How I Started This DartBlaster Thing
So last weekend I was cleaning out the garage when I found my old dartboard covered in dust. Decided to play a round but kept missing the bullseye. Got annoyed and thought “what if I build something to make darts fly straight every time?”
First thing I did was grab materials from my junk pile:
- That broken power drill from last year
- Some PVC pipes leftover from plumbing
- Rubber bands from my daughter’s craft box
- Cheap toy trigger mechanism
Started by taking apart the drill – wanted its spinny motor part. Used duct tape to stick the motor to a PVC pipe. Looked terrible but who cares. Then stretched rubber bands through the pipe like a slingshot. The trigger wouldn’t hold tension though – snapped my fingers three times before figuring out how to wedge a toothpick in there.
The Messy Testing Phase
First test was a disaster. Pulled the trigger and the dart just plopped to the floor. Couldn’t stop laughing at how stupid it looked. My neighbor saw through the window and asked if I’d lost my mind.
Realized I forgot physics class stuff. Added weights to the darts using fishing sinkers from my tackle box. Covered them in electrical tape so they wouldn’t rip my dartboard. Made a testing range in the backyard using cardboard boxes.
Took twelve tries before the damn thing shot across the yard! Finally worked when I:
- Tripled the rubber bands
- Filed down the pipe edges smooth
- Greased the inside with cooking oil (weird but worked)
When Things Got Dangerous
Got too excited and overloaded it with tension. Thing backfired and shot a dart through my shed window! Wife made me move everything to the basement. Still finding darts in random places – one landed in the laundry basket yesterday.
Final version’s ugly as sin but actually hits the dartboard now. Used pool cues for stabilization and glued old mousepads as grips. Smells like burnt rubber after five shots though.
Biggest surprise? My kid loves it more than I do. She’s using it to shoot foam balls at her stuffed animals. Might build a mini version for her birthday next month if I don’t accidentally break my thumb first.