[DocsMachine]

I need three volunteers to try some of my prototype A1 detents.



I've been making Intimidator/Spyder detents for something like seven years now, and have been asked any number of times to make ones for both models of the A1.

I did some test pieces of the 3-piece model something like a year and a half ago, but outside events and a stiff workload at times, kept me from finishing them up.

After recent requests for the 1-piece version, I dusted off the project, got a workable prototype mold done, and just this morning pulled the first small test batch. I have a 3-piece A1 but had a customer send me a 1-piece a week or two ago, and so gave 'em a try:

https://youtu.be/L02nTVmgnvw

Two full hoppers (only one shown) and not a single chop, misfeed or break- and that was some, like, five or six year old paint. (Though I did only just now open the bag.)

The detents are molded from the same 2-part polyurethane I use for the Intimidator detents, and I've had guys tell me those have lasted them years.

It's a more flexible material than the factory-original detents, which should not only help them last longer, but resist 'taking a set' better.





Anyway, before I invest the time and money in a full-production type mold, I'd like to test these a little more thoroughly. As you can see from the video, it's still gonna be a bit 'til our playing season rolls around. so I'd like to send out three sets for some of you blokes to give a good sound thrashing to.

I'd like feedback pretty much as soon as you can give 'em a whirl, so I'm looking for guys who'll try 'em right away in an actual game, or at least who are willing to blow a bunch of pods out the back door for me.

Email me a mailing address to [email protected] and I'll pick three of you, and send them out Monday. You should get them in by Friday, and hopefully be able to play next weekend.

AND... I should have a test batch of 3-piece detents by midweek or so. I'd like to get three volunteers for those, too.

Thank you!

Doc.

[twinings]

That is great! I would volunteer to test, but that’s my Angel A1 in the video.

[DocsMachine]

No worries! As I said over on MCB, I'll be sending that back on Monday, with that same pair still in there. (Plus your originals, of course.)

Doc.

[Methodcaptain]

I would absolutely love to test these, along with the 3 piece detents.

I have 20+ angel A1 platform markers to test these on.

[neonpoo]

This is awesome! I’d love to give these a try, and I’ll be testing my prototype trigger as well. How do I continue?

[DocsMachine]

Just send me a mailing address, to the above email. I'll send you a set- no charge, of course- and you let me know as soon as you've had a chance to honk some paint through 'em.

I do need to know pretty much as soon as you're able, and I also need to know how they worked for you- good, bad or indifferent. If you had no troubles, I want to know. If you had misfeeds or chops, I want to know that, too. If they do something unexpected, I want to know.

The current set I've been testing seem to be holding up well, and I'm confident they'll work just fine. But I want to get some more real-world testing before I start mass-producing.

Doc.

[DocsMachine]

Which came first, the one-piece covers or the 3-piece covers?

The first report I've gotten back showed a little more wear than I was hoping for, especially considering that my detents made out of the same material for Intimidators and Spyders, can and have lasted for years.

I'm kind of wondering if the 1-piece design came first, and the reason it was changed to the 3-piece was... well, that it was a poor design. I have no basis for that presumption, apart from thinking, when I was designing the prototype mold, that it wasn't the best design I'd ever seen.

I may need to borrow another 1-piece A1 for some more R&D. Anybody want to volunteer?

Doc.

[Sight Unseen]

The 1-piece came first, I think the biggest reason to changing was simply the ease at which the 1-piece would break if you weren't extremely careful removing and installing. There were 2 different types of detents for the 1-piece if I remember correctly, maybe they need a change in detent design that the 3-piece helped with I don't know.

[DocsMachine]

First I've heard of two styles for the one-piece. Can you elaborate on that?

I've heard from a couple other sources that also assumed the change from 1 to 3 piece was in large part due to the detents themselves, the original versions of which I'm given to understand wore out rapidly.

I have several other pairs of the prototypes out to a couple volunteers, and I hope to hear back from them on or after the weekend.

Oh, and I should have a first batch of the latest version of the 3-piece detents this weekend. I'll flog those thoroughly in my own A1, and should hopefully have those available starting next week.

Doc.

[Sight Unseen]

It's been a while, they were two different colors, I'm guessing different materials. I don't remember whether there was any design change or not. I might have some around, I'll have to look, but the 3-piece in my opinion is the more user friendly version.

[Sight Unseen]

That was quick, first place I thought they might be. I don't remember which one came first.

[dr.strangelove]

The blue detents in the above pic were the original detents that came with the single-piece eye cover/strap. They switched from the blue to the red detents due to feeding issues, particularly with reballs - in fact, the red detents were a free upgrade for original A1 owners who got the blue detents. The 3-piece covers use black detents of a slightly different mold, such that the detents for the single-piece eye covers and the detents for the 3-piece eye covers are not compatible with each other. I seem to recall that some people back in the day successfully used Ego detents with the single-piece eye cover.

*edit* here is a thread from back in 2006 confirming the blue vs. red detents for the single-piece eye covers. A few people in that thread also mentioned having used Ego detents. It's always encouraging when I find I haven't gone completely senile quite yet

[DocsMachine]

Thanks for the info Doc. What was the difference? I'm assuming a different material, as it doesn't look like there was a significant difference in length or diameter.

If it's material, did it go from hardish to softish or the other way around? Mine are considerably more flexible than the red ones that Twins sent me, but it's a high-performance polyurethane that's worked well for years in Intimidators, Spyders, Clones and CCM guns.

Doc.

[dr.strangelove]

Owen (formerly) from WDP mentioned in the above-linked thread that the red detents are slightly longer, although it doesn't really look like it from that pic.I'm not 100% certain, but I think for the red detents they also switched to a stiffer material. I seem to recall complaints about how brittle they got over time.