Projects

Technical Technical Discussion
#1

I know very little engineering and can have trouble with many of the simplest projects. However I want to learn more about wiring and eventually build a coilgun once I know more and enough to be safe and successful.

Do you have any ideas for projects that I could do that could put me on the path to build a coilgun but would be exceedingly simple. Currently all I have really done is stuff like salt water batteries and I am working on an electric lighter.

Also for the lighter I plan on using a 9 volt battery for simplicity, what nichrome wire should I get

#2

I would say a decent start point is getting into Arduino. A good starter pack will get you pretty far into the basics of wiring and programming. I can’t get you a link at the moment since I am on mobile but I can post one later.

Making a coilgun is going to be much easier with a microcontroller such as the ATMega328 found on the Arduino Uno since it can actually make decisions and use digital logic. It would replace a lot of discrete components that you would use otherwise since precise timing is necessary.

I would be very careful though with coilguns as they are quite dangerous and use very high voltages. Please be sure that you are ready before trying it.

#3

It will probably be a few months before I attempt a coil gun, maybe longer. Thanks though

#4

+1 for arduino.](https://www.arduino.cc/)

There are tons of resources online, literally thousands of projects with full tutorials and code already written, and a thriving community willing to help you out wherever you get stuck. The boards are very simple to use, and there are a ton of different libraries for all sorts of devices.

I had a mechatronics class in university that was based around arduinos and there were some incredible final projects. They are also super cheap to get up and started with.

#5

I would urge you to reconsider why you want/need to make a coilgun. Is it just because you think making one would be cool or is there a greater goal? You seem to be very determined and persistent. Such qualities can help you become a great engineer, if you apply those qualities to learning and you don’t hurt yourself.

The energy, voltage and current levels required to make such a device work will require knowledge and experience that is beyond what you are likely to get from working on most projects, including the Arduino-based ones. I acquired the experience necessary to work with such energy levels through on the job training and by being mentored by coworkers with the required experience over several years. The only time I have seen appropriate training being given at a school is at the PHD level at a university with a group specializing in power electronics research. I have seen high energy circuits built by people who “didn’t know what they didn’t know” and only “knew enough to be dangerous” and the most common result was some rather violent explosions and repeated destruction of the electronic components.

#6

Coil guns create voltages similar to an automotive ignition system. They really aren’t a particular safe project to messing around with little electrical experience.

There are a number of analog electrical circuits such as amplifiers, active filters, and switching power supplies that can be quite challenging enough, with a far less personal risk.

I’d suggest looking in your library (or pick up a used copy) of Horwitz & Hill’s , “The Art of Electronics”. This would help fill in for a lot of background Knowledge. It contains a lot of electrical circuits you could build on a breadboard as well.

#7

This thread has been closed as was the last one that this user posted pertaining to a coil gun. Please find another forum to post this in.