Make Your Own Weapons

RiderOnTheStorm · 20-06-2012 10:48am #1

A recent thread got me thinking about this. What weapons can we make easily? Other threads talk about prefered weapons, rather than what is pratical or available.
So Imagine ZA day has arrived, so you dont have chain-guns, flame throwers , tanks or castles to hand. What can we all easily make? What can we do with common knowledge or with a little help?

I realise this thread could descend into boderline incitement to violence, so NO blueprints for handguns, actual weapon designs, bomb design etc.. , NO chemical formulas for zyclon b or TNT ..... nothing illegal please .... just common sense, and keep it legal.

My suggestions is for swords or machetes. I know its debatable how efficient they will be in ZA Day (and ignoring the contimation from blood splatter) but they are easy to make. Any sharpened piece of metal (use an angle grinder) and a nice wooden handle and bobs-your-z-killer. As this is a rough hand made tool, it will get dull quickly and easily break .... so make a few!

Bows & arrows are easy to make . The quality of the arrow is the most important and will take a bit of pratice to get good quality ones. Again, the usefullness of bows in un-skilled hands is highly debatable.

Anyone got more?

degrassinoel · 20-06-2012 1:27pm

couple of really simple ones would be, snapping off a broomhead and using the sharp end of the stick.
Same with chair legs, the heavier the better.

The things ye could do with duct-tape, a set of kitchen knives and broomhandles!

Zomg Okay · 20-06-2012 2:27pm

I've a steel pole in my room off a weightlifting set. It's solid and the weight is balanced out. That'll be my first port of call: Take the weights off the ends and hit Zeds with it. There's also a hatchet for the firewood and some other bits in the utility room.

Finally I have an airsoft pistol and a holster for it. I'd have it on my leg on the off chance it would quell a bandit's enthusiasm. Even if it didn't, those pellets sting if you aim for the face.

I wouldn't be relying on anything DIY until I was forced too, tbh.

southcentralts · 20-06-2012 6:35pm

I would have said the baseball-bat with nails in it, but it has got me wondering if a zombie would be more susceptible to head injuries, I mean we can still function with a nail in our noggin (though not very well and probably best to remove it) so would a zombie really die under the same circumstances, might be best to go for the blunt force trauma.

And as for sharp objects I don't see the value in them, very difficult for a samurai to sever a limb with years of training and a proper samurai sword, you will be more likely to get your weapon stuck in the zombie.

Witcher · 20-06-2012 8:05pm

I already have 2 guns so I'm ahead of the game:pac: But they're only going to be useful until the ammunition goes.

But apart from that I've a hatchet and an old sword type bayonet. Then the standard claw hammer etc if I was stuck for a weapon:P

Longswords etc wouldnt be as useful as people think, guy I know showed me a collection of swords saying they would be good for zombie killing, they all had rat tail tangs IOW they were useless:P Most replica swords are the same, unless you have a good, sharp, light sword with a proper tang then you might aswell leave it behind.

Something like this is ideal, has a range of uses.

km71domino · 20-06-2012 8:09pm

hurley sticks and golf clubs are common

Tzar Chasm · 21-06-2012 12:54am

I have a pike.

and a shotgun

RiderOnTheStorm · 21-06-2012 9:23am

yup, i love the Fubar ...

what about a shaolin spade? It is used by the Shaolin wushu monks and it is simple, plain and unsophisticated. Its just a spade with sharpened edges. You can hammer and sharpen your own spade / shovel using your existing diy tool kit. With this you can fight the Z's without them getting too close, and you have lots of momentum to possibly decapitate. Again, this will take pratice.

Duff · 21-06-2012 7:22pm

I have a genuine katana in my room and my bro has big airsoft rife, ball barings for ammo and aim for the eyes.

Rhinocharge · 22-06-2012 3:54am

A pool ball wrapped in 2 pairs of footie socks, a folding combat shovel (sharpened) and a maglite torch, 3 "D"cells model or bigger for close quarters.
An old fashioned hand catapult/sling shot for medium to long range.
Silent, accurate, deadly and ammo can be literally picked up off the ground.
Pebbles, nuts, bolts and shot can be cast if need be using old lead etc.
Major plus with these, is with a bit of practice even kids can use them.

A ball & chain could be easily made with a heavy brass padlock, a short chain & half a pickaxe handle.

Just about any weapons used in medeval times.

endacl · 22-06-2012 4:13am

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

I have a pike.

and a shotgun

Distract them with a fish. Then shoot them.

Nice......;-)

RiderOnTheStorm · 22-06-2012 9:54am

I like the idea of the medieval weapons. I think we will have to use a lot of thinking & methods from this era after ZA day.

But what weapons can we make now (or shortly after ZA day) with over the counter meterials? The likes of a pike or sharpened shovel is good (keeps the Z at more-than-arms-lenght while you kill it). Many thanks Rhino for the tips on know how to make a morning star. Exactly what I was looking for in this thread. I reckon any heavy object on a chain will do (as the spikes are not necessary against Z's), and the padlock does not require me to be able to weld a lump of iron to a chain!

Remember, Z's can only be 'killed' by decapitation or major trauma to the brain. Chopping off an arm / leg will not do it. Stabbing them with various knives or spikes will not do it. Arrows will have no effect unless they pierce the motor-controlling part of the brain. Z's dont have normal nervous system or circulating blood, so inflicting pain or major blood loss wont stop them. Hitting them in the eyes with arrows / bullets / ballbearings wont work. Even fire is debateable. Unless it destroys the brain (or incenerates the body so that the brain cant move it) fire is just your enemy, as it makes the Z a walking torch chasing you!

Anyone got ideas for traps / defences to place around your house / castle? Keep it simple, and for the purpose of this thread, please keep the materials to those readily available to Joe-Soap (me!)

Zomg Okay · 22-06-2012 11:16am

More than a few of those weapons would be more dangerous to you than the Zeds if you weren't trained to use them. Especially the nunchuku, swallow and morning star.

ScumLord · 22-06-2012 4:32pm

km71domino wrote: »

hurley sticks and golf clubs are common

Or better yet a custom made battle hurl.

RiderOnTheStorm · 03-07-2012 11:12am

These are 2 knife / machete / short swords I made recently. They were made with the intention of learning the in's and out's of blade making. I hope to make a larger one soon.

They are 20" long (blade 14"). The metal is mild steel (avail from most builder providers), and is 30mm x 5mm . They are much heavier than I expected. I sharpened 1 side and the tip with an angle grinder. I got a nice sharp edge but I think if I were to use it with any frequency it will dull quickly. I split a nice wood handle (from a brush) and used cabinet bolts to secure it to the (full length) tang . Then I filled the gap with wood filler. If I had a thicker brush handle I would have tried to recess the tang into the inside of the handle. Maybe next time. I may wrap the handles with either hurly tape or nice string.

Tzar Chasm · 03-07-2012 5:20pm

Mild steel is good for practice but you should be trying to find some alloy or stainless when you want to make a serious blade, i'd recommend that you continue practicing tho, especially hammering an edge as this is preferable to using an anglegrinder, then you can practice tempering & case hardening.

Have you built yourself a forge?

RiderOnTheStorm · 04-07-2012 12:12pm

thx for the input Tzar. Yea, stainless steel is somewhere on my horizon to do. I avoided hammering an edge becaue I dont have means to heat the metal. As I said, this is a learning process. I thought getting a strip of steel about the right shape, then putting edge on it and handle on would be easy. Its amazing how many small things there are along the way to this end!

My mext proj is a longer sword. About 36" and shaped like a katana. I am thinking of using heat to bend it a bit. Maybe dig a shallow pit and put coal fire in it. or use a gas cylinder and rig up a long oven. To actually do the bending, I am thinking of having a template of the shape I want secured to a thick plank of wood, and then use a car jack to bend the metal....... I wonder how many small things will have to be overcome in this proj!

ScumLord · 04-07-2012 1:17pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

My mext proj is a longer sword. About 36" and shaped like a katana. I am thinking of using heat to bend it a bit.

Would bending it not weaken the cutting edge? Your basically pulling the metal apart along that edge.

RiderOnTheStorm · 04-07-2012 5:25pm

the cutting edge is applied after the bending. so hammering or sharpening it would re-form any 'stretch' ..... thats my understanding anyway. Its how the original katanas are made (bent first , sharpened after). The bend is not much. 2" off true straight on a 3 foot blade.

nimrod86 · 05-07-2012 2:42am

I always thought bladed weapons are both more useful, and generally cooler to have!

This here is what I'd grab first cause It's what I have out in the shed!

The two knives and their sheaths in the picture were made by me. Mild steel that I'll get around to hardening, and mahogany handles. Made the small one as a test, and then put more work into the larger. The machete is nice to use, heavy but swings well, sharp too, but not shave yourself, cut small trees to bits sharp yes, (or hopefully Zombie skulls/necks for that matter!). The chain saw, well, I put that in cause I think it looks badass, imaging getting a hit with that!, the pointy metal stick coult be thrown? used for impaling? and the scythe and axe were in the shed at the time, so I threw them in too!

Zomg Okay · 05-07-2012 11:21am

Trust me, you don't want to use the metal chain. It is very easy to injure yourself with a weapon like that, you'd be helping the zombies rather than hindering them.

Tzar Chasm · 05-07-2012 2:18pm

a DIY Forge is a relativley simple thing to make.

heres a quick runthrough that you should be able to achieve in a suburban environment
Materials Required;
Shovel
Tinder
Coking coal
Large Webber Barbque
Drill with holesaw
Hair dryer
flexible metal pipe
metal working tools

Method

1) Dig hole bigger than barbque
2) Dig chanel to botom of hole for pipe
3) Fit pipe into chanel
4) Drill hole in bottom of barbeque
5) Fit pipe into hole in barbeque
6) Put barbeque in hole and fill around
7) Attach hairdryer to other end of pipe
8) Fill barbeque with coke and tinder
9) Light
10)Turn on hardryer
11)Once coals are good and hot you can proceed to work metals

simples

ScumLord · 05-07-2012 2:27pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

the cutting edge is applied after the bending. so hammering or sharpening it would re-form any 'stretch' ..... thats my understanding anyway. Its how the original katanas are made (bent first , sharpened after). The bend is not much. 2" off true straight on a 3 foot blade.

I thought the bend in the Katanas comes from the difference in the metal front to back and happened during cooling.

RiderOnTheStorm · 05-07-2012 5:07pm

Nice collection, Nimrod. Food for thought there.

Thx for forge guide Tzar. Hairdryer is great addition!

Scum, yes, the katana blade is covered with clay (2 types) and then heated (until its the colour of the rising sun) and then its allowed cool. Its the differential cooling of metal and clays that cause it to bend. I am no metalurgist, so I dont know if the edge produced on the side when cooling this way or when heated & bent while hot will be of the same quality. I am not going to experement with ancient samurai ways. I am happy enough to bend the metal and sharpen it. It will do for Zombies!

Tzar Chasm · 05-07-2012 5:08pm

Yep, wiki confirms that one, the quenching process causes the bend, Katanas are a composite type sword, very complicated to get the metals fused probably not something for a beginner, a good old fashiomed medieval Broadsword should be fairly straighforward provided you can get a reasonably long and thick bar of stainless.

Hammering and hammerwelding are the skills I'd practice first if I was learning again, quenching, blueing, tempering & hardening are stuff that are easy to learn but hard to perfect.

if you are really interested I'd recomend that you try and find yerself a working forge and just observe for a few days, most of the lads still working these days are more than happy to teach you a few of the tricks of the trade.

Tzar Chasm · 05-07-2012 5:23pm

oh yeah, one tiny little thing that will make hammerin steel easier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk

hammer to that tune

you may have heard the expression

'2 to the anvil one to the steel'

basicly when you hammer steel you should have a rhythm going and the hammer ringing before you hit the piece you are working ( if you sat down with my Grandad he'd give you a detailed explanation of the theory behind this, Me I just take his word for it)

thats as near as dammit the correct rhythm, plus its a really good tune.

RiderOnTheStorm · 06-07-2012 12:05pm

thx Tzar , some good stuff there.

I have seen (in movies & TV) folk hammer the anvil before the metal .... often wondered why ..... that my target for Google this afternoon sorted so!

RiderOnTheStorm · 06-07-2012 1:53pm

If we get Zombies that can only be killed by severing the brain-stem (or major brain trauma) - ie the type of Z's we anticipate - then I dont think a bow / crossbow / catapult will do the job. What ranged weapon could we make from common equipment & materials that will?

Is there anything that can 'kill' a Z at a distance?
Gas powered cannon and bowling balls?
Throw a net over them and dispatch them shortly after?
Spring loaded golf-ball rifle?

Zomg Okay · 06-07-2012 2:42pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

then I dont think a bow / crossbow / catapult will do the job

A bolt fired off a crossbow could penetrate steel plate armour back in the day. It's introduction to the battlefield caused the downfall of the knight class because these prized, heavily armoured troops were getting cut down at a distance. I think it could manage a skull.

The Mongols were able to out perform the crossbow using their bows. So a bow could suffice in the right hands.

When you say catapult, do you mean a full blown one? That would do the job, no worries. Assuming you could find and transport boulders and figured out how to aim and operate the catapult, it would be a relatively simple matter to stick it in your base and fire it at approaching hordes. If you were on target, you'd crush several and at the very least render them immobile.

ScumLord · 06-07-2012 4:49pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Scum, yes, the katana blade is covered with clay (2 types) and then heated (until its the colour of the rising sun) and then its allowed cool. Its the differential cooling of metal and clays that cause it to bend. I am no metalurgist, so I dont know if the edge produced on the side when cooling this way or when heated & bent while hot will be of the same quality. I am not going to experement with ancient samurai ways. I am happy enough to bend the metal and sharpen it. It will do for Zombies!

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

Yep, wiki confirms that one, the quenching process causes the bend, Katanas are a composite type sword, very complicated to get the metals fused probably not something for a beginner, a good old fashiomed medieval Broadsword should be fairly straighforward provided you can get a reasonably long and thick bar of stainless.

I looked into it, there are two metals. An extremely hard (therefore brittle) external layer and a softer (therefore stronger and bendier) internal core giving the sword the best of both worlds in terms of having a super hard blade that won't shatter. Pretty difficult to make all right, most modern blades are a compromise one way or the other with softer metals overall being more manageable.

You can look into case hardening though, there are ways of chemically treating the surface of the metal to give it a hardened shell beyond just heat treatment. It may take some experimentation to get a good balance though, too much hardening could lead to the outer surface chipping off.

nimrod86 · 07-07-2012 12:18am

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Spring loaded golf-ball rifle?

OMG!!! THAT IS AN AMAZING IDEA!!!!

Might try make one of these after I get back from my holidays!

Thanks for the idea!

nim

Tzar Chasm · 07-07-2012 10:04am

F=MA

If you start with something the size of a golf ball you will need a lot of acceleration to make it lethal, I had a game as a child which fired steel ballbearings from a gun, they were fairly lethal. So maybe marbles or ball bearings would be better.

Just had a thought, would it be possible to 'modify' a paintball gun to fire something like that?

ScumLord · 07-07-2012 6:43pm

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

If you start with something the size of a golf ball you will need a lot of acceleration to make it lethal, I had a game as a child which fired steel ballbearings from a gun, they were fairly lethal. So maybe marbles or ball bearings would be better.

Just had a thought, would it be possible to 'modify' a paintball gun to fire something like that?

I think with airsoft guns you have to do an upgrade to the firing mechanism as the metal balls are much heavier, and that's just to get the balls to travel at the same speed as the plastic ones not to a lethal speed.

The problem would be much worse on a paintball gun because the paintballs are much bigger so your talking about a fairly large heavy metal ball, to get that going at a lethal speed your going to need a lot of power, you couldn't generate that power with a compressed gas and still be portable.

nimrod86 · 07-07-2012 6:51pm

ScumLord wrote: »

I think with airsoft guns you have to do an upgrade to the firing mechanism as the metal balls are much heavier, and that's just to get the balls to travel at the same speed as the plastic ones not to a lethal speed.

The problem would be much worse on a paintball gun because the paintballs are much bigger so your talking about a fairly large heavy metal ball, to get that going at a lethal speed your going to need a lot of power, you couldn't generate that power with a compressed gas and still be portable.

Have a read of this and watch the video!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Golf-Ball-Gun!!!-How-To-Make-One-That-Can-Shoot-40/

Zomg Okay · 07-07-2012 7:24pm

ScumLord wrote: »

I think with airsoft guns you have to do an upgrade to the firing mechanism as the metal balls are much heavier, and that's just to get the balls to travel at the same speed as the plastic ones not to a lethal speed.

The problem would be much worse on a paintball gun because the paintballs are much bigger so your talking about a fairly large heavy metal ball, to get that going at a lethal speed your going to need a lot of power, you couldn't generate that power with a compressed gas and still be portable.

It wouldn't be worth your time trying to make an airsoft gun lethal and AFAIK it isn't possible to make them fire metal BBs. They're specifically designed to be non-lethal. The worst they can do is blind you. While that is a lot, it's very short of lethality. You'd want to use an air rifle, which is more powerful and, AFAIK, requires a firearms license. While an airsoft gun is non-lethal, you can hunt small game with an air rifle which obviously makes it more suitable.

ScumLord · 07-07-2012 9:16pm

nimrod86 wrote: »

Have a read of this and watch the video!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Golf-Ball-Gun!!!-How-To-Make-One-That-Can-Shoot-40/

While that looks impressive it's not very lethal. My airsoft guns will shoot through an empty coke can but will just about break skin at the same distance. The golf ball is light and while it would hurt a lot it wouldn't be much of a deterrent against zombies. Would be fun watching golf balls hop off their heads though.

Zomg Okay wrote: »

You'd want to use an air rifle, which is more powerful and, AFAIK, requires a firearms license.

You also require a license for paintball guns as well I think. Once anything can fire over a certain speed their considered firearms no matter what they are or what they're made out of.

Zomg Okay · 07-07-2012 10:02pm

ScumLord wrote: »

You also require a license for paintball guns as well I think. Once anything can fire over a certain speed their considered firearms no matter what they are or what they're made out of.

That's true. You can't get a license for an airsoft gun though, because there isn't a serial number. If you go over the legal power limit, it isn't a case of getting a license. It's a case of making the airsoft gun less powerful ASAP because you're breaking a firearms law.

I should make this clear though - the law isn't a certain speed. It's the energy output. The law states 1 Joule as the maximum, not a certain speed for the BB. An industry standard airsoft BB is made of plastic, has a diameter of ~6 millimeters and weighs 0.2 grams. That translates to roughly 328 feet per second when the BB is expelled from the barrel but that isn't the legal limit. The speed has to be lower for heavier/larger BBs.

Sorry if you know all this already, thought I'd bring it up anyway.

downwithpeace · 07-07-2012 10:27pm

Two light maces made from spinlock dumbbell bar and light weight, should be safe for users and can take apart to pack away for easy transportation if better defense at hand.

Standard kitchen utensils attached to broomstick handle.
Axe, hatchets and pike.

sweeney1971 · 08-07-2012 1:39pm

Call me old fashoned but if I cannnot get my hands on a firearm, my machette will not let me down.

RiderOnTheStorm · 10-07-2012 11:46am

Found these plans, to build your own back-yard small scale trebuchet , capable of firing a tennis ball / tin of beans projectile. Would love to try it out!

http://wickedhowtos.com/index.php/2007/08/17/how-to-build-a-catapult/

Not sure if its a good Z killing weapon, as it would be hard to aim at an individual Z, and you would have to take new aim after each shot, but could be good against large groups if you loaded it with a few rocks ....

johngalway · 10-07-2012 12:20pm

Would a sling kill a Z?

I'm meaning the David vs Goliath type which throws stones not the one you get after 14 hours in A&E.

kildare.17hmr · 10-07-2012 12:57pm

johngalway wrote: »

Would a sling kill a Z?

I'm meaning the David vs Goliath type which throws stones not the one you get after 14 hours in A&E.

A black widow with 9mm ball bearings would id say, they pack a savage punch. I used to hunt with one (not in this country)and it was great. A small modification will allow it shoot an arrow fairly accuratly too

degrassinoel · 10-07-2012 1:52pm

there was a time when they could be sold as a solution to a vermin problem. In fact, i bought one many moons ago and i remember the packaging had a picture of a rat with a bullseye target over it.

They most certainly do pack a punch, myself and friends would stack up old beer bottles and tin cans and skull them to pieces. Widow's are very accurate but the bands break very easily if you use any old piece of crap to fire. However your aim, would have to be perfect to kill anything bigger than a rat.

RiderOnTheStorm · 10-07-2012 2:10pm

dont forget folks, that what is lethal to humans is most likely not lethal to Z's (if we have the classic Z). Zombies are dead. They have no circulating blood, so damaging organs / heart etc will not kill them. Major cuts to skin / arteries etc will not cause blood loss so it wont effect them.

A crossbow bolt to the heart will kill a human, not a Z.
A ballbearing into the eye will put a human in A&E for hours, but wont even slow a Z down.
Being on fire will kill a human, it wont effect a Z.
Being pummeled in the chest & destroying organs with flails will kill a human, it wont kill a Z.
Unless you can deliver a brain destroying shot, or sever the spinal cord, then its not going to work.

I am not trying to be picky , but trying to keep it real (as real as possible in Zombie thread!).

kildare.17hmr · 10-07-2012 2:19pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

dont forget folks, that what is lethal to humans is most likely not lethal to Z's (if we have the classic Z). Zombies are dead. They have no circulating blood, so damaging organs / heart etc will not kill them. Major cuts to skin / arteries etc will not cause blood loss so it wont effect them.

A crossbow bolt to the heart will kill a human, not a Z.
A ballbearing into the eye will put a human in A&E for hours, but wont even slow a Z down.
Being on fire will kill a human, it wont effect a Z.
Being pummeled in the chest & destroying organs with flails will kill a human, it wont kill a Z.
Unless you can deliver a brain destroying shot, or sever the spinal cord, then its not going to work.

I am not trying to be picky , but trying to keep it real (as real as possible in Zombie thread!).

Oh we know this sh!t :rolleyes: haha

Cruel Sun · 10-07-2012 2:21pm

Fluoroantimonic acid would destroy any zombie.

RiderOnTheStorm · 10-07-2012 2:52pm

cool. Where do I get Fluoroantimonic acid?

Cruel Sun · 10-07-2012 6:40pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

cool. Where do I get Fluoroantimonic acid?

You can buy it quite easily online, alternatively it can be made at home or in a lab by mixing hydrogen fluoride and antimony pentafluoride in a ratio of 1:1.

McChubbin · 10-07-2012 9:49pm

I have a camera tripod that could double up as a melee weapon. It has lots of pointy bits and sharp, angular corners. Failing that, I've got plenty of kitchen knives and a cricket bat named Shaun.

johngalway · 10-07-2012 10:33pm

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

A black widow with 9mm ball bearings would id say, they pack a savage punch. I used to hunt with one (not in this country)and it was great. A small modification will allow it shoot an arrow fairly accuratly too

That's interesting about the arrow, I've never had much to do with catapults. Did have a black widow yonks ago but wasn't much interested in it at the time, can't remember how I came by it, remember the rubber perished real quick though.

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Unless you can deliver a brain destroying shot, or sever the spinal cord, then its not going to work.

I am not trying to be picky , but trying to keep it real (as real as possible in Zombie thread!).

Sings can fling some pretty heavy duty stones, whether that's enough or not I don't know. I think the distance record is something like 477 meters. The good thing about them is they're light weight, easy to make, small, noiseless. Perhaps some projectile could be modified to be sharp.

johngalway · 10-07-2012 10:35pm

McChubbin wrote: »

I have a camera tripod that could double up as a melee weapon. It has lots of pointy bits and sharp, angular corners. Failing that, I've got plenty of kitchen knives and a cricket bat named Shaun of the Dead.

FYP

Make Your Own Weapons

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