A Fully 3D printed, semi automatic Nerf Dart Rifle that only needs 2 motors, 8 AA type Batteries, 2 5mm threaded rods, 2 5mm rings and 4 5mm nuts

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Description

Reading about the contest in the 3D printing Facebook group, I decided to make this Nerf Dart Compatible Launcher.

As told in the rules the design must be an original design and not something you had laying around or used before, so I started designing in 123Ddesign.

Because the rules said that functionality, the percentage of 3D printed parts vs off the shelf parts and feasibility to print are taking into account, I decided that the riffle had to be as much as possible 3D printed with as less as possible other materials. This killed a lot of my ideas, because they were more complex or needed electronics, like motor drivers, microcontrollers, servo's, etc, to work.

This is how I tried to come up with a mostly mechanical operated rifle that would function as good as possible. It's a pitty I couldn't get around the two DC motors and therefore the batteries. Otherwise it would have been a blow gun. :-)

The idea of making it a large rifle (72CM tall) was born in a toys store. The manager there told me that all the children are looking for the biggest Nerf guns and rifles they can find. They cost you up to $ 150,00 to $ 300,00 to buy, so my goal was set to build a rifle like that. I choose the A.R. style rifle look and started designing. A gun as big as this print would easily cost up to $ 200,00 but now you can print it and get the parts to make it for about $ 40,00.

I hope that a lot of parents, teachers, and specially children, will build this blaster and have a lot of fun with it. It's a great project for parents to do with their kids, so make your kids day and print it :-)

P.S. The thing is to large to get the drawing on YouMagine correct. Therefore there are pictures as well to show how it should look when it is assembled. I tried to get it right, but I couldn't get my parts that far from the buildplate in YouMagine.

Everyone joining this contest... I wish you all the luck there is. May the best design win !!!

UPDATE !!! (23-09 - 04:36 AM)

I added a magazine for 7 rounds 13x72mm Nerf so the blaster is now a semi automatic riffle.

Materials and methods

To build this you need to buy

* 2x DC motor - ø30mm - 12V - 2mm shaft
* 2x Threaded rods M5 x 75cm or longer
* 2x Ring M5
* 4x Nut M5
* 8x AA batteries
* Some electrical wire with a plug
* 4x Battery inserts (springs and pushers) as you find in every AA battery compartiment

Print all the parts in PLA with with 50% infill.
When printing use support, but if your slicer allows you to set support for yourself, please don't use support in the holes for the threaded rods. If you can't prevent your slicer from placing support there, use a drill size M5 to remove the support structures.

My advice, Print every part as a separate print job. I didn't have any succes with multiple parts on the bed.

All together the printing costed me about 150+ hours

After printing:
Prepare the threaded rods by placing the a nut at the end. Seen from the GoPro mounting hole, insert the threaded rods so that the nut falls in place and then start sliding all the parts on top. (It's like a puzzle, It only fits one way)

Some parts need some glue. I used the most transparant hot glue I could get because this type of hot glue is removable with a few drops of Isopropyl alcohol if you have to remove the glue.

When everything is put together, make the battery box. There are two parts, a top and a bottom part. You will need springs and holders from another battery box (or if you can buy them separately, do so). I used glue to get the things in place (See the video if you don't know what parts I am talking about). Then solder the wires to the last spring and holder and glue that in place to. the wire comes out the only opening there is in the battery box and can be glued in there as well.

Connect the wire to a plug and the other and of the plug with wire to the motors (one should spin clockwise, the other counter clockwise) and you are done.

I wish you all the pleasure in the world with your Nerf Rifle.

A little P.S.: In some countries the barrel should be bright orange !!! Don't let your kids play with something that is not allowed in your country !!!

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Comments

Lion U added this to the Interesting collection about 3 years ago

Amer Sh. added this to the ARSH collection over 3 years ago

The 3D printing Guy commented over 4 years ago

Impressed by your design! Others will like it too.

Aethenelle added this to the Fun collection over 4 years ago

robotiger added this to the Play collection about 5 years ago

Gufer commented over 5 years ago

Hi Brian

what about avoidung that long rope to connect the battery holder and instead put the battery holder at the place of the foregrip ? Or, better, transform the foregrip into a battery holder ?

Regards

Guido

eduvasques added this to the Coisas legais collection over 5 years ago

chewy21 added this to the Nerf gun collection almost 6 years ago

Sushi Desires added this to the Mechanisms collection over 6 years ago

Sushi Desires added this to the Curios collection over 6 years ago

Sushi Desires added this to the Gears, Threads, Bearings, Pulleys, & Other Interfaces collection over 6 years ago

Sushi Desires added this to the Electronics collection over 6 years ago

Juan Pedraza added this to the Cosplay collection over 6 years ago

Makerlu added this to the Stuff collection about 7 years ago

NoiseBOX added this to the Toys collection about 7 years ago

ChatToBrian published this design about 7 years ago

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