How to Make a Spinning Target for Airsoft/BB Gun/slingshot

In this Instructable, I'll show you how I made a spinning target for an airsoft gun, giving you audio and visual feedback if you hit it.

I made this at TechShop.

Step 1: What You'll Need

For this project, you'll need the following materials:

3/16" steel rod. Available in the hardware section of your local home improvement store.
A spoon, preferably with as close to a flat handle as possible

You'll also need access to the following tools:

Bench vise
A thick screw driver
A hammer

Step 2: Bend Your Materials

Start by standing your spoon in the vise with about 1" of it clamped. Then, bend it backwards. Use the hammer to get a sharp bend.

Once you get it to 90 degrees, flip it over and place the screwdriver underneath it. Use the hammer again to wrap the end of the spoon around it. This will give it a bend with a wide radius. Reclamp it in the vise and close it tight. At this point, you should have a closed loop at the top of your spoon.

Now, grab the steel rod. Clamp it in the bench vise such that 1/3 of its total length is above the vise. Then, use your hammer and bend it 90 degrees.

Step 3: Stop It From Sliding

When you hit the spoon, it may start to move around too much and fall of the end. In order to keep it from sliding around when it gets hit, I welded some tacks on each side of the spoon. These serve as simple stops so the spoon doesn't fall off or move out of position.

If you don't have access to a welder, you could use some JB Weld to epoxy some washers onto the rod.