S.L.A.N.G. (Salt Lake Area Nerf Geeks) May war!

I just recently found this group of SLC nerfers! From who I've talked to, they seem to be really nice guys and I can't wait to see them at the war on May 26th! We need more participants, so if you're in the SLC area, come check it out! (I'm really exited for my first war!) Here is the war thread: http://www.nerfrevolution.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4794&p=55297#p55297

I've been busy lately, so I'll be lacking posts for the next few weeks. I am working on nerf related stuff however, and I will write up the posts when I get the time. Just trying to hang in there untill school is out!

Updates

Sorry for the lack of posts once again, It's the final push at the end of the school year and I've been busy with other things. Today I should get a few Nerf- related things done, and I'll post those throughout this next week. I'll be working on making some of iamthatcat's pool noodle blanks (his nerfrevolution thread here and his blog here). I'll also be reviewing a stock Nerf Supermaxx 1500 that I found at a thrift store, and I'm working on making some 3DBBQ darts that Manta told me about. (NH post here).

NoM's Nerf lessons #9!

I love NoM's Nerf lessons! Here is the latest one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg6m9EIpytk&feature=g-u-u


More posts coming soon!

Urbantaggers Back! Hasbro sucks.

For all who haven't seen this post on Urbantaggers: http://www.urbantaggers.blogspot.com/2012/04/free-stuff-from-hasbro-story-of-uts.html#more

Reading this made me sick. I'm not going to be making many (maybe any) Hasbro purchases ever again. Hasbro has taken douchebaggery to the next level. This picture, posted on Urbantaggers says it all:


Any Hasbro purcases I may make however, will not be reviewed on my blog. I don't want to promote any of their products any further.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've been very busy.

Orange Mod Works 5+ KG Spring and O- Rings review!

I've already posted a review for the same spring in a Nerf Alpha Trooper (link here)
I love this spring. I ordered this one with the intention of using it in my Raider, and it ROCKS!!!! It fits into the blaster perfectly with no priming issues at all, and is very powerful.
I also ordered their 2x O-Rings. It was $1 for two of them, and they work great! They give your blaster such a good seal, that the darts vacum load into the breech when you push the priming handle forward. The spring and the O-Rings together made my Raider one of my favorite blasters. Orange Mod Works has very nice products for a very good price, and I will be purchasing more of their modification kits/accessories.
With one of these O- Rings and this spring, my Raider will achieve ranges of 50-60 feet with a slightly angled shot. I have also lubricated all of the moving parts, removed the air restrictor, and padded the plunger.
Link to Orange Mod Works' website
Link to 5KG spring
Link to O-Rings
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Update: I haven't posted in a while because I have been quite busy, but I am working on some blaster related stuff, and I'm working on a bunch of posts

Nerf Dart Tag Quick 16 Review!

I know this blaster is like a year old, but I found one at Target on sale for $10 the other day and had to pick it up. (I wasn't really interested in paying full retail price for it.) I'm actually very happy with this blaster. I think it is more comfortable than a normal raider, because the handles are bigger. (Same lenth as a raider, but wider and heavier) Ranges with stock tagger darts are 25- 30 feet flat and 35-40 feet with an angle. It has a very smooth priming and firing operation, but slam fire doesn't work very well. It locks up if you slam fire too fast (which isn't very fast at all), and the blaster jams or doesn't chamber a dart a little too often. Bottom line though, is that it is a very nice blaster, and I recommend it. It wouldn't really work well in an outdoor war, but it would TROLL in an indoor war.
Overview:

Clip loading slot:

Jam Door open:

Comparison to Nerf Raider:

Foam backer rod

WARNING: Huge wall of text. Read at your own risk :P

It's hard to find a good brand of Foam Backer rod to make stefans with. I've sure had my share of troubles with it. I would just like to share what I've learned through my experiences to help others to find the perfect backer rod for a great batch of stefans. :)

The current brand of foam backer rod that I use is called "M+D". I have found it at Lowe's and Home Depot. (Link to the product on Home Depot's website) I got some once a couple of years ago, and it was really bad and didn't make stefans well at all. But at the end of last year, I went to Lowe's and found some of the same stuff, but the color had changed a bit, and it was much denser. I picked it up, and it made the best batch of stefans I had ever made. I have learned that you have to check carefully before you buy it, because it is very inconsistent. One day it is perfect, and the next it sucks.

Even though this brand works for me, I got sick of buying 20 ft. lengths. So I looked all over the Nerf forums, and settled on buying some closed cell FBR from Best Materials (Link here), because many people said how high quality it was. So I ordered 130 feet of it. When it arrived, I was very disappointed. The diameter wasn't quite 1/2" in diameter, and it was way too loose even for CPVC. It was too porous and "squishy", and melted way too easily when I tried to make a few stefans with it. Their stuff may have been good in the past, but they must have changed brands or something. So now I have 130 feet of useless backer rod. The moral of the story here is don't buy FBR unless you can see it in person and know that it will work for stefans. The only time I will ever buy FBR online again when I can't actually see it in person, is when I buy it from a trusted Nerf community member that is selling it specifically for the purpose of making stefans. (or I have ordered a small 1-2 foot sample to know if it really works before making a large order.)

Here is a photo of the MD backer rod that I currently use to make stefans. It has a very good fit in CPVC, and will probably work well with PETG.

Cut in half to show density

Here is a photo of the bad FBR I ordered from best materials.

cut in half to show.....what little density it has

Here is a Side by Side comparison of the FBR (Best materials left MD Right):

Here is a side by side comparison of the FBR cut in half (Best materials left MD right):

For my next FBR purchase, I think I will try Forsaken Angel 24's backer rod. (link to his website)

Please leave comments with your experiences and suggestions for buying FBR