How much does a "standard" typhoon weigh?
3.25 pounds
Since you developed the Autococker mechanism, and that is known to
be a maintenance-hog, how do your guns (i.e. blazer, typhoon) differ in that they are not
maintenance hogs.
I didn't design or develop the AutoCocker. I developed the use of pneumatic automation
for paintguns by putting automation to work on my own equipment. On one of my early semis,
I used a sliding trigger and mounted the automation components in a group in front of the
trigger guard . It was a double barrel, so the reg. was mounted under one barrel and the
ram under the other, with the 4-way valve in the center and attached to the front of a
slide-trigger frame. Bud Orr was shown the gun and he recognized that my system could be
applied to the front of a Sniper thus making it Auto-Cocking. He did his own thing to make
it work on his gun.
Pneumatic automation (pneumation) has been around since the days of steam power and has
long been recognized as a reliable way to make things move. Most modern, hi-volume -
hi-speed manufacturing processes make extensive use of pneumatics that must withstand
millions of operating cycles on minimal maintenance. Of course, Paintguns are a tough
environment to operate in so I held my design criteria for the components down to an
expected lifespan of one million cycles. I still have and frequently use the first one
that I ever built (Sept., 1988) and I've not even taken it apart (except to remove the
bolt for cleaning) since it was about 3 months old. We estimate that it (Camille) has been
fired well over a million times and I'm still waiting for it to fail so I can take it all
apart and see how it looks inside. After all these years, I am curious as hell.
Unfortunately, I'll probably never get to know how long Camille will
hold out as she has been stolen.
"Maintainence" should be routine. (cleaning and lubrication) In all fairness,
most "maintainence" " problems" can be avoided by getting it set-up
right and leaving it alone. (true for most any paintgun) Something that I have learned
over the years it that, "The more that you mess with it, the more you will have to
mess with it."
How do you keep the velocity adjusters on cockers from backing out
during play?
Permatex - type II - non hardening - works well for a few months at a time. Just a dab
on the threads of the adjusting screw will keep it in place and still leave it adjustable.
It ia also called Form a Gasket and is available at most auto parts stores. Be sure to get
the NON HARDENING type.
Don't bung up the threads on the screw! The part that the screw is in is Aluminum and
it's threads will be eaten away completely if the threads on the screw are damaged.
The "COCK_KEY" unit makes adjusting quick and easy but does not lock it down.
Use Permatex there also. Works great. We use it on all of our guns.
My Rock was covered with heavy frost and spiting out the pressure
relief port. Is this a problem?
That really shouldn't be a problem. The frost on the outside simply indicates that
there was alot of liquid getting into the regulator and the process of letting the liquid
expand out really cools things down. The venting from the pressure relief was probably
only happening when you quit shooting and the highly saturated gas that was downstream
from the regulator would start to "warm up" / expand beyond pressures that are
safe for the rest of the components in the system. Another condition that would cause the
pressure relief to vent in that type of situation would again be the result of the
chilling process that generates ice crystals in the gas flow. If the regulator valve gets
a chunk of ice caught at the valve seat, it will let enough pressure through to activate
the pressure relief. If your unit quit venting when you backed it off,then this later
condition is not the case.
In either case, the Rock was doing the job it was designed to do and you could have
just ignored the venting and kept on shooting without hurting anything or even wasting
much gas. Backing it off slightly and continuing shooting would have allowed the pressure
to stabilize and the pressure relief valve to reset fairly quickly. You may have even
started out with the pressure set a bit too high.
A proper setting to start with would depend on the pressure/temp. condition of the tank
used. The IDEAL starting point is to find the lowest pressure that will cycle the gun
fully, then add 1/4 to 1/2 turn to the adjustment. (add 1/4 in cold conditions and 1/2 in
warmer weather) Find the lowest operating pressure by backing the reg. off until the gun
won't cycle, then adjust it up slowly (1/4 turn or less at a time) until there is just
enough pressure to cycle the gun then add the 1/4 or 1/2 turn to the adjusting screw.
(note: a few cycles are required between adjustments to get accurate readings especially
when lowering the pressure)
Once the Rock is set properly and "settled in", you should be able to just
forget about it. The less it is messed with, the more consistent it will be. Minor
adjustments of +/- 1/4 turn may be desirable in EXTREME conditions.
What's the best way to index an anti-siphon tube?
Make sure that the tip of the anti-siphon tube is as close to the wall of the tank as
possible. Also, it is usually best to crimp the tip of the tube in order to reduce the
passage of liquid. Here, we use 1/8" OD copper tubing and crimp down, or flatten, the
end of the tubing around a .025 piece of wire (a small paper clip will do). Then pull out
the wire to leave a .025 air passage into the tube. You may think .025 is too small to get
enough air but I can assure you that it is more than enough and it really helps with
consistency. My own gun is fed entirely through a .014 air passage. My first and still my
favorite semi (now over six years old) gets it's entire air supply through the air passage
in a stock Nelspot piercing pin, .010.
Do you make a "Classic" Hurricane?
We can. But we have discontinued wooden stocked rifles altogether. Right now we have no
stocks at all.
I have heard that the grip frame is a standard Autococker frame. Is
it possible to use Autococker grips and frames with the Blazer?
Yes, we use WGP aluminum grip frame/trigger housing for the Blazer with contour grips.
The grips can be changed easily (some will need to be relieved a bit on the inside of one
grip for clearance) but the frame itself is a different story.
Do I need to use a motorized loader with the Blazer, Typhoon, etc.?
I don't use a motor loader myself but most do. The gun can be shot VERY fast without a
motor, you might shoot allot of air-only shots when the loader is full. The gun is very
smooth operating so you have to shake the loader from time to time to keep paint in the
neck between the gun and the loader body. Those 5-6 shots are always positive, after you
empty the neck, it's luck if the loader keeps up.
I often play in rather cold weather and will use CO2 with the
Blazer. I'd like to know about the Blazer's cold weather performance. Can it handle liquid
CO2?
The cold weather limitation on the gun is the expansion rate and pressure of the co2
not the gun. I played in temps down to about -15 C quite a few times last winter and was
able to hold useable velocities on gas down to about -2 or -3 C.. Below that I would turn
my anti-siphon tank over and run it on full liquid to keep the velocity up. On liquid the
only difficulty is seeing the the gas cloud. :) Liquid won't hurt the Blazer at all.
However, you may sometime get some temporary, small leaks from ice crystals getting caught
in the seals of the automation switching. They go away when the ice melts or gets blown
out of the way. The use of full liquid in above freezing condition will cause some eratic
behavior in velocity and cycling but nothing harmful to the gun.
Back Bottle Mounting Instructions
Take 3/16" allen wrench and unscrew plug at rear of regulator. (note: be very
careful not to lose the valve seal, valve plunger and spring as you take out plug and make
sure the inside stays clean.) Install plug into back of ASA adapter to plug off vertical
bottle receiver.
Replace plug with 1/8" npt x 10-32 bushing using a 7/16 socket or box end wrench
and tighten to snug. Screw hose into bushing and be careful not to tighten to much. Take
off back cap, and remove hammer spring and cut 1 1/2 coils off of spring. (note if
velocity will not go low enough you might have to cut another coil from spring. Reinstall
spring and install back bottle adapter with longer grip screw. Install banjo fitting onto
back bottle adapter. Do not over tighten.
Please
describe the "Lifetime Warranty" that you have for Palmer
regulators. Do I need to register my Rock with you for warranty
services? Also, what do I need to do if I should need repairs on
my new Rock regulator.
You don't need a Warranty card.
The Rock/Stabilizer regulator is guaranteed for life (Glenn Palmer's life) against defect in
material
and/or our workmanship; as long as it is in it's original condition.
Failure due to damage, tampering, misuse or abuse is not covered.
To obtain warranty service for a Rock regulator; return it to us at
the address
listed below, along with $7 to cover return shipping. It will be
repaired or
replaced as needed and returned promptly.
Non warrantee repairs average between $10- $15
Canada please include $14 for return shipping.
"Glenn, can I have some free stuff?"/
Sponsorship
Glenn, i have
a 2001 Autococker and want to get some front block upgrades such as your
Palmers Rock And Palmers Ram.. but im a a lack of money since im only 15
well almost 16.. i was wondering if you could send me those 2 things for
free (dumb question i know dont laugh) but i doubt anyone has ever asked
you this before and was wondering if it was possible.. i mean you must
sell thousands of these things and giving away 2 shouldnt be too much of
a problem.. please email back even if the answer is no i just want to
see what you think. Josh
Hi Josh,
I am sorry but I can't
help you with that.
We have no "free" hardware available and not likely to.
I must admit, I had a good laugh. I think it comical that folks
would
ask for "free" stuff from a manufacturer and offer nothing in
return.
There isn't much in life that works that way. By the way, did WGP
give you that 2000 'cocker for free ??? I bet they didn't.
It seems to me that if it needs upgrading, WGP should be the one to ask
for free hardware to finish the gun .
I get dozens of requests like yours regularly although most of them are
in the form of asking for a sponsorship and at least offer advertising and promotion
in return. But, we don't use sponsorships as a form of advertising so we
don't give
sponsorships either.
I've yet to figure out why
it is so common in paintball for people to
even ask for, let alone expect to be given merchandise or financial
assistance
in order to pursue a recreational activity. I tried your approach
with a local electronics dealer on a floppy drive for my computer. It was only a $30 item and
they had hundreds of them in stock. Needless to say, I got laughed out of
the store. I wonder why ?
Yes, it is true that we sell thousands of our pneumatic components
but we also have the expenses of: materials, manufacturing the
components,
the building and the equipment to build them in and with, plus packaging and
handling. Then consider the taxes that have to be paid and the
time (which is
sometimes years) in the design and development of the products to be
sold.
Then too, I'm sure you would want the products guaranteed to work and
there are expenses there too. Especially since I guarantee some of
our products for life; My life.
What it boils down to is; if we don't make some gross profit on every
item
that goes out the door, we couldn't stay in business very long.
"A sale without profit is like a donation with risk."
Glenn Palmer
We
do offer a 10% team discount (quantities of 5 or more)
Stickers, "How do I get some" Just
send us a self-addressed
envelope
with postage paid
to: Stickers
3951 Development Dr. #3
Sacramento, CA 95838
How long will it take?
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a specific time
or date that some modifications may take. Palmers Pursuit Shop cannot
control some aspects of such modifications. Foregoing plating options
will significantly reduce the waiting time. Palmers will try to give an
educated guess as to when the mods may be completed and nothing more.
The guess may even be off by 3 weeks. No one wants you to have
your equipment in a timely manner more than we do.
Please be patient as custom orders may take a little longer than
expected.
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