How to make a crossbow from a pen

Video: HOW TO MAKE A CROSSBOW WITH PEN THAT SHOOT ARROWS AT VERY HIGH SPEED

Content

Warnings
What do you need

1 Choose a suitable handle. Not every handle will make a crossbow. Find a cheap automatic ballpoint pen with a mechanism that extends and returns the tip of the pen at the click of a button. The handle should rotate in the middle so that you can easily reach its parts.

Inside the pen you will find an ink cartridge (usually a transparent plastic tube with a metal tip), several plastic parts that make up the automatic movement, and a small metal spring. Upon completion, the crossbow will launch a projectile made of an ink cartridge and rubber band.

2 Unscrew and open the handle. Remove the ink cartridge from it. The spring can be firmly attached to it - if so, leave it alone. If not, look for it in the pen body - it should be on the tip side. Shake the handle until the spring comes out, or remove it with tweezers.

3 If the spring is not on the ink cartridge, reinstall it. Pass it through from the tip of the cartridge and up to the comb that almost all ink cartridges have. The spring will provide additional force to launch the projectile.

4 Insert the ink cartridge back into the part of the pen body that contains the button. Install it so that the tip points towards the button. The ink cartridge must be firmly seated in the trigger. When you install it, the back end of the cartridge should be facing outward.

Before inserting an ink cartridge, you can insert a ball of crumpled paper into the housing. This is to keep the spring in place.

5 Wind one end of the rubber band onto the ink cartridge. Using clear tape, electrical tape, or FUM tape, attach one end of the elastic to the end of the ink cartridge that protrudes from the pen body. The rubber band should be tightly attached: if it falls, you may not hit the target, but yourself.

6 Stretch the rubber band. Find a suitable target (attention: never aim at people or animals) and tighten the elastic. Keep it parallel to the boom body.

7 Aim and release the rubber band. The elastic should fly off abruptly, launching the ink cartridge towards the target. Best of all, this shell can be used multiple times. Put the cartridge back in place, aim and - fire!