**OK folks, I have noticed a few people offering to sell these grenades, and while I know we live in a capitalist society and production is based on supply and demand, I have a request: If you like our grenades, great! But PLEASE do not try to profit off of our design and hard work. It is, to say the least, kind of discouraging to see people selling the grenades we spent hours (and $$) designing and testing. Make them for yourself, and give them out (or at the very most, just break even on the costs). I'm sorry if this sounds like whining, but put yourself in my shoes and try to see this from my perspective. I'm glad lots of people like the design, but lets keep this a do-it-yourself thing. I would REALLY appreciate it.**
A friend and I were bored and decided to make some DIY grenades. I had seen the thread describing the use of ball bearings as a trigger, and was planning on going that route. However, once at the hardware store, we decided to try out making a "belt buckle" style trigger using plastic washers and cotter pins with zip ties for rings. We tested them with water and found them to be drop safe with the pin in. With the pin removed and the washer placed correctly, the grenade is not sensitive enough to go off during a toss but is sensitive enough to go off from an arms-height drop.
On to the how-to...
You need the following, available between most hardware stores and online:
-1/4" inside diameter, 3/8" outside diameter latex tubing
-7/16" plastic washers (metal washers will also work). You can also use 1/2". 7/16" is pretty tight, while 1/2" is more sensitive and likely to go off. 7/16" is preferred.
-Cotter pins...these only need to be a little longer than the diameter of the washer
-Zip ties...used to seal the bottom of the grenade and to make a "ring" for the pull pin
-60cc 1/4" tip irrigation syringe...for filling the grenades. You may need to get this from a healthcare website
****11/10/06 edit: It has been brought to my attention that Wal-Mart sells a device similar to these syringes. It's called the "MIXMIZER" and it's used for mixing oil with gasoline so I guess you'd either look for it in Lawncare or Automotive. Thanks to TM SNPR for the info.
-Small wood clamps...I recommend the kind that you squeeze with one hand and clamps into place as shown in the following pics.
-Children's washable paint, diluted to desired thickness. If you can, get washable tempera paint from a craft store.
****5/22/07 edit: The best "fill" I have come up with is one part washable tempera paint diluted with one-half to one part tap water. It's very thick.
-OPTIONAL: food flavorings/extracts...Added to mark the enemy with a specific scent. We used mint so the enemy will smell fresh if hit. Orange works great and smells good too. Vanilla is too weak to cover the smell of the paint. I've yet to experiment with others...
The first step is to cut a length of tubing. You can use any length you want, we liked a total length of about (edit:) 4-5 inches best for shape. After your tube is cut, fold the last 1/2" over itself and zip tie it together as hard as you can.
Next ready a syringe by drawing about 2 oz. of paint up. secure the tube as far up the nozzle as it will go. Make sure you are pinching the hose around the nozzle so it won't leak. Make sure the push part of the syringe is braced against your chest or stomach, because once paint is in the latex tube, it will be pressurized and want to shoot the plunger right out of the syringe Push the paint into the grenade tube and hold it with your off hand, making sure to keep pressure on the plunger and keep pinching the end of the tube against the nozzle so nothing leaks.
With your other hand, clamp the grenade tube at the syringe nozzle.
Ready another syringe of paint and plug it snug into the tube. MAKE SURE AT THIS POINT YOU BRACE THE PLUNGER AGAINST SOMETHING SOLID. You wouldn't want pink, minty paint all over yourself, now would you? Release the clamp and push the extra paint into the grenade. Repeat the clamping procedure and fill the grenade to the desired size (we did 6 ouncers).
Once you get the grenade to the right size, clamp it one last time and grab a washer. Fold the end of the grenade over itself the same way as if you were going to zip tie it. Wedge the washer over the folded end of the tube.
Push a cotter pin through the fold of the tube (do not actually puncture it) and over the washer. Make sure the tube is stretched over the cotter pin, which should be pushing against the washer. Now you can release the clamp and the grenade should not leak or go off. Pull the tube through the washer and pin like a belt buckle to tighten it up and get a little extra tube past the pin so it doesn't slide out.
You now have a paint grenade! You will need to play with how tight you make the washer to get it to your liking in terms of how much force is needed to set it off. With 7/16" washers, I pretty much pull them right up to the pin. This makes the grenade rather sensitive, so much that you must be somewhat gentle when removing the pin. When they hit something, the washer is blown off and the grenade starts a-spinnin'! We tested ours (with water) from halfway up the stairs, chucking them into the bathroom. Every surface was hit with the grenade, even the ceiling. They spin pretty violently, so watch out! Here's the box we cranked out tonight:
Great work Mike! I'm sure it'll be a hit. | 