I've been thinking again (yes I did take an aspirin and the smoke is clearing). I got to wondering if anyone here would be interested in us adding a "How to" section. I scan the other forums and note that about every three days the same questions repeat and often a bunch of chaff is tossed out before a proper answer arrives. It occured to me that a lot of the questions could be documented via text, photos and even video. For instance "how do I fill my gun?" could be documented pretty easily. "How do I know how much pressure was left in my gun?" could be answered via video. "How do I slug a bore?" might be a good one.

Would anyone here contribute to this section?

Sure . . . like a FAQ made of stickeys. However, Jerry, you're assuming people are bothering to search all of those other forums rather than just being lazy and asking their question for the 1000th time.



It couldn't hurt . . . in fact, I nominate Gary to answer, "Can I get a shrouded, full-auto, titanium 3000fpe pistol that gets 200 shots per fill and shoots flatter than a laser beam?"

-- Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2009 09:46PM by Jim.

I think you'll have to re-phrase that to: "How do I get a shrouded, full-auto, titanium 3000fpe pistol that gets 200 shots per fill and shoots flatter than a laser beam?"

I realize that most of the questions that get asked have been answered about a zillion times and the answers are discoverable. I was thinking that most of the answers are just pure text though and often written by folks that don't communicate near as clearly as they think. I thought maybe some answers to questions about procedural or technical items could be posted with graphics to supplement the text.

I would not want to make a section to answer absurd questions about any old pipe dream....there are plenty of places to go ask those questions!

I'm sure people would enjoy watching the videos. There would certainly be a percentage of people who would be helped by them. Alot of things are assumed to be common knowledge ... but I couldn't tell you where you learn them. So; I'm sure it would be helpful.

I guess comments wouldn't be complete without a couple of reservations I have. There are hundreds of common knowledge subjects, I suppose, that would qualify. However; beyond those, I don't personally care to conduct a course on airgunsmithing. There are a thousand things that have become hard won points of understanding for me. I wouldn't care to give them away, or see them given away by those I've shared specifics with. I use them to support my family. Hope that doesn't sound selfish. I have shared specific details of proceedure to certain craftsmen who have exhibited skill and determination. However; it's been after a "show me where you are now" basis, and I can tell you that they value what they got too much to give it away either.

The other thing that immediately came to mind, was that there's been a video (on my site) on how to fill a PCP for ten years. And, I don't think I've ever had anyone mention seeing it. I suspect someone has in ten years ... But; maybe this setting would promote more comment and discussion.

I guess, as with most things, you'd have to give it a whirl and see how it matured.

Gary

Links to Barnes Movies if you may have missed them. [www.glbarnes.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2009 12:40AM by barnespneumatic.

Gary,
I didn't mean to imply the answer to "how do I build a gun like Barnes?" would be posted here. I hope nobody thinks they will drop by the forum and learn trade secrets! I saw the fill video a long time ago and that's the nature of post I was thinking of here. Maybe a video of how to use a Barnes mold would be good too but the boys might object to that one!

Maybe it's just a silly idea. The info is out there and folks can just go search for it. Heck, half the content or more is at the link you posted.

Not silly at all. But - ya know ... there's seeking information because you are gonna use it .... (i.e. ... going to go shoot an airgun - just got into the hobby). And, there's asking endless hairsplitting questions for entertainment. I was noting that, speaking for me alone, I wasn't up to the latter.



Gary

I'm with you there on the hairsplitting questions! Maybe I can't communicate clearly but I'm not interested in posting or replying to a FAQ for the silly/curious and I'm not trying to teach anyone how to build a gun (not that I could). I'm also not at all interested in being the only contributor to any "how to" section of the forum. I really don't want to try to post a "the world acorrding to Garp...er, Jerry" site. I thought maybe there might be interest in posting the solutions to simple PCP operations and maybe some troubleshooting steps too. Like whet to do when your Korean intake valve won't open even though you've got 4500 psi of pressure against the valve! (Not that that's ever happened to me...)

If there's no interest, there's no interest. Not every idea is a pearl!

Jerry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
"how do I
> build a gun like Barnes?"


Oooo OOooo! I can answer that....!

Step one) slide Gary some $$
Step two) wait a little bit

See? Easy.....

I think its a good idea.
Barnes guns need not even be mentioned(why would you need to when you have the maker on site!!??)

I'm with you on this Jerry, a "HowTo" section would be great. There are already several how to post on this forum. I'm also with Gary on this, No how to build a PCP post allowed. An individual attempting to build a pre-charged air rifle should already have enough skill in other areas where he does not need a lot of help with the basics.
When I was younger and working construction I use to watch the guys laying block, and bricks. They made it so easy, like anybody could do it. One day I asked a guy could a lay a few, he said sure give it a go. Well you know what, I couldn't get the stupid morter to stay on the brick or the trowel. Forget about laying a brick, just getting the morter on the brick was a challenge.

How to help on simple details would be great. Things like building wind flags, lubing pellets, mounting scopes,sping compressor, ect. Those are the things that I enjoy seeing, and learning about how someone else does it.

Joe Hoover Wrote:
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>No how to build a PCP post allowed.

While I agree that we should not impinge on Gary's livilihood, even if, and thats a big if, a person had the skills and talent to buiild one, it wouldnt be a Barnes.

Hi Dan,

I suspect Joe was also dealing with the issue of safety. When he mentioned the "skill set" a person would need to do this work, I'm real sure he met the knowledge to work with HP air and not blow their head off. There's such a desire to tinker with commercial products and "upgrade" them, that it's real easy for someone to get in over their head within the PCP hobby.

One thing that always unnerved me when I entered the trade, was the desire at the time, to take actual antique aircanes, and run them off of CO2. People had canes with reservoirs of sheet iron, with a brazed lapped seam. These had been run off of maybe 500 to 750 psi 150 years ago. And, in the 90's, people were outfitting them to fill with CO2. Well, the pressure of CO2 changes with the atmospheric temperature. When it's cold, it might be in the 500-700 psi range (bad enough to run a 150 year old product to orig. spec.). However; on a warm day, CO2 can go to 1,200 psi. So, we'd go to a airgun show, and there would often be a "test range" at the show ... where people could shoot into straw bales or something like that. I'd be standing there showing someone a new custom rifle, taking a couple of test shots, and here would come along a person with an antique aircane filled with Co2. They'd stand beside me, and lift the 150 year old sheet iron brazed reservoir, with twice origonal pressure in it at room temperature ... they'd raise it up beside my face, and take a shot.

There was the practice of buying inexpensive brass reservoir CO2 shotguns from the Phillipeans. People would then modify them, cause they were cheap to play with. One fella got into running the BRASS reservoir guns off of high pressure air! And ... you bet ... this guy always took it as a wonderful opportunity when he'd see me take a customer of mine to the range, he'd show up and decide to "demonstrate" his creations next to myself and customer. He claimed to have "reinforced" the reciever area of the guns to make them safe. To me, it looked as if he'd hotglued pigeon droppings to the reciever. And, sure enough, I'd be standing there and this scabby modified gun would slide up beside my face, and I'd look over into a potential pipe bomb 18" away.

Now ... there's some very capable and talented machinists out there too. They are most likely making some great work. However; I've never wanted to try to choose the good from the bad, in print, on the net. People have asked me for advice since day one. I never want to be in the position of telling someone (who may only have part of the required skill set), information that might get himself, or someone else hurt. I know that's what Joe was talking about too.

I probably stepped all over Jerry's good idea of helpful basic knowledge videos. I realize I mentioned the idea that I didn't care to get involved in long detailed teaching sessions. And, I realize that nobody else is going to make a Barnes gun. (It might be better ... might be worse. It will be different). I can only come at things from my own life experience though. It's been my experience, that people ask me detailed complex questions. I don't want to give them enough information to hurt themselves, no matter if they preface it with "I'm not going to try it". I don't want to take the time to teach airgunsmithing either. I covered both of those areas from my perspective. Joe agreed with withholding complex information.

Beyond those personal reservations, I think the how-to forum could be most helpful. I'd be pleased if people would post examples of helpful information.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2009 04:43PM by barnespneumatic.

WHAT????????? I finally managed to put something in print that was understood!!!!!!

Thanks Gary, that's exactly what I was trying to say

Safety, um, yea. What a concept.

Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations."

Now ... ya see there? I just a few comments, we've got the whole thing fleshed out. It's a fine idea. Joe had some good topics there too.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2009 04:34PM by barnespneumatic.

I'm as guilty, as Gary knows, asking a question then maybe asking same question a few years later, because my brain can't retrieve it. I can't find it in the Grid, even though it's there, or in my old emails.

So, I agree it's a good idea. I'm always looking for stuff like that. Like the shooting bench.

While your talking about new subjects. How about one for recommended stuff. Like scopes, bags, tripods, commercial bullets, ( I know the boys didn't want to here that one), targets, gel, etc. I'll read these discussions about this stuff. Then 3 months later when I try to find it so I can refresh my memory on what was said can't find the thread, even with the search option. Dory

I think we pretty much have a spot for recommended stuff. The gear shack is the spot to place those posts for easier retrieval.

Dory Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm as guilty, as Gary knows, asking a question
> then maybe asking same question a few years later,
> because my brain can't retrieve it. I can't find
> it in the Grid, even though it's there, or in my
> old emails.
>

I'm guilty too. But let me defend myself and my clue-less brethen by saying this: Network54.com seems to home to alot of airgun forums. Nothing wrong with that, cheap, easy to setup and maintain. But you are stuck with their forum software, and that thing they call "Search". The green and yellow forums live on NW54, and there are several posts about how to search. Minimum search phrase lengths, weird use of quotes, some searchs react better by using the "+" as a concatentor..... its becuase the tool is so, um USELESS, that people ask the same questions over and over. Ive been amember of both forums for some time, and cringe if I have to search for soemthing. ANd I do this stuff for a living.

BTW, the one thing Ive not been able to find on the gary's site is the one about buying the wood from the guy, with the "duealing banjos" music in the back ground....

I've apreaciated the suggestions for beginner pistols, rifles,
Realy liked the shooters bench design.
This is my first time posting on a forum and you guys make it easy.
How about an easy in house pellet trap ?
Home Depot putty in a plywood box ?

Gunker Wrote:
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> How about an easy in house pellet trap ?
> Home Depot putty in a plywood box ?

Some guys were also using the bigger fuse boxes. take the front panel out, and put the duct seal in. The metal of the box also helped keep the pellets in. Some guys have taken a cardboard box, and stuff it full of old clothes and or carpet. For lower power guns that is sufficinet. Dont knwo how quiet it is though.....

Great ideas Gunker, welcome to the forum, so is this your first post on any forum, or just this one.

This is the first forum, and first posts. Found it through the Barnes site, that through Beemans.
First got interested after talking to a customer that had imported some antique air rifles.
Would love to try out a Barnes. but with living in the city it would be like driving a Bugati only once a month and only using first gear.
So I'll start small and try to work up slowly. Also need to find an easy and close area to shoot.

Hi Gunker

What kind of rifle are you looking to get first off then ??

How about a primer on scuba tanks for the absolute beginner? What kind, how big, how do you fill them up, how long do they last, what's the different kind of connections, air line setup, that kind of stuff. I've worked with compressed gasses in tanks for welding and aviation use, but I've never been a scuba diver or owned a tank myself. As always, photos are key to understanding mechanical stuff, especially for those unfamiliar with the basics.

I'm going to need to get one eventually, but until that Woodsman shows up in the mail the only tanks I need are the ones under my barbeque.

Ok Gents,
Here's what we've got so far: We have a general agreement that posting "How to's" in theire own forum section is a good idea for reference puposes. We also have a general agreement that this is not a forum to ask detailed questions regarding airgun design or manufacturing. We have the following ideas regarding posts that would prove helpful:
"An easy in house pellet trap"
"A primer on scuba tanks"
"How do I fill my gun?"
"How do I know how much pressure was left in my gun?"
"How do I slug a bore?"
"How to build wind flags"
"Lubing pellets"
"Mounting scopes"
and something about making or using a spring compressor...

Now, do we have anyone ready to document any answers in a post with photographs or video? I could do about a half dozen of those but I would prefer to see more of the answers come from the readership! If someone posts a "how to" post in the main forum, I'll create the "How to" forum and move the post. I'm only hesitating to create the "How to" section because I don't want to be expected to fill it on my own. If it looks like there will be wider participation, I'll create the section and add to it. I think Gary has some great stuff on his site that can also be linked to or re-posted here as well.