Introduction: Saw Blade Airgun Target

By www.myfavoritestripper.blogspot.

A few months ago I lent my chop saw to a friend who was installing a laminate floor. When I got it back, the 12" blade was as sharp as a wet noodle. Rather than throw it away, I decided to save it for a future project. Good saw blades use high quality steel. I figured this blade would make a great airgun target. Here's how I made it.

Materials

  1. Saw blade from circular or table saw
  2. angle iron (old bed frame)
  3. Chain
  4. (4) nuts and bolts

Tools

  1. Grinder or hacksaw
  2. Welder
  3. Drill and bit

Step 1: Make the Frame

You need some angle iron. I used some of my favorite curb-side steel; old bed frames. Use a cut-off wheel on a grinder or a hacksaw to cut the pieces. The top piece 19" long and the vertical pieces 25" long; 20" for the height and 5" for the ground spike. Use the cut-off wheel to taper the ends to a point. Weld the pieces together and dress the welds and sharp edges with the grinder.

Drill two holes spaced 10" apart on the top of the frame to support the blade. Cut some old chain to length and bolt it to the blade and frame with 10-24 bolts and nuts. Luckily my blade already had expansion slots in it that fit the hardware perfectly. Drilling through good saw blades is an exercise in futility without carbide bits. Finish off the frame with a little spray paint over the bare spots.

Step 2: Shoot!

The blade has a tantalizing hole right in the center; perfect for a bullseye. Put something behind the hole for the bullseye. I taped some Daisy ShatterBlast targets over the hole. In the future, I think I will have to mount some sort of bell behind it.

The blade makes a nice sound when you hit it and the ShatterBlast bullseye makes for a nice challenge at longer distances. You may want to weld a horizontal piece under the blade to serve as a stepping point to drive the spikes into the ground and prevent the legs from twisting. But it works fine as is. The blade is unharmed by my air rifle firing .22 pellets at about 650 fps. Note: this target is only recommended for lead projectiles. Steel BB's will ricochet.

Happy Shooting!