By CallMeSwal https://swal.me/ Follow
More by the author:
About: I make things, some of which work. Full Tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/c/CallMeSwal Email: owaism@mcmaster.ca More About CallMeSwal »
Do you want to swing from skyscraper to skyscraper with your very own web shooters? Well, you will probably have to hold off on that thought for another 100 years.
In the mean while, we can make this mock web shooter. It's a wrist mounted coil gun that can harpoon and retrieve objects. The web shooter is able to reel in objects from over 12 feet away.
No electronics experience is required. You won't have to solder a bunch of capacitors to build this mechanism! I have taken a look at other ways to build a similar device. I guarantee you that this is the easiest method. Almost every method requires you to build a complex circuit with tons of electrical components. NOT HERE! While that would be a great lesson, I want this project to be fun, easy, and (most importantly) cheap to make.
Build Time: Two Hours
Build Cost: $20 (I already had most of the parts. I tried to use things that people generally already have at home.)
You can build this mechanism by continuing with this text or watching the video instructions on the next page. I hope that you find either adequate.
Hat tip to HowToLou, LaserGadgets, and ElectroBOOM. I could not have finished my project without their informative videos.
**I'm going to shamelessly interrupt this Instructable. If you like this project please vote for it in the Heroes and Villains Contest!**
By energising a small coil, we are able to launch metal objects several feet away.
Our coil gun design features a coil and a metal dart. The metal dart is tied to a spool of thread. The spool of thread is connected to a motor. Triggering the coil launches the dart in the air. The gear motor can retrieve the dart and whatever the dart has impaled.
An Electric Stapler.
An electric stapler contains all of the major electronic components that we need for this project. We do not even need to modify the circuitry in any way for our purposes! Electric staplers generally retail for $20, but I found mine in a recycling bin. SCORE!
The electric stapler will connect to a power outlet. If you want to make your web shooter portable, you will need a 12 V Battery and an AC/DC power inverter. If your happy with a web shooter that plugs into a wall, you don't need these objects. I picked up my power inverter off of Kijiji for $20. This is the only thing that I had to buy while making my project.
Take apart the stapler.
All that's needed is the coil, pcb, and power chord.
Ensure the electronics remain intact.
Inspect the PCB.
Locate the push button or infrared trigger switch.
When the switch is pressed, the coil will turn on for a brief moment. Any metallic object within the coil's vicinity will be launched in the opposing direction.
So try it out! Place a nail, dart, or some other metal projectile within the coil and fire.
I am using a dart as the harpoon of my web shooter because it is excellent at impaling things. If you find a better bullet during your testing, feel free to use it.
In the pdf, you'll find a scaled cut out template and an instruction manual.
We'll use this template to make the base of our web shooter.
Download and print the pdf. Glue the sheet to a foam board.
Cut out the pieces with a knife.
**I've added my CAD files in case that helps anyone. I expect that some people would rather 3D print their web shooter. I did all of my cad in Autodesk Inventor.**
