Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Guides and discussions about building water blasters and other water warfare devices such as water balloon launchers.
User avatar
Tim
Posts: 131
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 4:05 pm

Re: Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Post by Tim » Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:35 am

Hey marauder,

I do have some pictures, but I am refraining from posting images until it's complete. Once I post a guide, I don't want to keep having to update the photos and bill of materials.

The blaster has been functional since last Monday, and yesterday I completed the trigger system. Now, I just want to try different laminar flow elements and nozzles. I will check the range with a 100-ft tape measure when I am happy with the stream cohesion or I exhaust my efforts.

I decided not to apply XTC-3D based on reviews from people who were looking for good surface quality without sanding. I don't want to sand whatever I apply because the nozzle exit will be difficult to sand, and overall I am afraid that I will end up with internal geometry that is not axially symmetrical.

I tried rubbing 95% pure formic acid on the inside of the nozzles to soften and dissolve the nylon to smooth it out. However, Shapeways' nylon must be more resistant to acids than regular Nylon 6. I also tried coating the inside of the nozzles with thin cyanoacrylate (super glue), but this still comes nowhere close to the smoothness of a machined or molded part.

The next phases of testing will take me away from the topic of this thread. I will test two additional diameters of straws in the pipe leading to the nozzle (I already have the straws). I will also be testing non-custom machined nozzles (should have the first one in by Saturday).

VR,

Tim
Last edited by Tim on Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:58 am, edited 2 times in total.

SSCBen
Posts: 1616
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2004 4:15 pm
Contact:

Re: Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Post by SSCBen » Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:21 pm

Sorry for not replying here sooner. I've been distracted the past week with some other things. I'm writing on my phone on a train right now, so I'll be briefer than I'd like.

I agree that the 3D printed nozzle doesn't look appreciably different. Looks can be deceiving, though, so I await the range tests for an objective comparison.

You should be able to sand with a circular motion to eliminate deviations from axisymmetry. I might cut a circular piece of sandpaper, put it on the end of my finger, and rotated the nozzle many times in each direction.

Shame about the acid and super glue. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the gun and also the other nozzles and flow straighteners you mentioned.

Drenchenator
Posts: 258
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2004 10:56 am
WWN League Team: Havoc

Re: Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Post by Drenchenator » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:03 pm

I too look forward to more data for these nozzle setups. The images do appear similar, but perhaps the quantitative data would be markedly different. There's no way to tell until the measurements are made, though. Either way, I really do like that we are finally trying to improve the nozzle assembly as a whole, so congrats to you, Tim, on a getting out something substantial here!
The Drenchenator, also known as Lt. Col. Drench

User avatar
Tim
Posts: 131
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 4:05 pm

Re: Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Post by Tim » Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:39 pm

Thank you for the encouragement, guys.

Sanding the inlet of the 3D nozzles would not be too bad, but sanding the area near the outlet would be a pain. I'm getting bored messing around with the 3D printed nozzles. Perhaps I'll revisit this in the future and make one with GHT threads. For now, I will focus on smooth-bore pre-made nozzles.

I don't care about to-the-last-drop range. I am more interested in the longest cohesive stream I can get. My CAP can make it rain from downtown, but hitting people with a rain cloud is weak compared to hitting them with a more cohesive blast. That is why my assessments have been visual thus far.

I was hoping to make more progress this weekend, but Amazon screwed me. I ordered a part that was allegedly shipped and supposed to arrive yesterday, but today I find that it was actually out of stock. I reordered the part from McMaster, but I probably will not get it until Monday, which is a bummer because I can't work on this much during the week. Stay tuned...

EDIT: Amazon pulled through after all! Somehow, the part shipped under a different tracking number than the one recorded for the order (not off by a digit or two, a completely different number). The part was delivered earlier today. I also received the remainder of the nozzles I ordered. Game on...

User avatar
Tim
Posts: 131
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 4:05 pm

Re: Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Post by Tim » Sat Jun 11, 2016 4:05 pm

<insert yet another double post here>

I am finally happy with my flow straightener and nozzle setup. Of course it started raining as soon as I decided to measure and record video. Below is the only video I have so far. The tape measure in the video is strung out 80 feet. Unfortunately, in the time it took me to walk from the firing position to the other end of the tape measure, it went from raining to pouring. I couldn't even tell what water came from my blaster versus what came from the sky. I'll try again tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf8YmBiQR60&app=desktop

VR,

Tim

User avatar
SEAL
Posts: 2537
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Charlotte, NC
WWN League Team: Catskill Mountain SEALs
Contact:

Re: Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Post by SEAL » Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:10 pm

Wow! I can't quite tell from the video because there's no depth perception, but it looked like it went out to like 60 or 70 in the middle of the shot. You said this was a CAP design?
~Hotel Oscar Golf~

We probably won't be back, but the legacy lives on.

User avatar
Tim
Posts: 131
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 4:05 pm

Re: Coating to Reduce Friction Inside 3D Printed Nozzle

Post by Tim » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:37 pm

Hey SEAL,

I agree; it looks like it was somewhere in that range, but hard to tell without solid proof. I was not looking at the stream directly. I had my eyes on my phone to try to get the stream in the video. It was a bit awkward shooting the video with my left hand while shooting the soaker with my right hand. When I tilted the blaster for maximum range, I couldn't get the whole stream in the video. I should take portrait videos tomorrow instead of landscape.

Yes; it's a CAP. I didn't use HPA or CO2 though. I originally planned on using HPA, but then I dreaded the thought of having to make frequent trips to the nearest paintball store (30 minutes away). That just wouldn't be practical for me. Aside from not having HPA, it's built a lot like riot control packs or fire suppression packs. However, those packs usually have stainless steel liquid tanks (because of their contents), whereas I was able to get away with aluminum because I'm only shooting water.

The CAP portion of my soaker is nothing new (perhaps just more compact). It's the one-finger trigger system that I've been looking forward to sharing. I don't know if you guys will like it, but it's a lot of fun to use. As of today, I'm also excited to share the flow straightener and nozzles. I have already completed much of the guide for my build, and I took the remainder of the guide-photos today. I should be able to post a comprehensive guide by next weekend.

VR,

Tim

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 43 guests