Introduction: How to Make a High Powered Pneumatic Blowgun
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About: I am a recent recipient of a BS in Computer Science. Currently working for an eDiscovery company as a web repository technician (hosting, searching and helping attorneys to process their electronic data) but w…
Want a serious pneumatic dart gun? Of course you do! A friend of mine was over at my house a while back and we were playing with my spud gun and he had an idea . . .shove a piece of sharpened coat hanger through the "spud" (to save on potatoes we have been using reusable spuds . . .see my ible called "The Silver Spud" for instructions) and fire it off. The result: massive puncturing power and a really bent coat hanger! The point dug into a solid palm tree more than 2 inches.
Recently I thought . . .'hmmmmm I wonder if I can make this more usable and tailored to the blow gun world' the result: The Puncturator!!!
12 inches of chamber, 48 inches of barrel and unbridled, cold-blooded savagery!
Here's a video of it working:
Recently I thought . . .'hmmmmm I wonder if I can make this more usable and tailored to the blow gun world' the result: The Puncturator!!!
12 inches of chamber, 48 inches of barrel and unbridled, cold-blooded savagery!
Here's a video of it working:
Step 1: Gather Your Materials and Tools
Okay so you want to make a Puncturator of your very own . . .first things first you need the following items:
MATERIALS
MATERIALS
- An old bicycle inner tube
- A 2 inch end cap
- A 12 inch length of 2" pipe
- A 2inch coupling
- A 2 inch to 3/4 inch reducer that's threaded on the 3/4 inch side
- A 3/4 inch connector(a piece of ABS that's threaded on both ends and about 2 inches long or so)
- A 3/4 inch ball valve with threaded entry and exit
- A 3/4 inch male (threaded) to female (non threaded) adapter
- Two 24 inch lengths of 3/4 inch Pipe
- A 3/4 inch coupling
- ABS/PBV/CPVC pipe cleaner
- The appropriate primer and cement for your type of pipe (make sure you don't use pvc cement on abs and vice versa)
- Teflon Tape
- Electrical Tape (I use orange because it makes the darts easier to find if you miss)
- A used plastic milk jug
- An old stout metal coat hanger (the stouter the better as thinner hangers tend to bend a lot when fired into trees and the like)
- A vise
- A drill
- A drill bit the same size as (or even a hair smaller than) the diameter of the valve on the inner tube
- A Bike Pump
- A grinder or if you are patient (or paranoid) a file
- Pliers
- Wire Cutters
Step 2: Preparation of Parts:
This section focuses strictly on the preparation of the Puncturator's pieces. There is a section later on that discusses the fabrication of the darts.
THE CAP
First go ahead and cut the valve out of the old inner tube with a little bit of space around it (there's a section right around the valve that's thicker . . .include this section with your cutout and you'll be fine) --EDIT-- you can buy these valves by themselves but it's cheaper to use an old inner tube that you were going to throw away. If you don't have an inner tube look for schrader valves.
Next drill a hole in the center of the end cap the with the bit sized described above . . .it should be a really tight fit (as in you should really have to struggle to get the valve through the hole)
Now take a little of your pipe cement and put it around the base of the inner tube valve above the "skirt" of rubber left around the base.
Press the Valve through the hole firmly until it won't go any further.
THE PIPE PIECES
Using the little brush in the can of pipe cleaner wipe liberally around the edges of the following:
-the inside edge of the cap
-both outside edges of the 2 inch pipe
-both inside edges of the 2 inch coupling
-the outside edge of the 2 inch part of the reducer
IF USING PVC!!!! Do the same as above but with the purple primer too!!!!
Take your Teflon tape and wrap it tightly a few times around both threaded ends of the connector and the male end of the male/female adapter.
THE CAP
First go ahead and cut the valve out of the old inner tube with a little bit of space around it (there's a section right around the valve that's thicker . . .include this section with your cutout and you'll be fine) --EDIT-- you can buy these valves by themselves but it's cheaper to use an old inner tube that you were going to throw away. If you don't have an inner tube look for schrader valves.
Next drill a hole in the center of the end cap the with the bit sized described above . . .it should be a really tight fit (as in you should really have to struggle to get the valve through the hole)
Now take a little of your pipe cement and put it around the base of the inner tube valve above the "skirt" of rubber left around the base.
Press the Valve through the hole firmly until it won't go any further.
THE PIPE PIECES
Using the little brush in the can of pipe cleaner wipe liberally around the edges of the following:
-the inside edge of the cap
-both outside edges of the 2 inch pipe
-both inside edges of the 2 inch coupling
-the outside edge of the 2 inch part of the reducer
IF USING PVC!!!! Do the same as above but with the purple primer too!!!!
Take your Teflon tape and wrap it tightly a few times around both threaded ends of the connector and the male end of the male/female adapter.
Step 3: Assembly
Now for the sticky bit . . .
Below is a crash course on pipe assembly but I'm going to spare the details for those who already know all the little nuances of this process. If this is your first project then I'd suggest looking elsewhere for more information on it.
Take the cement (again make sure it's the right kind for your pipe type) and using the brush apply all the way around the inside edge of the end cap and one end of the 2 inch pipe.
before it has time to set up press the end cap onto the pipe and make sure it goes all the way on. Once it's all the way on give it a slight twist to make sure there's cement all the way around and press it down once more to keep the pipe from sliding out.
Now do the same thing for the next pieces of pipe in the following order . . .
-cement the 2 inch coupling to the other end of the chamber
-cement the reducer into the coupling
Now I'd wait a good half an hour before doing anything else just to make sure the cement has time to cure a bit before continuing . . .have a snack or lunch or something like that to burn the time.
Now take the connector with the Teflon tape and using the vise (or pliers or vice grips) thread it into the reducer as tightly as it will go and then take the ball valve and thread it onto the other end of the connector. twist really tight now to make sure you have a perfect seal. Hint: install the ball valve while it is open.
Now install the male/female adapter into the ball valve the same way as above.
All the permanent bits are done now . . .to make the barrel connect the two 3/4 inch pieces of pipe with the coupling and press them into the female end of the adapter. If you want to be able to collapse this gun then don't use cement on the last bits.
Now onto the darts . . .
Below is a crash course on pipe assembly but I'm going to spare the details for those who already know all the little nuances of this process. If this is your first project then I'd suggest looking elsewhere for more information on it.
Take the cement (again make sure it's the right kind for your pipe type) and using the brush apply all the way around the inside edge of the end cap and one end of the 2 inch pipe.
before it has time to set up press the end cap onto the pipe and make sure it goes all the way on. Once it's all the way on give it a slight twist to make sure there's cement all the way around and press it down once more to keep the pipe from sliding out.
Now do the same thing for the next pieces of pipe in the following order . . .
-cement the 2 inch coupling to the other end of the chamber
-cement the reducer into the coupling
Now I'd wait a good half an hour before doing anything else just to make sure the cement has time to cure a bit before continuing . . .have a snack or lunch or something like that to burn the time.
Now take the connector with the Teflon tape and using the vise (or pliers or vice grips) thread it into the reducer as tightly as it will go and then take the ball valve and thread it onto the other end of the connector. twist really tight now to make sure you have a perfect seal. Hint: install the ball valve while it is open.
Now install the male/female adapter into the ball valve the same way as above.
All the permanent bits are done now . . .to make the barrel connect the two 3/4 inch pieces of pipe with the coupling and press them into the female end of the adapter. If you want to be able to collapse this gun then don't use cement on the last bits.
Now onto the darts . . .
Step 4: The Darts
Be extra cautious in this step . . . grinders are not funny things you can seriously injure yourself using one so if you've never done this before either get help with the process or use a file and a vise. . .the latter is slower but believe me it's worth it if you don't know what you're doing.
Always do the following with safety glasses and an apron of some kind . . .there's going to be a lot of orange hot sparks flying around.
To make darts for The Puncturator you'll need to cut straight 6 inch sections of coat hanger and using the grinder (or the file and vise), sharpen one end to a point. Now take the electrical tape and place the unsharpened end of the dart on the tape. Wind the tape around several times to create a shelf of sorts. This shelf keeps your cone from slipping off the dart.
Cut a circle out of the milk jug (cut it nice and big the first time . . . you can always cut extra off later).
NOTE:: Kudos for the person who figures out the equation for the diameter of this circle so that it fits in the tube perfectly!!! I already derived it but to spare the not mathy (ie sane) people here I'll let trial and error rule for now.
Now cut about 1/4 of the circle away so it looks like Pacman and roll it into a cone shape. Use electrical tape to keep the cone in its shape and then wrap a single layer of electrical tape around the cone . . . as you'll find out its tricky to get it without bubbles but it is important to make it as smooth as possible. Now hold the cone in the end of your barrel and cut off little by little bits until it fits easily but snugly (not so snug that you need to force it in) into the barrel.
Next take the spike and push it up through the bottom of the cone until the cone settles onto the shelf. Wrap a bit of electrical tape around the area where the cone meets the shaft of your dart.
Done!!! I know this ought to go without saying but don't stab yourself on the coat hanger . . .
Always do the following with safety glasses and an apron of some kind . . .there's going to be a lot of orange hot sparks flying around.
To make darts for The Puncturator you'll need to cut straight 6 inch sections of coat hanger and using the grinder (or the file and vise), sharpen one end to a point. Now take the electrical tape and place the unsharpened end of the dart on the tape. Wind the tape around several times to create a shelf of sorts. This shelf keeps your cone from slipping off the dart.
Cut a circle out of the milk jug (cut it nice and big the first time . . . you can always cut extra off later).
NOTE:: Kudos for the person who figures out the equation for the diameter of this circle so that it fits in the tube perfectly!!! I already derived it but to spare the not mathy (ie sane) people here I'll let trial and error rule for now.
Now cut about 1/4 of the circle away so it looks like Pacman and roll it into a cone shape. Use electrical tape to keep the cone in its shape and then wrap a single layer of electrical tape around the cone . . . as you'll find out its tricky to get it without bubbles but it is important to make it as smooth as possible. Now hold the cone in the end of your barrel and cut off little by little bits until it fits easily but snugly (not so snug that you need to force it in) into the barrel.
Next take the spike and push it up through the bottom of the cone until the cone settles onto the shelf. Wrap a bit of electrical tape around the area where the cone meets the shaft of your dart.
Done!!! I know this ought to go without saying but don't stab yourself on the coat hanger . . .
Step 5: Using the Puncturator
Pull the barrel out of the male/female adapter and push a dart into the breach.
Put the barrel aside for now.
Take the bicycle pump and attach it to the inner tube valve. Close the ball valve and pump pump pump. ("sirens in the street under pressure whoa-o-o")
I've been using about 35 psi (measured by a tire pressure gauge) as I'm not sure what the pressure rating of 2 inch ABS is . . .does anyone know what that would be? I'd love to put even more pressure but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Disconnect the bike pump and push the barrel back into the adapter (dart end in).
Point The Puncturator at whatever it is you want to hit* and open the ball valve as quickly as possible without shaking the gun too much (you'll miss the target if the barrel is moving all over the place).
*DO NOT POINT THIS AT HUMANS PETS OR ANY ANIMALS!!! THE DART FIRED FROM THIS GUN IS DANGEROUS AND WOULD SERIOUSLY INJURE (OR WORSE) WHATEVER IT'S AIMED AT!
I'll have a fps measurement soon I hope, but I can tell you that the dart punches into a solid palm tree a good 4 or 5 inches. EDIT: according to a spreadsheet calculator from spudtech.com it's going about 856.6 FPS.
Use a pair of sturdy pliers to pull the dart from the target. Grip the dart as close to the entrance point as possible to avoid unnecessary bending.
As you all probably can see this also functions as a small spud gun . . .simply breach load some potato instead of the dart. If you do plan on using it as a spud gun though . . I'd suggest you cement the barrel parts together and devise a way of locking them into the gun so that it doesn't pop out instead of your potato piece.
Another fun thing to do is tear a tissue in half, wad up one half, and place it into the breach. place a paintball in next and the other half of the tissue next. Fire as normal . . .hey look . . .civil war paintball! lol seriously though . . .make sure the paintball isn't going faster than 300 fps(preferably 280) if you're going to use this against someone. TEMPERATURE AFFECTS PRESSURE!!!! If it's a different temperature outside than normal make sure and chrono it again and adjust your number of pumps accordingly.
Recently I built a couple duct tape rockets and used the puncturator to launch them a good 200 feet into the air! Good times!
Have fun and stay safe!
Put the barrel aside for now.
Take the bicycle pump and attach it to the inner tube valve. Close the ball valve and pump pump pump. ("sirens in the street under pressure whoa-o-o")
I've been using about 35 psi (measured by a tire pressure gauge) as I'm not sure what the pressure rating of 2 inch ABS is . . .does anyone know what that would be? I'd love to put even more pressure but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Disconnect the bike pump and push the barrel back into the adapter (dart end in).
Point The Puncturator at whatever it is you want to hit* and open the ball valve as quickly as possible without shaking the gun too much (you'll miss the target if the barrel is moving all over the place).
*DO NOT POINT THIS AT HUMANS PETS OR ANY ANIMALS!!! THE DART FIRED FROM THIS GUN IS DANGEROUS AND WOULD SERIOUSLY INJURE (OR WORSE) WHATEVER IT'S AIMED AT!
I'll have a fps measurement soon I hope, but I can tell you that the dart punches into a solid palm tree a good 4 or 5 inches. EDIT: according to a spreadsheet calculator from spudtech.com it's going about 856.6 FPS.
Use a pair of sturdy pliers to pull the dart from the target. Grip the dart as close to the entrance point as possible to avoid unnecessary bending.
As you all probably can see this also functions as a small spud gun . . .simply breach load some potato instead of the dart. If you do plan on using it as a spud gun though . . I'd suggest you cement the barrel parts together and devise a way of locking them into the gun so that it doesn't pop out instead of your potato piece.
Another fun thing to do is tear a tissue in half, wad up one half, and place it into the breach. place a paintball in next and the other half of the tissue next. Fire as normal . . .hey look . . .civil war paintball! lol seriously though . . .make sure the paintball isn't going faster than 300 fps(preferably 280) if you're going to use this against someone. TEMPERATURE AFFECTS PRESSURE!!!! If it's a different temperature outside than normal make sure and chrono it again and adjust your number of pumps accordingly.
Recently I built a couple duct tape rockets and used the puncturator to launch them a good 200 feet into the air! Good times!
Have fun and stay safe!
Step 6: Update: New Paint Job
I gave the ole puncturator a makeover and decided to post some pics of the results have a look!
