Lance Akiyama - Rubber Band Engineer: Build Slingshot Powered Rockets, Rubber Band Rifles, Unconventional Catapults, and More Guerrilla Gadgets from Household Hardware

BUILD:SLINGSHOT-POWERED ROCKETS
RUBBER BAND RIFLES
UNCONVENTIONAL CATAPULTS
*AND MORE GUERILLA GADGETS FROM HOUSEHOLD HARDWARE

LANCE AKIYAMA

2016 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Project designs 2016 Lance Akiyama

First published in the United States of America in

2016 by Rockport Publishers, an imprint of

Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

100 Cummings Center

Suite 406-L

Beverly, Massachusetts 01915-6101

Telephone: (978) 282-9590

Fax: (978) 283-2742

QuartoKnows.com

Visit our blogs at QuartoKnows.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

Digital edition: 978-1-63159-180-8

Softcover edition: 978-1-63159-104-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

Design and illustrations: Timothy Samara

Cover image: Lance Akiyama

All photography by Lance Akiyama except the cover

(rubber band ball) and by Shutterstock

Rubber Band Engineer contains a variety of desktop projects involving projectiles made from household items. Neither Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. nor the author accepts responsibility for the use or misuse of the information contained in this book.

Thank you to my parents, Nancy and James, for allowing me to take apart old electronics and for letting me turn my childhood bedroom into a wonderful, creative mess. And, thank you to the inventors of rubber bands, cardboard, and tape, without whom I might not have a career.

LANCE

Whoa, that shot a lot farther than I thought it would!

Shooting far, flying high, and delivering way more exciting results than expected are the goals for the gadgets in this book.

Discover unexpected ways to turn common materials into crafty contraptions that range from surprisingly simple to curiously complex. Whether you build one or all of these designs, youll feel like an ingenious engineer when youre through.

Best of all, you dont need to be an experienced tinkerer to make any of these projects. All you need are household tools and materials, such as paper clips, pencils, paint stirrers, and ice pop sticks.

Oh, and rubber bands. Lots of rubber bands.

So grab your glue gun, pull out your pliers, track down your tape, and get started on the challenging, fun, and rewarding journey toward becoming a rubber band engineer.

P.S.

RUBBER BAND ENGINEERS:
IMPORTANT LEGAL SAFETY DISCLAIMER

There are things in this book that are dangerous. Be smart. Tinker at your own risk.

The Many-Thing Shooter earns its name from its versatility: it can be built from many things. It can also launch many things, including candy, beads, and pieces of cork, to name a few. Every material in the shooter can be replaced with another household item, making this one of the most imaginative, adaptable, and quick-to-build projects in this book. Experiment with different projectiles and rubber-band combinations until your Many-Thing Shooter becomes your go-to DIY sidearm.

TOOLS + MATERIALS

DUCT TAPE

SCISSORS

PAINT STIRRER

SPRING-TYPE CLOTHESPIN

RUBBER BAND

SMALL BINDER CLIP

BOTTLE CORK (OR PROJECTILE OF YOUR CHOICE)

CUTTING TOOL (OPTIONAL)

CHOOSE YOUR RUBBER BAND WISELY

The rubber band is a critical component of the shooter. Choose a band that has a maximum stretched length about equal to the length of the stick. Avoid using very thin bands that break easily or very thick bands that are difficult to stretch. Try doubling your rubber bands for additional power!

01 > Make the trigger. Cut a 6 (15 cm) piece of duct tape and split it lengthwise. Use the two pieces of tape to attach the clothespin to one end of the paint stirrer, making sure the pinching tip of the clothespin faces the middle of the stick.