Using lasercutting and 3d printing, we designed a gun that pops and shoots fresh popcorn.

Supplies

Supplies needed for this project are:

one sheet of 4mm MDF
one small sheet of 3 to 5mm plexiglass
an empty soda can
± 20cm of 25mm pvc pipe
one 4-AA battery pack
2 brushless dc motors
a 5A 3pin roller switch
zip ties
a couple of screws
some popcorn kernels
a ROBI 11 AMP VARIABLE-TEMPERATURE HEAT GUN

Tools used:

lasercutter
3d printer
soldering iron
hot glue gun

Step 1: Lasercutting

Download the provided files, lasercut the MDF and Plexiglass pieces and puzzle them together around the heat gun. Use the images shown above as a guide.

Step 2: 3d Printing

The next step is to 3d print all the parts of the toy gun. The files can be found at https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/simple-nerf-gun-for-rival-ammunition

Step 3: Electronics

Once all the parts are printed, you can start putting the toy gun together. Connect and solder the electronic parts and glue and screw them together inside the gun.

Step 4: The Soda Can

Cut the top part off a soda can (at approximately 10cm from the bottom) and drill a couple of small holes in the botom. Make sure that the holes are not too big so that the popcorn kernels won't fall through.

Step 5: Assembly

Now that all of the different components are ready, the popcorn gun can be assembled. Strap the toy gun to the front part of the machine using a couple of zip ties and push the can in it's respective place in front of the heatgun.

Step 6: Testing

If everything is assembled well, you can start trying out the popcorn gun. Fill up the soda can with some popcorn kernels. Turn on the heatgun. Wait for the corn to pop. Once you have some ammunition ready, you can pull the trigger and watch the pieces of popcorn fly away!