Alternative to pvc pipe ?

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robotboy

Well-Known Member

• Aug 22, 2014

• #1

Ok so ive been commissioned to make the gun seen below but the problem is this thing is gonna be 19" long and im making the body out of insulation foam i wanted to make the barrel out of pvc but the thing is pvc gets to heavy so are there any lighter alternatives?


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usaeatt2

Active Member

• Aug 22, 2014

• #2

Thin wall, clear acrylic tubing? You can get it just about any size you need from a plastics supplier like TAP plastics.

 

propninja

Member

• Aug 22, 2014

• #3

I've seen large diameter styrene tube but I don't know specifically where off the top of my head. Google it (in fact I think I'm goung to do that anyway for future ref)

 

propninja

Member

• Aug 22, 2014

• #4

OK so it's ABS

http://www.plastruct.com/Pages/Catalog.html

Look here

 

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OldSkoolEffects

Well-Known Member

• Aug 23, 2014

• #5

.063" (or thinner) wall aluminum tubing.

 

Darth Lars

Master Member

• Aug 23, 2014

• #6

By foam, do you mean soft foam or rigid pink or blue construction foam?

If soft foam, you could use large-diameter pipe insulation but I dunno about how well it would take paint. Maybe you could coat it with adhesive-backed vinyl instead.

If hard foam, I suppose that you will coat it with epoxy, and possibly also fibreglass in places.
Then I propose that you make the barrel in epoxy/fibreglass in two parts. Fibreglass can be really thin and lightweight, yet hard. Mould each part inside a halved pipe of larger diameter, coated with a thin layer of vaseline or just simple shrink wrap.

Weak man's option: That looks like an oversized Nintendo light-gun. Your client wouldn't be happy with a real Nintendo gun with the red (or grey) parts painted pink?

 

Ruddigger

Sr Member

• Aug 23, 2014

• #7

I was just at a plastic store, S&W Plastics, they had acrylic rod, but no tube. :-/ Sorry

And I was gonna say the same thing, it looks like an over-sized Nintendo Zapper Lightgun

 

obiwan kowalski

Well-Known Member

• Aug 23, 2014

• #8

Maybe look at foam pipe insulation or those foam water noodle toys. And that HAS to be a NES zapper.

 

santiclause

Sr Member

• Aug 23, 2014

• #9

maybe cardboard tubing? something like a wrapping paper tube with foam insulation on the inside to give it rigidity and seal it somehow.

 

santiclause

Sr Member

• Aug 23, 2014

• #10

after doing some research it looks like styrene tubing might be your best option or a plastic extruded core (basically the same thing).