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Professional Blowgun and Dart - Pierce 1/2" Plywood **Video**

by CanDo on July 19, 2007

Table of Contents
Professional Blowgun and Dart - Pierce 1/2" Plywood **Video** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Intro: Professional Blowgun and Dart - Pierce 1/2" Plywood **Video** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 1: Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2: The barrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3: Mouthpiece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4: Dart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5: Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

Intro: Professional Blowgun and Dart - Pierce 1/2" Plywood **Video**

I've seen a lot of blowguns here. Although I liked some, none seemed suitable for serious use. This one will easily penetrate 1/2" Wood, is effective hundreds of feet
away, and is highly accurate.
Video here!
How to Make a Blowgun
Of all the projectile weapons I've used (and that's a lot), the blowgun is definitely the most instinctive to shoot. This very simple tool can be picked up by a total novice,
and be turned into an astonishingly powerful and accurate weapon in one afternoon. If you think of blowguns as being toys as I once did, you have the wrong idea
entirely. No, the dart doesn't have anywhere near the brute stopping power as a sling or rope dart, but it has entirely different properties making it a highly effective
weapon:
A blowgun can be used to deliver poisons, is effective more than one-hundred feet away (sometimes much more than that, depending on the user), is completely silent,
and delivers its dart with shocking velocity.
More Cool Projects

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

Step 1: Materials
~10' Electrical Conduit ($1.99 at hardware store)
~ Plastic Film Canister
~ Candle
~ Wire Coat Hanger
~ Duct Tape
~ Something to cut metal
~ Grinder/Sand paper
How to Make a Blowgun

Step 2: The barrel

The electrical conduit will be the body of blowgun. You could use PVC pipe, but it sags, necessitating compensation during use. If you're up for a real challenge, get some
wood or bamboo and hollow it out. Your blowgun should be 4'-7' long. The longer it is, the greater accuracy and power will be achieved, though the harder it will be to
maneuver. I chose six feet since I used the other three feet for a different project (and because it will deliver plenty of power and is still easy enough to handle). Cut yours
to length of choice. Be sure to sand or file any rough spots left from cutting as this may cut you or interfere with the path of the projectile.
Build a Blowgun

Step 3: Mouthpiece
Now, a mouthpiece is needed. I chose a plastic film canister because they're recommended and I had one within arm's reach. You can also use crutch tips, pill bottles, or
suction cups. To turn a film can into a mouthpiece, cut a 1/4" hole in the center of the bottom of the canister. Hold it an inch or so over a flame until the entire bottom is
evenly shiny. Now, push the canister over the electrical conduit slowly; the hot plastic will expand around the conduit. Make sure that the hole stays centered as you slide
the can on, and then allow it a few seconds to cool. Slide the can back, and at the end of the conduit, wrap about 2' of electrical tape or (1/2 width) duct tape. This will
prevent the canister from sliding off the end. Now, slide the canister to the stop, and make another stopper on the other side. The result is a firmly attached,
thermoformed, air-tight mouthpiece!
Making a Blowgun

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

Step 4: Dart
Now you need something to shoot. Wooden or bamboo darts are fine, but because of their low density and mass they cannot fly as far as steel nor penetrate as deep.
So, I recommend that from an all-wire coat hanger, you cut out the middle straight section which is about 15" long to use as a dart. Then, make a cone (perhaps a neater
one than is pictured!) out of duct tape which fits around the dart. Place the cone into the conduit, and mark with a Sharpie where it meets. Cut at or just beyond this line to
make a properly sized cone. Slide this on, and affix with a generous amount of duct tape (as is shown in the photo). This cone will both catch the air which propels the
dart, and stabilize the dart during flight. On a grinder, or with sandpaper/file, grind the tip of the dart to a sharp point.
How to Make a Blowgun

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

Step 5: Shooting
Time for some fun! Insert the dart through the mouthpiece and into the blowgun barrel. The cone should fit snug enough that the dart won't move without your breath, but
loose enough that it can fall forwards if the blowgun is tapped on the floor vertically. Simply bring the mouth piece to your mouth, take a large breath, and try to let it
explode into the barrel - continue exhaling until the dart has entirely cleared the barrel. Don't worry about accuracy until you've gotten that part down. When it's time to
aim, simply point the blowgun at your target and blow. Since it is aligned in the center of your face, aiming couldn't be any easier. All that must be learned is how the
vertical angle at which the blowgun is held changes as distance to different targets changes (since projectile path is parabolic, you will need to aim higher for further
shots). After this several-sentence crash course, teaching yourself should be no problem. Enjoy :)
Please rate or comment :)
How to Make a Blowgun
For more cool projects, check out Funditor

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Comments
50 comments Add Comment

matt_and_nick says:

view all 131 comments

Mar 27, 2011. 2:28 PM REPLY

i have a 4 foor cedar walking stick that would be perfect for this.

ilpug says:

Feb 17, 2011. 10:21 AM REPLY

in the last picture it looks like you shot it into a piece of redwood, not plywood. redwood is very soft. nice design however.

xanxor says:

Oct 1, 2010. 11:14 PM REPLY

He used 1/2 inch conduit

9w2xyz says:

Aug 13, 2010. 8:43 AM REPLY

Instead of using the wire hanger as is, I recommend using galvanised wire of the same diameter. For one, the surface is rougher and the 'fletching'/cone will
adhere better. stretch out your wire as long as you can handle it. Tie one end to a gate post. And have the other end firmly attached to your reversible
cordless drill. And Twist it. When it reaches the yield point, it will snap off at either end. The result is a twisted stiff wire that is straight. Cut to your preferred
size.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

eyepodd says:

Aug 11, 2010. 12:02 AM REPLY

how long is the dart aproxxamatly ?

aplauche says:

Apr 25, 2009. 2:26 PM REPLY

a cotton ball taped to the end works extremely well also

Kryptonite says:

Aug 1, 2009. 4:37 AM REPLY

It doesn't catch the air quite as well as a cone, personally I use paper impregnated with PVC, making a durable, neat little cone. South American Indians
have been using cotton for hundreds of years so I don't doubt it, but in my own experiences I find that cotton isn't quite as good.

rrrmanion says:

Jan 3, 2010. 8:25 AM REPLY

well if South American Indians had paper impregnated with PVC, i'm sure they would use it too.

Kryptonite says:

Jan 3, 2010. 11:37 PM REPLY

DISREGARD THAT I MEANT SUPER GLUE!

Anhan12 says:

Jun 26, 2010. 10:33 AM REPLY

yeah that makes more sense Kryptonite. I use a paper cone with electrical tape on the outside and super glue on the inside. it makes a nice,
hard cone, but its a little sticky in the barrel. do you do something different Kryptonite? also, instead of grinding the coat hanger into a point, i
hammer the end flat on an anvil, and then use wire cutters to shape it into a diamond shaped arrowhead. It works great, and the wire cutters
sharpen it for me, so no need to use a file or a sharpener! I attached some pictures of it:

Kryptonite says:

Jul 11, 2010. 9:04 PM REPLY

I do more target than hunting, so i get a 2-3 inch nail and sharpen it. I make a coin out of paper that has had one side covered in sticky
tape, which goes to the outside. I cover ~1/2 inch of the nail in hot glue (the non pointy end) and slide the cone on. I then cut the cone to
size and sharpen the nail.
My friend made this botched Instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/really-strong-blowpipe-darts/ which covers the process.

mondee07 says:

Jun 2, 2010. 3:21 AM REPLY

can i use a pvc

cool wasp says:

Apr 27, 2010. 3:47 PM REPLY

Great instructables, i love your coat hanger idea.

yangus says:

Mar 27, 2010. 6:35 PM REPLY

I'd think that a 1/2" to 3/4" PVC adapter would work.

It's what I use for copper water pipe blowguns.
-side note on copper blowguns, handling them makes your hands smell funny. This problem can be remedied with black electrical tape. It adds camouflage
and a grip. It'd probly be worthwhile to do that to a steel blowgun too.

thenoogler says:

Mar 27, 2010. 6:18 PM REPLY

You never menrioned that you don't inhale while the gun is loaded...;)

blowgunking says:
cant the pipe be 28'' ?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

Jan 28, 2010. 7:17 PM REPLY

flanimal says:

Jan 23, 2010. 3:36 PM REPLY

holy crap... did it really shoot through that

cowdude says:

Sep 2, 2009. 8:29 PM REPLY

wat diameter

spenfisher12 says:

Jan 6, 2010. 10:13 PM REPLY

however big you want your dart

charmar says:

Nov 3, 2009. 10:29 AM REPLY

good details I made one and worked great. for the tail of the darts I used a sponge ear plug and cut to fit barrel. it works great! good luck.

phonehome123 says:

Oct 10, 2009. 9:19 AM REPLY

i used copper pipe for mine :D

rownhunt says:

Jun 17, 2009. 1:03 PM REPLY

I connected mine to an air compresser i had some fun!

bears0 says:

Sep 17, 2009. 7:52 PM REPLY

i did the same thing with a straw and a shoelace i cut the shoelace 1/4 inch away from the hard plastic thing and pushed a needle through the end that
you cut, you don't even have to glue it (unless you are shooting it at a BRICK!) it works really well its just not as powerful, i bought my blowgun today it
comes with 64 darts (SWEET!)

rownhunt says:

Jun 17, 2009. 1:04 PM REPLY

pump her up to 75 psi with your standard blowgun valve then hook it up

cowdude says:

Sep 2, 2009. 12:09 PM REPLY

i making a blowgun what are good practice arrows

weaponscollector94 says:

Aug 21, 2009. 11:18 AM REPLY

when i make blowgun darts from wire like these ones i heat the tip up and flatten it with a hammer and anvil then file it sharp! i recommend doing that
method, it works geat

ElectronicsNub says:

Aug 8, 2009. 6:49 PM REPLY

i just got a four foot piece of 1/2 inch copper pipe and im gonna make it soon =)
WOOT

Rossmod says:

Jul 27, 2009. 2:41 PM REPLY

pretty cool i must say

mortalmoon3 says:

Jul 10, 2009. 5:55 PM REPLY

hahaha sweeeet :) :{) i wiillll make 1 & kill a frog r sumin love frog killer

Arianovan says:

Aug 13, 2008. 5:51 PM REPLY

I love your design. Mine is six feet of copper piping and its super glued airtight. It goes really far and the tips are really sharp. But I can't get it to go through a
half inch of wood. I don't think it's because I'm not blowing hard enough, I mean I play the saxophone. Any ideas? Nice hat btw

rownhunt says:
i had this problem just work on your darts and make them a perfect fit for your pipe !

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

Jun 17, 2009. 1:01 PM REPLY

Redrogue says:

Feb 26, 2009. 9:11 PM REPLY

Try standing back as far as you can, plug the end of the blowgun with your tongue, build up some pressure, and remove your tongue from the end of the
blowgun.

crayzclown1 says:

May 10, 2009. 2:34 AM REPLY

I usually buy my blowguns, this it awesome.

xlievenx says:

Mar 28, 2009. 8:10 AM REPLY

i do it without a mouthpiece...much easyer

zzoe says:

Mar 23, 2009. 2:03 PM REPLY

Proper blow gun. Nice.

outtokill says:

Mar 6, 2009. 10:24 AM REPLY

that is freakin crazy

Redrogue says:

Feb 26, 2009. 8:08 PM REPLY

I upgraded from my 4' blowgun to a 7' one, much better, yet a little troublesome to transport. I use it to get rid of the rats in my backyard. It goes right through
them and stakes them to the ground.

dr_toonie says:

Mar 2, 2009. 1:29 PM REPLY

Thats badass.

cool! says:

Jan 7, 2009. 5:09 PM REPLY

Great instructable. Please DONT use something like this with a fire extinguisher. Doors dont like being shot through.

tater killer says:

Dec 30, 2008. 8:11 PM REPLY

mine is 3' and it put a dent in a metal computer case at 45 degree angle with a 9-1/2"dart

pineapplenewton says:

Dec 20, 2008. 10:19 AM REPLY

hi i was thinking about getting a blow gun with a splatmaic paint ball repeater to play around with and i was wondering it the splatmatic repeater would fin
onto this.

BlessedWrath says:

Sep 23, 2008. 7:21 PM REPLY

Congratulations on a well-made instructable...all except for the dart cone. Why is this never mentioned in your tutorial? I know A method for making paper
cones, but nothing close to what you're using. Please elaborate?

BlessedWrath says:

Sep 25, 2008. 9:22 AM REPLY

Found my own method, loosely based off of the paper cone method I had been using.
My current dart uses 2" finishing nails and a self-adhering folded cone, using your duct tape idea. The tip is strong enough to hold the nail's head in
place, but I affix the extra tape anyway for extra durability.
I am seeing double the results of the paper cone, and with the same length blowgun (about 2-3ft). It punches through the outer cover of a notebook
without difficulty.
Will try longer guns and better darts when able. I still think you should demonstrate the conemaking technique.
Thanks for the instructable. _

BlessedWrath says:

Oct 22, 2008. 11:30 AM REPLY

6" coathanger wire with about 2.5' blowgun produced effects similar to (and in some cases in excess of) the 2" finishing nails. I ground the tips to a
point using a 6" bench grinder with tool rest. To make the cone: Start with a length of duct tape (maybe 6-8") and fold it over 2/3-3/4, leaving a piece
of exposed sticky-side. Start a wide cone by folding the bottom left corner over halfway. The starting point of the cone should be where the sticky-side
tape begins. Continue the cone by folding over twice more. The sticky-side tape should fold over the cone and adhere to the outside, securing it.
Push your nail, coathanger, etc through, using an Xacto knife to slice the tip off if necessary. Do not cut too much, or it'll be loose. You can then affix
a bit of tape as the tutorial suggests, to lock the cone in place.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

BlessedWrath says:

Dec 8, 2008. 8:47 AM REPLY

Now using 1/2" galvanized pipe. Heavy? Yes. Also durable. Not only this, but I can use couplers and shorter sections to make an adjustable
length blowgun, and a 1"-1/2" reducer for a mouthpiece. You have to file down the "lip" from where they cut your pipe, or the darts will be smaller
than the true diameter of the pipe. Also, not that I've tried it yet, the 1/2" pipe threading conveniently manages to fit my Raptor Silver Eagle
paintball gun almost perfectly. I'm sure there's a way to get the proper fittings to make a break-barrel or bolt action assembly and use the paintball
gun to launch the darts.

BlessedWrath says:

Dec 17, 2008. 4:09 PM REPLY

Have now tried 1/2" PVC pipe. It does bend and flex as mentioned, however I am able to compensate through additional elevation of the
muzzle. Now using 7 3/4" sections of wire coathanger, sharpened to a point, with two duct tape "stoppers"; one at the tail end of the dart, and
one at the tip of the cone, to prevent slippage. I have noticed a surprising increase in power, range, and general performance, attained by
creating a tighter seal between cone and pipe. You'll want a wide flare to the cone, and as tight a seal as you can comfortably manage. The
acceleration of the cone is slowed by the extra friction, allowing your lungs time to fully discharge. The power of my darts has been increased
by at least 50% with this method.

remik7 says:

Nov 23, 2008. 9:30 AM REPLY

I have an great way to make good darts with paper cones. You will need: tape, paper, sowing needle (one with the ball on the end, it should be fairly large
depending on the size of your barrel and lung capacity), a hot glue gun, and tin foil (optional). First, make the cone. Wrap some tape around it to make it
sturdy. Then put some glue around the ball end of the needle. Poke it through the end of the paper cone. Apply glue on the outside of the tip of the cone as
well. Finally (this is optional, if you do not want humidity to ruin the paper you can line it with tin foil, you can secure it with a bit of hot glue. I hope you like
this post, I fyou have questions, Il be glad to answer them.

stringstretcher says:

Nov 20, 2008. 1:41 AM REPLY

Add a laser sight and calibrate for distance... like the archers do?

grevious says:

Sep 27, 2008. 7:24 AM REPLY

you could also heat up the mouth end and then curl it over to make it more comfortable

straw hat pirate says:

thank u so much! i've been in need of a blowgun for a long time but i never found one

view all 131 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/Professional-Blowgun-and-Dart---Pierce-12-Plywoo/

Sep 24, 2008. 5:38 PM REPLY