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Airsoft/ 1/4 ball bearings

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:17 am
by brandon2513
6mm airsoft BBs and 1/4 ball bearings fit nicely inside of a 5/16 metal brake line. With the ball bearings use a magnet to hold them in place.

Re: Airsoft/ 1/4 ball bearings

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 8:51 pm
by Xamllew
brandon2513 wrote:
Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:17 am
6mm airsoft BBs and 1/4 ball bearings fit nicely inside of a 5/16 metal brake line. With the ball bearings use a magnet to hold them in place.
Airsoft pellets average about 5.95-6.03mm and store bought 1/4" ball bearings are 6.35mm, so theres a bit of a size difference. Assuming the brake line is nearly airtight with the bearings it would have to be a pretty loose fit for airsoft, far looser than a store bought 6mm barrel.

I'm currently on the hunt for a good barrel for the 1/4" slingshot ball bearings. I'm looking for air tight interference fit. Closest I've found so far is a copper pipe at 6.5mm inner diameter, sadly its as thin as a staw which results in effortless bending.

Re: Airsoft/ 1/4 ball bearings

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 2:03 am
by mrfoo
Xamllew wrote:
Tue Feb 11, 2020 8:51 pm
I'm currently on the hunt for a good barrel for the 1/4" slingshot ball bearings. I'm looking for air tight interference fit.
Assuming your bearings are really 1/4", you can make your own using a 1/4" reamer and maybe a 6mm. Start with some 6mm ID thick wall tubing, if it's the welded crap with a seam on the inside, run a 6mm reamer through it to remove all the crud. Then run the 1/4 reamer through it. Having access to a lathe might help, and if it's a long barrel you will need an extension for the reamer(s).

Re: Airsoft/ 1/4 ball bearings

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 12:20 pm
by Xamllew
mrfoo wrote:
Wed Feb 12, 2020 2:03 am
Xamllew wrote:
Tue Feb 11, 2020 8:51 pm
I'm currently on the hunt for a good barrel for the 1/4" slingshot ball bearings. I'm looking for air tight interference fit.
Assuming your bearings are really 1/4", you can make your own using a 1/4" reamer and maybe a 6mm. Start with some 6mm ID thick wall tubing, if it's the welded crap with a seam on the inside, run a 6mm reamer through it to remove all the crud. Then run the 1/4 reamer through it. Having access to a lathe might help, and if it's a long barrel you will need an extension for the reamer(s).
I had considered doing similar to a brass airsoft barrel as they're easy to get a hold of. My idea was to simply cold ream the barrel by hammering a 1/4" bearing through it. Crude, but without a workshop it might suffice. If it does work it would give me nearly the tightest tolerances possible.

Re: Airsoft/ 1/4 ball bearings

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 4:56 am
by farcticox1
McMaster Carr have this in brass https://www.mcmaster.com/8950k552

Re: Airsoft/ 1/4 ball bearings

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 7:57 pm
by Xamllew
farcticox1 wrote:
Thu Feb 13, 2020 4:56 am
McMaster Carr have this in brass https://www.mcmaster.com/8950k552
Just wanted to say I went ahead and ordered a piece of this and is an excellent airtight fit for store bought 1/4" slingshot ball ammo, airsoft barrel wall thickness, arrived un-bent too. Good find!
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