Airsoft Bbs As Ball Bearing Replacements

[skydivemd]

Hi All,

OK, so I have seen on the forum (and heard directly from Mush) that the 6mm air soft pellets make for a very suitable ball bearing replacement in the blow-off valve of your standard Egyptian hookah. As I have a couple of hookahs (yeah, started to collect the darn things.... gotta stop listening to you people ) with rusting ball bearings, I figured I should invest in some of these things.

Then I got to looking at the vastly stupid amount of different weight sizes available for air soft bbs. That was my downfall. I figured if I'm going to buy 1500 or 3000 of these things, they should at least mimic the ball bearings as closely as possible, right!?!

Has anyone with access to a very sensitive scale (eg someone who re-loads their own ammo, someone who works in a well-stocked laboratory) ever weighed or would be willing to weigh their "standard" ball bearing and see how much the little sucker weighs. This would be ever so helpful a gesture!!!

I wouldn't want to get a readily available yet super light bb (ie 0.12 g) and have it get stuck in the "open" position of the blow-off tube simply due to condensation or spittle in valve. That would be much more nusiance than help.

Anyway, available weights for these air soft pellets is 0.12g, 0.2g, 0.23g, and 0.25g.

I know this is traipsing towards the anal side of Hookah enjoyment, but then realize I just used the word "traipsing" in this sentence.

Should we be able to figure this conundrum out fellows and ladies, I will most probably purchase a bag of 1500 to 3000 of the best quality, most appropriately weighted bb's. Ideally, should time and the wife allow, I will break them up into very small lots (bags or 25 or so) and sell them for a very nominal fee to anyone interested. I'm sure as hell not in this racket to make money, but I don't need 3000 plastic bbs sitting around my house. I would be pretty happy to just get back enough funds to cover my initial investmen, the postage, and the mailer.

Wow, that was a long post for a simple-ass question!

Rick

[MechAnt]

If I were you I'd go for the heaviest balls. They are plastic so they are light after all. The metal bb's they have in the purge valves do have a bit of weight to them so my recommendation for you is to get the heaviest of the pellets.

[chromecarz00]

Hi All,

OK, so I have seen on the forum (and heard directly from Mush) that the 6mm air soft pellets make for a very suitable ball bearing replacement in the blow-off valve of your standard Egyptian hookah. As I have a couple of hookahs (yeah, started to collect the darn things.... gotta stop listening to you people ) with rusting ball bearings, I figured I should invest in some of these things.

Then I got to looking at the vastly stupid amount of different weight sizes available for air soft bbs. That was my downfall. I figured if I'm going to buy 1500 or 3000 of these things, they should at least mimic the ball bearings as closely as possible, right!?!

Has anyone with access to a very sensitive scale (eg someone who re-loads their own ammo, someone who works in a well-stocked laboratory) ever weighed or would be willing to weigh their "standard" ball bearing and see how much the little sucker weighs. This would be ever so helpful a gesture!!!

I wouldn't want to get a readily available yet super light bb (ie 0.12 g) and have it get stuck in the "open" position of the blow-off tube simply due to condensation or spittle in valve. That would be much more nusiance than help.

Anyway, available weights for these air soft pellets is 0.12g, 0.2g, 0.23g, and 0.25g.

I know this is traipsing towards the anal side of Hookah enjoyment, but then realize I just used the word "traipsing" in this sentence.

Should we be able to figure this conundrum out fellows and ladies, I will most probably purchase a bag of 1500 to 3000 of the best quality, most appropriately weighted bb's. Ideally, should time and the wife allow, I will break them up into very small lots (bags or 25 or so) and sell them for a very nominal fee to anyone interested. I'm sure as hell not in this racket to make money, but I don't need 3000 plastic bbs sitting around my house. I would be pretty happy to just get back enough funds to cover my initial investmen, the postage, and the mailer.

Wow, that was a long post for a simple-ass question!

Rick

I will be 100% honest with you. I'm not sure anyone will buy them. In all honsety, most of us probably either have, or have had, or have friends who have, bb guns, therefore providing us with a supply of BBs for free. I would say your best bet is ask around, Im sure you have some kids in your neighborhood who may have one or 2 they could give you, or better yet, buy a BB gun. Theyre loads of fun, even for adults.
As for your original question, I don't know the exact weight, but your general worry is that the ball will be stuck in the open position. Remember that for most purge valves (purge = bov for hookahs) it is a nearly vertical container, and gravity will pull down the bb after you purge. If for some reason it does get stuck, clean the inside of the valve. If that doesnt work, put a bit of lube on the bb. Last resort, shave off some of it.
Hope this helps.

[skydivemd]

Actually, might be a moot point.
Realized I still had some calipers lying around and grabbed up the ball bearing.
Approx. diameter is 6.3 to 6.34mm or, to make it simplier, 1/4 inch.

Now finding 1/4 inch ball bearings seems a lot easier to me...

[shisha fan]

according to my digital pocket scale (which is accurate up to 0.1 grams) a ball bearing with a diameter of 6mm weighs 0.6 grams.



hope this helps.

just tell me if you need me to weigh more ball bearings of different sizes.

[camelflage]

i use a 6m airsoft in the purge of my daily smoker (a KM pear) and i can say that the pellet has on occasion gotten stuck in the top of the purge valve because it was really gunky. but if you clean out the screw-on valve every few weeks its not an issue.

[NickReppinThe909]

if you want i am on team swarm and we are sponsored by killer beez airsoft and i can get you .30g bb's but right now i use .28g and it works fine

[mathuv]

i used to have an airsoft gun and still have lots of BBs laying about my house.. i use those 0.12g 6mm, work fine.

[MrMoodz]

I haven't had much luck with Airsoft pellets. The metal BBs work better for me because they are heavier.

[skydivemd]

I haven't had much luck with Airsoft pellets. The metal BBs work better for me because they are heavier.

That's what I was kinda concerned about. Anyway, I just ordered some 1/4" (6.35 mm) 316 stainless steel ball bearings. Weight is about 1.07 grams each. Now that had better do the trick!

[spoolinspoon]

The .20g 6mm has been fine.