Aluminum Cracker Chucker

This is an Instructable detailing how to make an Aluminum (Aluminium) Cracker Chucker.
Thanks to Kiteman for his original instructable! It can be viewed here:

Q:What is a Cracker Chucker?
A:Well, it's only the best way to turn small 'Ritz' style crackers into skeet!

Here in northeast Ohio, we have the luxury of being able to spend countless hours trap shooting and preparing for the next time a small disk flies over head, so we can shoot it down quickly and safely. (Watch your back E.T.) Skeet shooting and Trap shooting are two separate sports employing the same technology. Namely: shotguns, clay pigeons, and a throwing device.

"Trap shooting has been a sport since at least 1793 when it used real birds, usually the Passenger Pigeon, which was extremely abundant at the time. Fake birds were introduced around the time of the American Civil War as the Passenger Pigeon was nearing extinction and sufficient numbers were not reliably available. Clay targets were introduced in the 1880's." source:

Presently, most commercially produced clay pigeons are made of asphalt pitch. Asphalt pitch is a derivative of asphalt tar, and it is not readily biodegradable. It is also harmful to many animals, though most commonly wild and domestic pigs.

So, searching one day for a more 'green' way to train in the shooting sports, I stumbled upon Kiteman's Cracker Chucker. After building one and successively going through a full box of crackers with it, and a full box of shells, it was mostly duct tape and sticks holding it together. Collaboratively, my brother-in-law and I decided that one made of metal would subsequently last quite a bit longer. We also thought aluminum would be the best choice for weight to strength ratio. Without any further ado, here is the process I used to build The Aluminum Cracker Chucker.

Cost: Very little. (mine was free)
Difficulty: Very easy.

You will need:
1 piece of scrap aluminum 3 inches by 2 feet
Tape measure
Marker
Tin Snips
Drill
String or rope to use as a lanyard (I used 550 cord)
Rubber or Friction tape
Shrink Tube (optional)
Something to make a 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch bend (I used our shop's brake, but you can use a pair of sheet metal tongs or vise grips, it just takes considerably longer.)

As with all throwing devices and shooting sports, safety is the number one priority. I take no responsibility for anyone injured or killed in the use or construction of this tool.

Step 1 The Mark

As in everything, put the first thing first. Select your metal.
I chose a scrap of aluminum from our drops bin that was 3 inches by 2 feet.

Next, on the end of the strip that you want to become the top, you will place five marks. I placed one mark in the center, 1 1/2 inches in. Then put two more marks on the top end. From the left, they are at 1 and 3/8 inches and 1 and 5/8 inches, leaving 1/4 inch in between. Then put one mark on each long side 1 and 3/8 inches from the top. Then put three marks on the bottom end that correspond to the marks on the top edge as follows, from the left: 1 3/8 inches, 1 1/2 inches, 1 5/8 inches.

I then used a straight edge to make a line from the marks on the side to the marks on the top. (see photo 4) Next take a pair of snips and cut off the two top corners along the lines.

Comments

[desmondtheredx]

aluminum rusts easily and it's soft. so you should actually use stainless steel or steel (if you have the proper equipment)

[klincecum]

Aluminum doesn't rust at all.

[FrozenFlameInstructables]

duuude, i thought this was a knife!

[jmatthew408]

this looks fun but, can you see the crackers better in real life than in the video, cuz eventhough im from the patron state of shooting stuff (TN) i cant shoot objects which i am unable to see :-) 

[hailtothkngbby]

Yeah, you can definitely see it better in real life than in the video. When we do it we stand in the middle of a cornfield and just rotate as the sun moves until you get the best sight picture. It is definitely as fun as it looks! Sometimes, we throw crackers to the geese and ducks out on our pond too!

[yopauly]

LOL, this is cool! shoot all day for not much. A box of crackers don't weigh much. To be honest, the title made me think it was something racist! LMAO! You're saving the environment and hit or miss, the birds love you for it! KUDOS to you!

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks! Kudos definitely goes to Kiteman for the original idea, I just made it a tad more durable. The fun-factor is definitely the same though!

[clarkshooter]

what do you shoot them with

[hailtothkngbby]

Usually whatever gun I want to work out with. I have a Mossberg 500, a Savage single shot 12, and a Mossberg 16g bolt action. This is pretty much for shotgun only. I suppose you could use a .22 with rat shot, but I don't run that stuff through any of my rifles.

[addytheknowhowman]

where did you get your metal from?

[hailtothkngbby]

I work as a commercial roofer, so we also do a lot of tinning. The pieces of aluminum I used were just some scrap drops we had left over after I made a couple of scupper boxes. I think, however, that at any big box hardware store you can buy small sheets of aluminum, steel, and diamond plating. Otherwise, you could call up your local tinner/roofer or hvac guy and describe the size of the piece of metal you need. Most would sell you a small piece with no markup. Heck, we sell our drop metal at scrap prices, which are very low right now.

[hailtothkngbby]

Video is up!

[Kiteman]

How did I miss this when you posted it?? Thanks for the shout - these look deadly. The wrist strap is an excellent modification.

[hailtothkngbby]

No problem on the shout, it's only right that the original idea and maker get well-deserved credit!

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks! I kind of adapted it from the wiimote. After we chucked a box, it was pretty apparent that these would hurt if a mistake was made. Being that I'm so clumsy, I wanted to make sure that if i let one go, it would probably just hit me, and not someone else.

[NachoMahma]

. Good job. . Where's the video? I'd like to see it in action.

[hailtothkngbby]

Thank you for the compliment, the video will be here shortly. I'm adding straps and handles to the ones that weren't lucky enough to get them in the initial construction process. As soon as that's accomplished, and I grab some more crackers, I'll play the cracker chuckin' fool!

[Gjdj3]

Sweet! And I agree with Nacho. We want a video!

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks! The video should be up by next week. I'm making crackers a priority on this week's shopping list. Unfortunately, with one of these around, crackers don't last very long.

[kelseymh]

This is a terrific example of building upon another's work, while making in your own. Credit where credit is due, and a well written, well executed project! Rated and featured.

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks!

[fwjs28]

agreed...to me, it looks like a knife at first, then i read the description

[hailtothkngbby]

I didn't actually notice that they looked like knives, until my girlfriend pointed it out. I guess I was too caught up in the function to worry about the form, lol.

[hailtothkngbby]

The video is coming shortly, I haven't had the time away from work to go a-chucking. As soon as I do, it will be added!