Introduction: How to Build a Marble Cannon
In these four simple steps, I will show you how to build a marble cannon with things you can just find in your garage!
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
The things you will need to build your marble cannon is:
- Saw
- Drill
- Tape measure
- Screws
- Zip ties
- A hinge
- Dowel rod (about 16in long)
- PVC pipe (about 14in long)
- 1 1/2 x 1 wood (15in long)
- 1 x 4 wood (18in pieces)
- Two extra blocks of wood
- 1 1/2 x 3 wood
Step 2: Building the Barrel
Take your PVC pipe and 1 1/2 x 1 and cut it to the suggested lengths. Make sure you have a little space left by the wood (as seen in the photo) over for later on. Place the PVC pipe on the 1 1/2 x 1 and secure zip ties around it so it is stable enough to not move around when firing. Then take your drill and screw two of the screws into the extra wood left, then drill two holes into the dowel rod (make sure the dowel rod is a few inches out of the PVC pipe). Attach your two springs to the screws.
Step 3: Building the Base
Screw the two 1 x 4's side by side (make sure they are even) and screw them together. I did this by taking two of the leftover scraps of wood and screwed them onto the wood pieces like in the photo above. And I screwed one of the sides is all the way to the edge so it wasn't wobbly when I fired!
After you have that done, flip it over so it's facing the top and screw on the block of wood (for extra height and base). I used a 1 1/2 x 3 but you can use whatever can fit.
Step 4: Putting the Pieces Together
Take your hinge and screw one side to the base (attach it to the side with the wood closer to the edge), then align the cannon and screw the other side of the hinge to it.
BOOM, now you have a functional marble cannon.