It is hard to track when and where blowguns actually originated but historians believe that it was already used by primitive tribes during the old times to hunt small animals and to protect themselves from bigger wild animals. It is a good weapon for hunting small games like birds and rabbits because it is silent and will not alert your target. Many types of blowguns can be purchased in the market but you can also make your own for a cheaper price. You can even make a laser-assisted one which gives both power and accuracy. Making your own laser-assisted blowgun is quite easy and the materials you will need can be found in your household. Do you want to try and make your own laser-assisted blowgun? Let me help you with that. In this article I have made easy step by step instructions on how to make a laser-assisted blowgun. But before we proceed let us first know some basics.
What is a laser-assisted blowgun?
A blowgun is a simple ranged weapon which consists of a pipe and a projectile like darts, seeds, or pellets. It works by putting the projectile inside the pipe and blowing into it. How powerful your blowgun can be will depend on the strength of your respiratory muscles and the vital capacity of your lungs. For the laser-assisted blowgun, you will just need to attach a laser into your pipe that will point to your target so that you will fire with more accuracy.What is a laser-assisted blowgun?
The basic parts of a laser-assisted blowgun
Knowing the basic parts of your blowgun will make it easier for you to understand how to make a laser-assisted blowgun. Here are the parts and some simple descriptions.
Pipe
This is the main body of your blowgun where your projectile will go into and out. In the ancient times, it is usually made of bamboo, wood, or cane but now, you can also make it using a PVC pipe. When using bamboo or cane, the wood is heated and carefully bent to straighten them while for the woods which are not hollow inside, they are cut in half, carved a hole inside, and then put back together. Blowgun pipes’ length may vary but longer ones tend to propel your projectile faster.
Projectile
This is your blowgun’s “ammunition”. It can be darts, seeds, pellets, or other materials depending on what you will use it for. Smaller darts tend to propel faster and are easier to shoot while longer ones tend to penetrate deeper and do more damage.
Laser
This serves as the pointer of your blowgun which will help you in shooting your target with accuracy. For the laser that you will use in making your laser-assisted blowgun, you can purchase one from an office supplies store. You may also use one with a flashlight so that you can also use it in the dark.
Quiver
This is where you will keep your blowgun’s projectile. It is attached to your pipe so that it can be easily accessed.
How to make a laser-assisted blowgun?
Before we proceed on the steps on how to make a laser-assisted blowgun, here are some materials that you may need:
• PVC pipe/bamboo/cane/any straight, hollow wood
• Laser pointer
• Nails
• Glue gun
• Screw
• Scissors
• Saw
• Party hat or any cone
• Electric tape
• Duct tapes with designs
• Paper
• Reducing coupling
Step 1. Prepare the pipe
Take a PVC pipe with a half inch diameter and cut it to a length that is comfortable for you to carry. Make sure that it is not too long that it will bend because this will affect the route and trajectory of your projectile. Next, get a reducing coupling with a smaller side that is fit to your pipe and attach it to your pipe. Tighten the attachment to secure it down by hammering it down. this will serve as the “mouthpiece” of your blowgun. For a great finish, you may design your pipe by using a decorative duct tape. Just cut a length the same as your pipe, lay the non-sticky side on the table, then place your pipe into the sticky side of the tape and roll the pipe into the tape. Secure the tape by pressing them with your fingers. You may also use paint to design your pipe.
Step 2. Make the darts
For the darts, you may use a party hat or any cone as a shape-reference. Wrap the paper in the party hat making a cone shape and secure it with tape. Cut the cone into a size that will fit into your pipe. Next, insert a nail or a screw through your cone. For the nail, the head must be inside the cone while for the screw, it should be outside since its purpose is for glass breaking. Also, you may use long or short nails depending on your purpose. Secure the nail or screw in the paper cone by applying glue inside using a glue gun. You now have two different types of darts.
Step 3. Create the quiver
For your quiver, you may use a foam pipe insulation that fits your pipe. Cut the foam crosswise to around three fourth of an inch thick. Make two of these doughnut-shaped rings. Next cover the outside part with electric tape to add to its durability. Bore holes on one of the rings using a hot nail. It’s up to you how many holes you want to make. Just make sure that there is enough space between them so that the foam will be able to hold the darts when they are placed.
Step 4. Attach the quiver
Attach the quiver by inserting the two rings into the pipe. Place them a bit more inclined to the side of your mouthpiece and make sure that the one with holes is on top of the other ring in reference to your mouthpiece. Place them around half of an inch away from each other. Lastly, put your darts in your quiver by inserting them into the hole and pinning them into the foam below to secure.
Step 5. Attach the laser
Using a hot glue, attach the laser on top of your pipe placing it slightly closer to the opposite end of the mouthpiece. Make sure that the laser is pointing away from the mouthpiece and it is aligned well with your pipe to ensure accuracy. Next, fasten the laser with plastic zips to make sure that it is steady. You may also use electric tape but remember not to cover the switch. Also take into consideration that your laser may ran out of battery after some time so attach it in such a way that you can easily change its battery.
Conclusion
A blowgun can be a good and effective instrument for hunting small game animals and attaching a laser to it is a good way to greatly improve its accuracy. Although blowguns can easily be purchased in the market, it can also be a good decision to make your own because it is cheaper and it is just very easy to make. To add to that, looking at your own piece of work can be very rewarding especially if it is well-made. So why not try? In this article, I have written steps on how to make a laser-assisted blowgun to guide you. I hope this helps!
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