Coilgun - v2b V: Coilgun vs 1.2mm Steel

Just some test shooting at a 1.2mm steel/iron plate, took 5 shots to get through.

 Metal sheet got more and more bent until the projectile finally managed to penetrate fully. Tip of projectile is quite damaged and more blunt than pointy now...

Coilgun - V2b IV

Since my last post here I've gotten the V2b to work, break and work again!

Results are very promising, easily shoots through 2x3mm plywood and I doubt the second stage is tuned anywhere near good.

So here's the setup.
From left to right: Cap charger(230VAC -> 325VDC), Capbank 1&2, Coilgun.
Also featured in the photo is a complete mess of wires.

 

Target holder:

Little video of the shots I've taken so far.

Coilgun - V2b III

Finally did something with this project
Capacitors should now be super-easy to hook up properly.
Charge and discharge wires properly set up and all.

Seperate positive poles and common ground.

I still need to:
-Hook up a battery for the trigger and lm311 circuit
-Get a better camera(Ugh, yes, I really do need one)
-Stuff.(I bet there's something really useful and critical behind this very useless line.)

Coilgun - V2b II

Another little update...

I've connected the capacitors, soldered coils to thyristor circuits and mounted everything on the 'prototype'.
-Grinded one projectile to match the barrel within ~0.3mm diameter
-Optogate is fitted, might still need to cover the holes and barrel a bit better so ambient light doesn't get through.
-**ck the control panel, I'll just put a trigger to fire the first stage and the rest is automatic.
-Everything besides 1st stage trigger and battery is soldered.
-Mounted protoboards with a little slab of glue(Hopefully removeable if need be)

Need to:
-Connect capacitors in a better way and make sure charge wires gets attached along with the charge equalizer.
-Hook up a battery for the trigger and lm311 circuit
-Get a better camera
-Stuff.

Coilgun - V2b

Just a tiny update on the 2stage/~400J coilgun.

I've found a suitable barrel, 6 meters of it to be precise, and the coils are now done as far as winding goes.

What's left to do is:
-Grind the bullets down to fit the barrel
-Make holes for and mount the optogate
-Solder all the circuits together
-Wire up what's left without electrocuting myself in the progress
-Make some kind of controlpanel for this

Coilgun, 2 stage, ~400J aka V2b

Time for my first 'real' 2 stage coilgun I guess. First stage will be switched manually with a microswitch+SCR whilst the second stage will have an optical trigger.

2x3300µF caps with max 350V, planning to charge them to ~315.

So far it's just a pile of shit since I'm still looking for a suitable barrel, unlike my older coilguns I'm downsizing the projectile this time. Planning to have 9-11mm diameter projectiles.

Here's a little clip of the pictured optical triggering circuit and one of the SCR assemblies being used on another coilgun, that one has a inner diameter of 14mm and a 12mm diameter projectile weighing in at around 40 grams.

 You can also check this clip out on my youtube:  Click me!