Duct Tape PVC Blowgun

A Blowgun is a weapon that uses darts and a pipe or tube to fire projectiles; The darts are shot out of the pipe/tube when you do a quick exhale into the barrel. These weapons have been used since the Stone Age for hunting small animals. Blowguns can be a lot of fun with target practice and have impressive range and accuracy. For this project you will need:

Materials Needed

• Duct tape
• 1/2 inch foam pipe insulation
• 1/2 inch PVC pipe
• Nails (size depends on type of dart you want to make)
• Scissors
• Tape Measure
• Marker
• Hacksaw
• Eye protection recommended

The length you decide to make the blowgun will determine the amount of power it has. A longer blowgun will have more power and accuracy but it also means it will be harder to carry around. I made my PVC pipe 36 inches long; To measure the desired length of the blowgun and to cut the pipe you will need to use the tape measure and marker to determine where you will make the cut; A hacksaw works best for cutting PVC pipe but if you don't have one, a wood saw can also be used; However, this will make a rougher cut in the pipe.

Place a strip of duct tape the length of the pipe on a flat surface with the adhesive side facing up. Place the pipe in the middle of the adhesive side of the duct tape and rotate the pipe to the left and to the right to adhere the duct tape to the pipe. You will need to repeat this on the other side of the pipe because doing it once will not cover the pipe completely.

Take two small strips of duct tape and place them down on a flat surface with one being horizontal and the one on top facing vertical. This should look like an addition sign.The horizontal strip should be adhesive side up and the vertical strip should be adhesive side down. Fold the horizontal strip over the vertical piece on both sides. Flip the strips over and fold another side into the center until you have one side remaining. Fold the side of the duct tape that has already been folded into a triangle. Wrap the remaining side of the duct tape around the triangle you just folded. This should create a cone when you open it up. Place the cone point side first into the PVC pipe until the width of the cone becomes the same width as the pipe. This is where you will cut the cone because you want your dart to fit perfectly inside the diameter of the pipe. Take a nail and shove it through the point of the cone to make a dart. The size of nail depends on your personal preference; Longer nails won't travel as far as short nails but will have more power. You can reinforce the dart by wrapping the dart with duct tape where the cone and nail meet. You can repeat this process to make as many darts as you like.

Cut the 1/2 inch foam pipe insulation with the hacksaw to approximately 2 inches wide. More sections mean more quivers for your darts. Place the foam pipe insulation over the PVC pipe. If you make multiple quivers, separate them by at least a few inches. Wrap the sides of the quivers with duct tape to make them more durable. Each quiver will comfortably hold about 5 darts. To put the darts in the quiver, simply shove the nail side of the dart into the foam pipe insulation.

Woohoo! You have made a blowgun.The darts will be capable to penetrate wood. Be careful where you aim it and never inhale while your mouth is on the pipe because then you will suck the dart into your mouth. After some practice you will be able to hit smaller targets and be more accurate. Have fun using your blowgun!