[Corvettaholic]

There's been plans on the net for a while for coil guns, but they're all one shot deals. Equivalent to a muzzle loader if you will. The basic idea behind one is to energize a coil to pull a projectile through the coil, and shut down the field when the projectile reaches almost half-way through and it should keep sailing on.

Factors like size of projectile, size of coil, voltage, amperage, starting position of projectile, number of coils, and so on all have a big impact on how well it works. I found some site where some guy did his homework and had it all mapped out. Nice and cheap coil gun, only fires at about 12 meters/second. Great for fun, not dangerous.

To build on the "fun" part of it, what if it could be made fully automatic? Have an optical sensor at the exit hole, and once the projectile passes through it, activate a stepper motor that loads the next dry wall screw, stick of metal, whatever into position? So long as you keep the hopper full, and maybe use a gear with deep teeth to grab the next projectile and stick it in the firing hole. Once the new projectile is in place and trips the next optical sensor, the coil energizes again and does its thing, while the gear is rotated back into "grab next round" position. Fully automated process until you run out of power or ammo!

How feasible would it be to rapidly create and collapse a magnetic field anyway? Isn't that a function of inductance?

[billnotgatez]

Post those web sites URLs please

[Corvettaholic]

Sure thing, let me make sure I can dig them all up.

Here's the basic idea and construction tips for a coil gun:
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/sixmhz/coolstuff2.html

Timing circuit for a multi-coil design:
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/sixmhz/images/biggundiagram.jpg

A high powered coil gun:
http://www.powerlabs.org/coilgun.htm

EVERYTHING YOU NEED! Go through this whole page if you seriously want to build one:
http://www.oz.net/~coilgun/home.htm

The focus of these sites is mainly to get one projectile to accelerate as fast as it can. There are some topics related to rail guns, but those are completely different from coil guns. I can build a coil gun; I can't build a rail gun. Comes down to economics I guess. Like most inventions, everything can be improved upon. I don't expect to make anything commercially viable, or militarily viable, with this stuff. Just want to have some fun  

[gregpawin]

Actually... though I'm sure you guys'd like to put lots of nails and such through zombies/whatnot... coil guns are also fun to ride...  correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure the Superman ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California is based on this.  

http://www.thrillride.com/Superman/Superman.html

[Corvettaholic]

There's NO restraints?!?! I'll probably crap myself if I get on that thing. I'd want at least a race car harness. Although with 4.5g's of force, I can see how it easy it is to be held in your seat pretty well. I wonder what happens to some older unhealthier people who get exposed to that kind of g-force.

Even better, imagine putting that 1.2megawatts of power to a BETTER use! Like shooting a nail. Wonder how fast it'd go, or would friction with air melt the thing?

[limpet chicken]

In which case, you STILL have, assuming you are the one in question being fired at, the problem of being smashed into a thousand ichor-stained mess coated meaty flakes by a red/white hot chunk of steel flying in your direction in excess of a thousand miler per hour.



Discliamer: I am high, diregard all said in that post.

Edit: bugger these opiates, theyre making me feel sick and I can't type properly..meh