Bolt-Action Aluminum Hybrid Piston Valve: Al-50
Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 3:16 pm
This project started in January with this design, but I improved upon it after realizing that welding the chamber would significantly weaken the chamber.
I then came up with the design below, which skirts the issue of welds by using bolted connections, as advised by Moonbogg. This design was made possible because I had access to a full machine shop (lathe, milling machine, etc.). To achieve a seal, o-ring grooves were machined in 6061 Aluminum plugs. I also machined a UHMW piston with an o-ring groove, as the design features a chamber-sealing piston.
I machined a bolt out of aluminum to allow for fast and easy reloading. The bolt has an o-ring to seal. On top of the launcher is a sch. 80 aluminum pipe which serves as a magazine. The balls are loaded into the magazine and then drop down into the barrel when the bolt is cycled. The magazine features a milled slot, allowing me to check the number of balls in the magazine.
To hold the chamber and barrel together, I made a frame out of square aluminum tubing and TIG welded it together. I then sandblasted the frame and the chamber and the barrel.
Ignition is achieved with a camera flash capacitor dumped through an ignition coil. I also made a remote-firing device with an RC car controller, an RC car receiver, and a relay.
For aesthetics, I added a flash suppressor machined out of sch. 80 aluminum pipe with slits cut with a milling machine. Its held in place with four set screws.
Specifications
Chamber: 14" of 2" I.D. 2.5" O.D. 6061 T-6 Aluminum Seamless Tubing
Barrel: 19" of Sch. 10, 1.5" Stainless Steel pipe
Valve: .75" porting chamber-sealing piston valve
Ignition: Camera flash circuit dumped through ignition coil with remote ignition system
Mixes: up to 8x, but mixes up to 15x should be possible.
I haven't fired it yet, but I will in the next week.
I then came up with the design below, which skirts the issue of welds by using bolted connections, as advised by Moonbogg. This design was made possible because I had access to a full machine shop (lathe, milling machine, etc.). To achieve a seal, o-ring grooves were machined in 6061 Aluminum plugs. I also machined a UHMW piston with an o-ring groove, as the design features a chamber-sealing piston.
I machined a bolt out of aluminum to allow for fast and easy reloading. The bolt has an o-ring to seal. On top of the launcher is a sch. 80 aluminum pipe which serves as a magazine. The balls are loaded into the magazine and then drop down into the barrel when the bolt is cycled. The magazine features a milled slot, allowing me to check the number of balls in the magazine.
To hold the chamber and barrel together, I made a frame out of square aluminum tubing and TIG welded it together. I then sandblasted the frame and the chamber and the barrel.
Ignition is achieved with a camera flash capacitor dumped through an ignition coil. I also made a remote-firing device with an RC car controller, an RC car receiver, and a relay.
For aesthetics, I added a flash suppressor machined out of sch. 80 aluminum pipe with slits cut with a milling machine. Its held in place with four set screws.
Specifications
Chamber: 14" of 2" I.D. 2.5" O.D. 6061 T-6 Aluminum Seamless Tubing
Barrel: 19" of Sch. 10, 1.5" Stainless Steel pipe
Valve: .75" porting chamber-sealing piston valve
Ignition: Camera flash circuit dumped through ignition coil with remote ignition system
Mixes: up to 8x, but mixes up to 15x should be possible.
I haven't fired it yet, but I will in the next week.
