Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction: Build Implements of Spitball Warfare - Softcover

Austin, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1556529538 ISBN 13: 9781556529535

Verlag: A Cappella Books, 2009

Inhaltsangabe

PopularMechanics.com selection for one of The Best DIY and Home Improvement Books of 2009 

 

We’ve come a long way from the Peashooter Era: with the advent of modern household products and office supplies—binder clips, clothespins, rubber bands, ballpoint pens, toothpicks, paper clips, plastic utensils, and (of course) matches and barbeque lighters—troublemakers of all stripes have the components needed to build an impressive, if somewhat miniaturized, arsenal.

 

Toy designer John Austin provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for each project, including materials and ammo lists, clear diagrams, and construction tips, for mayhem-loving MacGyvers. The 35 devices include catapults, slingshots, minibombs, darts, and combustion shooters. Build a tiny trebuchet from paper clips and a D-cell battery. Wrap a penny in a string of paper caps to create a surprisingly impressive “bomb.” Several of the projects even include variations where combatants mount laser pointer sights to their shooters to increase their accuracy.

 

Finally, once you’ve built your armory, the author provides plans for a Top Secret Concealing Book to hide your stash, as well as targets for shooting practice. Never let your personal space go undefended again!

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

John Austin is a professional toy designer and author of Cubical Warfare and Prank University.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction

Build Implements of Spitball Warfare

By John Austin

Chicago Review Press Incorporated

Copyright © 2009 John Austin
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-55652-953-5

Contents

Introduction, 
Play It Safe, 
1 Small Launchers, 
2 Bows and Slingshots, 
3 Darts, 
4 Catapults, 
5 Combustion Shooters, 
6 Minibombs and Claymore Mine, 
7 Concealing Book and Targets, 

CHAPTER 1

SMALL LAUNCHERS

BB PENCIL

The BB Pencil is a small, pocket-sized rifle designed to elastically launch a single BB. Requiring limited supplies, this is a great mechanical gun with incredible accuracy. The pencil retains its original form, making it easy to conceal in plain sight — the perfect double-agent tool.

Step 1

Dissect your inexpensive mechanical pencil using brute strength. Pull out the innards and snap off the pencil tip. If you are unable to perform the decapitation by hand, use pliers. Once removed, the pencil tip can be discarded.

The outer housing of the pencil becomes the barrel of the BB Pencil. Make sure the housing pathway is unobstructed by any plastic fragments that might have broken off during disassembly.

Step 2

Carefully use scissors or a hobby knife to remove the tapered end of the plunger. This will make room for the BB to sit in the barrel, waiting to be launched, and will prevent it from falling out.

Next, securely fasten a wide rubber band to the eraser end of the plunger with tape. If the eraser is newer, cut a slit in the eraser head to slide the rubber band into for additional support.

Step 3

Once you've modified the plunger, slide it back into the pencil housing barrel.

Lay the rubber band on top of the pencil housing. Eliminate any slack in the rubber band and securely fasten it to the pencil housing with tape. Any malfunction during operation will be directly related to the taping of the rubber band, so make sure it's secure.

Step 4

Your BB Pencil is now fully operational. Load a single BB into the muzzle end of the barrel and choose your target carefully. Then pull back the plunger and let it rip!

This mechanical marvel is capable of firing BBs with incredible force and can cause damage. It is important to remember this MiniWeapon is homebuilt and not always accurate. If you wish to test your BB Pencil, basic targets are available in chapter 7.

Alternate Construction

With a few simple additions, you can modify your BB Pencil by incorporating an advanced laser targeting system with additional ammo rounds at your fingertips.

Using an emptied-out pen housing, cut a small BB-sized door at the open end. Then use a small piece of tape to cap the open end. The housing should hold about 30 BBs and can easily be dumped out for a quick reload.

Next, tape both the pen housing and a small, inexpensive laser pointer onto your BB Pencil. Turn on your pointer when you are ready to fire.

COIN SHOOTER

Everyone on the ground — the party's over! The Coin Shooter is an amazing, inexpensive elastic launcher with an incredible range. Because the gun housing is made from a recycled toilet paper tube and a balloon, you'll not only be firing pennies, you'll also be saving them.

Step 1

Using scissors, cut one standard-sized latex balloon in half as shown. Throw the mouth end off to one side; you will not be using it for this build.

Step 2

Now it's time to manufacture the barrel of your elastic cannon. Toilet paper tubes are ideal for this component. If toilet rolls are not available, you can find thick, sturdy tubes inside rolls of paper towels, aluminum foil, and wrapping paper.

Pull the balloon head over the end of the cardboard cylinder. Once in place, tape it securely into position without denting or crushing the tube. Once taped, pull the balloon back to test your adhesive restraint. Add more tape if needed. It is important that you do not alter the tube diameter when securing the tape. This will affect the efficiency of the launcher.

Step 3

Now load your coin into the muzzle end of the shooter. With your fingers, locate the ammunition in the balloon. Holding the coin between your fingers, pull the balloon back and safely aim the muzzle away from spectators and anything breakable. Release your ammunition from your grip and let it go! The latex will catapult your coin through the barrel at high velocity.

Replacing the short barrel with a longer barrel will help with the accuracy of this firearm. Also, though the gun is designed to launch coins, other low-cost ammunition can be used instead — erasers, marshmallows, spitballs, paper clips, small binder clips, pen caps, peanuts, bouncy balls, and small candies.

Never operate the launcher if the balloon is showing signs of wear.

BEAN SHOOTER

The Bean Shooter is the perfect pocket-sized latex launcher. Designed with an unbreakable plastic frame and commanding firepower, it's ideal for the on-the-go hobbyist sharpshooter.

Step 1

With over 20 billion water bottles sold each year, finding a suitable Bean Shooter frame shouldn't be a problem. How about recycling one of those billons into a musket marvel?

Using one of your various pocketknife blades, saw or cut off the threaded neck of a soft drink bottle. Once you have removed the neck, use your knife to trim off any sharp protrusions that may be left on the cut edge.

Step 2

Like the Coin Shooter, the Bean Shooter's power source is a standardsized latex balloon. Using scissors, cut the balloon in half as shown and discard the mouth end.

Balloons come in many shapes and sizes. A traditional round balloon is recommended for this type of launcher, but feel free to test other balloon shapes for varied results.

Step 3

Assembly of your Bean Shooter is quick and easy. Take the half section of the balloon and tape it tightly to the bottle top. It is important to be certain that you've cleaned up the cut edge of the bottle in step 1. Sharp edges will cut your balloon and cause a malfunction.

Now, load a bean, eraser, or peanut into the barrel and locate it with your fingers. Once you have a grip on it, pull it back and release. It is important that you pick a safe target to practice your marksmanship.

CLOTHESPIN SHOOTER

Yes, people still use wooden clothespins. You'll be using one to construct a menacing spear gun capable of firing flaming matches. Held like a gun and fired like a gun, this MiniWeapon will have wrongdoers reaching for the sky.

Step 1

First, disassemble a clothespin and lay the two wooden prongs and metal spring on a cutting surface.

Use one of the blades of a pocketknife to modify the two halves. First, cut a small notch into one of the wooden prongs, as shown. Take your time! Fingers cost more than clothespins. Then, cut the other prong in half at the location shown in the above illustration.

Step 2

Tightly slide the factory spring back onto the prong with the custom notch you cut out in step 1. Carefully examine the illustration above to make sure the spring is properly oriented. Continue to slide the spring until the bar snaps into the notch. If your notch does not seem deep enough, rework.

Step 3

Next, place the shorter wooden prong on top of the longer section. Use the factory notches as a point of...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: A Cappella Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1556529538
• ISBN 13: 9781556529535
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 256
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Chicago Review Press; https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/; ; 814 North Franklin Street; Chicago; IL; 60610; USA
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar