PDA

View Full Version : Make plastic blowgun cones



bulrush
04-30-2008, 02:31 PM
I have a store-bought blowgun which shot paint balls. I don't know the caliber.

Ok so I went and tried my own suggestion. I tried heating a water bottle over a candle flame with the intention of pushing a cone shaped object through the softened plastic to make a dart cone. Well, the pop bottle just wrinkled and bent, it didn't really melt.

Next I tried an acetate container from the grocery store which held fresh fruit. Bad. That one also just got melted holes in it.

So I tried plastic bottle caps from bottles. This one worked. Kind of. For the cone shape I was using the cap from that Threadlock liquid, which is also plastic. When I pushed the cap into the melted plastic they often got fused together, even after I put oil on the cone-shaped cap. 50% of the time I ruined the hollow-cone trying to get the mold/cap out.

It would be better if the cone-shaped object were metal or glass. I managed to find a pen with a metal tip the right size for a cone, and will try that later.

I also made some paper cones. They work well in the blow gun, but I can see they will not hold up long, especially if they get wet.

For the darts I used 3 inch finish nails, and 3.5 inch turkey "needles", the kind that are used to sew up turkeys. With the turkey needles I just clipped off the loop from the one end, and attached a paper or plastic cone. The turkey needles worked the best by far. They went all the way into a corrugated cardboard box all the way up to the cone.

The nails were a bit sluggish, and dropped a bit, even over a 15 foot range from the blowgun to the box I was shooting.

My turkey needles came with a kit that contained a turkey baster and turkey brush.

bowhunter08
06-09-2008, 05:56 PM
A good subsitiue to paper is duct tape it is waterproof a durable

Jericho117
06-09-2008, 06:24 PM
You could, in theory, try hunting with it. Fifteen feet, that's a decent range for a homemade blowgun. My unfletched primitive fire-hardened arrows shoot about that far and I get that close to Rabbits and Grouse. How powerful is it, tourque-wise and how fast does the dart shoot?

bulrush
06-10-2008, 02:52 PM
You got that right. I was within about 10 feet of a large Tom turkey before it decided to leap from its hiding place. It sure made me jump, because I never saw turkeys in that park before, and it was quite large for a turkey even.

countybob
06-14-2008, 10:14 PM
sorry im a little late with this post....was in the hospital getting the rotor rooter treatment to the heart again, the easiest way to fletch darts is to take 3 or 4 pieces of 550 cord, put them through the loop on a turkey needle (or make a loop in thin a piece of wire hanger) double them over, squeeze the loop tight with pliers and lash them together with a few turns of thread below the loop, shoot them a couple of times and the cord frizzes out nicely. just use enough cord to make a good seal in your tube depending on it's diameter.

Rick
06-15-2008, 05:41 AM
You said roto rooter like it was nothing. No big deal. Every day event. Medical science amazes me.

"So where you been?"
"At the hospital. They took my heart out and gave it a bath and spit shined it up for me."
"No foolin'? I'll bet that took all day."
"Nah. 'bout an hour. I sat in the waiting room and read this month's copy of Field and Stream while they did it."
"Cool!"

banong1111
07-12-2008, 09:44 AM
Here in the Philippines we use stalk of river plant instead of plastic cone. We call it pakok it is light weight, durable and water proof. We curve it with a cutter or knife until it looks like a real dart cone and after that we drill the wire in it. I already killed 6 monkeys, 29 birds and almost 150 rats with my blowgun.

crashdive123
07-12-2008, 12:59 PM
Here in the Philippines we use stalk of river plant instead of plastic cone. We call it pakok it is light weight, durable and water proof. We curve it with a cutter or knife until it looks like a real dart cone and after that we drill the wire in it. I already killed 6 monkeys, 29 birds and almost 150 rats with my blowgun.

Just exactly what have you been doing with all of the things that you've been killing? Are you using them for food, or just killing them for the heck of it?

Ole WV Coot
07-12-2008, 02:23 PM
I have trouble with blowguns. Every time I start to shoot I inhale thru my mouth and get choked on the dart. Am I doing something wrong ?

Ryleyboy
08-14-2008, 07:28 PM
My blowgun is made out of half inch copper pipe and works like a charm. and a tip on making darts. If you can get an exacto knife blade and make a cone around the back it seems to work very well.

jaywalker
09-27-2008, 07:10 PM
I have always used 20 ga. shotgun wads. Heat up a piece of spring steel wire or a nail with a candle or a torch and push it through the back of the plastic wad, let it cool and walah...!!! very good blow-dart. You can also "drill" a hole with an ice pick and use bamboo skewers. The shotgun wads are very cheap, a few bucks for a big bag. They work very well, almost like that is what they were designed for. If you have a hard time getting them to stay affixed to the point/shaft, try a little blob of silicone or hot glue or epoxy. I don't know if these would fit your blowgun but they fit mine and mine also can be used with paint balls. .68 caliber, I believe. Funny thing is that it really is just a piece of electrical conduit that is painted black with a plastic mouthpiece. Hope this helps!

crashdive123
09-27-2008, 07:13 PM
Good tip there Jaywalker. How about darting over to the introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself. Thanks.

banongski1111
03-15-2011, 11:04 AM
Just exactly what have you been doing with all of the things that you've been killing? Are you using them for food, or just killing them for the heck of it?


hehe im surprised that you are using them for food in your country... here in our country we never use them for food YUCKS!!!!!

Rick
03-15-2011, 12:35 PM
Why don't you blow your way over to our Introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself that doesn't YUCKS.

Wendigo
07-10-2012, 09:48 PM
Hello all I am attempting to lower the wild rabbit population in my area so I thought of blowguns or PVC bows. either way I am going to get them and I love your thoughts on darts I am use to using cattail to make the darts and the flowers for the dart ends it is great!!!! check it out lol!

kyratshooter
07-11-2012, 10:21 AM
Check what out? Or is that just California talk?

Attaching a link to check would be nice. Perhaps displaying something that has been in use for thousands of years and does not require plastic.

http://sensiblesurvival.blogspot.com/2011/05/make-thistle-blowgun-darts-part-1.html

You can use natural cane or wood slivers instead of store bought skewers. If you heat the tips over a low flame and harden them they will stick in a tree.

Rick
07-11-2012, 12:26 PM
Try Honey Locust thorns and natural fibers.

kyratshooter
07-11-2012, 03:52 PM
My son's favorite was river cane slivers with rabbit fur fletching.

crashdive123
07-11-2012, 05:09 PM
My favorite was always Elmer Fudd. Hehehehehehe.....I'm hunting wabbits.

Lamewolf
02-07-2013, 01:20 PM
To make the cones with plastic, you need a plum bob - its made of steel and has a cone shaped point. Use plastic milk jugs to make the cones by heating with a propane torch held far enough away to just soften the plastic until it turns somewhat clear looking and then press the point of the plum bob into the plastic forming the cones. Let them cool and use a razor blade or sharp knife to cut them out and trim them until they fit inside your blowgun. Press your dart (nail or whatever) throught the center from the back side and anchor in place with a dab of super glue. Making darts this way, I vave been able to kill rabbits up to about 30 feet away.