Office Bricolage

Ball Point Blowgun

Materials and Tools

	Parts: Six Ball Point Pens ("Stick" Pens) One Roll of 3/4" Masking Tape Several Large Paperclips
	Tools: One Pair of Scissors One Leatherman Multi-Tool (or similar folding pocket pliers) One Ruler (or similar measuring implement)

Construction

Disassembled Blowgun and Two Darts

The blowgun is designed to break down into six smaller segments for easy concealment and transportation. This is achieved by the use of couplers constructed from the pen caps. A dart design is also provided. This design incorporates a ribbon drag device to assure that the dart rights itself, should it tumble after firing. (Follow the links for step-by-step instructions.)

Operation

Proper Use of the Blowgun*

Use the blowgun as follows:

Assemble the blowgun by joining the segments end-to-end.
Insert a dart into the near end of the blowgun.
Take a deep breath and place the end of the blowgun in your mouth. Do not inhale the dart!
Aim the blowgun at the target. Be careful to support it such that it does not bend or sag.
Exhale into the blowgun in one strong, steady breath. A continuous exhalation, lasting for the entire duration of the dart's travel down the blowgun pipe, will achieve a higher velocity than that generated by a sharp initial burst of air.
* Identity withheld by model's request.

Darts Can Be Carried in Extra Pen Barrels

If additional pens are available, they can be used as a speed loading device. Simply store one dart in each spare pen segment. Then, after firing, remove the last segment from the blowgun and replace it with another segment containing a new dart. (Be careful to install the new segment with the dart pointing in the proper direction.) This is considerably faster and easier than trying to manually feed a new dart into the blowgun while in the field.

Three Darts from 12 Feet

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without the inspiration and support of the Bleach Eating Freaks.