Introduction: Rotating Gattling Gun

How to make a wooden Gattling gun with a rotating barrel!

By Jackson and Johnny

Step 1: Materials

  • 10 Dowel rods 3/4"
  • Wood glue
  • Slab of wood
  • Tools (listed through instructable)
  • Rubber bands (if you want to make it into a rubber band gun)
  • Screws
  • Angles with screw holes
  • String

Step 2: Making the Barrel Mounts

  1. Cut a circle to a size of your desire from the wooden plank
  2. Equally space 4 holes opposite each other on the circle using a ruler, in a square shape
  3. Use a 3/4" drillbit to cut the holes
  4. Repeat steps 2-3, drilling out 8 holes
  5. Drill one 3/4" hole in the center
  6. Repeat steps 1-5
  7. Sand down the central rod so it can rotate freely in the barrel
  8. *make sure the circles match up perfectly or the dowell rods won't fit

Step 3: Notching the Rods

This is necessary if you want the rubber band mechanism to work, but if you just want a rotating barrel, you don't need to.

  1. Use a bandsaw to carve a "V" shape into the tips of the dowel rods. Go about 1cm deep so that the bands can release.
  2. Repeat step 1 for all of the rods EXCEPT for the central one.

Step 4: Making the Barrel

  1. Align the two barrel holders
  2. Insult the dowel rods into each hole, connecting the two barrel mounts
  3. Use a hammer to pound them into place (glue isn't necessary if the holes hold the rods tight enough)

Step 5: Making the Handle

  1. Carve a handle that has a comfortable grip
  2. Make sure that the handle is about 6" in length and looks similar to a pistol (see picture)
  3. Drill a 3/4" hole into the front of the handle (where the 'pistol' would shoot from)
  4. Insert the central rod into the hole and glue it in.
  5. When the glue is dry, drill a 3/4" hole through the side of the handle (see picture). This will be used for the crank rod.

Step 6: Making the Rotating Mechanism

You'll need an extra dowell rod for this, and to make a few more pieces.
  1. Cut three 2 1/2" circles with a 3/4" dowel rod hole in the center.
  2. Cut roughly an 8" dowel rod, along with a 3" one.
  3. Insert it through the 3/4" hole that you drilled in the side of the handle.
  4. Glue one of the three circles from step one on the tip of the rod.
  5. Pull the rod with the circle all the way through the hole until the circle prevents any further movement. The rod should skewer the handle and there should be a circle on one side against the handle.
  6. Glue another circle on the other edge of the handle, so that the skewering rod can't move.
  7. Glue the last circle about 2" from the end of the other side of the rod. (See picture, it explains it way better)
  8. Make a crank mechanism, an oval with two 3/4" holes drilled in it and about 6" in length.
  9. Insert the 2" of the handle dowel rod into one of the holes on the crank mechanism. Insert the 3" dowel rod into the other hole as a handhold. You now have your crank.

Step 7: Making Mechanism P2

  1. Use a screwdriver to screw in the angle mount on top of the handle so that it forms a right angle.
  2. Repeat step 1 but on the side of the handle and closer to the crank.

You can't really see the side angle, but follow the instructions relative to the top one.

Step 8: Stringing the Gun

  1. Wrap the string around the empty dowel rod space between the two circles (see picture).
  2. Tie a double knot at the very end of it.
  3. Thread the string through the top holes of the angles and wrap it around the barrel of the gun.
  4. Once it is fully unraveled, tie another double knot on the closest dowel rod in the barrel. Keep in mind that the tighter it is, the better the gun will rotate.

Step 9: Congrats!

You now have made a rotating gattling gun!