How to Build a Rubber Band Gun

Rubber-band guns are a time-honored (if somewhat ill-advised) part of childhood. Although you can shoot rubber bands using only your fingers, a well-designed rubber-band gun will be more accurate. In addition, it adds more realism to soldier games.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rubber bands
• Wood
• Hammer
• Nails
• Clothespin
• Epoxy
• Masking tape
• Ruler
• Knife
• File

1. Stretch out your rubber band as far as you want it to stretch, then hold it up to a ruler and note the length.

2. Get a piece of wood several inches longer than your maximum stretch. It should be rectangular-shaped and a bit more than an inch wide. It can be as deep as you want, since this will not affect rubber-band shooting. This will be the barrel of your gun.

3. Cut a notch on the end of the barrel, using a knife or a small file. It should be pretty near the top so that it won't deflect the course of the rubber band very much.

4. Attach a clothespin. Put it on the back of the barrel with the mouth facing forward. You can use a nail, epoxy or a thick layer of masking tape to fasten it on. Make sure that it is positioned so that, when the rubber band is stretched between the notch and the mouth, it is just at the maximum distance you measured in Step 1.

5. Use epoxy or a nail to attach a small, rectangular piece of wood underneath the barrel of the gun. This is the handle of the gun. Now you're ready to shoot.

Tips & Warnings

• Different rubber bands have different degrees of elasticity, so you should always use the same type of rubber band in the gun.

Resources

• Mother of all rubber-band guns