Building a Raygun, Part 4
Special Series: HOW TO: Build A Raygun
- Building a Raygun, Part 1
- Building a Raygun, Part 2
- Building a Raygun, Part 3
- Building a Raygun, Part 4
- Building a Raygun, Part 5
Image via Wikipedia
So in the last episode of Building a Raygun, we assembled the barrel and added parts to it to make it look more like a steampunk weapon. Then we hacked apart a perfectly good Nerf Maverick to make the handle of the gun.
If you wanted to do a dieselpunk/retro-future raygun you could leave the handheld plasma ball unadorned; then you could spraypaint the handle with a hammered silver/iron spraypaint. I might make another set using that technique.
Now that we have the barrel and handle, we need to electrify them to add even more of an ethereal steampunk feel. To Radio Shack! (Or whatever electronics store you prefer.)
For the wiring, I used spare CAT 5e Ethernet cable. It’s not steampunk, but it does have the word ether in it. Strip off the outer insulation layer so that you have access to the twisted pairs inside. I used two twisted pairs, but I only ended up using one. So if I want to add more electronics later I have another set of wires.
Remember that braided steel water line that I mentioned in the first installment? You’re going to use it soon. For now though, take at least one twisted pair, or two wires, and thread them through the conduit so that you have several inches of wire on either side free to work with. You won’t need this much, but it’s easier to cut shorter than to add more on later.
For one end, assemble the water line and one of the water line couplings, threading the wire through the coupling. On the other side of the coupling, insert that into the cool looking power pack belt device. You’ll probably have to cut or drill a hole.
My power pack is made from a small bits holder and was clear plastic with two rubber ends. I was able to cut a hole with an x-acto knife pretty easily. Your mileage may vary.
Once you’ve inserted the coupling, you can secure it with the nut. You might need a washer on one or both sides if your power pack doesn’t have a suitable side, or you cut the hole too big. If you put the same fake rivets on the washer though, that could really add to the steampunk feel.
The power pack is one of the places that I ended up skimping on at the last-minute, since I ran out of time before Balticon. Ideally, you would want some sort of switch there attached to your battery holder. For what I ended up running, I just had coin cell batteries, and taped the wires in place when I wanted them lit. You, obviously, should do better.
I did add one more piece of co0l to the power pack. The plastic housing for the power pack was clear, so I cut a piece of tracing paper out to the size of the circumference of the tube. This allowed the LED light that I put inside to diffuse and make the whole power pack glow. They look similar to these on Amazon, but with just the bare bulbs.
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The LED lighting that I used for the power pack I got at JoAnn Fabrics, and was a battery-powered accent light. It was submersible, which I didn’t need, but it also cycled between several colors automatically. That, was exactly what I wanted, and it meant less electrical work for me. I bought several, and used them for each power pack, and one other area of the gun.
That, we will get into next week. I had planned on getting into the gun itself, but this is turning out quite long and I have other minions to order about, and several other death rays to complete.
Next week, we light the pistol itself!
Tags: David Moore, Directed-energy weapon, diy, Raygun, steampunk
