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psychost

Mon Jan 11 2010, 05:50AM

Registered Member #2618 Joined: Mon Jan 11 2010, 05:45AM
Location:
Posts: 8

I'd like to make a self contained coilgun housed in an 18v drill.

I'd like to use the drills battery and switch. I hope that the components such as the coil and charging cirucit will fit with in enclosure.

I would like to use a capacitor bank, I know my way around a camera charging circuit but I believe that using that circuit on a capacitor bank would only lead to slow charging.

So I may have to make one from scratch.. I am taking an electronics class and should for the most part understand any advice or schematics you may post.

As far as power, I'd be happy to get anything to fire :)

I'm unsure of how I would load the projectiles though, with a drill case there really isn't much room to be able to load a projectile.. Any ideas there are also appreciated. Please let me know.

Myke

Mon Jan 11 2010, 06:09AM

Registered Member #540 Joined: Mon Feb 19 2007, 07:49PM
Location: MIT
Posts: 969

I don't know how much space there is but I'd think you could have a handful of disposable camera caps and a SCR packed in there. I don't think you can store that much energy in the caps though. You might want to look at some of the cap chargers for ideas of what others have done.
To load the coil gun, you could drop a projectile down the front of it and have some sort of stopper at the end of the barrel to get the positioning right. Or you could drill a square window into the top of the drill case and drop in the projectile there but that would make the space unusable where the projectile will be loaded. Since the space is so limited, I think front loading would be the best idea.

Barry

Mon Jan 11 2010, 04:10PM

Registered Member #90 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:44PM
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 301

I offer for your amusement my frankenstein of a coilgun built on a handheld drill body: Barry's Mark 1 photo

This first-try project of mine can be viewed with the same horror and fascination as anyone's early teenage photo of being an awkward and gangly pimple-ridden kid. Or with the attitude of "don't do it like this", lol.

Cheers, Barry
When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands. - George Carlin

Mycologist

Mon Jan 11 2010, 08:01PM

Registered Member #2413 Joined: Sat Oct 03 2009, 08:27PM
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 22

As far as charge speed is concerned, it really is a trade off between energy stored in the bank and speed of charging. For instance I've had some success with a boost converter I whipped up with some leftovers, that can get about 100uF charged to 500V in a few seconds, but once I tried to get it to charge 4000uF to 400V, it took about 45 seconds to get to about 200V. However, a boost converter isn't too hard to put together, especially if you're taking an electronics class, and you'll almost definitely have more success than me with a little more perseverance and effort

. Uzzors' design is a pretty good starting point.

Good luck!

psychost

Mon Jan 11 2010, 08:11PM

Registered Member #2618 Joined: Mon Jan 11 2010, 05:45AM
Location:
Posts: 8

Thanks for the input..

See my real issue is that I cannot design a case, so I need something pre-made to shove my cirucitry into

Turkey9

Tue Jan 12 2010, 12:54AM

Registered Member #1451 Joined: Wed Apr 23 2008, 03:48AM
Location: Boulder, Co
Posts: 661

If having an enclosure is the only problem there are many other solutions. If it needs to be portable, then it's a pretty good way to go even though you won't be able to get much power out of a case that size. If it doesn't need to be portable then you can mount it all on a board and have plenty of room to do what you want/need to and room for expansion.

As far as loading you can have the barrel butt up against the back of the case and simply have a hole in the back of the drill. Then you can put the projectile in and maybe have a small magnet to hold the projectile.

psychost

Tue Jan 12 2010, 03:09AM

Registered Member #2618 Joined: Mon Jan 11 2010, 05:45AM
Location:
Posts: 8

sounds good, thanks for the help

psychost

Wed Jan 13 2010, 02:13AM

Registered Member #2618 Joined: Mon Jan 11 2010, 05:45AM
Location:
Posts: 8

Sorry for double post couldn't edit

What do you think of using this as a case?

Turkey9

Wed Jan 13 2010, 04:08AM

Registered Member #1451 Joined: Wed Apr 23 2008, 03:48AM
Location: Boulder, Co
Posts: 661

That could work; looks like there is a good amount of room in there. With airsoft guns you can use the existing barrel supports for your barrel. My first gun case was an airsoft shotgun case. You can also use the clip to house a bunch of disposable camera caps.

psychost

Wed Jan 13 2010, 01:19PM

Registered Member #2618 Joined: Mon Jan 11 2010, 05:45AM
Location:
Posts: 8

oh wow :D Thats a great idea with the caps

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