Lighter than ULE but more Durable than steel.

[bugs86ed]

Why has no one designed a Automag body out of carbon fiber? Take the basic ULE body....Very simple design, just with carbon fiber 1/3 the weight. Carbon fiber tubing can be used easily. If I had the funds myself I would purchase the nessary supplies and build it myself. If anybody care to donate? Let me know what you think.
Bugs86ed

[sabrefanpc]

$$$

are you takin dry or wet carbon, out of curiosity

[bugs86ed]

To be completely honest with you, I found a webb site that listed the same type of tubular carbon fiber that they use on bicycle forks. A body on the automag is a very basic tube with a block for the valve and a feed tube for the paintballs to feed into. I E-mailed the Co. and received a reply that the tubes can be sanded, tapped and cut to size. You can also get it in different thicknesses. If you have any input or ideas please let me know.

[FooTemps]

I talk to someone in i think 2003 about doing that. The only problem is reinforcing the parts for wear and the bolt/spring stop and feedneck in the middle of the body.

[maglover728]

[Aliens-8-MyDad]

guess that also means no more cocker threaded barrels...

[sabrefanpc]

Ive done a good deal of work with carbon fiber (on cars). First off tapping cf is a BAD IDEA. It ussually does not provide a good seal and ruins the structural integrety of the piece. Think about it this way, if you want a shirt to have a hole in it, if you simply cut it, it effects the rest of the shirt since its all woven together. so is carbon fiber. Wet or especialy dry cf would be very expensive to the make into the body since the holes (for a quality piece) would need to be woven into a custom piece. There two ways to do this- the expensive way and the cheap way. The cheap way, hand layed, has no chance at being within tollerences we would need. machine formed parts may have trouble as well, and would be costly.

Cf is an awesome material and all, but for the application, the lightest yet most practicle material would be aluminum. Titanium is something like twice the weight of aluminum, but its strength may allow parts like rails and frames to be thin walled and lighter that way perhaps...

[bugs86ed]

Just a thought... I know that cf is used in rifle barrels for target guns... I know that cf can be laser cut not just machined.... I also know that epoxy can be used to bind cf to cf with the strength of steel... and I am pretty sure that the center block with-in the body could also be done with cf and bonded. The center block in the body now is just pressed in place. If I am wrong I appolize for my misconception. I also considered putting a cf sleeve with-in the cf tube to give it the added strength, but with-in it's capabilities of still interchanging feed directions.(as with the E-mag's body) I am fully open for input on this idea as it is still an idea. I also looked into creating a plastic (if you want to call it that) body rail...but that may be another thread at a later time. Expense of the mold alone with production is $10K ?