A case for a new Case

 A Case For A New Case

This is a picture of my old case I got in 1997. The zipper ripped and the plastic compartments are breaking apart. Time for a new one. It had a good run. 

What's in your case? What's the old saying? "When you need a hand grenade, any hand grenade will do". I usually say that when my partner hits a 180, 9 Mark, or White Horse.  

The last time I bought a dart case, gas pumps looked like this

How about a new Metroline case?

Back in the day I would make fun of such a big case. Anymore you have your phone, charger, ear buds, and whatever. Plus I'm getting forgetful in my advanced age.  

There's the inside. It can carry 10 sets of darts, 4 tubes for shafts, and points, some round plastic thing (for salad dressing?), pockets for foldable flights, or business cards, debt cards, and a big pocket in back of that for papers (8-1/2" x 11")

There Ya Go!

The compartment walls can be removed. The foam is just kinda rubber cemented down. You can peel them off without damage to the foam if you are careful. Who needs 10 sets of darts? Maybe you are a couple or whatever and share a case. I'm not judging Ya.

About 12-1/4"

About 8-3/4"

You just place your darts in the foam. 

Then another set in the lose foam piece on top. 2 sets, 1 compartment.

I just carry 4 sets mainly. 2 sets of steel tip, 2 sets of soft tip

Fully Loaded. Here I have my parts spread out, Like I said, you can put 2 sets of darts in 1 compartment. I need to reconfigure it to carry my phone and charger. There is no reason not to have your electronics fully charged, but league and tournaments can get long. 

Point Protector Spring Idea

Just one of the ideas I have SPRINGing around in my head. Made of 4130 Chro-Mo Steel and Silver fillet brazed together. The spring puts an adjustable amount of tension on the points, so your darts go in and out of the holder, with the amount of resistance that you want. 

"Natural Flavor, with other Natural Flavors"?

What's a "Hot Button"?

What's a "Hot Button"?

A Hot Button is a memory device that keeps track of your game statistics. You can view them on line and track your performance trends with them. They cost around $12. You can use them on any Galaxy 3 dart board. 

Not only are they handy for keeping track of statistics, but finding competition on line that matches your skill level. If you have a big tournament or match coming up, and you want to tune up a bit. 

Walk up to the machine and choose "Remote Games".

Chose 1 or 2 players. You can play doubles on line as well as singles.

You can play anonymous, but your statistics will not get recorded. 

See that silver button/disc/thingy. Put the button up to that. Some times you have to twist it some to read the hot button.

Viola! ...Up comes your statistics.

Choose a game. For example I want to play Cricket. It says there are 132 games in progress, and 6 people waiting to play. 

Like I said, "Any Galaxy 3 machine". They are all over the USA and World. I've played people on line in Greece, Belgium, Canada, Anywhere. I choose opponents on the left. You can see their skill level (MPR: Marks Per Round). To the right I'm being challenged by 2 people. I can see where they are from, but not there skill level. I know that because of the "??? MPR". Remember ,you don't have to have a hot button to play online. 

I should have taken a picture of the Match. The monitor on the board because 3 parts. 1. Score Board 2. Camera on player throwing. 3. Camera on their dart board. 

When you get on your computer, phone, or however you can access the internet. You can review your stats. 

Horizon Darts

https://www.horizondarts.com/

BullShooter Live

https://www.bullshooterlive.com/

A Custom Point Protector Idea

I've been having some point protector ideas going through my head. Most the ones I see are those blocks of wood, with the strip of Velcro in the dart holes to keep the darts from falling out. It's simple, it's functional, and it kinda cleans the darts every time the dart goes in and out of the holes. I always thought the Velcro strip took away from the  looks. If there was only a way to hide the dart locking mechanism.  

I started with a block of aluminum. Marked the holes so when all 3 darts with standard flights are in, they miss each other by 1mm.

Double checking the drill press. Must have the darts going in perpendicular and parallel. Can't have any leaning darts. to the left I have my angle cube on the table to check if it's level. the picture to the right I chucked in a socket extension. Making sure the chuck is perpendicular to the table. The "Angle Cube" is a digital compass. It's correct to 1/10th degree. I've had it 10 year and found it very reliable for many different things. They are about $40 and I highly recommend them.

Drilled the holes, everything fits. I started with 3/32" holes, then worked out to 5/16".

Now drill 1 hole in-between the dart holes. Tap to 5.0 x 0.8mm. 

I used button head style allen bolts, It's what I had on hand. 

Ok now cut off the top. A band saw would have been handy. I didn't exactly walk it straight down the block. You know me, "Mr. Patience". But it's ok, as you will see later

My dart locking devices are O-rings.

I counter sunk the holes, so the O-rings will float inside. If the O-rings wear out, you can replace them.

All bolted together, with some sculpting to the body. It could be polished to a mirror finish. However once you get that mirror finish, you have to maintain it. Some parts are still rough from the file. I'mgoing to leave it that way ("Seasoned"). Plus is masks my impatience with the hack saw.