How to Make a Rail Gun From a Disposable Camera
Electricity can be used instead of gunpowder to fire a weapon. A rail gun, also known as a “coil” gun, is an example of how electricity can create a powerful arc of current that can fire a metal projectile. A rail gun makes for an excellent science project. Make your own rail gun by using a few hardware tools and adapting a common disposable camera. Children will also need adult supervision. The rail gun you will make will show you and others just how powerful electricity can be.
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Things You'll Need
- Newspaper
- Button switch
- Disposable camera
- 22-gauge copper wire
- Electric wire
- 6-inch, 1/2-inch-wide PVC pipe
- Phillips-head jeweler’s screwdriver
- Flat-head jeweler’s screwdriver
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Soldering gun
- Electrical tape
- Pillow
- Metal paper clip
Instructions
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Put newspaper down on a table. Place a disposable camera face down on the newspaper. Insert the tip of the flat-edged jeweler’s screwdriver into the battery compartment on the bottom of the disposable camera. Wiggle the battery compartment lid free, removing it. Insert the tip of the flat-edged jeweler’s screwdriver beneath the battery inside of the battery compartment and wiggle the battery free. Remove the battery.
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Use a Phillips-head jeweler’s screwdriver to remove the screws from the sides, and the top and bottom of the disposable camera. Use your fingers to pull the back of the disposable camera off of the front. Put the back of the disposable camera aside.
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3
Locate the cylindrical tube at the upper left corner inside of the front of the disposable battery. Touch the two contacts at the top of the cylindrical tube at the same time with the flat-edged screwdriver to discharge the current residing inside.
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Insert the flat-edged screwdriver beneath the circuit board inside of the front of the disposable camera. Wiggle the circuit board free. Remove the circuit board and put it down on the newspaper.
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Use wire cutters to cut off the clip from each side of the flash tube. Remove the flash tube and discard it.
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Use the wire cutters to cut off two 6-inch lengths of electric wire. Use wire strippers to remove 1/2 inch of insulation from each end of the two wires.
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Solder the end of one wire to one of the two contacts on the cylindrical tube. Solder the other end of the wire to one of the two contacts on the button switch.
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Wrap electrical tape around one end of a 6-inch, 1/2-inch-wide piece of PVC pipe. Continue wrapping until you have built up about 1/2 inch of electrical tape around the end of the PVC pipe. Repeat this procedure at the other end of the PVC pipe.
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Wrap copper wire around the middle of the PVC pipe, leaving 6 inches of the copper wire trailing off from the PVC pipe. Continue wrapping the copper wire around the PVC pipe until it has encircled the PVC pipe at least 100 times. Cut off the end of the copper wire, leaving 6 inches trailing from the PVC pipe.
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Solder one of the two free ends of copper wire to the other contact on the cylindrical tube. Solder the other free end of copper wire to one of the ends of the other electric wire. Solder the other end of the electric wire to the other contact on the button switch.
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Place the PVC pipe against the circuit board so that it is lying horizontally on the newspaper.
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Insert a metal paper clip into the end of the PVC pipe that is closest to the cylindrical tube. Carefully reinsert the battery into the battery compartment on the circuit board.
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Place a pillow a foot away from the end of the PVC pipe that has the metal paper clip in it.
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Press the button switch and release it when a low humming sound is heard to fire the metal paper clip at the pillow from the rail gun you have made.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear protective gloves and goggles when making the rail gun.
Do not under any circumstances ever discharge a rail gun at anything that is alive.
References
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Comments
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This isn't a rail gun, but is in fact a coil gun. They are similar, although a railgun will fire a conductive projectile off of rails, and that's what completes you circuit. Here its a discharge of energy into a coil creating an electromagnetic field that propulses the paperclip forhead.
