The Social Distancer

The Social Distancer allows you a fun way to keep the public (or your little bro) at a healthy distance, and do some target practice to help cope with quarantine.

Features:

Simple, three-piece design

Easy no-glue assembly

Range of up to 28 Feet

You will need:

1. One or more fairly strong rubber bands
   (Depending on how much stress it can handle)

1. A pivot for the trigger, I used a straightened paper clip or a staple

2. A standard pen spring.

3. Ammunition. I use 6mm airsoft pellets, but regular bbs would work. (maybe you could even print some ammunition?)

To assemble:
cut the pen spring in half and insert it into the square slot on the main body. No glue is required for the spring because the pressure from the trigger will keep it in place. Slide the trigger into the body, align the holes, and insert the straightened paperclip or staple, and bend the sides to keep it from sliding out. Next, slide the firing rod into the barrel. You will need to pull the trigger to keep it from catching on the rod as it slides through. Finally, stretch the rubber bands between the notches on the barrel and firing rod. Use the strongest rubber bands that you think the print can handle.

To fire, pull back the firing rod until the trigger clicks into place, holding the firing rod in cocked position. Be careful not to pull the firing rod too far, because the trigger will lock onto the end of the firing rod, instead of the designed catch. Insert the projectile, and use the trigger to fire.

This model is designed to withstand the pressure of considerably strong force supplied by the rubber bands. I printed in PLA with good results. A stronger filament like ABS would definitely improve it's durability, and allow for stronger rubber bands to be used. (I advise against shooting people without protective glasses, because depending on the strength of the rubber bands used, its power is comparable to a small airsoft gun, though it obviously shouldn't be used as a real weapon)

This is my first public model, and I hope that you guys learn as much from making it as I did ;)

Print instructions

Print the 3 models separately, I like to print trigger and firing rod together. These parts bear the greatest loads, and it's wise to print them at a very high infill such as 50% or more. This shouldn't add much to print time, and will greatly increase durability.

Supports will be required on the main body, but only for the large overhang. If possible, disable the internal supports in your slicer. There are small bridges inside the model, but they are only a few mm wide, and should be easy to print without supports. (If you don't have an option to customize your supports like I did, I included a variation of the main body with modeled supports that prints very well). I printed this part at 15% infill and it has worked fine.

Use 0.3 mm layer height for all models