The Paintball Shell

1. Non-toxic food ingredients and hot water are mixed together in a vat.
2. Gelatine is added to the mix.
3. The mixture is heated for 30 mins before being filtered.
4. Non-toxic colouring is added and the mixture is blended.

The Paint Fill

1. Polyethylene glycol is thickened with crayon wax.
2. Non-toxic food colouring is added and blended in.

The Paintball

1. The shell mixture is fed to a machine that flattens it into a sheet.
2. The cooled sheet forms a ribbon and is fed into an encapsulation machine.
3. In the encapsulation machine, both halves of the paintball shell are formed with the ribbon, and then sealed together while being injected with the fill.
4. The paintballs are tumbled dried to keep their roundness.
5. The paintballs are left to cool and complete the drying process
6. The paintballs are machine-counted and packaged, ready for your paintball game!

1. Take some practice shots in the target range to get a feel for your paintball marker. The more you shoot, the more you’ll get an idea as to where your paintballs are landing.
2. Use the sight on your paintball marker – there’s a point that marks the centre of the barrel. Lining up your shots will make the world of difference.
3. Actually look where you’re shooting! Sounds simple but in the heat of the paintball game it can be easily forgotten. Take note of where you’re aiming and where the paintball actually lands.

Howe]]> http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/advanced/protecting-your-neck-from-paintballs/feed 0 http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/advanced/how-a-paintball-marker-is-made http://paintsplatjm.com/blog/advanced/how-a-paintball-marker-is-made#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:08:01 +0000 PaintSplat Crew http://paintsplatjm.com/?p=329 Paintball markers are used to fire your paintballs, and resemble guns, which is why they are sometimes referred to as paintball guns. They get the name marker from the first paintball games when agricultural devices used to mark cattle were used.

Here’s the lowdown on how a paintball marker or gun is made:

1. The trigger frame is made from plastic or aluminium. The trigger is hooked to a set of springs and levers that propels the hammer forward each time it is pulled.
2. The trigger mechanism is enclosed by frame that allows your finger to fit comfortably and safely between it and the trigger.
3. The bolt and valve mechanism is constructed. Most paintball guns today contain a bolt with an in-built valve. The bolt is primarily designed to control the direction of compressed air filled in the tank and the valve controls whether the paintball gun is firing efficiently.
4. The main body of the paintball gun is made from PVC, lightweight metal or aluminium, which is strong enough to enclose all the paintball marker components.
5. A paintball marker handle and a chamber for the valve & bolt assembly is constructed and added.
6. Once the main body of the paintball marker is made, then all the customisable parts including hopper, barrel and gas canister can be attached to the corresponding spaces, so now you are ready to play paintball!

• Fact 1:Paintballs aren’t actually filled with paint! The “paint” is a mix of non-toxic liquid and colouring (usually food colouring). So there’s no worry about getting poisoned by a paintball!
• Fact 2:The thin outside layer of a paintball is made of gelatine and is biodegradable – that’s why they can litter fields and cause no damage to the environment!
• Fact 3:Most paintball “paint” can be washed out of clothes pretty easily! The only problems occur when a dark-coloured paintball bursts on light clothing, or a light coloured paintball bursts on dark clothing.
• Fact 4:You can get loads of different types of paintballs including various scents (strawberry anyone?) or even glow-in-the-dark paintballs! Obviously, you’d need more than food colouring to make a paintball glow-in-the-dark, but most manufacturers still ensure that these paintballs are as harmless as regular ones.
• Fact 5:Sounds silly – but the colour of the “paint” inside the paintball doesn’t always match up to the multicoloured outside layer. We do get several people asking about this at PaintSplat Jamaica so there are some people who do want to know!

So here is an intro to the paintball marker to get you started:

• Paintball markers are so named as the first Paintball “guns” were agricultural paint markers used to mark cattle and trees. Paintball Markers use paintballs to “mark” other players.
• Paintball markers are usually powered by CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), HPA (High-Pressure Air) or Nitrogen
• Paintball markers can fire a paintball up to 300 FPS. This speed enables paintballs to burst on impact but is low enough that serious damage should not be caused by a paintball during play.
• There are several types of paintball marker, which are explained below:
  - Pump-Action: The most basic of paintball markers. Only one paintball at a time can be fired each time you cock your marker.
  - Semi-Automatic: One paintball is fired every time the trigger is pressed.
  - Automatic: Paintballs are fired repeatedly when the trigger is kept pressed. Some use electro pneumatic technology, where an electronic micro switch makes the paintball marker respond faster.
• Some paintball markers are manufactured especially to resemble the look and feel of real guns, like the Tippman A-5. These paintball markers are commonly referred to as mil-sim (Military Simulation) markers.

Even when you’re out of the game, that is no reason whatsoever to remove them. You can still be shot inadvertently when exiting the field.

Markers fire paintballs from 240 – 340 feet per second. Hitting hit in the eye with a paintball is the equivalent of a sledgehammer hitting a grape!

Fogging is no excuse to remove your goggles. Even if you are shot because fogged goggles meant couldn’t see, at least you’ll be able to see with both eyes once you’ve left the field!

Fogging happens when water condenses on the inside of your lens. It’s caused when hot, moist air from your breath and your face is trapped between your eyes and the lens. You can’t wipe it from the outside and it’s completely unsafe to take your goggles off during play. One thing you can do during play is to keep moving. Fresh air cycling through your goggles and whisking sweat-moist air away will disperse much of the fog. Also, wear a sweatband or bandana on your head. This will keep the sweat from pouring down your face which contributes to fogging.

Pants: Jeans aren’t as good as you’d think. Ideal pants should be roomy, but without any extra material that could get in the way. Try running in them beforehand to check for chafing and restriction. Make sure the fabric will withstand the grass, turf and sliding around that comes with playing.

Top: Try and pick a top that suits the way you play. Paintball jerseys are popular as are camouflage. With your top, make sure it doesn’t hang off you but has enough room to let in air. Camouflage tops tend to have more pockets so you can carry extra equipment easily. Don’t give in to the temptation of keeping loose paintballs in the pockets – dirt may damage them and a huge mess will be made if you’re hit!

Padding: Proper padding is essential for safe play. For men an athletic cup would help, and chest protection for women. Knee and shin guards, elbow pads and neck protection are also worth investing in. Kneepads in particular enable you to get into tricky positions, crawl and dive with lower risk of injury.

Footwear: Combat boots are great for playing in the summer. Sneakers are good for less rugged fields. Make sure your footwear is durable above anything – the amount of slipping, running and crawling that happens in the course of a day is likely to test their durability to the limit!

Accessories: Ammo belts are great for holding all your extra paintballs, while paintball gloves give your hands that extra protection. Try a neck protector or bandana around your neck for those places your mask doesn’t cover!