It stopped raining here for a bit, so I went outside to do some nerfing.

Just experimenting with a different method of making a hopper. I don't know if anyone does this, but I feel like it makes it feed better.

But first! The Aabow! I recommend this build to anyone looking to build their first homemade blaster. Very simple, without a strict need for specialized tools, no specialized components (McMaster's K26 springs for example), and no precise measurements needed. It's one of the most simple homemades out there (plunger to barrel, basically.), with very consistent results. I built a few of them, and they worked pretty well right off the bat.

This is basically KaneTheMediocre's latest Aabow iteration, with some small differences, like the style of plunger shown in bchamp22795's Aabow youtube build instructions. It seems to seal fairly well, considering most of the bow in my build is not glued. I built some exactly like bchamp's bows, but I was not satisfied with their arm tension, as it seemed to weaken significantly after use. Kane's latest Aabow uses steel conduit in the bow arms, resulting in a rigid cross that seems to hold up well. I'm a bit concerned about deadspace, but I haven't thought of a good way to reduce it right now.

I'm still experimenting with barrel length and material. I have CPVC in the picture, but with the new style of hopper/barrel, I was also getting good results with the butyrate tubing I got from McMaster.

I don't have work in progress pics, because science. Here's a picture of the wye.

 

I grinded away the bottom of the inside ridge to allow for a fluted barrel. 

 

The idea behind the barrel is that the darts will be able to enter the barrel at a higher setting. They're in a better position to be seated into the chamfered edge of the barrel. This should result in better feeding, less wasted air, and better dart compatibility. This idea came about when I was talking to someone about AMIORs (putty core felt tipped darts) and their dislike for PETG in a hopper system. Their angle of entry into the barrel really influenced their performance, but in a more simple tank-to-barrel system, AMIORs worked fine. 

 

You can see the angle of the dart's tip is less pronounced at the bottom of the wye now. It is closer to the center of the entrance of the barrel.

This helped out a lot with feeding, in my case.