The Walking Dead : Metal Throwing Cards

You've been on the open road for months now, you've overcome every obstacle you've faced and kept on going, and you've finally made it. You have found a place that is safe, where you can finally rest and wait out the apocalypse. You and your survivor friends are sitting in the yard of a prison observing as the walkers slam their bodies against the prison fence. You're satisfied with what you have accomplished and decide its time to lay back, relax and play a game of cards. So you take out a pack of cards that you've been saving specifically for the apocalypse and you and your friends start playing a quick game of poker, using zombie teeth as money. After playing for an hour, you hear a sound coming from around the corner. You are certain that you've secured every inch of this prison and so you calmly go and check, taking your cards with you (ensuring no one tries to cheat you out of your hard earned zombie teeth). You calmly turn around the corner, cards in hand and to your surprise it isn't a walker its a human. You are going to yell to the others but you see him taking out a gun. You left your piece on the poker table and you know that your friends cant get there in time. You pray, after all you've been through this is how it ends,... when you suddenly remember the cards you have in your hand are no ordinary playing cards they are metal throwing cards. In one swift and fast flick of your wrist you send the card flying and it embeds itself in the man's head, he falls to his knees falls forward and dies. Thank god you had those throwing cards or you'd be dead for sure you think to yourself. You slowly head towards the lifeless body to retrieve your winning hand and you think back to that moment when you built those cards from an awesome instructable you had seen.

• As you may assume you are going to need metal (Aluminium was used as it can be cut by a CNC machine thou steel might be better)
  • The aluminium bought was of a 20 by 25 sheet of 1 mm thickness
• A CNC machine was used but a metal saw would do the job
• Ferric-chloride was used to etch the pictured into the aluminum
• A clothes iron
• High gloss photo paper
• 120 grit sand paper
• Acetone

The card's dimensions have the same ratio as those of normal cards, normal cards are 5.8 by 8.9, the metal cards have an increase of 0.25, therefore (5.8 * 1.25) = 7.25 and (8.9 * 1.25) = 11.12.

The card dimensions where first inputted into the CNC software along with all of the other information regarding the cut.

Then the aluminium plate was firmly secured into place.

The CNC cutting process was started.

While the CNC was cutting we added petroleum to the cutting locations as a drilling fluid.

After the CNC cutting process was done we removed the card cutouts from the aluminium plate by removing the tabs.

The sides of the cutouts where quickly sanded down.

The designs chosen where printed onto a piece of high gloss photo paper.

The designs have to be printed in inverse so that they can appear correct on the paper.

They where placed in a text editor and their size adjusted according to the metal card cutouts and then printed to actual size.

The metal card cutouts where then sanded with a 120 grit sandpaper, wiped from any dust and then polished with acetone.

The paper is placed ink side down onto the metal card cutout and then ironed over with a clothes iron, it is ironed for around 2 - 3 minutes so that the ink transfers onto the metal.

After the paper has been ironed onto the metal it should be stuck to it, this step is going to remove the paper while allowing the ink to stay onto the metal card cutout.

Prepare a basin with water and place the card with the ironed on paper in it and allow to soak for 4-5 minutes.

Then rub your finger against the paper which will start to roll us and remove itself from the metal and it should leave the ink on the metal.

Remove the entire paper and the ink that was once printed on the paper should now be transferred onto the metal card cutout.

If there are any places where the ink was not stuck to the metal, these can be fixed with a toothpick and nail polish.

Draw the missing part from the printout with nail polish and then allow it to rest this will do the same job as ink.

USE SAFETY EQUIPMENT!!! LATEX GLOVES, GAS MASK and GOOGLES.

Place the Ferric Chloride into a basin and dilute it as when it was not diluted the reaction became extremely vigorous and exothermic.

Place the card with the ink on it into the ferric chloride bath, this will etch down the parts which are bare metal.

After the card is surrounded by bubbles and starts to rise upward then remove from the ferric chloride and place in water to stop the reaction.

Then using a piece of brass wool scrape the surface of the card this will retrieve its metal look. (If you do not have brass wool use steel wool but be gentle).

Your cards are almost finished and ready to break zombies' skulls but not before you sharpen them.

Grab a long piece of 120 grit sand paper and clamp it to your workbench.

Place the edge of your card touching the sandpaper at a 45 degrees angle and push outward, repeat on both sides.

Sand the cards in a circular motion at the edges.

Now your cards are ready for playing and for killing some zombies or humans if need be!!

BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU THROW THESE THEY FLY RATHER FAR WHEN THROWN PROPERLY AND THEY CAN HURT PEOPLE AND DAMAGE PROPERTY.