GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Guns And Related Accessories Review Gates => All Air Gun Accessories Gate => Topic started by: JaRoHe on December 14, 2018, 03:13:50 AM
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I designed this pellet box as a Christmas stocking stuffer for my Dad (85 yrs old and still shooting HOSP's and nutters invading his bird feeders... Go DAD!!!).
Pellet box has a 15 shot capacity, easily slips in the pocket or can be readily stored out of the way.
Made out of MDF, measures approximately 2-1/2" x 3-3/4" x 3/4", lid fits snug (not tight), pellets fit snug (not tight / if turned upside down they won't fall out), tops protrude just high enough above the surface to be easily grasped with your finger tips.
The recessed lid has approximately .020" clearance to keep pellets in their place and prevent crushing.
(http://hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_01r6.png)
(http://hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_02r6.png) (http://hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_03r6.png)
Thoughts and/or suggestions are welcomed...
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Very cool pellet holder Jim !!! I'm sure your dad will love it and put it to some good use 8)
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I want one...! With H&N or JSB on the lid....! ;D
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Nice work Jim.
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Great looking craftsmanship there!
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Very nice work.
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Jim,
Looks good. :D
IMHO, would be even better with a top that can swivel but stay arched to the bottom. A one handed flick to open. I would loose the top in a heartbeat. :-[
-Y
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Jim, very nice work! Your dad will be proud to carry that around :).
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That's very nice. Did you do that freehand??
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kcatx,
The cross-hairs were created in a graphics program, no real rhyme or reason, just pieced together... the bird was traced freehand from an actual image of a HOSP using the same graphics program (inkscape).
I ran into issues with the insides of letters & numbers (A's, R's, 4's, 6's, 8's, 9's, etc.) chipping out when routing the MDF. Material would be hit or miss... some sheets would machine just fine, others would fail every time. (My failure rate was somewhere around 70-80%)
Experimenting with different materials made all the difference... I found that Maple machines really well but I haven't been able to find it in 1/2" sizes at my local lumber stores (Menards, Home Depot, Lowes). I've been experimenting with a piece of Aspen that I recently picked up...
Here are a few examples using the Aspen material:
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01a.png) (http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01b.png)
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01c.png) (http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01d.png)
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_daisy_01a.png)
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_hn_01a.png)
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Here is an example of the Maple material:
Once it warms up, I'll try resawing the 1" material down to 1/2" on the bandsaw and then run it thru the planer (unless I can find some 1/2" Maple locally).
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01e.png)
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Beauty!!
Perhaps make the "tin" a bit bigger, so that you can install a small section of foam for the pellets:
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-apKFb0UA834/UtFo3EuUPHI/AAAAAAAAC6U/wInPxoOOxJs/w707-h530-no/IMG_20140111_154916.jpg)
Also, maybe have a more simple script option? Simply caliber and type would be sufficient: .177 wadcutter, .22 domed, or .25 polymag...
Overall, I LOVE the looks!
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Tom,
Thanks for your comments...
I was planning on making a generic caliber pellet box with a likeness to a Ford logo with raised letters...
I'd also like to experiment with foam inserts... any ideas as to where I would look to get some of this foam material? I'm not familiar with what applications this type of foam is primarily used for.
The thought behind customizing each box to a particular brand/type of pellet was to allow for quick visual identification of the pellets which shoot best in my particular airgun(s). (I have roughly 12 different brands/types of pellets that I've tested, of which only 3 or 4 shoot accurately thru my guns.)
The current bases are custom made to match the lengths and head styles of each different pellet... the skirts protrude approximately 1/16" above the base, allowing the pellet to be easily grasped with the finger tips.
A foam insert would in all likelihood allow for more of a one-size fits all design... over the more precise hole depths required in the MDF (too deep requires finger nail extraction, too shallow doesn't allow pellets to stand in an upright position).
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Honestly? I'd give a surplus military sleeping mat a try. It's closed cell, so it won't absorb water, and it's dense enough to firmly hold the pellets w/o deforming them. The foam is also relatively cheap for the surplus stuff. Just an idea. Not sure what others are using.
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Jim - Great idea and well produced!!
So the graphics are CNC routed? I though at first that they were laser engraved.
Have you considered something very tight grained such as Beech?
Nice work!!
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Yes, the graphics are CNC routed...
I haven't seen any Beech wood... but I will make it a point to seek it out!!! Thanks for the suggestion...
I do have a piece of Oak that I had picked up last weekend... I'll give it a try this weekend. I had seen some Mahogany at Menards, not sure if it was available in 1/2" though... sounds like a good enough excuse for me to head back to one of my favorite stores.
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Honestly? I'd give a surplus military sleeping mat a try. It's closed cell, so it won't absorb water, and it's dense enough to firmly hold the pellets w/o deforming them. The foam is also relatively cheap for the surplus stuff. Just an idea. Not sure what others are using.
Tom,
We have a military surplus outlet in a neighboring town... I'll be sure to stop by and check out the sleeping mats.
Thanks for the suggestion...
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I suggested Beech for its tight and consistent grain structure. That's why it's so popular for carving. In the old days, molds for casting were made of Beech because it can hold small details without chipping. I'd actually stay away from Oak, as it is one of the worst for changing grain structure - very tight along one part of the grain, and very porous right next to it. Walnut, Cherry also exhibit that changing grain but to a lesser extent. Hardwood/Softwood is not an indicator either. For those who don't know, a Hardwood is deciduous, meaning that its fruit bears the seeds inside (Apple, Cherry, etc.) A Softwood is coniferous - it bears its seeds on the outside like pinecones (Pines, Firs). Did you know that Balsa is technically a Hardwood?
Anyway, I totally digressed there, sorry. Bottom line is no matter what it's called, look for something in the way of tight and consistent grain that runs without swirls or changing direction. Boring maybe, but better than MDF.
Just thinkin' out loud here.
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Dennis,
Thanks for pointing out the different types of woods and grain structures... I'll have to look more closely at the various types of woods that are better suited for routing/carving.
I did carve one out of Oak piece I had tonight. It appears to have turned out alright... but I have to agree with you about the changing grain structures of the wood, I'll steer away from it in the future.
What are your thoughts on Maple, the piece I originally carved seemed to have fairly tight grain, I was impressed with the way it cut... wish I could find 1/2" locally.
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Maple would be a good choice if you find the right section of it. It has a tight and fairly consistent grain but can go wild in spots. For the small pieces you need, you should be able to find a section that has the consistency you need. There are different species of Maple as well - Soft Maple, Hard maple. The most commonly found in stores is hard maple. Home Depot has (at least in this area) small bins of wood in 3/4 and 1/2" thick x 2,3,4" x 3ft.. They call it "hobby" wood.
Another possible wood for your project is Poplar which should be in that hobby wood section as well. Poplar tends to leave a fuzzy edge when routing though because the fibers are not as tightly bound together.
What tools do you have on hand? I'm a woodworker and have most of what a decent small shop would have, but I no longer have a planer, which is what you need for thickness planing. That being said, if I knew what you have to work with, I'm pretty creative at doing things with other than the "proper" tool. You might also call around to some local cabinet shops and see if they can mill something to your specs. Back when I had my full shop I would have done something like that for you for free. I closed my shop 20 yrs. ago and sold all my specialty equipment like surface planers and such.
Do you have a Rockler store in your area? They may have something as well.
Ya know what? Check with an actual hobby shop too. Maple is used in RC airplanes as engine mount material.
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Check this out.
https://www.rockler.com/maple-by-the-piece-1-2-thickness (https://www.rockler.com/maple-by-the-piece-1-2-thickness)
If you stay away from the "specks" in the grain you should be ok with it. Don't know how much shipping would be though.
What size router bit are you using to get the smallest engraved lines?
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Tom,
We have a military surplus outlet in a neighboring town... I'll be sure to stop by and check out the sleeping mats.
Thanks for the suggestion...
Be sure to get an actual surplus sleeping mat- there's a huge market for reproduction stuff. Steer clear. They're garbage. ANYTHING "Rothco" is cheap import garbage, not actual surplus. Ebay would be a good source of actual surplus sleeping mats surprisingly. But make sure the price is right. $20+ is too much...
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This is one I made out of the Oak piece I had... routed it last night, finished it this morning.
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01f.png)
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This is one I made out of the Oak piece I had... routed it last night, finished it this morning.
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01f.png)
I see nothing wrong with that at all.
Nice work!
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Really like that idea.
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Very nice Dennis. ;D
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Very nice Dennis. ;D
Not me, Jim (JaRoHe) is making them.
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Duh, I knew that! ???
Nice work Jim. 👍🏼
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Your sig - "COME AND TAKE THEM".
I like it!
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Generic .177 caliber pellet box:
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_oval_01a.png)
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Beauty!
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It looks like that oak is working out pretty well after all. Were you able to obtain any other species from HD or such?
I'm still working on some info to PM to you. Will try to have it all assembled this weekend.
You didn't tell me what size the router bit is.
Dennis
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I have found that poplar is widely available at lowes and HD. You could get a board very cheap and make quite a few and make the bottoms out of it too.
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It looks like that oak is working out pretty well after all. Were you able to obtain any other species from HD or such?
I'm still working on some info to PM to you. Will try to have it all assembled this weekend.
You didn't tell me what size the router bit is.
Just got back from Lowes, HomeDepot, & Menards... the only three choices I have available in 1/2" thicknesses are Oak, Aspen, & Poplar. The Poplar tends to fuzz when routed... it is a PITA to work with for that reason alone, the fibers don't want to lay down and can be visible thru the inlay filler... so Poplar is out.
It will have to warm up considerably before I head to the garage to re-saw & plane 1" stock (temperature-wise it's 8° here right now, the high for the day).
FYI: I'm using a 1/8" engraving bit w/60° point
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I knew that Poplar wouldn't work. One of the things that makes the tree flexible in the wind is its loose fibers, but routing it is like routing a tight bundle of hay.
Thanks for the info on the router bit size. I had imagined it even smaller than that. You're getting some really tight corners at the bottom of the 'A's.
Sent you a PM.
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Latest design... Crosman 1377 (this was my first attempt... carved on a flawed piece of Maple, may not be perfect but I think it's presentable).
I wasn't sure I'd be able to squeeze it all into an area that's only roughly the size of a deck of cards... but I manage to get it to fit without losing a lot of the detail.
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01g.png) (http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01h.png)
Also bumped up the shot count from 24 shot capacity to 40 shot capacity... thanks for the suggestion Dennis!!!
(http://www.hehlke.net/gta/pelletbox_crosman_01i.png)
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Well, since you're showing off your stuff (and rightfully so!!), I'm gonna show off two of the boxes you made for me.
For those of you out there, Jim fulfilled a special request; a one-off (okay, two-off) run of boxes for my Izzies.
Each box represents the model number and serial number of my IZH-46M and MP-532.
Great job Jim, and many thanks!!
Here they are!!
(https://i.postimg.cc/8PTDLCpx/Baikal-pellet-boxes.jpg)
These are a thing of beauty and precision in real life!!
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Wow Dennis, your desk top looks just like mine!!!
Glad you liked them... and thanks for all your suggestions.
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I really liked that wood grain in the top box... the way it picks up light from different angles depending on how you are holding/looking at it.
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Wow Dennis, your desk top looks just like mine!!!
Funny thing, that!
Glad you liked them... and thanks for all your suggestions.
I love them! They are far far better than I expected.
I really liked that wood grain in the top box... the way it picks up light from different angles depending on how you are holding/looking at it.
The grain in the lower looks good as well, it was just the lighting at the time the pic was taken.
Hey, if you were to put those target images on any future ones, could you get that grouping a little tighter? I can shoot better than that. :D
PS - look for a PM in about 30 minutes.
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Hey, if you were to put those target images on any future ones, could you get that grouping a little tighter? I can shoot better than that. :D
I didn't want to show anyone up!!!
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Nice pellet holders 8) A cool addition would be a cut out or 2 for mags, like Hatsan or Marauder etc..
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Inkscape! I assume you're a Linux user then. I haven't used Inkscape in years!
kcatx,
The cross-hairs were created in a graphics program, no real rhyme or reason, just pieced together... the bird was traced freehand from an actual image of a HOSP using the same graphics program (inkscape).
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Inkscape! I assume you're a Linux user then. I haven't used Inkscape in years!
Everyone should be a LINUX user!!!
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These pellet boxes keep getting better and better!!!
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As a former unix admin, I agree!
Inkscape! I assume you're a Linux user then. I haven't used Inkscape in years!
Everyone should be a LINUX user!!!
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I've improved the design of the original pellet box...
In the original design the holes were milled directly into MDF base material... which resulted in a few unfavorable conditions:
- The hole diameter was unforgiving when it came to any pellet-to-pellet variances in diameter... the pellets would either fit just right, would be too loose and fall out, or were too tight and wouldn't fit in the hole.
- The hole depth was critical to maintaining the proper height of the skirt above the base... too deep and you wouldn't be able to grasp the skirt of the pellet to remove it, too shallow and the lid wouldn't close completely. (the box basically had to be designed for the brand of pellet being used)
The redesign eliminates the original design issues by incorporating a foam insert into the base for seating the pellets...
Photos of foam insert...
(http://hehlke.net/gta/redesign_foam_insert_01.png) (http://hehlke.net/gta/redesign_foam_insert_02.png) (http://hehlke.net/gta/redesign_foam_insert_03.png)
Photo of base with foam insert...
(http://hehlke.net/gta/redesign_base_01.png)
Photo of my latest cover... designed for my recently purchased Crosman 1400 (that favors CPHP's over all others)...
(http://hehlke.net/gta/redesign_pelletbox_crosman_1400.png)
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Looks great Jim. Excellent project.
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Brilliant!!
Glad to see you are still making them. :D
Dennis
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Hey Dennis, thanks... how are the Baikal pellet boxes holding up??? Do they get used much???
I had run into some calibration issues with my CNC router... I couldn't cut a lid to fit a box to save my life.
After countless hours of researching the problem I finally was able to get the bugs worked out... something to do with acceleration/deceleration rates when cutting corners. Anyway, I got that worked out and I'm back on track...
I picked up a few additions to my airgun collection... and figured each of my airguns should have its own pellet box to store its 'FAVORITE' pellets.
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Actually Jim, I'm keeping them safe on a shelf. They are so nice I didn't want to see them get beat up, plus the fact that I really don't shoot the Baikals that much.
They'll be a nice addition to anyone who eventually possesses my guns.
That foam insert though is a brilliant idea. Happy to see you got the bugs worked out and are back in production. I know you've spent a lot of time perfecting them.
:D