Going to be doing some custom work on my pump. Will have pics.

[yakitori]

I should be getting my pump next week Monday or Tuesday hopefully, and Im planning on milling it some, and giving it a paintjob. I will be posting some pics of before during and after the whole process. Looking forward to this.

Heres what Im planning.

Milling off the SL - 68 II letters for a round/smooth look
Milling off the sight rail
*possibly, milling to the grip area around the thumb
*possibly, milling around the reciever above the trigger gaurd
*possibly, milling around the bottom where the sling ring is

painting a hammered gunmetal gray finish
clear coat finishing

Ive already made a 12-14 round stock class tube out of copper tubing and wrapped w/ electrical tape for a stick feed. Ive also ordered a JJ ceramic from countypaintball, I have both a 9 oz mini tank that is stubby, and Ive got a 12g changer, and a 40 rd ammo box for it.

I will be doing all this work with a dremmel, I will be posting pics up gradually as the process takes shape, in this thread.

Im excited. :elephant:

Now if I can only find a different pump handle. :D.

I plan on starting on this right away and hopefully finishing before next weekend.

[SuperTrooper_OT]

I've wanted to do some serious modifications on a pump also, except i was gonna do it on the ACI Maverick. Before i do any of that i gotta get the upgrades for my cocker. But make sure the pics come, i'm interested in seeing the mods you do to it:)

[yakitori]

well, I was thinking about the thumb area on the sl 68 because it has internal air passages because the ASA is integrated into the grip frame. I have to find the location of the air passage first. If it runs down the middle of the grip frame, then I will slightly smooth a thumb groove. If it runs down one of the sides of the grip frame, I may avoid milling that area. Either way, I am doing the other stuff. Will have pics up.

[yakitori]

ok well got the pump today. Some things have changed. I didnt realize it would be so small and lightweight, so there is not really a need to mill anything off other than the site rail. My mods changed to this:

Milling off sight rail.
* tools used - Hacksaw, metal hand file, elbow grease
I first cut it off and rounded it out some. If anyone tries this, dont cut too much of the sight rail off cause there is an air passage to the valve I believe. As I filled down and rounded off the site rail, I notice a discolored circle of aluminum that looked somewhat like a plug. It was obviously different than the rest of the aluminum. I looked inside the reciever of the gun where the valve is located, and I noticed there is a hole for air to flow to the valve, so I stopped and rounded it off as much as possible. Good thing I didnt cut too deep. :D.

Milled off letters and numbers SL 68
* tools used - Metal hand file. Elbow grease. This one is a no brainer, just file away the numbering and letters. Be careful cause the Saftey can get in the way. You may want to just remove the safety while doing it. There is a circlip ring on the right side of the gun. Remove it, and push the safety through from the right side out the left side.

Painted a gunmetal gray hammered finish.
* tools used - one can of choice of color spray paint. After desired body shape is reached, sand lightly the rest of the body w/o removing the original coat. That will be your primer. The hammered finish kinda has a splashy rough looking texture but is actually smooth. Purchased from Home depot for 4 bucks, must be 18 to buy. Im 25, so no probs. ;). Also one can of clear coat finish is needed.

I removed the internals, stuffed the front of the gun w/ a paper towel to keep paint from getting inside the recievers. I also stuffed the back of the gun to keep paint out of the valve area. These can be removed once the finsih is complete. I then sprayed light coats approximately 5-10 minutes apart 2-3 times. Dont apply a thick coat. Hold the can about 15-18 inches away from the gun. Multiple light coats is better than one thick one. I then hung the reciever to dry overnight and will apply another coat tomorrow before the clear coat is applied.

[yakitori]

here are some pics.

Original condition of the SL 68 when I opened the UPS box. Gun looked crappy and was in dire need of a cleaning and lube up. What do you expect from an old rental. I will tell you this.....the gun is built like a friggen tank. Even moreso than the M98s and other tippmann guns. Tippmann really outdid themself w/ this gun. I mean the valve has a lifetime warranty, the gun has less kick than the blowback tippys since its closed bolt and pump action. Its very small and lightwieght. Anyway onto the pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0362.jpg



Here is a pic of the internals all removed and cleaned. They are in order from front to back.
bolt, bolt/hammer spring, hammer and sear, valve and valve stem, cup seal, valve spring, and valve end cap. The gun basically operates like this:
The valve is pressurized, and the cupseal is sealed. You pump the gun back hooking the bolt to the hammer and compressing the hammer spring. You pull the pump handle forward bringing the bolt/hammer/sear and everything forward. You pull the trigger tripping the sear. The bolt stays put, the hammer is propelled backward and hits a stop on the valve stem, which depresses the cup seal and allows air to flow through the valve stem, hammer, and bolt and propel the ball. Its not that complicated really. I was actually intrigued.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0367.jpg

[yakitori]

here is a pic of the gun after I filled away the sight rail and the SL 68 stamp on the side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0364.jpg



And here is the gun after I put two coats of the paint on. I did 2 coats about 10 minutes apart, and allow to dry overnight. Tomorrow I will be putting on 2 more coats 10 min apart, and allow to dry for 2-3 hours before putting on the clearcoat. I will put on 2-3 coats of clearcoat about 10 minutes apart and I will be done w/ it. EDIT: Allow more time to dry if colder weahter. Mine dries pretty fast in the hot Texas garage. ;).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0366.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0365.jpg

[yakitori]

I also have a JJ ceramic on the way for it, and I would like to either paint the pump handle or replace it. I am thiking about a black fushion plastic paint after sanding it. We will see.

I cant wait to shoot some paint through it. I already dry fired it. Its loud w/ the stock non ported barrel, but I think the JJ will make a bit quieter. Not as loud as A5s though.

Im really looking forward to playing w/ this gun. The feedneck is unusually small so I have to fix it up to fit my stock class feed tube. I will prolly use the 40 rd hopper for now. Im looking forward to pumping out suckers and see the look on their face when they realize what they got eliminated w/. :D.

[Meph]

Good work so far.


If anything to make it really custom, mill off that feed neck and get it 10-round stock class style.

And see if there's a way to get a 12gram changer inside the grip frame!


I gave my SL to a good cause so I don't have one anymore for reference. Otherwise I'd tear mine up and look inside to see how one could modify the air fittings and such for an internal 12g changer.

[IfItWoUlDmAtTeR]

Well you could try putting a cyclone on it lol. Would be allot of work to get it to function correctly if it is even possible, which I doubt it is, But hey we can dream can't we.

[yakitori]

I did look into the grip frame but I think it would be too much work to get a 12g to fit in the frame. I do have a 12g changer and custom stock feed tube that I made from copper pipe. I will post pics of all my stuff for it once I finish painting and reassembling. Like I said this gun is built like a tank. It took me a couple hours to hacksaw the sight rail off, and about an hour to file it down and round it off. I can only imagine how long it would take to do anymore custom work to it. I have a mini 9 oz tank for it that puts the gun in a perfect place when I hold it. I need to make a t stock for my 12g changer or something cause its a bit too short for my comfort.

Will have more pics soon.

Thanks for the comments guys.

:D.

[SEAL34]

You could completely cut off the grip and then use a tap and die kit to make threaded holes, and attach a new 45 grip frame. That might work. Here this might help you locate any internal gas valves and whatever:

http://www.tippmann.com/support/sl682parts.asp

BTW it looks great so far how much did you get it for on Ebay?

[yakitori]

Thanks Seal.

I got the gun for 49 + 8 bucks shipping, so altogether it was 57 bucks. The internals are in OUTSTANDING condition once they are cleaned up and lubed. I dont think the place that used the gun for a rental EVER took it apart to clean a ball break etc. It was dirty in there. But, the condition is outstanding. Im really pleased.

I doubt I will put anymore money into it. Ive already bought a 9oz mini tank, a jj barrel, and made my own stock stick feed. Ive prolly only spent 20 for the tank, 47 for the barrel, 6-8 bucks on paint. The rest is just work. I think its going to look really good once it dries completely.

I know where all the internals are. The SL 68 has an integrated ASA in the grip w/ small air passages inside the reciever body. I just didnt know the schematic for those small airways w/in the body. That was my concern as far as milling goes. You have to be careful if you are going to do something like that because that would totally ruin the gun.

I finished the paint coats. Now Im going to wait 24-48 hours and then put on a couple coats of clear coat, and then let it dry another 24-48 hours, then reinstall all the internals. Ill have my barrel by then, and the gun will be complete. More than likely it will be done by this weekend. Im ready to put some paint through this bad boy. :D.

The paint looks better in person cause it is a hammered finish. Its similar to a small scale acid wash, if you know anything about ano. It kinda swirled finish like marble. The flash on the camera makes it look silver. I will definitely get more pics up soon.

I can also do an instructional how to disassemble and clean the SL 68 w/ pics if that will get me a sticky. :D.

[k00leo]

I don't like the paintjob color. I think maybe a orange would be interesting and fun.

[paintballmonkee]

Originally posted by k00leo
I don't like the paintjob color. I think maybe a orange would be interesting and fun.

Bah! Too flashy. I like the silver a lot because it goes with the standard Tippmann black/silver setup. Then again, my 98 is red....

Anyways, the gun looks great so far Yakitori. I can't wait to see the finished product. I don't know if you've thought about this at all, but those grips get mighty cold after a while, and since you're in TX, you would probably get a lot of condensation on the grips. It would look pretty sweet if you put some .45 grips on there, Stickies or what have you. Just my two cents.

[yakitori]

I dont think the grips will get cold. They are hollow in the inside, and its a pump, so you cant really shoot it that fast. Maybe 3 bps if you do it autotrigger style, which is inaccurate I might add cause you have to pump whyle your holding the trigger.

Orange? not my thing. I personally like red/black myself. Look at my gun collection link in my sig. I started to just paint it black, but I decided that would not be very original. I havent seen many SL 68s at all, much less the same color as mine. :D.

I am just waiting for it to dry completely now. I got my barrel today, and my Tadao board for my viking. YAY. I must say, today was a great day as far as the mail is concerned. :D.

[paintballmonkee]

The coldness was from my experience. I have used them a few times, a few in the winter. They were just extra cold with the C02 running through the grips. Not much colder than our MI winter though. I'm glad its summer. Time to break out the Slip N' Slide and Kool-Aid :P

PS: I say Yak, those are some saucy set-ups you're runnin!

[SEAL34]

Yak you've inspired my to do the same thing. Maybe not with an SL68, but do some work on an old school gun. Any ideas? Oh hey, Yak, BTW, here's my Palco XJ40 that I've done some custom work on. I'm converting it to constant air and I have a spring powered tube loader for it that I made myself. (Lemme know if you'd like some pics.) But, now that you're an expert at customizing and modifying, I'd like your opinion, what do you think? Coenen, sorry this doesn't really fit in the forum :D.

from this: http://www.actionvillage.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=2Bkq2jTo3-oqu3ZYadvqcj5OkCquWtlTLiQ=?ProductID=TZKsFAY78VEAA AD3hMmlA_2s#

to this: http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b37/NSEAL/Garspistol3.jpg and I'm still not finished.

[SuperTrooper_OT]

Originally posted by SEAL34
Yak you've inspired my to do the same thing. Maybe not with an SL68, but do some work on an old school gun. Any ideas? Oh hey, Yak, BTW, here's my Palco XJ40 that I've done some custom work on. I'm converting it to constant air and I have a spring powered tube loader for it that I made myself. (Lemme know if you'd like some pics.) But, now that you're an expert at customizing and modifying, I'd like your opinion, what do you think? Coenen, sorry this doesn't really fit in the forum :D.

from this: http://www.actionvillage.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=2Bkq2jTo3-oqu3ZYadvqcj5OkCquWtlTLiQ=?ProductID=TZKsFAY78VEAA AD3hMmlA_2s#

to this: http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b37/NSEAL/Garspistol3.jpg and I'm still not finished.

I really hope you're not trying to hijack this thread.

[SEAL34]

Oh no you're on to me...

[yakitori]

lol jacking my thread. :P.

On your gun. The only thing I would recommend is maybe a quick changer attached to the underside of the gun that could be spring loaded, and you could put like 3-5 cartridges in it and push it out one side and the spring will push the next one into place. THat way you dont have to dig around your pocket or harness to find it. You can weld it or tap for screws into the body and custom make it. I dont know how good you are w/ metal work, but it would be rather easy to do. Kinda like a co2 magazine clip. :D.

And now I will jack my thread back. :P.

Here is another pic of after the clearcoat and replacing some of the internals. I still need for it to dry thouroughly before putting the rest of it together. I think I am going to hack up the pump handle and carve it to be just a single tube w/ no ridges. I dont really like the shotgun look. :D.

Anyway onto pics.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0371.jpg

[yakitori]

ah yes. I carved my pump handle to something great.

I cut it all off, sanded it smooth and round. Made it shorter by about 1 inch. My original plan was to slip a bike grip over it, but its too large of diameter for that. So, I got some fushion paint, and clearcoat. I painted a couple light coats, and then I went w/ a heavy coat to cover up any imperfections in the handle. I then let it dry some, and put on some clear coat finish. The clear coat finish is kinda grayish, and it leaves a frosted look on the handle. Its not what I expected but it turned out to be a lot nicer than the shiney black color of the fushion paint. The frost matches the guns reciever color and it flows very nicely. Pics dont do it justice. It looks a lot better in person.

Im set now. All I have to do is let the paintjobs dry thoroughly, and put it all together. It has to dry for 7 days or more. Im not going to take chances on messing up the finish, so I am letting it dry for over a week in hot weather. I will post more pics when it is dry enough to touch. Here is the handle.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0373.jpg

[ghilliesnipe]

Nice work, Yakitori. If I ever make any real money, maybe I'll pick up a pump too. For now, my A5 is my money pit.:)

[yakitori]

thanks ghillie. :D. I dont even have a job right now. Where do you think I get the time to do this. :P. I had an interview yesterday, and will know by next week if I get the job or not. Its for a microbiology position.

Anyway onto more pics. Heres both the handle and the gun hanging to dry.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0374.jpg

[Coenen]

Looks nice Yaki. You'll have to put it all together in one comprehensive thread without all of the coversation of this and the other one, but it will boil down to a fine sticky methinks.

[IfItWoUlDmAtTeR]

Originally posted by Coenen
Looks nice Yaki. You'll have to put it all together in one comprehensive thread without all of the coversation of this and the other one, but it will boil down to a fine sticky methinks.

Hey yak like coenen says It looks awesome. Have you thought about making a custom grip for it. It looks like you could pressure fit one without drilling holes into frame. Say you too some sticky grips cut out a section for tank....OR somehow you stretched the grips with clamps might work too Im not quite sure, buy you would need to cut a chunk out for tank. And it is a rather cheap purchase 10-20bucks for grips. Well Man looks awsome I can't wait to see the finished product.

[yakitori]

Thanks guys. I will try to put together an instrucitonal thread about what I did w/ pictures included and also include some info about the SL 68 internals and disassembly. I still have a bit of drying time left, so when everything is finally complete, I will do a write up.

I think the grip could probably be tapped for screws to fit a dye sticky on there. It would probably be sticky 3s though. I have 2 pair of regular dye stickys, one in black, one in clear w/ a bit of discoloration from use. I have some other random stuff for sale, maybe I can update them to include those in a trade. Probably black sticky 3s would do the trick. I could cut out the area for the ASA like you said.

I dont know though, the grip on the sl 68 is a lot fatter than normal guns. I wonder if it would look funny. And Ive spent about as much money as I wish to "pump" into this gun. :D.

we'll see

[yakitori]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the 1 of a kind SL - 68II. I promise you wont find another like it.

Here is the before and after pics. The gun was dry enough to assemble and I shot it a couple times in the back yard. It still needs to cure completely cause the paint still has a somewhat soft feel. Ill give it a week or more, and shes ready for the field.

Now for the pics.

BEFORE
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0362.jpg

AFTER
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0378.jpg

[yakitori]

this pump is very small. Its the smallest, lightest gun Ive seen. I guess since a lot of ppl have never seen it in person, its hard to tell the size of it w/ a pic. I took a pic of all my guns togehter, so it will give you an idea of how small the gun is relative to the Ion and viking. I love this gun, even moreso since I put so much of my own ideas and work into it. Its my favorite tippmann to this day. :D.

Ill be working on that thread for a sticky. Im in no hurry though, I have a graduation to go to this week. Ill get around to it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0381.jpg

[SEAL34]

That's awesome. Looks great. I'm getting a SL 68 too as soon as I get the cash. Nice work! (oh yea and sorry for hijacking your thread, I couldn' help myself.)

[yakitori]

Thanks. :D. I took the gun to the chrono station at my local field, and put some paint through it. Its got good accuracy. I just have to get used to shooting a gun w/ the feedneck on the side of the gun like my old tippy. Im just accustomed to being able to stare down both sides of the gun w/ the viking and ion. I shoot w/ both eyes open, but I have to train myself to use my left eye I guess, since I cut the sights off. It shoots great though. Its a bit loud, but not too bad. Since its closed bolt, Id be better off w/ a good paint/barrel match to keep from getting rollouts. Other than that, I love it.

Chronod at 275-280fps w/o any problems at all. Now that its lubed up and cleaned, it cycles smooth.

the gun w/ tank and hopper weighs at most 3-4 lbs, and a lot less w/ the stock class tube and 12g changer. Its gonna make running to the 50 off the break a breeze. I may be able to even get to the other teams 40 w/ this thing. It will definitely help w/ snapshooting, which is a crucial skill that takes practice to dail in. Ill be snapping, and one balling ppl in no time. :D.
Hopefully.

[12 Gauge]

That looks amazing. I may try something similar in white with ice blue in the vertical indents on the grip, an ice blue trigger, and an ice blue pump arm.

[yakitori]

if you decide to do that might I recommend you do the indents in the grip first in ice blue. Then allow it to dry, and put vasoline over the finish and paint the rest of the body. That will protect the Ice blue in the indents, and then you can just wipe the vasoline out w/ a q tip and your ice blue finish will be in perfect condition. I did that w/ my trigger btw. It wipes off really easy even w/ a coat of paint over it, the trigger was not painted.

Also, from my experience I had here. When you do the paintjob, stop when it looks fine, hang it and leave the hell alone. Just dont even mess w/ it until its completely dry. You will be ticked when you smudge the paint cause its still soft. ;).

Other than that, its easy.

[IfItWoUlDmAtTeR]

:notwrthy: Nice job yak looks good. Only thing I dont like is the way the trigger looks (minor and not vary important).

Good Job :tup:

[SEAL34]

Yup, started saving for my '68 today. What kind of threads does it have and what length of barrel did you get Yak? I think I'm gonna get a 14" J&J. I'm painting it meadow green and I'm gonna try to hook it up with a 2x trigger and a stock. Yak, do you mind if I PM you with some questions?

[yakitori]

Originally posted by SEAL34
Yup, started saving for my '68 today. What kind of threads does it have and what length of barrel did you get Yak? I think I'm gonna get a 14" J&J. I'm painting it meadow green and I'm gonna try to hook it up with a 2x trigger and a stock. Yak, do you mind if I PM you with some questions?

not at all. PM me anytime. That goes for anyone. If any of you ever have any questions, I will try to answer best I can.

As for the barrel. Mine is 12" jj ceramic from countypaintball. He has 14" and thats what I originally wanted, but there was a short delay on them. This one was in stock and ready to ship. I got it in 3 days. I asked him to ship USPS instead of UPS. UPS is too slow for me. :D.
The barrel uses its own threads, well, or a lack thereof. There are no threads really, its just milled off smooth and you slide the barrel into the body and tighten the body screw to snug the barrel into place. You likely wont need a stock. You will see when you get it. Maybe a T stock w/ a 12g changer, or a 9 oz tank.

Dont worry about a double trigger. The SL has a lighter trigger pull than a M98 or A5. And you cant shoot that fast anyway, so the single trigger will suffice. You would have to custom cut a double trigger. I dont know of many aftermarket parts for the SLs.

It is closed bolt and very small and comfy to me. As for grips fitting on it, I dont think its going to work because of the size and shape of the stock frame. The grips would be in the way of the safety, and the frame is too short and too fat for dye stickys. I checked them out w/ the ones I have at home. Dont worry though, it has a comfortable grip. Trust me.

PM me w/ any other questions.

Thanks for the comments guys.

[paintballmonkee]

Very nice looking! Good job. I just hope my job interview goes well so I can get some money together and get a good pump. That sticky would be mighty cool and helpfull...;) :tup:

[John Sullivan]

Originally posted by yakitori
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the 1 of a kind SL - 68II. I promise you wont find another like it.

Here is the before and after pics. The gun was dry enough to assemble and I shot it a couple times in the back yard. It still needs to cure completely cause the paint still has a somewhat soft feel. Ill give it a week or more, and shes ready for the field.

Now for the pics.

BEFORE
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0362.jpg

AFTER
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/yakitori/IMG_0378.jpg


OOOOWWWW look at that sectsy thang


great job yako

[SuperTrooper_OT]

Yak, i'm very impressed on how it turned out. Great job!