Flash Grenade!
Intro: Flash Grenade!
i've come up with a project that i've been contemplating for a long time. It's a flash grenade made from a disposable camera circuit and a part of a pringles can.
You need:
MATERIALS:
-one safety switch, toggle or otherwise, with on/off (for convinience)
-a pringles can (can be one of the snack size or larger type, i cut down a larger type one)
-a camera flash circuit
-various bits of wire, in total not even a foot, but it's good to have extra.
-a motion/impact switch (i jerry rigged one up out of a grommet, a wire nail, and a bit of wire and solder)
-AA battery holder case thing
TOOLS:
solder
soldering iron or pencil
knife or scissors
pliers (or your hands, doesn't really matter)
duct tape
You need:
MATERIALS:
-one safety switch, toggle or otherwise, with on/off (for convinience)
-a pringles can (can be one of the snack size or larger type, i cut down a larger type one)
-a camera flash circuit
-various bits of wire, in total not even a foot, but it's good to have extra.
-a motion/impact switch (i jerry rigged one up out of a grommet, a wire nail, and a bit of wire and solder)
-AA battery holder case thing
TOOLS:
solder
soldering iron or pencil
knife or scissors
pliers (or your hands, doesn't really matter)
duct tape
STEP 1: Remove Circuit, Attach Safety
rst extract the circuit and short the capacitor by touching the two wires with a screwdriver or a bit of wire. remove the battery and short it again to be sure. This is a relatively simple process, as all it requires is the addition of a safety switch and the motion/impact switch.
Once you have your circuit discharged, you can begin work.
First switch is the safety switch.
Take your toggle switch and one end of the battery holder, preferrably the forked end (+ end) and solder one contact of the switch onto it by a bit of wire. then, attach the other contact to your battery ( i don't know how smart or dumb this was, as i soldered it in place.) The battery didn't do anything to me, it didn't explode, but in hindsight, i assume this was an unsafe decision. Attach the battery to the wire with elecrical tape or solder a proper battery holder to the original contacts. This creates a safety switch which allows you to cut off power to the grenade so it doesn't accidentally charge and go off, as these circuits are finnicky.
Now take your knife and cut out a hole in the side of your container to fit the switch out the side.
Once you have your circuit discharged, you can begin work.
First switch is the safety switch.
Take your toggle switch and one end of the battery holder, preferrably the forked end (+ end) and solder one contact of the switch onto it by a bit of wire. then, attach the other contact to your battery ( i don't know how smart or dumb this was, as i soldered it in place.) The battery didn't do anything to me, it didn't explode, but in hindsight, i assume this was an unsafe decision. Attach the battery to the wire with elecrical tape or solder a proper battery holder to the original contacts. This creates a safety switch which allows you to cut off power to the grenade so it doesn't accidentally charge and go off, as these circuits are finnicky.
Now take your knife and cut out a hole in the side of your container to fit the switch out the side.
STEP 2: Add Motion/impact Switch, Cram in Da Can!
next is the motion/imact switch. This could be replaced with a proper switch, but i didn't know where i could get one. so i rigged one up. See the long bit of copper bar right next to the cap? well, if you create a contact between that bar and the other metal plate to the right of it (with the flash bulb on top and the cap facing away from you) the flash goes off. so. what i did is soldered a grommet (brass little ring thing) to the bar so it looks like a basket ball hoop. then i took another bit of wire and wrapped it around and soldered it to a little wire nail. this is to add weight and a contact point. then i soldered the other end of the nail-wire to the little metal platform. you now have an operational motion/impact switch. thread the nail end of the wire through the grommet and place it, with a battery inserted into the circuit, into your pringles can, flash bulb up. i had to do a bit of bending to the cap and the motion/impact switch rig to get it to fit.
Now comes the tricky part. You have to get the whole deal inside the pringles can, which can take a lot of tweaking. Once you have it in, the OTHER tricky part rears its head. You have to get the motion switch to work properly by taking the wire nail, and threading it through your grommet so that it doesn't touch it, but will if vibrated enough. this took doing, but i found a spot that works. You'll get it with a bit of tweaking and wire twisting and bending.
Also make sure that your circuit is not completely loose in the can. wad up some duct tape or do something so that it doesn't shake loose every time you drop it. It should be a firm fit when you're done.
Now it is time to test your grenade. Turn the safety switch to ON, take off the cap to your pringles can, and push the charge button on your circuit. Wait for the LED to come on, and turn the safety to "OFF" (you can leave it to ON as a booby trap that when your victim goes to pick it up it flashes again, as well) Then lob in a gentle arc. the flash should go off.
These have practical uses in paintball, and airsoft that i can see.
Note that this is a first design and has its bugs. Fiddling may be necessary. If you come up with an improvement upon my design, give me a mail at maaron@sbcglobal.net. Thanks!
Now comes the tricky part. You have to get the whole deal inside the pringles can, which can take a lot of tweaking. Once you have it in, the OTHER tricky part rears its head. You have to get the motion switch to work properly by taking the wire nail, and threading it through your grommet so that it doesn't touch it, but will if vibrated enough. this took doing, but i found a spot that works. You'll get it with a bit of tweaking and wire twisting and bending.
Also make sure that your circuit is not completely loose in the can. wad up some duct tape or do something so that it doesn't shake loose every time you drop it. It should be a firm fit when you're done.
Now it is time to test your grenade. Turn the safety switch to ON, take off the cap to your pringles can, and push the charge button on your circuit. Wait for the LED to come on, and turn the safety to "OFF" (you can leave it to ON as a booby trap that when your victim goes to pick it up it flashes again, as well) Then lob in a gentle arc. the flash should go off.
These have practical uses in paintball, and airsoft that i can see.
Note that this is a first design and has its bugs. Fiddling may be necessary. If you come up with an improvement upon my design, give me a mail at maaron@sbcglobal.net. Thanks!
115 Comments
lxavier2 9 years ago
lxavier2 9 years ago
Quin5 9 years ago
I'm looking to purchase a lazertag system to start a lazertag business,
would you be able to produce or lead me to the guns and equipment I need
that would be safe and certifiable, that would be a cheaper option than
the $600/gun price range that I've seen advertised by the lazertag
manufacturers? email if so at ulrichinvesting@gmail.com
Green X 9 years ago
cool
Tetranitrate 17 years ago
Pyromaster951 16 years ago
Thundertydus 15 years ago
Stoney_jjjjj 10 years ago
SFXguy 12 years ago
Pie Ninja 14 years ago
dudemanclc 13 years ago
Pie Ninja 13 years ago
MadBricoleur 14 years ago
Thundertydus 14 years ago
Thundertydus 14 years ago
Pyromaster951 16 years ago
PYROFREAK 16 years ago
GES1985 16 years ago
https://www.instructables.com/forum/TVKT06KF2H0OXI6/#CUOBPEEF3KRXIQU
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Aron313 12 years ago