SpudFiles

this maybe too mischievous for this forum, if so then just delete this
but I was thinking about using a freshly charged capacitor as a projectile,I just started learning about capacitors so correct me so I may be wrong.
I want to try and make a stun gun gun, I call it that because it shoots a single quick but strong stunning burst of electricity but stun guns are different
so from what I learned it should be about this simple

from what I've heard you can easily make a capacitor
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/circ/hv/hvcap/hvcap.html , do you think this can be done? will the capacitor loses charge before hitting a target?

I would just take the circuit out of a disposeable camera (you can get developed ones free) and cut the leads of the capacitor and straighten them out. then, you could put fins or something on it, and all you would have to do to charge it is hook it back up to the circuit with alligator clamps or something. (I have been thinking of making a throwing dart like this for similar purposes)

that's were I got the idea, but that's a lot of circuits, careful with your dart idea man, just touching the capacitors surface can shock you

It's more fun to fire charged camera flash capacitors at night, as long as you don't accidentally catch the prongs while loading it - ouch.
Fire it at something hard enough, and you get a bright blue flash as the capacitor disintegrates. Pretty cool.

Wouldn't even begin to recommend what you're suggesting though. If the prongs pierce the skin, you will almost certainly kill someone, because you're then running hundreds of volts through the reasonably conductive blood and other fluids.

I've had a huge number of electric shocks before, but I end up all right because I have skin with a resistance several times normal. That would mean dick if you got the current running direct through my blood.

In other words - No, just No.

I've had this idea to, but not as a stungun. I was thinking the capacitor at a metal plate to discharge, but Rag's way seems simpler and cooler, albeit a bit wastefull

Home made capacitors have very low capacitance, and even then, a 9v battery will not give much power at all.

If you use a *very* small capacitor you might be able to get away with it, but photoflash caps are a no-no. You'd also need to stabilize it during flight, or wrap it in tinfoil seperated down the middle (one side to each prong).

You don't really need to make your own super-HV cap- photoflash boards only charge up to around 200V and you can sure feel them.

Oh, and don't fire it at too high a velocity, I put a major dent in a piece of wood with a capacitor once...

oh god a fully loaded photoflash cap... that hurts like a *****. I had one dumped into me, knocked me 2 feet backwards.

It felt like getting hit with a sledgehammer in the chest. extremely dangerous

I was trying to make a diposable camera flash ignitor, and while I was trying to open the case, I acidently hit the cap. or somthing. It hurt than my hand felt like it was burning from the inside. I refuse to mess with diposible cameras, I got bit before getting it open, seemed like a bad omen.

oh you didn't get a full cap then.

Trust me, you'll know when you get a full cap into you, you'll know it all right

I am aware I did not get a full cap. I am just saying getting bit pretty well without even getting the plastic off was sort of like a sign to me. Is there any way of SAFELY dischargeing a flash circuit after you get the plastic off? if so I might give it another go.

Yea... get a WELL insulated screwdriver, cross the leads.

you'll be fine then

I tried that. It made an arc and the cap popped. I didnot feel a thing the blue spark was pretty cool though 8)

yea the massive eruption of sparks is awesome.

I spent 10 minutes just discharging an old board once over and over that i didn't care about cuz it looked soo cool.

haha

so did I pop the cap. or did it just discharge like it was supposed to?

no it discharged.

the pop is just the noise of the cap discharging it