Marshmellow gun

My nephew's son, my great nephew then? Anyway, he bought a marshmellow gun at a festival this spring. He brought it to me to show me. We had a blast with it. The only way it could have been more fun, if we had more than one!! So for family reunion, I have to get about ten of these made.

The original used a 2x4. On one of Sharon's guns I made it out of a 2x4 and the other out of a 1x4. Measurements I will get posted sometime tomorrow, Lou is asleep and I am typing in the dark.
Tools used:
Sliding compound miter saw to cut board to length.
Bandsaw to cut out shape.
Drill press to drill trigger hole.
Router table and two bits, one a round over for all edges and trigger hole. Second bit was a half round to make the indentation for the barrel.
PVC ratchet cutter.

I did mess up and originally bought cpvc, the inside diameter is to small for marshmellows. You have to buy pvc. NOTHING is glued together in the event you have a spitter/drooler/slobberer you can disassemble and clean up.

PVC=2-tees 2-45's and the rest 1/2" pvc. Lengths tomorrow.

This is all of the pvc parts. A good ratchet cutter keeps things square.



Rough out the gun blank. Need a drop at the top of the comb of the stock, otherwise the 45 angle will "tip" your barrel. Round over bit all edges and trigger holes. Then down the center of the top of the gunstock, where the barrel lies, router a half round the depth you want to set your barrel.



Long deck screws screwed in where the barrel will hide the hole, holds them nice for painting and drying.



Just rattle can gloss black. Humidity, temp, something made it duller than normal. Kind of looked like black camo but was unintentional.



Barrel and scope assembled.



Twine passed through the scope, hung to paint and dry.


Finished pictures, see 2011 Toy Swap, Sharon Korn. She is holding the pair sent to her.

Oh, to attach the barrel assembly to the stock, I used pieces of nylon that I have rolls of for making lunge lines for my horses. I stapled one end, set a piece of pvc and wrapped, slid the pvc out, tightened up about a 1/16th of an inch and stapled that end. Tight fit. That is important. There you have it, a marshmellow gun. Oh, forgot to send a plug to Sharon. If you are looking for better velocity, put a plug in the scope mount pvc (the vertical piece) turn it on a lathe and glue it in. Then no air leaks out the scope and you get better launch, distance and velocity. Have fun.

Did I miss something? What is the propellant?

You brought back a wonderful memory. A bazillion years ago when I was a young doc I lived in Ontario, California (which is near Alta Loma, Calif.). A few houses north of us lived the Andersons.

When their daughter was young, in grade school somewhere, I went up to their house for some reason. Don't ask me why the next item in this story, 'cause I don't know. I took two ping pong shooting pistols with me.

Daughter and I practically tore up the house as we ferociously fought a real gun slinging battle. Her parents were in hysterics...they were laughing so card that they were crying.

Anyway, when that girl grew up she went with, and I think married, one of Sam Maloof's apprentices.

Enjoy,

Jim

Oh yes, the pistols were made of a soft plastic. When you squeezed them, air pressure built up and popped the ping pong ball out. There was a slight restriction in the barrel so the pressure had to exceed a certain amount before the ball would come out.

To be a good shot you tried for the maximum, rapid squeeze. However, squeezing that fast had a deleterious effect on your aim. So skill was to coordinate poof with barrel distortion from the squeeze.

Of course neither of us would take advantage of the other when the other was getting his/her ball back and reloading (single shot).

Jim, you got the point, they are harmless fun!
And yes, I forgot an important item, marshmellow loads from the rear of the barrel and you blow through the barrel/blow the marshmellow out. Sharon shot some through the scope also.