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Lightsaber!!

Filed under: diy, how to, kids toys, Uncategorized

When my kids started watching the new Star Wars cartoons, the result was instant fascination with lightsabers.  So we built a few.

You will need a little LED flashlight

cardboard

packing tape

an old deceased CD (we all have burned some coasters)

clear or opaque tube, I used an old golf club protector tube thingy

Sharpie

scissors

Figure out how to mount your flashlight in the tube.  I wrapped the flashlight in cardboard and taped it then slid it into the end of the tube.

If you want a colored light, you should add some colored cellophane at this point.  Wrap it over the end of the flashlight and tape it down.

Once the flashlight is where you want it in the tube, tape it there.

Next trace the end of your tube on the old CD and cut it out.

Tape the CD with the reflective portion towards the flash light.

All done but the testing.

Finished product.

Foam Rockets – Part 4

Filed under: diy, how to, kids toys, rockets

15.  Wrap the ends of your colored tape with more colored tape.  This keeps it from unraveling.

16.  Cut off the corners of the foam nose cone

17.  End result.

Notes – they fly remarkably like the ones that came with the launcher.

You could probably use less tape.  I think that the extra tape used in the ones I built allow the rocket to fly further.

I built a bunch of yellow tipped ones and a bunch of red tipped ones.  So the kids (ie, me) know who’s is whose.

I tried one on the air compressor at about 50 psi.  The pipe foam insulation has a pre cut down one side of the foam to allow you to put the foam on over existing pipe.  The rocket split down the seam when the 50 psi air hit it.  To make it work, I would expect that you would have to tape the entire rocket from tip to end.  I’m afraid that it might get too heavy.  And anyway, not sure one should be shooting rockets with an air compressor at anyone, especially kids.

Tags: diy, duct tape, foam, how to, kids toys, rockets

Foam Rockets – Part 3

Filed under: diy, how to, kids toys

11.  Take 3 or 4 inches of your colored tape

12.  Split the tape if it is 2 or 3 inch wide in half.  If you are using colored electrical tape, there probably is no need to split it.

13.   Take some left over pipe foam.  Cut a 1 or 2 inch piece from the foam.  Split it in half so you have two c shaped sections.  Take 1 piece of foam and use the colored tape to tape it to the end of the foam you have already sealed with duct tape.

14.  Add the 2nd piece of colored tape.

More in part 4

Tags: diy, duct tape, foam, how to, kids toys, rockets

Foam Rockets – Part 2

Filed under: diy, how to, kids toys

7.   Place a 2nd piece of 3 or 4 inch duct tape over the first, rotated 90 degrees so it would form a cross if both were place flat.

8.  As you did in step 4, fold the edges of the tape over the end of the foam.

9.  Smooth the overlapping tape over the end of the foam and first layer of tape.

10.  The end result of the duct tape should look like photo 11.

More to come.

Part 3

Tags: diy, duct tape, foam, how to, kids toys, rockets

Foam Rockets – Part 1

Filed under: diy, how to, kids toys, rockets

My kids and I picked up a couple of pop rocket sets at the dollar store.  We had some fun launching them at each other.  I came home from work the other day and had to climb the tree and get on the roof to get the rockets down.  It kinda sucks to be a kid waiting on dad to come home to get your rockets down.  So I did what any dad would do.  I made some more.  Here’s how.
Supplies –

1 inch foam pipe insulation
duct tape

knife or scissors
1.  Cut about 1 foot of the 1 inch foam pipe insulation.

2.  Cut a 3 or 4 inch piece of duct tape.

3.  Place duct tape over the end of the foam.  Try to center the tape.

4.  Fold the edges of the tape over the end of the foam.

5.  Smooth the tape that has been folded over.  It should look like this.

6.  Smooth the remaining overlap to the contour of the foam.

Next steps in the next post.

Part 2

Tags: diy, duct tape, foam, how to, kids toys, rockets