achieves a perfect positioning.
The amount of extension padding will depend on each particular Barricade unit as individual units may differ slightly in parts fit.
Step 6:
With the clip conversion done, the dart pusher stem will need to retract much faster so that the next foam dart can advance up the clip to be ready for firing. If the dart pusher stem is too slow to retract, jams will occur.
The solution is to increase the load on the dart pusher stem's retraction spring.
Simply pull the spring back halfway and bolt it down.
Step 7:
Load in a clip and test that all the parts and components are aligned properly.
Make sure the flywheels can spin freely without obstruction. Ensure that the foam darts can be pushed forward and propelled consistently by the flywheels.
Step 8:
Assemble everything together and start running your firing tests.
Make any necessary adjustment required to achieve consistent and reliable firing performance.
Final Step:
Ditch the turrets... grab your clips and mags.
The era of clip-fed semi-auto Nerf sidearms is finally here!
Note: - The 18-dart drum mag can also be used with this clip conversion. - The 35-dart drum mag tends to be abit too heavy for this current conversion design, it'll need to be additionally supported when in use.
Update! - "moddersunited" at the HvZ Forums has found another alternative method to secure the clips, check out his mod via this Link.
Nerf Barricade "Clip Conversion" - Demo & Test Fire Video!
