Heavy-Duty (Blow-)Dart 101

Ahhhh, the joy of projectiles.
With so many types, and so many varieties of each type, everybody has to enjoy at least one type. There are bullets, arrows, darts and more. Today, though, we'll be discussing one of the easiest to make- the dart (the dart in this Instructable can be both thrown by hand and shot from a blow-gun).

THIS INSTRUCTABLE IS INTENDED MERELY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES; THE AUTHOR TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE MISUSE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN.

Step 1: Get Your Stuff (Materials)

You won't need much to make the dart(s), in fact, you probably already have everything you need, which would be:

- A Wire Hanger (like one from the dry cleaner)

- A Pair of Scissors (that cuts relatively well)

- A Pair of Electrician's Pliers (hefty ones that can cut thick gauge wire)

-A Roll of Duct Tape (with at least 6 inches of usable tape left on it)

Step 2: Hook (Untwist the Top)

It's pretty self explanatory.

Use the pliers to untwist the hook at the top of of the hang like so:

1) Grab the hook end of the hanger with the pliers like in the below picture.

2) Twist in the opposite direction that the wire was spun (in this example, I twist clockwise [right]).

Step 3: Line (Straighten Out the Hanger)

Guess what?

What?

You get to straighten out the hanger now!

Dang it!

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For this step, do exactly that- make the hanger into a somewhat straight line.

Step 4: Trim the Ends of the Hanger (You Thought I'd Say Sinker, Lol)

Cut off the ends of the hanger, where it was all twisted.

Step 5: What's Your Progress?

If you're doing it right, you should have a long piece of thick wire looking like the below picture.

Step 6: Sabotage

Your hard work to straighten the hanger, that is.
Bend the wire in half and cut it at the center of the bend.

Step 7: Gimme Three Steps

Enough Song References Yet?

1) Cut a piece from the duct tape that's about six inches long.

2) Make a cut from one inch from the left end about a third of the width of the tape in; look at the picture if you're confused, considering that's why it's there.

3) Make a cut about a third of the way up the tape and an inch long from the end of the tape (to meet your other cut).

The last picture is just to show you what you cut out.

Step 8: A Sticky Situation

Fold the bottom flap up onto itself so that you have some non-sticky tape.

Make sure you do this right, because if you don't the tape most likely will not come apart without really screwing itself up.

Step 9: The Merger

Now you're gonna stick the tape to the piece of wire.
Pick an end of the wire and place it on the tape like illustrated:
Then you roll it until you hit the smooth part and STOP.

Step 10: Conehead

Now it's time to make the cone.
All you have to do is wrap the tape at an angle at this point.
Once the cone stops getting bigger, go to the next step.

Step 11: The Confusing Part

Nope.
I'm sure that as you folded the cone, you got to the point where it stopped getting bigger.
Hopefully you didn't cut it off, because you'll have to restart from Step 7.

The Confusing Part (each of the below steps corresponds with a picture; each picture has a number at the top right-hand corner):

1) Make a cut right where you stopped folding two thirds of the way in.

2) Fold the part closest to the cone in so that it sticks to the cone.

3) Fold the tape into itself in a "z" pattern (See 3-A) so that you can twist it around again (See 3-B).

4) Finish the cone...

Step 12: Snip Snip

Finish the cone by putting the dart into the front of your blow gun and trimming the excess with a pair of scissors.

If you don't have a blow-gun (and you throw the dart), you needn't trim the cone at all. Leave it on, however, since it stabilizes the dart during flight.

Step 13: To the Point (Option One)

The easiest way to make the point on this dart is to just cut the tip of the dart at a sixty degree angle with the pairs of pliers and call it quits.

Personally, I like option two much more.

Step 14: To the Point (Option Two)

This option requires you to head to a bench-grinder with the following things:

-Safety Glasses (they're a must).

-Your Dart (obviously)

-The Electrician's Pliers (to hold the dart to the grinding wheel).

All you need to do for this step is (after you put your safety glasses on) to use the grinding wheel to make the free end of the wire into a wicked sharp tip.

Step 15: Are We Done Yet?

Almost; well I think I'm done with movie and show references now.

Just clamp the dart in the vice like so and unbend it.

DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, STRAIGHTEN IT OUT BY LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN AT IT, AS YOU CAN SERIOUSLY INJURE YOURSELF BY FALLING ONTO THE END OF THE WIRE, BE IT SHARPENED OR NOT.

Step 16: ...And Sinker! (Conclusion)

Now that you've got an insanely good dart, why not take it outside? I can sink darts about an inch into some T1-11 lying next to my house... from forty feet away!

Have fun and be careful!

THIS INSTRUCTABLE IS INTENDED MERELY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES; THE AUTHOR TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE MISUSE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN.