stock class minimag body

[Bad_Dog]

So with the recent purchase (notice I said purchase ) of my pump mag... I figured it was time to go stock class with the good 'ole minimag body...

Before:


Step one:
I got ahold of some stainless steel tube... the same stuff that the powerfeed tubes are made out of on the bodies... I got a chunk aout 10 inches long...


Then I whipped out the hack saw and carefully removed as much material from around the connection point of the powerfeed and the body..... cutting the whole powerfeed off is an ackward thing to do since the cut would have to be curved... dificult to do with a hacksaw.

I took off as much material as possible, then strapped the body in a clamp via the powerfeed... one stiff hit of the fist and the weld snapped giving an almost perfectly clean break... a few minuites of filing and realizing that I'd done more bad with the file than good... the body was ready...


After fixing up the body I set out to creat the feed tube. My goal was (is) to have a sydarm-like feed tube sit parallel with the body... so the 10 inch piece of stainless tube works perfect. I cut it to length with my handy dandy sawzall... and using a punch marked the appropriate place for the feed hole to be drilled.. working my way up from 1/4 inch in 1/8 incriments I finally made it to 3/4 inch hole. The process was tedius and ultimatly resulted in the death of my DeWalt 14.4 cordless drill (I blew the tranny)... pow! the price of this project just jumped another $210!...


Thats all I have done so far... I am currently stripping the coating off the minimag body (the black stuff) since It goes to the shop tomrrow for the tube to be TIG welded in place...

I will post up pictures when I get home tomorrow...

whatcha think?

[Automaggot68]

Kyle. Can I bring my toys over and play at your house?

[Bad_Dog]

if I'm thinking what your thinking... anytime

[Automaggot68]

if I'm thinking what your thinking... anytime

Daaaaaaaaaamn right.
I havent played with tools in a long time.

[rifleman wi]

looks sweet... hope it turns out how u want it....have fun with your new toy

[DiSoRdeR]

Any updates? Interested in seeing how this turns out.

[Bad_Dog]

allrighty... day two...

This morning started with me handing the parts off to my good friend Dave at school... Dave is one hella welder and with the TIG machine his beads look like they were done by a robotic welder...

I meet him later to pick up the body only to find he decided to go MIG instead...

The welds looked like crud... absolutly horrible... I think a five year old could do better. They were strong welds but all clumpy and non poportionate to each other. To top it off he tried cleaning them up with a grinder filling the body with scratches and nicks... The only good thing that he did do was the tubes were perfectly parallel. Not even slightly crooked, I was somewhat impressed.

I was shocked this awesome looking body and feed tube had just been turned into an extremly odd looking paperweight... or so I thought..... (too bad I didnt have my camera to take pictures of the mess)

I get out to my friends shop today after school to help him loadup some equipment and we decide to try and resurect the body... 4 hours later and a heck of alot of stress and I was actually pretty comfortable with the way it looked.

Unfortunatly We were forced to use some bondo in the process, a little more than I was comfortable with, but it did turn out fine. The only disadvantage is now I have to paint the body... I cant go with the sleek polished look like I had been hoping for.

Heres pictures of the body before I sent it down to be painted.




Notice in the second picture the pump slot was also cut in today at my friends shop... We did get alot done, more than I would ever expected... and now it only has to be painted (which is in the process as we speak)

more to come as I get the info!

[DiSoRdeR]

How many will it hold? Judging from the pic I say around 15. And what color is it getting painted?

[Big'n slo]

Gaaah!
Get that bondo off of there!

Use Labmetal instead, that way it can be powerdercoated!

[Bad_Dog]

heres a sneak peek at it before it goes into the oven...



and here is a picture of adjustable warp feed plug that goes in the front of the tube... it fills the space in front of the feed hole and allows exactly 10 balls (including a chambered ball) in the marker...

[Tunaman]

Very cool. Great ingenuity!

[DiSoRdeR]

This thread keeps getting better and better, cant wait to see it complete. One question, what will you have to stop the balls rolling out the back?

[Bad_Dog]

I plan on purchasing one of those little end pieces that allow you to dump a ten rounder into the tube, but the balls dont roll out...

Looks like four little plastic pieces sticking into the tube that allow the balls to go one way...


and I also figured I could use a PF to warp hose adapter and make my own little plastic thingies...

speaking of that... I think I'll go work on that

[DiSoRdeR]

Oh, like the one on my phantom and all stock class phantoms. Also Is that paint black or a dark grey? I cant tell. Anyways its turning out nicely

[Bad_Dog]

Just stopping in before I head out to the field.

The paint itself is black, but when I add the clear coat and bake it; it sometimes turns a little lighter kinda like a gun-metal grey...

do you know where I could purchase one of those little stock class plastic thingeys?