Office Bricolage 2

10 Cent Shuriken

Materials and Tools

	Parts: Two Empty Aluminum Soft Drink Cans (Brand Unimportant) Two Nickels Optional: Clear Inkjet Mailing Labels and Printer (Not Shown)
	Tools: One Pair of Scissors One Push Pin One Ruler (or Similar Measuring Implement) Optional: Round Ball-Point Pen or Similar Cylindrical Writing Implement (Not Shown) Optional: Transparent Plastic Tape (Not Shown) An Overall Willingness to Bleed Profusely During Construction (Not Shown)

Construction

Finished Shuriken
(Actual Size: 3.375" Point-to-Point)

The 10 Cent Shuriken is a small, easily concealable edged weapon designed to be thrown at an opponent. While the throwing star is unlikely to cause serious injury, it can be used quite effectively for inflicting minor wounds to distract opponents and to discourage pursuit.
The shuriken is constructed of folded sheets of aluminum, such as that used in disposable beverage containers. While the thin foil is somewhat fragile as a single sheet, the multiple folds and tight bends give the final product surprising strength. (Follow the link for step-by-step instructions.) This material can be somewhat difficult to use, however, as single layers tend to snap when they are sharply creased or are bent repeatedly. When working with folded aluminum sheets, the following tips are useful:

Avoid sharp creases. A tight fold is required in nearly every step of construction. However, if the fold is pressed completely flat, the aluminum will shear and break. Instead, press the fold down with finger tips. If the fold is several layers thick, it can be rolled flatter using the barrel of a pen.
Minor splits can be mended with transparent tape. However, if a crease breaks along its entire length, it is better to scrap the part and start over with a new sheet. Otherwise, overall structural integrity will be compromised.
Avoid contact with the edges of the aluminum, especially when initially cutting the soft drink cans. They can be extremely sharp.
Bends can more easily be made against the edge of a ruler, especially after the piece has already been folded a few times. Press one half of the piece to be bent against a table top, and fold the other half upwards.
Plan ahead and be certain of your folds before making them. Once the aluminum sheet has been creased, it is nearly impossible to unfold again without fatiguing and breaking the metal.

Operation

Two Shuriken Thrown Overhand from 12 Feet

Shuriken are typically thrown using one of two basic methods. First, they can be thrown horizontally, as one would throw a small Frisbee. The star is grasped between thumb and forefinger, and held parallel to the ground at chest height. The weapon is then thrown with a flick of the wrist as the throwing arm is straightened. If desired, additional shuriken can be held in a stack in the off hand, and passed rapidly to the throwing hand. This method is faster and more accurate than the second method described below, but at the expense of power.
The second technique involves throwing the star vertically. The shuriken is grasped between thumb and forefinger, and the arm is lifted back overhead, as if pitching a baseball. The arm is then whipped forward and the weapon is released. More power can be generated with this method, at the cost of accuracy.
For more information, consult this excellent online reference for the ancient Japanese art of Shuriken-do

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Iconoclast of the BEF for the origami throwing star template that was modified for this design.

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