Mini Shotgun
In this Instructable I show you how to make a mini shotgun with household items. This is a fun project that can be completed in an hour.
Challenges
The biggest challenge of this project was getting the spring to the correct tension. For this I made a test setup. The distance between the 2 notches to get the ideal tension turns out to be exactly the same as the length of the spring.
Video tutorial:
Materials you will need:
- Leftover block of wood
- Clothespin
- Iron pipes for double barrel (I used a piece of a telescope magnet for this).
- Superglue
- Sharp knife
- Matches
- Toothpicks
Marking the Shape
To begin with, I marked the shape of the gun on the block of wood. The barrels are placed on top of the flat part. You can adjust the shape of the gun to your own liking, but keep in mind that the spring of the clothespin must have enough space to be able to move.
Cutting and Sanding
Cut out the marked shape with a utility knife. do this slowly and with small pieces to prevent pieces of wood from breaking off.
Always cut away from you with the knife!
When the block has the right shape you can start sanding. Make all edges nicely rounded and sand all surfaces well. This gives the best end result.
Install the Spring
To be able to mount the spring I made 2 small notches in the wood. On the side where the spring pulls against, they must be straight so that the spring does not shoot over by itself and catches properly.
Grab a clothespin and take the spring out. Now put the spring in the notches, tension it and check that the mechanism works.
Assemble the Barrels
Make sure the spring is in the end position. Put a little super glue on the wood and stick the barrels on it one by one. Make sure they are straight. When the glue is dry, you can add some extra glue to make sure they stick.
Ready!
The mini shotgun is now ready for use! Load it by pulling back the spring and inserting matches or toothpick.
The shotgun shoots quite hard and can easily shoot 10 meters. So be careful not to aim at people or animals!
Video tutorial:
Have fun making this project! I am curious about your results!
See you soon! New Pew