Build a Paintball Mine

Step 5 Cartridge Support

Cut a piece of  ¾” PVC to 2 ½” long. This will be our CO2 cartridge support. One end of this piece will have to be perfectly straight. If you are using the end off from a new pipe, it should be good. But in my case I was using an old leftover section. I grabbed my hacksaw and mitre box and made a nice straight cut on one end. You can use pvc cutters for this, but they generally tend not to make perfectly straight cuts. The pvc cutters will work fine for the other cuts we will be making. 

 

Next, drill three 3/8” holes at ½” from the good end of the PVC pipe. This is where the CO2 will escape from when the cartridge is pierced. It’s always helpful to drill pilot holes first.

 

Cover part of the inside of the ABS cap with PVC glue, circling the area around the screw. Put some glue on the “good end” of the PVC piece and center it DIRECTLY over the screw. It is critical this is located correctly. Once it looks good, drop the empty CO2 cartridge into the support and ensure it aligns correctly. It should fall so that the point of the screw rests in the hole of the cartridge. Adjust as necessary and set aside. The screw head underneath the cap may cause it to wobble, so I set the cap on top of a fat rubber band to keep it stable.