# What Cone Material Do You Prefer



## superman365 (Dec 11, 2012)

which cone material is your favorite?


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## NightKnight (Dec 5, 2012)

Well, I guess for now plastic. But, when it ultimately becomes available, probably carbon fiber.


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## superman365 (Dec 11, 2012)

thats awesome!!!


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## orcrender (Dec 8, 2012)

Clear packing tape, thin. Also milk jug ones.


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## Turtle (Dec 6, 2012)

I've got to get a plum bob, or something similar, so I can start exerimenting with plastics. Right now though, I've only used

duct tape. and after seeing backyardboyer's youtube video on a great way to do them, I've just about got the perfect

shaped cone going. Round and a better seal.


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## superman365 (Dec 11, 2012)

If used backyard bowyers from the get go..... all the other ones dont seem to work as well.....I also love making his PVC bows


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## sandynoobhead (Feb 26, 2014)

Turtle said:


> I've got to get a plum bob, or something similar, so I can start exerimenting with plastics. Right now though, I've only used
> 
> duct tape. and after seeing backyardboyer's youtube video on a great way to do them, I've just about got the perfect
> 
> shaped cone going. Round and a better seal.


always made my cones that way until one day I ran out of duct tape (NOOOOOOOOOO) so I was desperate for some more darts as it is my well, go to thing to do when I have nothing to do. So I tried paper that I hardened with superglue and using bamboo skewers with fired (?) tips and glue hardened tip. been using that now, lighter, faster and generally more accurate due to the fact that I can centre the shaft quite easily! (that's what she said


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## NaturalFork (Dec 7, 2012)

For target shooting, plastic. For hunting I would say paper or packing tape.


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## squirrelslinger (Feb 2, 2014)

Tyvek.

All the way.

as light as paper, strong and durable like plastic.

Plus they are cheap. very cheap.


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## NaturalFork (Dec 7, 2012)

squirrelslinger said:


> Tyvek.
> 
> All the way.
> 
> ...


I never thought about using tyvek. Seems perfect though.


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## sandynoobhead (Feb 26, 2014)

Ok, I probably forgot to mention that I do NOT use superglue (too messy) but I use modeler's cement. I build model kits as well and decided to sort of combine (?) the two ideas together. So, This is what I do,

1, make cone

2.cut to size

3,tape the very tip to edge of work bench table etc

4, coats using modeler's cement. The kind I use comes with a brush. It is EXTREMELY easy toa pply

5, wait for about 5 minutes depending on how much you used

6, insert shaft and shoot!


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## squirrelslinger (Feb 2, 2014)

Methinks Tyvek is the ULTIMATE cone material.

the slickness and speed of paper, with the durability and air-seal of duct tape.

Also weighs about the same as paper.


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## squirrelslinger (Feb 2, 2014)

I shall do a tutorial on tyvek cones


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## sandynoobhead (Feb 26, 2014)

squirrelslinger said:


> I shall do a tutorial on tyvek cones


love to see that!! by the way... what is tyvek? Is it readily available to public?


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## squirrelslinger (Feb 2, 2014)

tyvek is a bonded HDPE material, and it looks much like paper...

Funny thing to do with it-

go convince someone it is ordinary paper... have them try to rip it.

normal human strength cannot rip it.

it is easily cut with scissors...

in the US, tyvek is fairly easy to get. just go to a construction site, and buy the remnants of the tyvek houswrap used by the workers. They usually throw them out so they are happy to sell it to you.

i get my tyvek from a friend whose dad works in the construction industry. it is a LOT cheaper to buy in bulk, so we just split it up.

there are also envelops (in the US) made of tyvek.

They are extremely strong as well, but it is illegal to use the tyvek for other things...

they work just fine for blowgun cones.

Tyvek is somewhat more flexible than paper. hence it requires a different sort of cone.


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## Gigmaster (Feb 28, 2013)

I dunno. All I have ever used is the commercial plastic cones from Cold Steel. They work good enough for me so that I haven't really considered anything else.

I did try making some darts once, from dowels and old razor blades. They didn't fly as good as the CS broadheads, or the bamboo darts, so I gave up. I do modify my CS darts, though. Some I cut barbs into for fishing, and I always sharpen the edges of the broad-heads to shaving-sharp. I get them close with a Dremel, then finish them off with an AccuSharp.


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## treefork (Dec 8, 2012)

I really like the stock Cold Steel darts. I'd rather be shooting than dart tinkering. The cones are perfectly balanced on the dart shaft.


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## squirrelslinger (Feb 2, 2014)

seriously. Try it!

I'll do a tutorial if I can find some more tyvek. I have a crud-ton of cones...


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## treefork (Dec 8, 2012)

Looking forward to the tutorial.


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## treefork (Dec 8, 2012)

squirrelslinger said:


> I shall do a tutorial on tyvek cones


How is the tutorial coming along ?


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## Teach (Dec 30, 2013)

I've used just about every common material out there from even whole darts made of paper to just paper cones coated with fingernail polish (bright colours) inside and out, to duct tape, to several types of packing tape to milk jug and other plastics. I want to do some more experimenting with a type of injection molding using milk jug plastics and pre-made dies from which to form the material over, possibly even incorporating vanes into the cone itself.

The problem with tapes that I don't like is that one side of the cone always ends up (for me) being heavier/thicker that the other side because of the way I wrap them. This creates inaccuracy and I need to develop my technique to eliminate this occurrence.

On the whole though I really like the Cold Steel cones as well. I guess cuz they are cheap like borscht and very very durable. And if I Robin Hood one which happens a lot while targeting I just pop on a new one where as if I Robbin Hood a cone I have made myself there is a sense of loss somehow that I want to avoid from happening LOL

Overall the home made cones I think are more accurate but the CS ones are very good and just convenient to replace also.

One of the things I like about the use of bicycle spokes with the CS cones is that when you use the threaded end of the spoke the cone threads on perfectly and there is no need to used glue to hold it on. And it's a quick replacement of the cone by simple unthreading it off the spoke and threading on a new one. They work well together. But with all but some of the better stainless steel spokes I find they bend too easily and prefer to use piano wire as it is very resilient and rarely bends no matter how roughly it's been treated.

On Geezer's old website he endorsed the use of common construction poly. He'd wrap the cone the way you normally would with say ...... paper but then he would weld/melt the seam of the plastic with a hot soldering iron and stitch it together. I want to experiment with that in the future also. All we need is time right?


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## treefork (Dec 8, 2012)

I'm a fan of Cold Steel Spear Head Darts. I try to catch a sale and stock up. That cone sits on there perfectly balanced making for accuracy. I used to make cones but these are to convenient and good to bother. I wish somebody would show me how to make a better dart than these. Balancing the cone perfectly is everything. Its easy with machine mass production.


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## squirrelslinger (Feb 2, 2014)

when you use the open end of a 12 gram powerlet CO2 cartridge with heated milk jug plastic it makes a good cone- perfect for goofing-off darts when you stick a nail in the flat part.

Probably not as good as the CS darts but I believe it has the potential to be better- they are extremely light and of very consistant thickness.


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## Teach (Dec 30, 2013)

Although I like certain characteristics of milk jug plastic for cones, I'm not impressed. The plastic itself when cut from the jug is extremely inconsistent in it's thickness. And having a controllable heat source is also very important. Combine that with inconsistent material and it is hard to make a consistent cone.

There are other containers that promise better results such as motor oil and anti freeze jugs of the 4 litre or 1 gallon size and larger. They are not too difficult to wash up and the plastic is stronger and more uniform in thickness. I believe very good cones could be made from these. As good as CS's plastic cones? I doubt it because of the one at a time human factor versus the repeatability of machines. But there are also upsides to this, you can make your formers any shape you want and experiment with length vs. diameter ratios etc. This plastic shows promise for the home made dart. I'd like to find a source locally for sheets of the stuff that has not been previously used then the thickness would not vary like the stuff does when using used containers as it has been stretched to form the shape of the container made before we try to re-use it. The material itself shows promise, just not so much from milk jugs.

As suggested above, "sticking a nail in the flat part" only compounds the problem. When you've made enough darts using nails the first thing you are going to realize is that the biggest problem using nails occurs when you leave the heads on as they are terribly terribly out of round, off center, non-perpendicular to the shaft etc. The first thing that I do each and every time is to cut off the head of the nail and it does not matter what type of nail either. I once thought nails with a finishing head would be better. Better? Yes. But still all over the map. To suggest such that is just bad advice to anyone who does not know better especially novices and it hinders them from improving......something most of us keep trying to do....walk the walk not just talking the talk.


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## Gigmaster (Feb 28, 2013)

Is this where someone asks, "Paper, or plastic?" :mp3:

Plastic works for me, like on the CS darts. Venom .40 cals are the best in that size that I have ever used. They fit good and snug in a .40 barrel.


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## GKU (Aug 19, 2013)

No cone.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y486/GKU1/HP-HPE/BlowGunPics/DC3/P1011123_zps49a469bf.jpg

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y486/GKU1/HP-HPE/BlowGunPics/DC3/P1011110_zps34ae3fb6.jpg

~ GKU


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