Have you ever thought you would learn how to make a blowgun at home? If you haven’t start thinking about it and get in touch with your primitive side because that’s exactly what you’re about to learn in this post.
If you lost your squirrel hunting weapon, you’re in the right place. We’re going to make a blowgun to finish our squirrel hunt.
Have you ever hunted small game with a blowgun? If you haven’t, this post is for you. We’re going to cover how to make a DIY blowgun to blow some darts at squirrels and rabbits (so if you don’t have your hunting rifle with you).
What is A Blowgun
“I never know which is worse: the sorrow when you hit the bird or the shame when you miss it,” (Julian Fellowes).
Welcome to hunting culture, a community that finds pleasure in the challenge of capturing wildlife. Hunters use a considerable number of weapons when going out for a hunt, which does not exclude a blowgun. Blowguns are historical weapons used from which projectiles are forcefully propelled by human breath. You can create your own blowgun from the comfort of your backyard.
DIY Blowgun
Supplies:
- Steel rod
- River Cane
- Heating source
Step 1: Find A Staff
You need to find the perfect staff or river cane. To do this you need to use a specific type of palm that is long and straight enough to create an excellent blowgun.
Step 2: Hollowing
The ends of the staff need to be cut. Cut 6-8 feet of river cane if that’s what you found. It has to be completely dry for us to use so if it’s wet or damp, leave it in the sun until it’s completely dry.
Once this is done, go ahead and shave the outer bark of the staff. Then proceed to cut the staff in half. When that is successful, you are free to remove the epicenter of the staff, with the bulk of the blade.
Step 3: Retrieve The Sap
First, take a moment to find a tree. If you notice that the area around the tree is cluttered, clear it by taking advantage of the knife you have. This is so that bugs and other matter doesn’t get into the glue that you are about to make.
Now, find a palm leaf and trim the ends so it forms a rectangular shape. This leaf will be used as a faucet to get the glue out.
Using your knife, create a slim hole for the faucet to be inserted. Then slash diagonal cuts along the tree to create a pathway for the latex sap to flow towards the faucet. Make sure you have a bucket or a can to use to hold the sap.
Step 4: Vulcanization
Vulcanization is a chemical process that alters the properties of the sap into a stinky matter. The sap will be heated up at around 140–160°C. How would you know if the sap is ready? The sap would have a dark grayish color and have a stretchy, sticky consistency.
Step 5: Constructing The Mouthpiece
This is a significant step in this process because it is the only contact a person has with a blowgun when shooting. The mouthpiece is carved into an hourglass shape using bark.
Next, two holes are carved at the ends of the mouthpiece, one to fit the barrel and the other formed into a funnel. Finally, utilize any tool to force an opening through both holes.
Step 6: Assembling the Blowgun
Grab your bore and sand it. Then tie both parts of the bore with string and secure the seams with glue, so that the parts don’t separate while putting into the mouthpiece.
To finish the process, you can use a vine trap around the outer layers of the bark. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a blowgun is made.
We Are Little Engineers
Blowguns are amazing projectile weapons that are incredibly easy things to make. All you need is a staff, a knife, latex sap, vines, and a palm leave to create this machine. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes in this process because it is all about growing, having fun, and breaking the rules.
Here’s the video tutorial if you want different instructions.
DIY Primitive Darts
Now that you have made your blowgun. You’re going to need some darts to shoot! You could go buy some, but what fun is that?
You just made your own blowgun, whittled it out of wood! Might as well go all the way and make your own darts.
This video hits the bullseye (pun intended) with instructions.
Conclusion
If you lose your gun, or just want to try to make a blowgun and test it out. I’d recommend it, it’s a lot of fun. If you practice with one for a while, you can actually get good at hunting squirrels or rabbits with it.
If you liked this post, you might also like other DIY projects for preppers that you could try.
Up Next: Wilderness Survival Weapons
