Tekrome™ Shirt Launcher

[Launch-Tek]

This is a shirt launcher I custom made for a drag race team.
It uses a Tek-Valve™ with 2" porting and has a Tekrome™ finish. It also included a 125psi fixed co2 regulator so it could be used with compressed air or co2. The fittings were painted with truck bed liner. The zip tie is releasable so the barrel can be swapped out easily.
It looks a lot better in person out in the sun. The picture didn't turn out well. I shipped it out before confirming the pictures were good.

[pizlo]

Is the Tek valve tm just a piston valve? Looks realy clean and shiny, good work. Any chance on non tee shirt ammo?

[Launch-Tek]

The Tek-Valve™ is a 2" piston valve with an integrated pilot valve (no need for an ugly sprinkler valve strapped to the side), gauge, and safety valve. It also uses quick connect tube fittings. The Tekrome™ is a mirror like finish.
I have launched a lot of spuds with a similar launcher.

[blind909]

Is the Tek valve tm just a piston valve? Looks realy clean and shiny, good work. Any chance on non tee shirt ammo?

That my freind will be up to the Drag Race team he sold it to

And BTW, That is a BEUTIFUL gun.

EDIT- Got beat to it

[starman]

Clean clean gun there!! I think my suggestion would be to use a black zip-tie...the one on there looks a little not-dressed-up relative to the slick gun it's holding together.

The truck bed liner is also a great touch...I love that stuff!

[Coodude26]

Freaking gorgeous. *drool* It's crazy to see these beasts being made industrally...or...whatever the word is...made by a serious company

[Launch-Tek]

I agree with starman about the zip tie.
I can only get the releasable ones in yellow. I will be looking into making a Tekrome™ zip tie in the future. But for now I have to settle for yellow. I will probably try to paint one and see how well it holds up but my guess is that the paint won't bond to them well.

[mark.f]

Why not use hose clamps inside black 1/2" rubber hosing? It looks better than zip ties and won't scratch the paint.

[starman]

I agree with starman about the zip tie.
I can only get the releasable ones in yellow. I will be looking into making a Tekrome™ zip tie in the future. But for now I have to settle for yellow. I will probably try to paint one and see how well it holds up but my guess is that the paint won't bond to them well.

Well, regular zip-ties are relatively inexpensive. You could just plan to cut it off when you need to, apply a new one when finished.

[Coodude26]

If it's a kind of plastic, Krylon Fusion might work - it bonds very well to most types of plastic. And it's fairly popular

[blind909]

If it doesnt bond well, just rough it up a bit with some sandpaper

[Launch-Tek]

I like the hose clamp idea. Thanks!
I have seen it before but didn't think to use it on this launcher.

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[starman]

I like the hose clamp idea. Thanks!
I have seen it before but didn't think to use it on this launcher.

I've used heat shrink tubing shrunk up on a hose clamp...makes for real pro looking clamps.

[Coodude26]

I like the hose clamp idea. Thanks!
I have seen it before but didn't think to use it on this launcher.

I've used heat shrink tubing shrunk up on a hose clamp...makes for real pro looking clamps.

I've thought about doing just that, actually - does it work well? Does the heatshrink crack at all? Anything bad worth noting?

[starman]

I like the hose clamp idea. Thanks!
I have seen it before but didn't think to use it on this launcher.

I've used heat shrink tubing shrunk up on a hose clamp...makes for real pro looking clamps.

I've thought about doing just that, actually - does it work well? Does the heatshrink crack at all? Anything bad worth noting?

3M model FP-301 1/2" heat shrink from Parts Express. You'll need a good heat gun and it fits around a standard hose clamp perfectly. No, it doesn't crack. I did my hose clamps like that here: