DIY enthusiasts can create anything from amphibious cars to laser guns. A dash of backyard engineering and enthusiasm for creativity can result in remarkable DIY projects, for example, a homemade electromagnetic railgun. Although a dangerous weapon, opportunity to make it yourself is also irresistible. This is what happened with two YouTubers who created a 250 lbs railgun that releases 27,000 joules of energy.
“This was a fairly successful test- the clamps blew off 15 milliseconds AFTER the projectile had left the device. Further advances in the projectile design will allow more energy to be transmitted to the projectile.” said the maker, Ziggy Zee.
Check out the awesome video below of railgun shooting!
The test used raw material that we can buy commercially and gave amazingly “explosive” results. All you need is a little engineering background, some easily-available components and you can actually defend your home or base with heavily powered electric railguns.
“The kinetic energy is solely derived from electromagnetism-the CO2 is not great enough to overcome the friction of the rails! It is meant as a means of preventing intense heat and spot welding/rail erosion.” – Ziggy Zee
The power source for the railgun is the strong electromagnetic force which accelerates a projectile down the barrel of the gun.
“There are 56 x 480 joule capacitors making up the power supply for a total weight of 200 lbs and 27,000 joules at 400 volts (20,500 at 350v). The railgun itself weights 50lbs.” – Ziggy Zee.
This is definitely not for the amateurs out there. The force and acceleration of a railgun produced from simple energy mechanisms is what makes them so frightening and admittedly – awesome! Have you ever worked on a similar project? What do you think of this DIY railgun?