In these troubled times, when a trip to the grocery store could turn into a brawl over toilet paper, you might be inclined to build yourself a low-cost electroshock weapon. Or at least, that’s what [Alex Zidros] did. We don’t necessarily recommend you follow in his footsteps, and we’re certainly not advocating testing it on a loved one. We just bring you this information, you have to decide what you do with it.
So what does it take to build an improvised stun gun? Not a whole lot, it turns out. As you might have guessed, the star of the show is a high voltage transformer which supposedly puts out 400 kV. Just looking at it (and the price) we’re going to go out on a limb and say the performance specs are way overrated, but in this case that might actually be a good thing.
Beyond the transformer, there’s a simple 9 V battery holder and electrodes made from the prongs of a hacked up travel adapter. To deliver the lightning, [Alex] is using a pink arcade button. Just because you might be fighting for your life doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun, right? Everything is packed into a simple 3D printed enclosure, but you could easily replace that with any suitably sized box. Something made out of wood might be a good idea, considering.
If you’d like to see another person shocked by a cobbled together high-voltage weapon, and potentially even learn something in the process, check out the “tutorial” video [Mehdi Sadaghdar] did back in 2014. We did mention you definitely shouldn’t do this at home, right?
Why would wood be better? Wood isn’t a better electrical insulator than most plastics, it’s just as flammable as common FDM plastics if not more so, it can become water-logged and hence very much more conductive than plastic…
I do have pretty sweaty hands…
It probably wouldn’t be made out of ~2 mm thick wood though. Plus I’ve never seen wood sag and warp from the heat of electronics.
There isn’t going to be any heat. This thing is going to be operated for about 2-3 seconds and then the angry person you zapped will take it away and stomp on it, then you.
Titled “How to really piss someone off and get beat up.”
To help you figure this out, print a trivet out of ABS and PLA, then make one out of wood, and see which leaves a gloopy mess on the bottom of your pans.
I totally disagree. Plastic is made from oil, and plastic catches fire quicker, and burns much faster than wood. A plastic spoon burns more easily than a wooden one. Also if one were to craft a wooden enclosure it could be coated or painted with something to repel water, even with plastic… But that would make it more flammable…. But there probably is a fire retardant material I am unaware of… But it’s not gonna get wet anyways, unless you are careless and stupid…. In which case would deserve a jolt or four….
20 years ago you could ask for empty disposable cameras and remove the guts. It wasn’t 400kV, but the flash exciter output was nice and zesty.
I can tell you from experience that those flash circuits don’t play. got zapped by one quite a few times.
Aw Man! I remember playing with these things back in the day ike 2004-2005. I built a disposable camera stun gun and bought it to physics class to show. I was tasing myself and others and then for som reason it decided to do a SUPER POWERFUL shock when I touched the probes to a bit of metal on the desk, there was a loud bang and big flash, my arm suddenly involuntarily fully extended like a throwing motion. Gave me a heart attack (almst!!) and i through the taser across the room. Good times :)
(I am sorry for replying to an old thread. Liked the stories)
I build many stunguns with those lol, and trust us takato, they do ‘play’ & hurt like hell when built properly
You don’t understand what “don’t play” means.
Lol You and olivier should switch names
I think that’s what he ment by they don’t play, ie they don’t play around, or they don’t mess about.. they ain’t no joke… then again maybe I’m interpreting it wrong
I remember a friend making one out of a disposable camera when I was at school. They used a couple of ball bearings as the electrodes, and it would leave small craters in metal when it arced.
I think it scared everyone too much to ever be tried on a person.
Check thrift stores or garage sales.
We used to make really simple ones with a 9v battery, a 12v switching relay and a button – all taped together with 2 nails as prongs. They didn’t pack very much of a punch, but they would make you jump. (Plus, you could fritz arcade games so got free credits… )
I made one years ago using the exact same little device they have tucked away in the one in this article.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ASuttasllY
I would say the voltage on the business end is realistically around 50-60K Volts. Not the 400K that the sellers of these devices claim. But take it from me, being hit by this thing sucks and is enough of a shock to send most people in the opposite direction.
I forgot to mention the crude nails aren’t in the final product. I finished it with some stainless steel prongs I made.
I made one with a zero voltage switching circuit based on the one from Vladimiro Mazzilli, hooked up a salvaged flyback transformer which charged some HV caps. The charge would go through a spark gap into a second flyback transformer with some electrodes attached to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0zR-Ku-_MA
Ten years ago was the time when I was fooling around a lot *g*
Cardboard box with foil glued under each flap wire to 1k sized of and 8ohm to 1k audio transformer. Connect 8ohm winding in series with electromechanical buzzer and 9v battery.
What’s with the buzzing box let’s open the lid and take a ….
Works well with little mains transformers too. Remember being bitten by such a circuit built when about 12.
Even if you twist a stepper motor in your fingers quickly by snapping your finger and thumb, that will put out over 50vac with a reasonably high frequency. Enough to make someone let go of the wires. Add a couple of rolled up lengths of aluminium foil for handles and watch people jump. Stear clear of anyone you think might have a weak heart :D
Hmmm, makes me think of making a “rip-cord” version out of an old VCR drive type with a toothed belt.
“In these troubled times, when a trip to the grocery store could turn into a brawl over toilet paper, you might be inclined to build yourself a low-cost electroshock weapon.”
Or order from Amazon in bulk and skip the drama, and the overcharge.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/uks-sewage-system-in-danger-of-gridlock-from-toilet-paper-substitutes-coronavirus
Just remember in some countries (cough, cough, CANADA) this thing well get you thrown in jail for as long as a gun/
Here in the UK as well. That’s no bad thing though, I sure don’t want to be tazed by anyone.
Netherlands too, it’s illegal to build, have or sell these things unless you are a farmer and can prove it’s only used for cattle prodding.
I’ve got to say this, and it will be unpopular.
If you find yourself in the worst case scenario, this thing is going to get you beaten into a pulp…”stun guns” are largely ineffective, a real TASER (which in many locations requires a “license to carry”), is the only electrical device that works.
If you do not have a LTC, stick with a good OC spray…yes you will probably get people uninvolved with the dispute with it.
If you have a LTC, well you already know how things pan out as part of your training and application of common sense.
Correct, all this device is, is a cheap “zapper”, gives you an electric jolt. A “real” TASER, has a specifically shaped, calibrated waveform designed to disrupt your nervous system. It WILL put you down and disorient you for at least a minute.
In fact one of their original models (believe it was the M26 – the yellow/black pistol), the waveform had to be dialed back in subsequent releases due to allegations of being too disruptive. Current model X26, is – rumored – to be not as effective as it’s predecessor. Can’t speak from experience on the new one, the old one, during training (you’re required to experience it), was very darn effective on me! lol
Getting zapped by a stupid flash capacitor – vs – getting your neurosystem disrupted by a specific waveform intended to scramble your neuro system, are two different things entirely.
I’m surprised that the only response was agreeing with me.
I’ve never been “Tased” before, but once my mom got a “stun gun” and being the responsible son I am, I made her test it on me…aside from being mildly uncomfortable it was worthless. She really thought it put me down…and we decided she should stick with the brass knuckles she had been carrying for years (my mom is not someone to mess with).
She now carries OC spray (I refused to be a test subject on that one) and a 17-4PH stainless knuckle duster I lovingly machined for her…funny thing is, she’d be more likely to put some punk’s teeth down his throat with the knuckle duster than deploy the OC; she says the OC is for “crowd control”.
Through the years I’ve been bitten by 120VAC, 240VAC, 277VAC (480Y from phase to neutral) and a HeNe laser power supply…the laser power supply was much worse than the “stun gun”.
I get that this is a fun shock your buddy thing…i just don’t want anyone to think it’s a viable self defense tool.
You can use capacitor discharge, but can be lethal, get some parts, from an old TV,
Only to be used as, a, last resort
Care to explain how? I’d like to know, I like going for walks alone and an electroshock weapon would be useful…
Needs more power. Didn’t cause the victim to explode…
A Scanners fan.
Just need to add the crystals, napoleon