garyrapp55 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Does the WASP paster have a competitor? Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warthog Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 (edited) None that I know of but I do know the WASP is a quality piece of equipment from a top notch company/person. I have used one before but I am not an owner of one yet. I am saving up to buy one though. The WASP makes a pasting a round paper shell as easy as watching TV, You can easily make a shell in the AM and fire it that night, which is what I have done with one so far. I made my first 6" paper shell on one and a few smaller ones as well. I think I even remember where the manual is available to download but will need time to sort through my notes. BTW, my name is also Gary. Edited November 11, 2011 by warthog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algenco Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Does the WASP paster have a competitor? Gary nope, it's patented Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyrapp55 Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Wish I could afford one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warthog Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) Wish I could afford one. Me too. I don't have that kind of money to just go out and buy one either. I CAN save up for one, as it is going now I should about have the money for it in 8 months. Of course it might be more or less depending on what happens and if I win the lottery* or not. I just know that after using it, I want one bad enough to save up for it. *guess I should buy a ticket now and then if that is to happen. Edited November 12, 2011 by warthog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nater Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Precocious Pyro advertises a non-electric, non-computerized shell taping machine for $899. Their site says it tapes ball and cylinder shells as well. I haven't seen one, haven't seen a picture of one, and people on another site have asked about it with no answers given. I have seen a WASP in action, most likely the exact same one that Warthog was able to use. I was working on other things that weekend and didn't have any shells to tape, so I didn't use it myself. It was a pretty slick machine, I would think it would be extremely useful for a commercial building or a production minded hobbiest. For the rest of us, it sure would be nice to have if you could save up the money. My taped shells look more like eggs by the time I'm done, the WASP taped shells look great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warthog Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) Here I am making my first 6" shell on the WASP... It is indeed an expensive item but my oh my did it make taping a joy. Edited November 12, 2011 by warthog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 A wasp would be nice. Too bad it's so expensive. Stupid question: what about the fuses? How does the machine avoid pasting over them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan999ification Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 A wasp would be nice. Too bad it's so expensive. Stupid question: what about the fuses? How does the machine avoid pasting over them? the jap/chinese machines use the fuse as an axis to spin on with a suction cup over it, the wasp, the fuse is pasted in and located with a set of magnets when finished. dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 The WASP is close to unique, there are AFIK no competitors. They are expensive but highly functional BUT you may need a couple to cover all shell sizes. The alternative is to do good hand pasting, it's a LOT cheaper and takes skill and time but it really can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nater Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 The superstringer tapes shells from 2.5" to 12", that's a pretty wide range for 99% of hobbiests. Besides, if you spend the time to make a 16" shell, you can paste it by hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algenco Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 the Wasp does a nice job, but to be honest my hand pasted shells look a lot better.If you make a lot of shells or 10-12" then it would be worth it.Several builders use the wasp to make their own hemis (10-12") which not only saves a lot of $$$ but allows them to use thin hemis which in turn results in more symetrical breaks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Another option is tape that you don't have to wet in water but simply remove kind of "cover" from. I have some but haven't tested it on shells yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 You know, this tape that is used by the WASP can be applied by hand. This is what I do. It is a comfortable medium between cutting and breaking in strips of paper, and dropping the money on a WASP. There is another method a few of the other European pyros have posted that I believe they call the Liuyang method. They brush one side of a large sheet of paper with paste or glue and fold it up on itself. These wetted strips can be stored for a day or so I believe in a plastic bag. It can be cut into strips from there with a guillotine type cutter or scissors, peeled apart, and applied like normal strips. I've never tried it, but it seems like it should work pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) This is the tape I was talking about. The inner layer has an unusually strong glue. The outer layer is shiny and smooth on the outside. When you peel off the outer layer, the upper side of the inner layer becomes "roughened", so that the strong glue will adhere very well to it. http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8324/tape001.th.jpg Edited November 12, 2011 by Potassiumchlorate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Are you sure it's not pressure sensitive adhesive? Those types of tapes are designed not to stick to itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 No no, once you have peeled off the protective layer, it sticks very well to itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nater Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 i tape my shells with one strip of gummed tape, by hand and wetting it with a sponge through a dispenser I made. I just have not got the hang of it yet and my shells end up egg shaped. With 3 in shells, 1/2" tape lays down okay, but i seem to have better results with regular pasting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I'm good at using gummed tape, except for one thing: it goes painfully slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Hand pasting, no matter what material you're using typically isn't an extremely fast processes. Laying down paper isn't all that time consuming. I can do a 6" shell (17 layers) in around 45 minutes to an hour with gummed tape. A 3" shell takes maybe 10-15 minutes tops (7 layers). The actual laying down of pasted paper goes pretty quick, but it's the preparation of strips and breaking in the paper that is relatively time consuming. This is one area that the "liyuang" method has an advantage. The most time consuming part I find about traditional broken paper pasting is the drying time between layers. You can probably paste small shells in one sitting, but getting any bigger than 3 or 4" and I don't feel comfortable doing it in one sitting. Nater, you'll have a hard time avoiding the egg shape if you use one continuous strip. The WASP uses a pattern with as far as I can tell both shifts the pole location, and the spot it crosses around the equator. It'd probably not be too hard to figure out, but trying to do it as consistently as a machine is probably the more difficult aspect. If you lay down the paper from the single strip, and just tear it off into strips as it goes on, you avoid the egg shape, and it really doesn't take any longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potassiumchlorate Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 How do you manage to paste 17 layers in 45 minutes to an hour? You must be very skilled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
californiapyro Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 same for me, it's just a time-saver. a WASP is on my christmas list, so if someone really likes me ill get one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warthog Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Mumbles is right, as I watched the WASP in action it does indeed change both the pole position as well as the place it crosses the equator using one long strip of gummed tape. It's pretty amazing to watch really. I haven't hand pasted anything and the only paper hulled shells I have done were the ones I did on the WASP that day. My biggest problem for why I don't hand paste is I haven't ever seen the process done nor can I find a decent tutorial on how it is done. I have spent many a long hour searching on various threads and websites for a general pasting how to but I guess my Google-Fu is lacking in this regard. I really do want to learn the process though since it makes no sense to purchase a machine to do something you have no idea of how to do yourself. That makes adjusting things a near impossibility and is basically not the way I prefer to do things. So while I am not really a newbie in general, I am completely ignorant of paper pasting or round shells, canisters are a whole other beast and those I do have a good grip on doing those. Perhaps someone here would be so gracious as to point me out a good tutorial on hand pasting? I mostly do smaller shells, like 3"& 4" shells if this has any bearing on things. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 http://www.pyroguide.com/index.php?title=Pasting_%283_strip_method%29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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