View Full Version : DIY: Pillow Bolt Mod
It's winter time and I needed a little project so I decided to add a pillow to my Empire 1 bolt. Here's what I did:
Start with a stock bolt.
http://users.eastlink.ca/~richardson/pillow/DSCF0007.jpg
I bought a couple of pillow tips from Bob Long then machined a post to mount the pillow.
http://users.eastlink.ca/~richardson/pillow/DSCF0010.jpg
One problem is drilling and tapping a hole in the beveled face of the inlet port. To do this I machines a couple of drill guides which helped me get the hole exactly centered. One for a smaller pilot hole and one for the #29 finish hole. I then tapped the hole as a #8-32.
http://users.eastlink.ca/~richardson/pillow/DSCF0008.jpg
http://users.eastlink.ca/~richardson/pillow/DSCF0009.jpg
A little bit of red locktight and screw the post into the bolt.
http://users.eastlink.ca/~richardson/pillow/DSCF0012.jpg
A little bit of blue locktight on the pillow tip and it's done.
http://users.eastlink.ca/~richardson/pillow/DSCF0011.jpg
http://users.eastlink.ca/~richardson/pillow/DSCF0013.jpg
Balls don't roll back in the chamber anymore and I've got a nice soft pillow to help gently start the ball on its journey. Now I'll see how well it holds up but I think it'll be fine.
:tup:
I've been thinking about ways to do this but always got stumped at drilling the hole for the post. Wish I still had access to a lathe so I could make a drill guide like you did.
VERY nice. :tup:
toolittletoolate
01-26-2010, 01:50 AM
You sir are my hero. VERY nice job.
KeenDean
01-26-2010, 04:51 AM
F**KING AWESOME mate... Totally ingenious, well done.
With you already having the drill guides, I can see you maybe receiving PM's from other members to have you do their bolts. You may have just created yourself a little sideline business my friend.
Seriously, well done and a great contribution/article for this forum. :tup::D:tup:
toolittletoolate
01-26-2010, 05:04 AM
F**KING AWESOME mate... Totally ingenious, well done.
With you already having the drill guides, I can see you maybe receiving PM's from other members to have you do their bolts. You may have just created yourself a little sideline business my friend.
Seriously, well done and a great contribution/article for this forum. :tup::D:tup:
I say sticky the thread.
KeenDean
01-26-2010, 02:46 PM
I say sticky the thread.
Done...:tup:
oldironmudder
01-26-2010, 03:12 PM
F**KING AWESOME mate... Totally ingenious, well done.
:tup::tup::tup:
Let us know how it turns out.
battlechaser
01-26-2010, 04:32 PM
I say sticky the thread.
I say offer this as a service.
Ollieleet
01-26-2010, 04:32 PM
Agreed.
KeenDean
01-26-2010, 04:59 PM
I'd certainly pay good money to have it done.;)
oldironmudder
01-26-2010, 05:09 PM
I guess I need to find another Alias bolt & 2 more 2002 bolts.
Are you accepting cores? lol
battlechaser
01-26-2010, 06:14 PM
PBK Snakeskin pillow bolt....... hmmm... :D
Well if you want to pay the return shipping and send me a bolt with pillow tip I'll machine the parts and put it together for $25. I don't really want to be swamped with bolts but I don't mind doing a few. First let me test this one completely.
crankwalk
01-28-2010, 10:11 AM
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing!
wesamiss
01-29-2010, 10:22 AM
coolest thing ever.
outreach
02-05-2010, 09:14 PM
DUDE i was having a conversation about this a few months ago about this exact same mod 0.o what you did there was pretty much my idea exactly :) looks sweet
KeenDean
02-06-2010, 09:51 AM
PBK Snakeskin pillow bolt....... hmmm... :D
Couldn't agree more... hmmmmmmm. :P
Tested it out today. It works awesome! I was having the odd breach break before. Ran about 800 balls through it today on full-auto and not a single break. I need a faster hopper. :(
battlechaser
03-02-2010, 05:48 PM
Now you just need to offer it to the rest of us.. :P:P:P
oldironmudder
03-28-2010, 05:51 PM
Well, how has it been?
Haven't been playing this year yet. Too damn cold. Testing worked well with no breach breaks on full auto. I hope to get out and shoot a little in a couple of weeks.
Played a few rounds today with my new pillow bolt mod. The result... complete success! Went through about 3/4 of a case of paint from last year. I had zero breach breaks or breaks of any kind. The marker was slightly quieter and very smooth. Accuracy seemed about the same. I also switched to a Dye Rotor this year so the smoothness may be due to the Rotor. Anyway, the first real test was a complete success. I think I'll be doing the same mod to my Ripper 2.
oldironmudder
04-17-2010, 03:01 PM
Let me know when you want to do a couple more.
On a side note, you might be able to make some money in the Spyder world. Several of the newer guns are having chopping problems from roll back.
Let me know when you want to do a couple more.
On a side note, you might be able to make some money in the Spyder world. Several of the newer guns are having chopping problems from roll back.
I don't want to get into doing a large number of these but I don't mind doing a few. $25.00 each and you pay shipping both ways. Also, you include the pillow tip when you send the bolt (from BLAST). Send me a PM and I'll give you my address & Paypal. Give me your address and I'll give you the shipping cost back to you.
oldironmudder
04-17-2010, 10:43 PM
How much do the pillows cost?
I can't remember for sure but I think they are only $10 or something. Pretty cheap if I remember correctly.
Gee Tee
10-09-2010, 08:34 PM
Hey Atok, Only just picked up on this thread
Care to hook up a fellow Empire 1 owner with a modded bolt? ;)
Drop me a PM and we can sort the details
paintballkid11
12-06-2010, 02:59 AM
How much does it weigh though?
Gee Tee
12-06-2010, 12:29 PM
When I get my finished one here I'll weigh both and let you know
paintballkid11
12-06-2010, 08:46 PM
i just thought of this! i think this would reduce the weight. cut the intel port in to 2 small pieces and then put it in.
http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/swanson_11/untitled-4.jpg
red represents lock-tight
Gee Tee
12-07-2010, 03:02 PM
:confused:
paintballkid11
12-10-2010, 02:34 AM
instead of one long piece of the metal intel port thing. make it into 2 pieces that are smaller then just cutting it in half. OR make it out of wood?
instead of one long piece of the metal intel port thing. make it into 2 pieces that are smaller then just cutting it in half. OR make it out of wood?
I think you misunderstand... The metal part is just a drill guide to ensure the hole is exactly in the centre of the bolt. I drill a smaller pilot hole followed by a #29 drill, then tap the hole as a #8/32. The insert is only the diameter of a #8 screw, threaded into the bolt. It's made out of aluminum so the entire assembly is very lightweight. I trimmed the back off my bolt as well so I ended up with a pillow bolt lighter than the stock bolt.
Gee Tee's is shipped so he can give a 3rd party opinion on how well it works. :)
paintballkid11
12-13-2010, 10:50 PM
....i knew that. i feel stupid =(
Gee Tee
12-15-2010, 05:47 PM
Gee Tee's is shipped so he can give a 3rd party opinion on how well it works. :)
Ken you are a star :cheers:
Interesting to hear you chopped your bolt's tail. May go that route myself to reduce weight, especially as I run a lurker ram in the Empire. Any chance of a photo of yours so I can see extent of cut?
Interesting to hear you chopped your bolt's tail. May go that route myself to reduce weight, especially as I run a lurker ram in the Empire. Any chance of a photo of yours so I can see extent of cut?
Finally got around to snapping a couple of pictures. Here it is.
http://www.pureteamracing.com/kentemp/gary/IMG_0390.jpg
http://www.pureteamracing.com/kentemp/gary/IMG_0389.jpg
Gee Tee
12-17-2010, 10:49 AM
Thanks Ken - that looks great. I think I'll do the same to mine when I get it
Nice to see my old Empire's still getting good use too :)
Gee Tee
12-31-2010, 11:08 AM
Got my finished bolt from Ken today - looks sweet :cool:
Will try some field testing and post feedback ASAP. For information the stock bolt weighs in at 54g, and the pillow modded one at 57g. This is as yet un-cut but may crop mine like Ken's to reduce weight.Top marks to Ken for a fantastic job :tup:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/5309736412_ef35f7c859_z.jpg
Good stuff Gary! I hope you like it even more once you run a few thousand paintballs through it. :)
3g is pretty light. I would have guessed more. Cool!
What's he charging for this? I've wanted to do it for a while but don't have the tools to do a clean job
Gee Tee
01-01-2011, 12:44 AM
I'm sure Ken could quote on this. You need to buy your own pillow tips from Bob Long. Otherwise costs are for his materials, labour, and shipping each way. Assuming you already have a suitable Y2K bolt?
I just want $25.00 + shipping costs. You ship the bolt and new pillow tip to me, I'll machine the mount, assemble it and ship it back.
Jammin702
07-28-2011, 02:38 PM
Its been a good 6 months since the last post... anyone want to offer up a review after some extensive use of one of these?
Gee Tee
07-28-2011, 08:04 PM
I used mine for a couple of games and it performed well. Velocity dropped a little compared to stock bolt, possibly due to reduced airflow, which was easily compensated for by upping input pressure. However rollback issues in breech were eliminated which was my main reason for the pillow mod. The Timmy's not seen much action in 2001 due to the fact I've been playing pump games almost all of this season.
Recent 3 man tournament - me playing center off break
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5959160323_b9b0caf30d_z.jpg
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