Wooden Texas Star

[ropsitos]

I'm ramping up my garage airsoft and after making a bunch of knock down targets, I decided I needed a texas star, especially since the BAM airsoft star has been out of stock for several months.

All plywood minus the steel for the shaft and bearings. The paddles are held on with magnets. I need to do some work with the magnets because they seem a little too grabby. I might also have some binding of paddles on the side supports when the paddle is no in the vertical position.

Plate are 5-3/8" diameter and arms are 16" from the edge of the circle to the end of a single arm. I'm about 7yd away.

I'm also not sure it's moving fast enough, the thin paddles might not be shifting the CG enough when they are knocked off...I might try slotting the arms to remove some weight so the CG shift is more dramatic. I'll have to find some videos of the real deal to compare too.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

thanks

Bob

Edited January 20, 2014 by ropsitos

[actionshooter]

That's awesome!

[Ming the Merciless]

That looks to be about the same speed as a full size Texas Star. I modified my BAM Texas Star the same way you're thinking about to get it to react faster by drilling holes in the arms. It reacts and spins much faster than a full size Star. I can slow it back down to the original speed by sticking magnets to the arms. Full size Stars now seem really slow and easy.

[Flatland Shooter]

Very nice. How thick is the plywood? Any chance we might get some close up photos of the attaching point for the plates and how you attached the plywood arms to the bearing and shaft.

Bill

[ropsitos]

I will take some pictures this weekend.

The arms are 3/8" ply and the paddles are 3/16". I used 3/4" with some poplar glued to the front so I could turn it down (holding the shaft in the larhe) and make it run true to the shaft. Bearing blocks are doubled 3/4" I had left from a shelf project. Bearing are standard rollerblade/skateboard bearings.

[Flatland Shooter]

Good information.

Thanks.

[ropsitos]

Pictures.

For the bearings I just used a spade bit ground down to give me pocket so I have a light press fit for the bearing.

The screw protruding just below the tape in the image of the arm, was originally intended to provide a interface to stop the paddle from being slung off while rotating. Similar to the tab on the BAM paddles. I think it didn't work out quite right so I now use it to bias the paddle off and control the separation force.

I drilled some holes in the arms and it seems to rotate better now.

thank

Bob