Making the ULTIMATE Nerf Dart? (An Adventure in Foam & Silicone Casting)

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Did y'all know we have *4 channels* now? This main one, plus: 🎮 Evan and Katelyn Gaming kzbin.info (us playing games and chatting, enhanced by epic editing and a heavy dose of memes) 🎙️ Evan and Katelyn Podcast kzbin.info (chatting about life, KZbin stuff, and playing games you can play along with) 😹 Evan and Katelyn Too kzbin.info (still figuring this one out 😂)

[@arleighwiatrek1587]

If you were ever to to this agaig try a holo

[@lukecampbell3008]

The reason the hole improved the speed of the dart is because when you fill the camber with pressure it travels down the hole expanding the front and giving it a tighter seal and reducing the air flow around the dart which doesn’t add to the velocity of the dart

[@nobody-cy8vn]

Chang the blaster, I think you needs a long clean barrel for those darts

[@AlteredAmygdala]

Luke Campbell you’re monopoly smart...🤗

[@Clueless2410]

You should make a dart that is short very stiff and the same weight as the original

[@Bobololo]

The NIC (Nerf Internet Community) had used 1/2in closed cell foam backer rod with a different ways to make the heads. Granted these would be cut to about 1.5in, but the smaller size meant better aerodynamics and flight. There's glue domes: a metal BB embedded into a small hole in the top, with a hot glue dome over it. Slugs: a #6 washer (with or without the embedded BB) with a felt pad ontop. Silicone domes: silicone caulk cured with cornstarch in molds. We'd use these for our homemade blasters for higher FPS game events. Cheapest way to get darts is 3rd party ones from China ;)

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Soooooo many good tips! Thank you so much for the suggestions!!!

[@chrisholdsworth13]

Bobo knows his way around a nerf dart

[@SuicideNeil]

I was waiting for someone from the Nerf community to chime in- custom made darts have been perfected for a number of years pretty much, well worth reading up on the various styles and also aftermarket darts such as the very popular Koosh gen 3 darts that perform better than official Nerf elite darts...

[@antihero7028]

Boooobooooooooo, I came into the comments to let them know about the NIC and was happy to see the metal lord star from the NIC had already schooled them on it. Love your content, hope you are doing well.

[@coreycreehan8197]

Bobbo knows his stuff. Also if you're interested I'll send you some of the darts hes talking about

[@jmakes3745]

‘Just the tip’ ‘It’s floppy’ ‘It’s so much more firm’ ‘This feels really good’ Katelyn ‘believes in the hole’ Are you sure this project wasn’t just one massive excuse to get as many innuendos into a video as possible? xD

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

we have the humor of 13 year old boys! XD

[@TheBobbytables]

the best kind of humour!

[@ShadowVipers]

After watching I can confirm this... And I also heard at least another five innuendos.

[@joshuagibson8510]

I wanted to say the exact same thing

[@evilutionltd]

My rod popped out.

[@lucusloc]

"I'm out of ammo." *looks down barrel with finger on the trigger* "Me too."

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Safety Bob does not approve of my actions >_

[@lucusloc]

Don't worry, Safety Bob wants proper trigger discipline even with cordless drills and BBQ lighters. It's a habit, not a thought process.

[@LordDraconical]

I wanna test them!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Sweet that would be awesome! Just diving into the NIC and we learned SO much from this first video. Maybe we could send you some v2 darts with some lessons learned 😀 or do you really want the floopy ones? We could also send both lol.

[@LordDraconical]

Ill do you one better, bring em to Dragoncon? We should have lunch! DM me on instagram and I'll give you my number @LordDrac

[@letabouret1487]

is this a futur colab

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Just sent a message, wish we could come but hoping to go to Dragoncon next year :D

[@homelee665]

LordDrac is another awesome source for information.

[@mrpogueman]

This was very myth busters esque, but with an Evan and Katelyn twist I love it!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you! We love Mythbusters so that's a huge compliment!

[@sherizaahd]

Now, make a "better" blaster designed to shoot the "better" darts

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Oooo now that'd be fun!

[@Brownstone31]

Absolutely. When I modded a nerf gun with a heavier spring it seemed like the dart was to lite to handle the extra push. Maybe a heavier dart will work better in a modded gun.

[@Frmrspecialist74]

Adapt a paintball marker to shoot the darts! That just sounds fun albeit a little more dangerous

[@svaltair]

Already exists it's called a Caliburn

[@TT.357]

Just take a couple of pvc and brass pipes, and some k26 spring and you’re done.

[@LeeLeeRuester]

You need to make a sign for your work spaces that just says “mold release?”

[@nemmrrc]

Never has anyone proved like you all how much it is to remain a kid at heart.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Aw thank you! We think one of the best parts about being an adult is getting to choose what being an adult means. And for a few days it meant playing nonstop with homemade Nerf darts 😁

[@everett8435]

"tell me when and I'll zoom in dramatically" *Funk flex airhorns* I died. I love you guys.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Hahaha glad we aren't the only ones that crack up at our own jokes! 😋🤣

[@coregeek]

This was a blast to watch!! Friends making stuff just because and having a good time doing so.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thanks Eric!! "just because" builds are often our faves, and builds with friends are ALWAYS our faves

[@cursingbulldog]

Wonder if the silicone tips were to sticky grading onto the barrels and slowing things down

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Yeah that definitely could have been one of the issues. Wonder if we put a seal on them or maybe baby powder we could eliminate that as a concern.

[@DrewFolta]

or as a "control" use a plastic tip or rip one out of an off-the-shelf dart

[@commando552]

The ideal would be to somehow make the exposed piece of silicone slightly narrower than the foam so that it will not contact the barrel at all. You would basically need to have a slightly narrower section at the bottom of the mold that holds the tip, which is more complicated but I think should be doable. This is how the actual nerf darts are designed I believe (it is really slight but there is a step there). I think in general you may want to make the diameter of your darts smaller as well. It may be the case that part of the purpose of the hole is to allow the air to get in an expand the darts a bit (probably just near the back so not too much friction) so having a tight fit all ready would make the darts stick. As you casted these you could actually go for a wild shape that nerf darts cannot, like having them have a flare at the back to seal with the barrel but not have a tight fit all the way along which would increase friction. Regardless, you also need to remember that stabilisation on these is using the shuttle cock principal (not rifling) so what you need is weight at the front (rubber tip) but the tail to be light (foam with a hole in it).

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

That'd be a great test to conduct!

[@wadepetroline736]

@@EvanAndKatelyn its definitely the caste foam. Try using foam backer rod for the body, just needs heated up to make it rigid. There are after market darts that are made with silicone heads.

[@TheVirakahScale]

Next challenge!: Make your own air blaster! Like with the Super soaker!

[@totallynotboring5277]

On nerf darts the tip is lightweight rubber and is hollow but they were using solid silicone.

[@KewneRain]

Cut a section of 1/2in (12.7mm) Foam Backer Rod, hot glue a #6 washer to it, hot glue a felt foot to it. Cost of project: $0.15 per unit for mass production. Also, it's all about the fit. You want a slightly tighter fit for spring-powered blasters. Also, for that Nerf Maverick REV-6, stack five pennies behind the spring, it'll give you more power.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you for all the suggestions!! We're definitely going to keep these in mind!

[@KewneRain]

If you're really into the Nerf customs thing, look up the custom nerfing community, tons and tons of awesome videos on how to make your blasters better.

[@DarinBeard]

Does Bob know you are abusing his head? Or that you even have it? Ha.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Haha since he made a video with Punished Props about it and helped make the head I'm guessing so. We definitely took a selfie with it and texted it to him though lol

[@punishedprops]

We won't be happy until he regrets letting us mold his head. =)

[@joonasfi]

Safety Bob does not approve of the unauthorized use of his head

[@suraj-ram7488]

One thing to note, the actual Nerf darts have a little white weighted piece near the orange tip.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

oooh that's really interesting, we should have cut one apart on the bandsaw to get a cross section

[@suraj-ram7488]

EvanAndKatelyn Yes you should!

[@patsykorth843]

@@EvanAndKatelyn a band saw seriously to cut a nerf tip? are razor blades to expensive?

[@BruceAUlrich]

Loved seeing all of the different types of material, and all of the attempts...only to fail. But that was still a huge win because...learning! Fun ride, you guys!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Yes! Because learning!! Haha yeah even though it wasn't the ultimate nerf dart, it was suuuuper fun

[@theguardian9045]

I would try it without the spiral cuts on the foam, because I think it’s making it harder to fit in the gun. Also the tip might be heavy. I put bb’s into the tip of a nerf dart one time. One or two bb’s made the dart hit harder, but not go as far, but three or four was too much.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thanks for the tips!

[@polyjohn3425]

I think a factor you guys might have overlooked is the friction between the foam you poured and the inside of the barrel? The hole in the middle is probably important, because the pressure cause the dart to bulge a little, making a better seal with the barrel. But if the friction is too high it slows the dart down a lot. That's probably why the rifling was such a failure, too, it couldn't seal.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

I think you're right! Maybe we can experiment with different foams and ditch the rifling

[@Thepracticalengineer]

Its cool that you not only show perfect builds but show the whole projects. So much fun to watch!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you!! The process is what it's all about 😁😁😁

[@JackmanWorks]

Meh, they're all a little small for my taste :)

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Haha want to come down and make some Jackman sized darts?

[@JackmanWorks]

EvanAndKatelyn ummmmmmm YES!

[@AdamRich1785]

This would be epic!

[@risingendeavors]

I think it's time for lawn darts to make a comeback 🤔😁

[@Artificial.-_-.intelligence]

Lol

[@sharxbyte]

As involved as I am with the Maker scene and manufacturing in general, I sometimes forget how amazing it is that we have consumer tools that have advanced so much in the last 10 years.

[@Frmrspecialist74]

Try coating them with a little baby powder or potentially lubricating the barrel (worse of he two ideas for clean up and dirt attraction reasons). The biggest problem you are facing is friction leaving the barrel. The durometer of that silicone seems very likely to grab...

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ahh! That would be a simple test to try and see how it affects things, thanks!

[@cloverbaby4470]

I was not expecting such professionalism in the making if these Nerf darts 😂😂😂

[@Kozidian]

I'm thinking that the fluting you put on the shorter head dart was allowing air to escape around the dart instead of creating pressure behind it. Also, making the homemade darts about the same weight as a Nerf one will help. Finally, if you get some 17/32" brass tubing the darts should fit snugly inside it, as the diameter of a Nerf dart is about 1/2" (.503"). Thank you guys for such a fun and awesome video! I've wanted to try making my own darts but lack a the equipment to make molds.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ahhh that's super interesting, the fluting definitely could have been a factor! Looks like we have more testing ahead of us!

[@Colleen_And_Brookelynn_Cabit]

In the inside of the rubber tip it is hallow, same as the foam

[@manatour2434]

NERF is an acronym for non-expanding-recreational-foam aka NERF

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

😁👍

[@narenthebeesechurgerman422]

That isn't true, nerf was never an acronym

[@sapphirerandomness5339]

@@narenthebeesechurgerman422 umm dino tube was making a joke

[@narenthebeesechurgerman422]

Sapphire Randomness no he wasn’t joking, he seriously thought that’s what that meant

[@sapphirerandomness5339]

@@narenthebeesechurgerman422 Not trying to be rude, I just want to ask how you know. Are you maybe a friend of him?😅

[@Cameroner1]

Loved the name tags, "realist", "agreeable human", made us laugh

[@dustyball3885]

Nerf darts center hole is designed to expand from air pressure creating a gasket along the outer wall. Also you guys need to get your center of pressure behind your center of gravity.

[@naturegeek33]

Even and kaytlen are shook by how much foam the left in the conainers

[@calt2161]

Doing HVZ I've experimented with a lot of home made nerf dart designs. You can buy half inch round foam by the roll, cut it down to the desired length, and add a dab of hot glue to the end. We modified our guns to take 1.5" darts and they worked much better than the originals even without the hole in the back of the dart.

[@andybogart2503]

I think maybe the different materials have different amounts of friction sliding through the barrel. Probably the floppy ones were adhering to the barrels too much - maybe check out how grippy the silicone tips are too, compared to what the real darts are like? Fun video you guys - thanks for sharing it :)

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

I think you might be right! The silicone was definitely a little tacky. Glad you liked the video!

[@ikazuchioni]

Punished Props Academy! You collaborated with Jazza and now with Evan and Katelyn, you guys are the coolest ever!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

We had such a blast collabing with Bill and Britt!

[@ikazuchioni]

I also watched your videos on your channel where Bill was featured. Cross overs are awesome! Thanks for the reply! I hope to see more collab with other YTr's. Have a great day, and please continue more of your work. We love them all!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

This nerf one that you're commenting on is actually on our channel too! Bill did the water blaster repaint and the riot shield, we did nerf and molten metal. We've had SO much fun on all these projects and love collabs! Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@madisonlittlefield4588]

Since you guys are working on your own darts, it would be really cool to see you all make darts that look like the type of bullets that would come out of all the modded nerf guns Bill has. It would be really cool to see you guys design a dart that actually looked like a bullet plus the casing!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

That would be super fun! Maybe once we get one working the way we want, we can shift focus and make it look cool

[@donalddean3314]

Bottom line, if it's not woodworking I don't watch these maker channels. The one exception is you guys as you make your show interesting, educational, informative, and most of all FUN.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Aww yayy!! That makes us feel really special, thanks! And you're in luck too because this Friday we'll be sharing a woodworking video where we try some "traditional" joinery. I think. Do finger joints count?

[@robertnickel7864]

Think of the darts like a shuttlecock for badminton or pellets for an air rifle. The front end is weighted and the rear is just there to produce drag. To keep the darts stable, the center of mass must be ahead of what is known as the center of pressure, which is the point on the dart on which the average aerodynamic forces act. You can move the center of pressure by increasing surface area near the rear end, either through a long stick like with bottle rockets, a long tube like nerf darts, fins like those used on model rockets, etc. Another thing to note is that Nerf guns are designed so that the dart is only being accelerated in the first half inch or so of the barrel, this is because the first half inch of barrel is tighter to prevent the air restrictor from pushing the dart out of the barrel, once the dart passes this region there is room for air to escape around the dart. If your dart has a tight fit in the front half of the barrel, odds are it will get stuck without increasing the strength of the spring and improving the seal on the piston. My tips would be, use a very dense rubber for the head of the dart and a stiff but light weight foam for the rear of the dart, and size the dart so that it fits snug in the first half inch of barrel.

[@robertnickel7864]

You may also look into 3D printing a nerf gun like the Caliburn. Its an entirely homemade nerf gun that accepts standard nerf darts and magazines, but has a completely sealed barrel and piston, so you can push the darts much faster than you ever could with a standard nerf dart.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you so much for the incredibly helpful tips!! We'll definitely keep this in mind before proceeding with the next attempt!

[@nigelgreen8617]

I made a nerf dart and it worked it shoots more accurate

[@rileywilson2222]

The darts are great, but what about upgrading the blaster instead of the bullet? Something with the psi to fire the dart.

[@StephanieLondon]

my favorite diy nerf dart was backer rod window foam with a metal bb 1/2" down into the tip and hot glue to make the weighty hard tip. not only do they shoot great but they are super cheap we get 1000 darts for about $20 and we use magnets on sticks to help pick them up without bending over every few feet after nerf wars. we have our darts measured distance farther then the original darts. you gotta have the weight in the tip

[@AlteredAmygdala]

Stephanie London : That’s Genius....Finding the darts is always the hardest part...

[@notafan1139]

Evan doing his best camera man John impression 1:06 Top tier

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

We learned from the man himself!

[@heyimamaker]

I think Glitter would help

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

We did put some in the first dart! Oh wait... But it was the one that ripped apart..... THE GLITTER COULD HAVE BEEN THE ANSWER!

[@heyimamaker]

Think of the glitter coming out of the end like a sparkling comet.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

I like where you're going with this....

[@heyimamaker]

Maybe you could 3D print some thin shells that could have glitter in them. Kind of like a paintball or a bath oil bead.

[@hunzhurte]

Dooon't you dare getting him into that stuff aigain!!!

[@dclphoto]

I used to cut the foam near the rear of the dart at an angle, multiple times, and flare it creating small fletches that would impart a roll to the dart after it left the gun. I also used make blow guns that were lined with glassy tape at an angle, and small gaps between the strips of tape, that when rolled up, on the inside of the barrel, would create rifling that the dart could engage with. The blow guns were rolled from 11x17 paper with the breech end being 1 to 2 mm wider than the muzzle end. These things combined, and in the same direction of roll, did make for much faster and flatter shots.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ooooo that sounds fancy! Thanks for the ideas

[@JinxsyYT]

Evans enthusiasm is so contagious XD

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

😁❤️

[@JinxsyYT]

@@EvanAndKatelyn 😍

[@anventia]

Try 3D printing the tip at 100% infill? or make the tip more dense, but try a stiffer but lighter foam. Maybe the foam is too heavy? but needs to be stiffer. :)

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Lots of ideas to try! More testing is needed...

[@classicforreal]

It’s been almost four years and Lord Draconical promised he’ll test silicone half darts. Where’s our silicone half darts, Drac?

[@suraj-ram7488]

Idk why but I cant stop watching these videos

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

We're ok with that! :D Thank you!

[@kobehalbert6214]

I love how excited they get over nerf darts

[@gracehammond6261]

I remember watching E&K in the very beginning where there were only a few Patreon supporters and although I can’t assist myself, I’m so proud of you guys that there are so many people who support you on Patreon !! Love you guys!! Keep up the amazing content !!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you so much Grace! It's been a long journey for sure and we feel super grateful for all the support on Patreon but also the support like leaving comments 😁👍 So thank you for supporting us too!

[@sonyajordan8597]

I can’t be the only one who thought they looked like coloured tampons in the thumbnail right?

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Bahahaha!

[@andywarburton3678]

We need an animated gif of the wibbly wobbly nerf darts :D

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

hahahaha that would be amazing

[@PlebianGorilla]

“Let’s just snip that off and keep the rest on” 😯 circumcision “My rod popped out”

[@brog402]

Evan’s stance at 11:14 is priceless

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Haha! Twas pure joy

[@Bobba_fett]

The real hero of this video is Brittany. For keeping her finger off the trigger with that awesome trigger discipline pose. Also.... But a solid pool noodle, cut into stios with a bandsaw, sand with a 4*36 for proper shape and standard drill for the center hole. But then again that isn't great for a KZbin channel when you have access to foam and a 3d printer.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

She is a better person than all of us 🙏 We're not against using some pool noodle foam!

[@Kreative_Rainbow]

This is a great project where nerds and nerf combine!! I love the use of tools and computers and crafting supplies!! 🤗😍

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you!

[@Kreative_Rainbow]

@@EvanAndKatelyn You are very welcome! 🤗

[@tasmanianerd2558]

What an epic video. Moulds! 3D printers! Shop safety! Nerf (kinda) - easily the best display of the Make/Fail/Make/Fail/Success! ethos ever seen. Well played everybody!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you so much!!! We had so much fun experimenting and pretending we were Mythbusters!

[@Spelter]

This foam is the same as in the insulation business of heater pipes. I just don't get the diameter in the hardware store, but in theory, you can buy it by the meter and cut pieces off I guess.

[@zherron42]

Cool experiment! Nerf hobbyists have been tinkering with DIY darts for a while, and so far the most effective design comes from a guy who goes by Captain Slug (he also makes amazing 3D printed nerf blasters, you should totally check him out). His method uses 1/2" diameter foam backer rod, a #8 washer glued to the tip of the dart for weight, and a felt dot covering the washer for safety. The only catch is you have to cut and assemble each dart individually, so making a batch takes a while. Being able to fill up a bank of molds with foam in a matter of seconds would be a serious breakthrough in home dartsmithing technology, and I hope you keep experimenting with it!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Maybe we can combine some of his techniques with our molding techniques! Thanks for the tips and pointing us in his direction 😁

[@sophiej942]

You need a denser foam and a hole in the middle of dart and the tip should be smaller than what Evan and Katelyn made and I think that the little grooves helped it not get to snug since the air is pushing it out

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thanks for the tip!

[@JomasterTheSecond]

Two of like the best KZbin people are finally back together to make some silicone tips.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

The tips brought us together!

[@vorticwatchcompany]

This partnership between channels made the video very cool! Best, IC

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you! We had so much fun working with Bill and Britt!

[@OverWims]

5:48 THAT LAUGHTER

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

haha! Slow mo laughter is the best

[@WhatWeMadeTeam]

Now time to make a giant one and a giant gun!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

I like the sound of that!

[@MiniatureFir8Studios]

I just love the conversation that had to go on before the camera was turned on Bill= who’s going to be on camera the most? Katelyn= Me and you Evan and Brit= Wait why? Katelyn= cause we’re short enough to fit in frame Evan Ana Brit… Fair enough

[@faithjenkins2563]

Maybe instead of silicone use a different type of foam for the tip of the nerf dart???

[@nickolasghiotto6387]

Try putting the molds in a vacuum chamber after pouring the foam

[@CalifornieWay]

This had fun editing. I'm a fan

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

So glad you liked it! We definitely tried some new things editing-wise in this video that we wanna do more of

[@dolfinmagikpro]

Would love to see y'all do a video on Mold release agent comparisons. I have heard that Vaseline (sorry petroleum jelly), non-stick cooking spray, vegetable oil, and even butter can work as a mold release agent. Most, if not all, are cheaper than "Official" mold release agents. Maybe compare how each one is used for the different types of molds and materials being molded. Resin, concrete, foam, etc. Just a thought / suggestion! Keep up the great work!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

That would be a super useful video!

[@biomcanx1]

"Hi am Bob's head and I am made of stuff!" Poor Bob's head...the abuse...

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Hahaha, Bob was a really good sport!

[@omnisciasparesnone]

i feel like glueing a tac to the end of it would made it even more efficient

[@PJGalati]

You guys made failing at a build look like tons of fun lol. I think the key is the exact foam Nerf uses, plus the finishing process. I have a sneaky suspicion there may be a "heat step" involved to seal the outside foam pores and also tighten up the inside as well. :P

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

It was a ton of fun! Though, kinda hard not to have fun hanging out with these guys making nerf darts :P I think you might be right about some of the nerf treatments....

[@trevorgreenough6141]

On the silicon tips, try some graphite powder it'll be applying friction to the inside of the barrel (I think, I'm not too familiar with the properties). Graphite is easy enough to come by, it's the inner if a pencil. Hell put some on the full length of the dart.

[@trevorgreenough6141]

Also the tip on a nerf dart are hollow.

[@ГерманПетри]

When i see transparent 3d print i cant stop myself from giving like. Well played, E&K, well played...

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Hahaha, now we know the secret to earning likes! Thank you!

[@vibesandpeace646]

You forgot to put tiny holes on the tip so it can glide through air

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ah next time!

[@jjustj9994]

EvanAndKatelyn give it a golfball texture for best flight

[@patsykorth843]

no.

[@ReyahsRecord]

Something I saw was you changed the foam, but maybe try a lighter and less dense silicone?

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ah good thinking!

[@ReyahsRecord]

EvanAndKatelyn omg I’ve been noticed 😭❤️😂

[@TheMindRobber42]

First, you should've went with half-darts, since they're more stable in flight. Second, the rifling down the whole dart length let air escape around the dart instead of pushing the dart, and probably wouldn't help the dart to spin anyway. Honestly, just making the Nerf head without the hole would make it a hundred times better. Finally, as people commented earlier, the silicon tip probably gets stuck a little bit in the barrel.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thanks for the tips!! We didn't even consider half length darts. Lots to try for next time!

[@emalinel]

I am loving this so much. You guys remind me of Adam Savage and his weird, fun wild experiments/builds xD

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you! We love Adam so that's a big compliment!

[@Mr.Nicholas69]

I love that they called that shot a win! Lol. Great video guys.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Haha gotta take the small wins we can get 😋😋

[@sofiadimaggio2152]

This was the first video I watched from you guys Now your my favorite channel

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you!

[@Natalia_Kyle]

I think their triple twist groove is letting air escape when they fire. Also the original tip is hollow so it might be too heavy.

[@niamhharhen7451]

I love how ye put faces on loads of things

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

😁😁

[@TruthIsTheNewHate84]

Those pink darts looked very similar to a dog's red rocket. Lol

[@cptncutleg]

Rifling the dart tends to reduce performance, your best bet is to use the dense foam you had in the end, use a divet in the back of the dart head to center your center rod so it is not thinner on one side, and try to make dart heads from a lighter plastic or rubber. Good luck!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you so much for all the helpful tips! Lots to keep in mind for next time 🙂🙂

[@jwiszard]

Maybe try expandable foam in a can ? Or hollow silicone tips

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Would be interesting to try!

[@loganbeck5028]

I loved the video and the nod to Bob Claget!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Haha thank you! Bob was a good sport letting us aim at his head and all ;P

[@rednecknerf5997]

I think you should try testing your darts in some modified air blasters. Like Bobo was saying, we have been using homemade half length slugs in our homemade & powerful blasters. I would recommend a nerf titan, buzzbee xtreme blastzooka, buzzbee big blast, or a buzzbee Berserker (they all have massive air tanks). Attach a 1/2 inch CPVC Coupler to the air tank & use 1/2 cpvc pipe as barreling. Normal darts fishtail & wobble while in the air when shot from them. I think your heavier and denser darts would work well with them.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ooooo thank you so much for the recommendations! We would love to try out modifying blasters

[@honkawmahaki]

I believe the rifling is allowing to much air to escape around the dart. Try w/out rifling and I bet you get better results.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thanks for the tip!

[@Shyid]

ditch the liquid + mold technique for the foam and google "1/2 in. x 20 ft. Caulk Backer Rod" ... use heat + mold to straighten that foam... continue using silicone + mold technique for tip. Our biggest issue with creating darts used to be making the tip (weight, balance, consistency). You've tackled the hard part, just get the caulk backer rod and work with that as a base material... consistency is perfect.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thanks so much for the tip! We'll definitely look into the caulk backer rod!

[@iancockerline2305]

I didn't read through too many comments, so others may have caught this too. I think the silicone tips need to be slightly smaller in diameter than the foam so they don't grab the barrel. If you look at the nerf ones, that is how they appear to be designed. I suspect the foam would slide more freely on the barrel than the silicone.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

I think you're right! They were kinda sticky!

[@ven_nny]

Katlyn evidently looks down the barrel of the gun to check if she was out 😂😂😂😂😀

[@ChrisWithACam]

I wonder if dusting them in cornstarch would help with the friction from the silicone and foam leaving the barrel

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ah cool idea!

[@Rocadamis]

THE SECRET: A smaller point with a lighter foam. Weight is a huge factor in nerf darts. The lighter the dart, the farther it will go. The hollow chamber is critical as well since it is being push by air. The hollow chamber allows more air to push against the dart, thus moving it farther.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thanks for the tips!

[@jeffvoight6586]

Think about bullet rifling. The bullet is able to grip the sides and accelerate the whole way because the bottom mushrooms out as it's fired. Nerf rounds expand through that hole in the middle which cause it to contain the air pressure and accelerate the whole time it's in the barrel.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Ah that's interesting, thank you!!

[@UrbanAtWork]

I think that the "rifling" might have made a difference by allowing air to escape around the outside of the dart. Less air behind means less distance forward.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

I think you might be right - we'll try ditching the rifling!

[@bloodthirsty1330]

For a little better results Nerf darts have a hollow tip to reduce the impact on the target

[@dracoinfinite9594]

I have an idea as to why the darts don't perform as well... So I noticed two things about the performance of the dart in the last test. 1. The dart rotated. 2. The dart didn't go that far. Now these may seem like really insignificant details, but they are actually really revealing about the projectile motion of the dart. To clarify, when the dart leaves the barrel you see it immediately begin moving towards the ground, given that the dart is moving parallel to the ground initially, and is shot at a given height above the ground, a projectile under the influence of gravity will accelerate towards the ground at a speed of 9.81m/s or 32.2. ft/s. This is true for both the normal "Elite" dart and the redesigned "Floppy" dart. Because both darts will accelerate towards the ground at the same rate it also means that given the same individual firing the same gun at the same height both darts will reach the ground at the same time. Regardless of how fast the darts are moving (This is, of course, an ideal situation where air resistance is negligible. I'll get to that soon) Because both darts will reach the ground in the same time the difference in the distance that both darts traveled is dependent upon the speed the dart has exiting the barrel parallel to the ground. The faster the speed of the dart along the x-axis, the farther the dart will travel (Given that the dart doesn't meet its terminal velocity). What this reveals about the "Floppy" dart is that because it doesn't travel as far it shows that the potential energy expended by the spring in the gun to impart a force on the dart was used very inefficiently, and I think I know why. I think the design flaw here is actually in the "Rifling" along the darts themselves. When the spring compresses they way it imparts a force onto the dart is through the compressed air within the gun, as the air is forced out of the pneumatic tube the air is forced to find a place of lower potential (i.e. a place of lower pressure, which is outside the gun!) to do this the air passes through the barrel of the gun, forcing the dart out along with it. What I believe happened is that the "Rifling" on the darts created a sort of "tunnel" that allowed the air to pass around the dart far easier than it would behind the dart. This means that the air would travel along the path of least resistance, or along the rifling instead of behind the dart, and wouldn't impart as great a force against the "Floppy" dart as the normal "Elite" darts. And then the other thing I noticed was that the dart rotated. This seems obvious, but if we go back to conceptualizing the dart as a projectile undergoing projectile motion during flight we start to see why this is important about the flight of the dart. If the dart is rotating while in projectile motion it indicates the position of the center of mass of the dart, because while in projectile motion the object will only be able to rotate about its center of mass. In the video, you can clearly tell that the dart rotates about its center of mass, close to the center of the dart. For most weaponized projectiles, and many stefans (modified nerf darts) the projectiles center of mass is nearer to the front of the projectile. This positioning helps stabilize the projectile in flight and keeps the dart from "wobbling", which would cause a greater level of air resistance due to an increased surface area over which the air can imparts forces onto the dart during flight. So in conclusion, my design considerations would be: 1. Make the darts center of mass closer to the front of the dart to keep it stable in flight 2. Remove the rifling of the dart, to allow air pressure between the front and back end of the dart to be separated, and to make sure that the path of least resistance for the air flow to be behind the dart, and in the hole in the dart (closest point to the front end of the dart that the air can travel to) 3. Optimize the gun as well as the dart. Rifling might not be the way to go, but you can impart a spin in the dart using special flywheels that rotate the dart. www.drs-performance.com/shop/aluminum-fwc/ 4. Make the darts lighter - the lighter the dart, the greater your exit speed will be due to Newtons Second law If you made it this far, thanks for reading, also sorry about any typos they can be easy to miss.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you for taking the time to write down all these tips, ideas, and feedback. We will most definitely be using this for reference when we try another round of darts! We actually did try a flywheel but the video was getting so long and it was better, but not awesome, so we opted to put that scene on Patreon only. Again, really appreciate the tips!!

[@Boomtendo4tw]

it’s just weight and balance guys. look into the characteristics of arrows

[@Giranii]

Just when I think you guys cant get even more amazing you one-up my expectations. I love nerf and never thought I would see this on your channel. It was a great surprise. I love you two! Ill try to make a dart at one point!!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Aw thank you!!! After everything we learned I think more Nerf projects may pop up here 😁 You should definitely try your hand at a dart!

[@liamcarey1085]

You guys are like the new, younger and half better looking Hyneman and Savage.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

That's a big compliment, we LOVE Mythbusters!!!

[@OCNerf]

On top of dart making, you also should really upgrade those blasters. I like how it seems you're going with more accurate design on the darts as well we all know Nerf elite darts aren't very accurate. That being said, there's a whole slew of things you can do that would really make it into competitive Nerf. I personally have 300+fps blasters using 18.5kg spring loads and longer, 16" barrels with rifling in the muzzle. Fast and accurate especially using shorter darts with better head design for weight distribution and lower drag. Overall, this was super fun to watch the tinkering process. Hope to see an update!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

We would loooooove to try upgrading some blasters and dive more into Nerf mods in general! Thank you for the tips, glad you liked the video!

[@OCNerf]

@@EvanAndKatelyn Excellent! Please don't hesitate to reach out and ask! I love this hobby and enjoy getting people into the modding side of things.