http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 10:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
QUAKE

III

RAILGUN


I MUST HAVE THAT....

I WILL DO ANYTHING.


ANYTHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG]]>May 7th 2009 12:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
similar name, very different things.]]>May 7th 2009 12:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
Anyway...

]]>May 7th 2009 12:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 1:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 8th 2009 1:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/]]>May 7th 2009 10:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/Anyways more coilguns, electrothermal guns, pneumatics, combustions, hybrids, strafers, ect on spudfiles. com.]]>May 7th 2009 9:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 10:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 12:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 12:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
The absolute easiest way you could make a coilgun RIGHT NOW is to grab a disposable camera with a flash. Pull the flash circuit out (don't shock yourself now) and identify the charging switch (it's probably two metal contacts side by side), the battery terminals (durrrrr) and the capacitor (It'll be the biggest thing on there. It might have some writing like 250uf/320v on it. In any case, it will be a cylinder). I'd solder a piece of wire across the contacts for the batter charger, just to make it simpler. Now take a screwdriver with a plastic or rubberized handle and use the head to tough both of the leads on the capacitor at the same time. If there's a spark, you did it right. If there's not, it just means that the cap wasn't charged. ALWAYS BE CAREFUL WITH CAPACITORS. They hold their charges for a long time and it can hurt like a bitch/kill you if the capacitor is big enough. Now make your coil. I used a drinking straw that was just big enough to fit a copper-clad steel BB with a tiny bit of room. For those who don't know how to wind a coil, read this:http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/funwithtubes/Coils-1.html
OK, so now you have a coil on your barrel, yes? Stick something in the straw (I used a bent piece of aluminum) so that when you slide your projectile in it will stop just after/just inside the coil. Now connect one end of the coil to one of the leads on the capacitor and hook the other end of the coil into the other lead on the cap through a switch/button. This will be your trigger. Load the sucker up, charge the capacitor by putting the batter back in it's place and flip the switch. If it doesn't work it means you messed up. Keep in mind that if your projectile doesn't react to a magnet it's not going to work.]]>May 7th 2009 12:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 12:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
This device would be well served to use a flyback also, it probably does.]]>May 7th 2009 12:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/

While I like your instructions, I'm disappointed that you suggested closing the circuit with a screwdriver to test for current.

Capacitors that have a stored charge can EXPLODE if you do this. Its never a good idea to short circuit caps.


As for building a railgun or a coilgun, I did an experiment for my science class building a graphite firing railgun using 2Farad Capacitors and car batteries.

I was able to blow a hole through a brick.

Look on youtube and you might find the video if its still up.

keyword (railgun, class , experiment)]]>May 7th 2009 12:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/There's no way that the cap in a disposable flash is going to have enough juice to pop just from being shorted with no load once or twice. I suppose I could have said "grab a spare computer fan and short the cap through it" or something like that, but for a relatively low power, soon-to-be-trash project like this it's OK to be rough on your passives.

Also, why a railgun? You waste so much energy turning the projectile and rails into plasma.]]>May 7th 2009 1:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 10:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 10:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 10:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 10:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 10:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
"Wait guys let me just attach this solar panel and in 2 to 4 hours you will be toast, unless it gets cloudy or in the off chance I'm shot first".]]>May 7th 2009 11:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
This throws a very light object at about the same speed you can throw a baseball.

The military is probably more excited about regular old pistols that throw projectiles about 1100km/h.]]>May 7th 2009 11:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 2:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/68.3507 MPH

I think my toy bb gun shoots a bb around 250 FPS... well, at most...]]>May 7th 2009 2:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 7:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/Someone with better knowledge of ballistics and/or electromagnetism would be able to construct a better model of the device's potential, of course.]]>May 8th 2009 11:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
OOOH! Or some 30's era slipstreaming? Yeah man.

Either way it's incredible and I covet this in my heart.]]>May 7th 2009 10:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
Ouch.
]]>May 7th 2009 11:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
>>>> ...Just as we predicted when we saw the Nerf chain gun, the inter-office
>>>> arms race is definitely on.

Ouch.
]]>May 7th 2009 12:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
It only has a muzzle velocity of about 100 feet per second (110 km/h =100.25 f/s) and a decently large round. It also lacks riffling (the spiral groves in a gun barrel) so the range/accuracey will be reduced.

For comparison:
A $10 airsoft gun will fire a 6mm metal ball at about 200 ft/s. A cheep BB gun will shoot a .118 BB at about 300 ft/s. You local cop's 9mm round will leave his gun at about 1000 ft/s. Now that will hurt!

However, as with any projectile, a hit in the right place can cause serious injury or death.]]>May 7th 2009 12:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 12:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 12:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
Why they're only about two meters wide!]]>May 7th 2009 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
With a range of about 13m or 45 feet
Source= http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/?filnavn=/articles/fps_limits/fps_calc.htm

Thats a shit load of energy there....

Considering 1 joule is the max allowed for airsoft in the UK because 1 joule won't puncture the skin this this could be deadly....

You would probably need a firearms license for this.

Raptor]]>May 7th 2009 11:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 11:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
It's WAY too early in the morning for this kind of talk!]]>May 7th 2009 12:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/
I have a compressed air cannon that will shoot a Nerf football over 100 yards. It delivers a lot more energy than this, and it is not classified as a firearm (at least in my state).]]>May 7th 2009 12:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/but your forgetting that sense the baseball is much larger it has more surface area, plus its much softer than metal. so it doesn't put all of that energy into the same space as that "bullet". ]]>May 7th 2009 1:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/07/diy-coilgun-gives-clever-hobbyists-the-risk-of-permanent-injury/May 7th 2009 1:40PM