Air Zooka Medium.

Intro: Air Zooka Medium.

Build a homemade version of an air zooka capable of blowing out a candle out from 15+ feet. This design can be easily adapted to larger pails.

STEP 1: Gather Materials & Tools

Materials Needed
1 Pail, used here is a Folgers Coffee container (if you've got the cover it may make the last step easier)
2 keychain rings
20" string
a rubberband or two
piece of wire (paperclip)
2 plastic caps
plastic bag
duct tape

Tools
knife
scissors
candle

STEP 2: Prep Plastics

do some cutting and melting of the plastics

(ignore this paragraph if you don't have a cover for your container) cut the center out of the folgers cover keeping the sealing ring intact. This will be used to seal the plastic bag, if your bucket doesn't have this option don't worry, just use duct tape as described later on.

Cut the thredding sides off of the milk caps to make flat hard plastic washers. Melt a hole through the center with a wire heated in the candle.

Cut a hole in the center of the bottom of the folgers container. This one's 2" dia. Doesn't really matter how big unless you want to get into the formulas of how much air your chute pushes. Also melt 4 holes around the edge as pictured. Must be just big enough for your string to fit though.

STEP 3: Tie the Knot

run the string as pictured. Leave enough slack when you tie the loop so you can pull the center of the loops to the center of the container.

STEP 4: Make the Chute

Lay out a sheet of plastic cut from the bag big enough to more than cover the top of the folgers container. Duct tape the two milk cap washers to the center of each side lining up their centers. Push the wire (paperclip) through the middle and wire the keychain loops to each side. Now you've got a finger hold one one side and a place to attach the rubber band on the other.

STEP 5: Attach the Rubber Band.

fold the rubber band across the two inside string loops. Put each half of rubberband into the inside keychain loop. If you're smarter than me you'll attach the rubberband to the ring with the ends of the paper clip sticking out so the pointy ends of the wire are not right by your trigger finger but hidden inside the folgers container.

STEP 6: Seal the Deal!

Now lay the plastic sheet across the top and put the folgers cover ring back on to hold the plastic in place. If the container you used has no cover simply use a rubber band to hold it in place, cut off the extra plastic sheeting and then duct tape over that rubberband and around the whole edge.

You're done, use it to blow out that candle you were using to heat your plastic melting tool. I blew out a birthday candle from 15ft away and I'm sure it's capable of more if you can aim the darn thing. Fill it with heavy smoke and make smoke rings which make great tracers.

I built one out of a elec meter cover (hard plastic, a little bigger than an ice cream pail) which packs a punch. If it wasn't for the POOF! and the big smile on my face people would have no idea what hit them!

Comments

[Siesta]

Try using a 3 liter bottle of soda with the bottom cut off, and a heavy duty freezer bag. Works great!

[tledgerwood]

I used a 12 litre bucket and it all in all cost £1.50. I tried shooting smoke rings and they were 10cm in diametre. I made an instructable for it. plz vote!

[currie]

I like the canon but it would be nice to know how far it shoots and how accurat it is. I will try to make one with that info. Becuase i made one like it and it shoots far but is not accurat. thanks

[bnevarez]

i dont get dis part

[sharlston]

I PUT A SMOKE MACHINE IN THIS AND IT BLOWED SMOKE RINGS OT TO 0 METRES

[mo5]

OMG! 0 meters, I wish i had one

[sharlston]

i mean i put a smoke machine in this and t blew smoke rings ten meter away

[dragonsniper]

ahahaha rofl

[danielthomas72]

This is AWESOME!! Thanks for the great, clear instructions. I made three with my two boys, we are having great fun blowing out each others candles, war games style!! Any Aussies reading this, you can pick up used ice cream tubs from Dairy Bell for AU50cents!! The cheapest craft project ever! Cheers Joe Bees P.S I made the hole big enough to put my hand through and found if you tape on plastic with Elastic/rubber band attatched first, then stitch through the string, you can get a really nice strong tension rubber band and it makes the plastic easier to position.

[the mechanical engineer]

anyone got a 55 gallon drum laying around?

[Godsteam1]

Would you think that a "Dubble Bubble" gum container would work?

[xproplayer]

kinda flimsy but you could try it

[Hiyadudez]

kool

[armindilo]

Very nice! Wish I had a folgers can kickin around!

[JoeBees]

Do it with any sturdy container. My larger one built out of a electric meter cover is way better, I only built this one because I figured people are more likely to have a folgers container than a spare meter cover.

[T.E.A.]

you can do it with a 5 gallon container

[trooperrick]

Good idea, this is my version I never got around to publishing or making a video.

How to make a homemade Airzooka

[milkmood]

Geez...this is the cheapest entertainment since burning wood (and ants) with a magnifying glass when I was 12. Fun stuff.

[w00ty32]

lol

[Aar000n3y]

It would be a lot easier to attach the chute at the back and put the rubberbands in an 'x' formation, and pull back on that.