Sci-Fi Steam Punk Ray Gun From Junk Parts

Since I was a kid, I've always been fascinated with ray guns. From the Loony Tune cartoons when I was a kid, to watching bad 40s & 50s space movies when I was a little older, I've always had an interest in them.

Some years back I've see ray guns made out of old drills, plumbing fixtures, old vacuum cleaner parts, etc. and always wanted try my hand at making a few. I 'm also a junk collector (like my dad was) so over the years, I've picked up odds and ends from garage sales, estate sales, stuff in the recycle bins at auto parts shops, you name it, always keeping in the back of my head - this would make a neat part for a ray gun some day.

Cut to the present day, I recently had to move everything out of our parents house and in the process we moved so I had the chance to gather all of the bits and pieces and get them in one place.

So I decided to try my hand at making a few. This is the first one of 4-5 I have planned so I figured I would share it with everyone on Instrtuctables.

Supplies

Now, I'm making these from some of the stuff in my junk collection. A lot of this is 10-20-50 years old. But that doesn't stop someone from making one out of wood, cardboard, pvc pipe, anything!

Step 1: Need a Spark to Get Things Started

So you gotta start somewhere. I laid out a bunch of interesting pieces and kind of sorted them into groups. I chose a drill from the dozen or so I've picked up at garage sales (never paid more than a $1 for any of them). and started to noodle around what I could do with it. In the process I went back and looked at the hundreds of screen shots of movie ray guns, cartoon guns for inspiration.

Step 2: Put Something Together

So starting with this sweet little Thor, 1/4" chuck drill (that still worked BTW) I started adding bits and pieces. The circular piece with the gears is out of an old automatic transmission that I found in a box at an estate sale. The muzzle is from a modern bathroom faucet base, the flashlight - all brass is from the 1940s. The red tip is from the rear light of a 1966 Thunder Bird.

Good start I figured, but I left it for a day or two, went back to the junk pile and tried other things here and there.

Step 3: Iterate, Try Different Things

So a few days later, I removed a piece or two and I figured this looked pretty good. Now I gotta actually put the thing together so you can pick it up.

Since it is a 1/4" inch drill and all of the pieces are hollow, I got a length of 1/4" threaded rod, tightened it tight in the chuck and basically slide the other pieces on and bolted them together.

From here I polished all the pieces on a buffer so that the brass & aluminum and steel parts would shine their best.

Step 4: Make the Stuff to Hold the Other Pieces Together

So now I'm happy with the pieces, I need to make a front sight and something to hold the flashlight on to the drill.

I traced out the sight on paper, cut it out and saw how it looked. Happy with that I, copied the pattern on to some sheet aluminum and with a combination of the Dremel, belt sander, hand drill and file, I made the front site. I grinded a slot in the front muzzle so it will fit. Epoxied that in place.

For the flashlight holder I tried to come up with a retro-sci-fi shape for that, made it out of paper first, traced on aluminum and cut it out. Cut a slot in the top of the drill with the Dremel as well.

I polished both pieces on a buffing wheel and by hand to get as mirror a finish as I could.

I painted in the 'Thor' with some of the wife's nail polish.

Step 5: Almost There

I like it but I thought the rear of the flashlight needed some help. I had a piece of the interior of the flash light and I found a bicycle headset bottom bearing holder that fit in the flashlight back and held the other piece! Epoxied them together - Done!

From here I sprayed all the pieces with a spray can clear paint so that they won't oxidize.

Step 6: Finished

I'm happy with how things came out. I need to make some kind of a holder, display case, something to show it off. I plan on making a couple more so I'll have to think a while on this.

So parts and prices -

Old drill - $1

Transmission piece - free

Faucet Muzzle - took off our old sink - free

Flashlight - $5

Red Lens - free

Bicycle Head set Bearing holder - free

Aluminum for sight and flashlight holder - Free, laying around in scrap bin

Can of semi-gloss clear spray paint - $7

So for anyone that is interested, just start finding pieces and parts - doesn't matter if their new or old, or plastic from old toys or new appliances, start collecting and go make something!