Introduction: The $0 Coil Gun

By HM-Innovations.com
About: We are a group of Engineers, Tinkerers, Designers, Programers, and Nerds ! ---- and Since April 2011 We also have a Cupcake Maker

We've all been there, you see something cool online, you want to figure out how is done but no one seems to want to help you. So you look up videos on Youtube and all that you find are even better and even military grade coil guns. http://blip.tv/file/3059790 But nothing that's really going to help you with your project or your simple coil gun. So finally if you're like me, you come to Instructables.com where you pretty much find everything you want in a simple search. This is my attempt at teaching you a basic simple to do, Coil Gun Hope ya'll like it. Bellow is a video of the whole process, if you don't feel like watching the video and want to get started on the Instructable instead, go to the next slide Either Way Have Fun :)


Step 1: Supplies

You really don't need much for this project, and it really cost about $5.00

You will need to find a disposable camera, any type of camera works. Usually if you go Walgreens and ask for a recycled camera that you will be using for a project they give you some for free. In the video you see us go through 50 cameras that we get for free from Walgreens. The more capacitors that you have, the stronger your coil gun will work so keep that in mind.

Next you need to find a plastic tubing, anything that is not conductive. A pen tube works best for this type of project. But youre looking for anything that is non-conductive.

Also you need to buy magnetic enamel coated copper wire. This will conduct the electricity to the tube.

And lastly you will need a Button Switch

and a Battery :) And that's about it :)

Step 2: So How Does It Work?

To get you a mental image of how this works, imagine a magnet. Now place a small metal ball next to the magnet. The magnetic force from the magnet will pull the ball towards it. Now imagine that you can turn that magnet on and off. So the ball is sitting next to it but does not move. You turn on the magnet. The ball is attracted to the magnet and starts moving toward it. Now you turn the magnet off and the ball just keeps rolling alot.

This is the basis of a coil gun. But where do you get a magnet that turns on and off? This is where the coil of wire comes in. When current is run through the coil of wire it becomes an electromagnet. So it can be turned on and off at will. Usually it is just turned on for a few miliseconds, so that the projectile is pulled toward it and the magnet turns off right as the projectile passes through so that is will keep going. - "WonkoLabs"

The whole magnetic properties of the gun can be observed by using a battery, a copper coil and a nail.

If you wrap the coil around the nail, and you add a battery to both ends, you magnetize the nail for as long as the battery is attached to the coil ends.

Step 3: Getting the Camera Ready

Alright the first thing you need to do is get the camera ready for the whole thing. So you start by taking out the battery, this will prevent you from getting shocked accidentally.... Talking about Getting shocked, you can make a Camera Taser out of a disposable camera too.....here is the link for that video on how too. http://blip.tv/file/3245332

Anyways, once you get the battery out, you need to open up the camera, and be VERY careful when you are doing this, the capacitor is more than likely still charged and can deliver a nasty shock if you're not safe.

So once you have the camera open you need to locate the capacitor prongs... the capacitor is the battery looking thing on the side of the camera, locate the ends of the capacitor and using a screw driver touch both ends of the capacitor in order to discharge the energy.

Step 4: Taking Out the Circuit


So you have the battery and capacitor discharged and ready to go, next thing is to remove the circuit from the camera, this is what you will use to charge the capacitor and all the essential works of the coil gun.


Step 5: Attaching the Button to the Cap'


Okay next thing is attaching the button switch onto the capacitor. You will only attach one end of the button to one end of the capacitor the other end will go to the coil and we'll teach you how to do that in a minute. Just make sure that you have a good solid connection on the capacitor.

Step 6: Getting the Tube Ready


So the barrel of your gun has to be made out of a non conductive material, plastic works best, or a plastic pen tube would be perfect and ideal.

You need to start about 1" from any end of your tube and using duck tape start increasing the diameter of your tube to about .5" then leave a 1" gap in the middle and start another .5" increase in the diameter. Your coil will be placed in the center of the two gaps.

Step 7: Making the Connections


Alright so now that you have the whole barrel finished you need to start making the right connections.

Attach one end of the coil to the button switch, the other end of the coil will be attached to one end of the capacitor, the other end of the capacitor will be attached to the remaining cable in the button switch. This will complete the circuit when the coil is ready to fire. SO now just add the battery and press the charge button, when the HUMMING sound stops you know that the capacitor is ready to be discharged and ready to fire. 

Step 8: Getting a Bunch of Caps'

So lastly we added several capacitors together in parallel and we charged them up to a total of 280 volts. We placed the entire assembly inside of a project box and let her fire. We placed a metallic plate and placed a piece of paper in the front and you can see the projectile bounce off the plate in slow motion if you watch the video. Hope yall like this instructable :)