How to Build a Big F@%king Gun

Welcome to Indy Mogul's how to technical blog! In Episode#16 learn how to make a huge furturistic laser and who hasn't ever wanted to build a big laser? Don't forget to send in your BFG videos and you can submit future episode ideas here. And remember to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes!

How to build a big f@%king gun

Shopping List

Plastic CD rack
(This cheap, flimsy thing must have made a horrible CD raft, but it made an awesome frame for our blaster.)

Big and little water bottle.
(Check out the video, all these plastic water bottles have interesting textures and patterns.)

Two old plastic thermoses.
(Again, this very cheap, used piece of plastic has cool textures.)

A thermos cap.
(Or so I think. I saw this orange piece of plastic on the shelf at Urban Ore and thought: "That's the barrel tip of my blaster!")

A slide projector.
(I used this, because it has a big lens on one end, and I thought it would look cool as a high-tech targeting computer.)

The pistol grip from an old camera.
(Another lucky find at Urban Ore.)

Spray paint.
(Silver, black and copper.)

Step 1 The Gun

This was one of the quickest and most satisfying builds. What I should have done first was attach the pistol grip to the end of the CD rack frame. I foolishly saved this for last, which made it much harder. So the first thing you should do is screw the pistol grip (which already had mount holes) to the CD frame.

Comments

[zombiefire]

i was wondering how you can make it that when you fire the laser a huge blast of vaporising light shoots out the back of te gun.

[Pizzapie500]

Try Particle Illusion. I downloaded the free trial and there's tons of premade things (aka really good for a beginner that wants to make cool movies). For more advanced people, look up video copilot. It has action essentials two which has bullets, muzzle flashes, smoke, cracking windows, etc. I haven't used Video Copilot though.

[deathbycheesebiscuits]

the guy with the massive laser in the short film looks like keanu reeves :D

[sonicX]

um... hate to ruin it... but spending over $1,299 for some software kinda ruins the "amateur" part.... its a cool vid, and I like that you talk about mac products for special FX, but could you show some more affordable ones to? Thanks.

[blrosenberg]

just use gimp instead

[digitech]

create some glow with photoshop and save as a transparent PNG file and plop it onto any non-linear editing software

[dobbish11234]

what program did you use to make the laser effect? ( the laser blast)

[jak of all trades 822]

i like this gun but i would like to see how to make the Gears of War Lancer(chain saw gun).

[BioMaster1299]

the BFG, LOL!

[mowie]

nets doses daze cooky nemcak

[viacin]

how about... a working rail gun, full sized and styled like the game version. You could do it....if you didn't kill someone :D

[oniman7]

you could do it. Just get an airsoft, paintball, or other fake gun. then use a copper wire to wrap around the inside of the barrel. Attach this to two 9V batteries. As a safety mechanism, you could put them in the grip. If you use two batteries, you will have to press both down. BE VERY CAREFUL. I have seen video of these shooting bullets at the speed of an actual gun.

[mg0930mg]

I'm sorry. I heard you say paintball and airsoft are fake guns. They're not fake. They are PAINTBALL AND AIRSOFT guns. God!

[oniman7]

To that effect, a cheap plastic gun that lights up could be a gun in and of itself.

[Father Christmas]

not necessarily. airsoft and paintball guns fire projectiles.

[blugyblug]

Make one with a tripod, a SniperScope, 3x bigger than this and a big bang to go with it.

[tsukiyomaru0]

Totally subscribed! Man, you make awesome instructables! Though, I'd like to see instructable on Classic Doom's weapons, such as the Doom's BFG, Plasma Gun and Rocket Launcher. Maybe some Duke Nukem and Quake weapons too! After all, I believe you can do it. (In case you wonder, I saw your chest rip tutorial... Mortal Kombat cosplayers may use that one! XD)

[Tombini]

make a working spud gun that looks like that and I will give you 5/5

[Weaponperson]

No, he needs to put one of those $2,000 lazers in there that burn through plastic!! :-)

[Karnivore]

So, you've made the BFG. Any chance we'll be seeing a railgun soon?

[aphrael]

I can't imagine looking at a cd rack thinking it would make a good gun :) Very very cool idea!

[rawrgoesmycow]

I think I have the same EXACT CD rack. They look extremely alike. I'm going to have to try this over the summer. :D Great Instructable.

[brainiac]

ooo next u shold use all of u affects to make the ultamate show p.s. put on instructables p.s.s. nice bad @$$ f@uking gun p.s.s.s. make a bigger one woot p.s.s.s.s. nice instructable

[DanDaDad]

The tip of using the tripod as a steady cam is good. I use a bogen monopod that has a hand strap on it. holding the strap in your hand and walk. You can adjust the monopod leg in and out to get a perfect balance. Works great.

[Ward_Nox]

you should weight it at the bottom so it stays upright i've seen instructions on how to BUILD a steady cam rig for cheap

[Ward_Nox]

BFG! AWESOME

[Ramnosity]

really cool. I make a lot of movies so i'll keep this in mind. The video was really cool.

[marc92]

perhaps you could put a fire extinguisher in place of one of the thermoses or water bottles. It could add a smoking gun effect to your big gun if you hook up the trigger of the extinguisher to the trigger on the fake gun.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

prop :-(

[bakenbitz]

that looks like some fun first comment