Cardapult the Business Card Catapult

After seeing the business cards with gears a few months back (normal and planetary), I started thinking about what else could be made to fit in a business card. I wanted something unique and memorable that could represent me and my creativity. What I came up with was a business card that can convert into a rubber band powered desktop catapult.

Here is a PDF of the Instructable that includes all the secondary images and annotations.

Here is a video that shows how it works.

Another video of assembly to help if you are having trouble working out some of the steps.

If you want to build one and don't care as much about the appearance you can try the quicker and easier method.

Step 1: Things You'll Need

Some thick card stock , perforated business card paper, or anything just as stiff that you can cut easily
Hobby knife
Hole punch
Glue
Small rubber bands
Something heavy and flat (like a large book)
Cardapult design (attached in following steps)
Printer

Other stuff that may come in handy:
Scissors
Fingernail clippers
Toothpicks
Something heavy and hard (like a hammer)

For the paper I had a hard time finding anything thick enough locally except for the perforated sheets for DIY business cards. These will work, but alignment is more difficult since the edge of the card is already made. You'll need something about .012" or thicker. Which corresponds to 90 lb Cover and 140 lb Index (card stock). If you are just making these for fun then old folders or thin cardboard product packaging will work great as well.

I tried a few different glues and the best I found for these purposes was an Elmer's Craft Bond Glue Pen

Comments

[jhonjhon589]

is it possible to 1 sheet of cereal bock card

[Adambowker98]

I downloaded the PDF but I'm confused on how to cut it. I know you cut on the solid lines but what about the dotted?

[clide]

Dotted lines are folds you don't need to cut them.

[Adambowker98]

Thanks!

[coolo52]

this is so cool

[shadow123456]

really want one but i need to pay:(

[clide]

Right above the embedded files in step 3 there is a free download link.

[mitch and sean]

My pivoting arm keeps on braking how can I avoid this? Pls reply.

[clide]

Stronger paper, stronger glue, or weaker rubber band.

You could also try the newer version which has a stronger design for the arm and axles http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3530

[mitch and sean]

Ok I'll try that but my card is really thick and when i say the arm breaks i mean where in the arm theres the angle is where it breaks.

But yeah your second card looks really different and futuristic, it looks cool.

[mitch and sean]

Ok I'll try that but my card is really thick and when i say the arm breaks i mean where in the arm theres the angle is where it breaks.

[mitch and sean]

The bit where you cut out the little bits for moving the legs out is so hard it's taking ne ages to do it. Oh and pls do an instructable on the penny shooter.

[clide]

Yep, those bits can be difficult. I don't have detailed instructions for the Penny Shooter, but the design files and a quick overview can be found here http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1581

[mitch and sean]

I have basically finished the penny shooter/ten cent shooter and it is so cool

[mitch and sean]

I also live in Australia so I made the holes big enough (or small enough I don't know) for ten cent pieces :)

[mitch and sean]

I'm working on the penny shooter right now and when I'm done I'll put it on instructables. And my cardapult got glued together in one spot but I fixed it. It is so annoying that I don't have the special cutter thing because my dad has some really thick card and so the cardapult only needed I layer and us really thick.

[DELETED_Haon]

(removed by author or community request)

[clide]

Just one layer for each side.

[mitch and sean]

The dugouts are really complicated do you reckon that you could space them out and name them or only just space them out because I have to do it by hand (cutting I mean)

[DELETED_Haon]

(removed by author or community request)

[clide]

Yes, but I only did 2 layers of the inside components rather than 3.

[mitch and sean]

Is it easier to use cereal boxes instead of business card?

[higuy395]

great instructable, but my printer wouldn`t let me print out the template

[mitch and sean]

Sucks for you!

[mitch and sean]

I know you made the penny shooter so can you pls show us how to make it I have all materials I just need to know how to make it.

[thomasthetankengine]

Wow. This is so cool=) I made one as a prototype to see if it would work, then made another that was a lot neater and more presentable haha. Great idea!

[gageylawson]

just made it in under a day- its surprisingliy powerful

[Brian857]

You should post an instructable for the penny shooter you sell.

[SasquatchKid]

WOuld yo be willin to give me one for free cause im on 11 and dont have money

[lukeD]

one word: AWESOME!!!!

[Etch3]

i was wondering... Could I sell a cardapult at school as just a catapult?

[clide]

Sure, as long as your not selling hundreds of the things I don't mind if you sell some cardapults.
I can't guarantee they are safe for school though. As ridiculous as it would be to consider the cardapult a weapon, I wouldn't doubt that some zero tolerance policy could classify them that way.

Thanks for asking to make sure.

[Etch3]

Thanks! x1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!

[dombeef]

I just made this with scissors, kinda hard
I only have one of those rubber bands, where can I buy more?

[qwerty123969]

dude did you try using a big ruber band and wrpping it around a few times?

[dombeef]

No, it would be too strong

[qwerty123969]

oh yea good point.

[dombeef]

Yeah

[clide]

It's a size 8 rubber band. You can usually find a couple in the rubber band assortments sold in stores, but I never had any luck finding bags of just that size rubber band locally. I had to order online to get a bag of only that size.

[dombeef]

What site did you use?