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How to Make a Rubber Band Gun

The playground arms race can be just as brutal and unforgiving as those performed on a global scale. Rubber bands are a common ammunition in backyard wars, many a finger has been welted due to a poorly-snapped shot. To limit the amount of injured digits -- and to provide better accuracy and a generally more manly feel to the rubber band battles -- you can craft your child a fairly simply rubber band gun using a couple pieces of wood and a clothespin.

Things You'll Need

1x2 wood beam
Saw
Hammer
Nails
C-Clamp
Wood glue
Sandpaper
File
Clothespin

Instructions

- 1
  Cut your 1x2 into two pieces, one about 12 inches long, the other about 4 inches long.
- 2
  Sand down all the rough edges of the 1x2 pieces to prevent the possibility of splinters.
- 3
  Apply wood glue to the top surface of the 4-inch wood piece then press it up against the bottom of the longer 1x2 piece. The result should be an L shaped piece of wood.
- 4
  Clamp the two pieces together with your C-clamp and allow the glue to dry.
- 5
  File two notches into the long piece of wood. The first notch goes where the "barrel" of the gun might be on the front of the wood. Make it about 1/4 inch deep, just enough to hold the rubber band in place. The second notch should be made on top and at the very back of the wood, about where the hammer might be if it were a real gun. Make the notch about 3/4 inch wide and about 1/4 inch deep. This is to steady the rubber band and help ensure a smooth release.
- 6
  Nail the clothespin to the back of the handle portion of the rubber band gun.

Childrens Toys