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I'm working on a home movie and want to construct a working paper mache cap gun that functions in the same manner as the kinda cap guns you would have as a child.
I want the result to look smooth and have lots of detail since this will basically be a movie prop.
any bits of advice will be great since i only recently tried paper mache.
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I don't think you stand any chance of making a cap gun from paper. The trigger mechanism has to be much stronger than you can achieve with paper, in any of its forms.
DavidO
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I agree with David. I just don't think you could make the trigger/popper mechanism out of paper and have it strong enough to actually operate.
Why not use a real cap gun? If it needs to look like papier mache, cover it with a single layer of PM, keeping it out of the working parts.
Sue
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I disagree, I think it would be quite possible to make a working cap gun out of (mostly) PM, but you'd probably have to use metal for the striking surface and the spring mechanism that triggers it (I suppose a rubber band would work too). I've browsed through some improvised military munitions manuals in the past, and you'd be surprised what you can make functioning guns out of. Whether it would be worth the trouble it would take to do this project is debatable. I think you would be farther ahead to just buy a plastic one and give it a more realistic paint job. You can sculpt additional detail over the toy gun as well, with apoxies or various other clay compounds.
Another real concern would be the fire hazard potential, as paper is quite flammable, and caps, despite the miniscule detonations, can start fires.
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