h a l f b a k e r yNo servicable parts inside.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, best, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
Place 4-inch mini-boomerangs into ammunition feeder slot. Aim, fire, and if you miss your target, use a hockey glove to catch.
Either pneumatically powered, or electrically powered, miniclampers on a chain thing grab a minirang as they spin past them. Upon nearing the far end of the gun, the clampers
start to turn and go back (think chainsaw). The minirangs are released at the moment of maximum rotation and speed, throwing them in a blur.
Great for hunting or playing a game of catch with yourself.
G'day mate!
For the boomerang impaired
http://www.boomerangs.org/how.html
Apparently your mistake was a) you weren't good enough; b) the boomerang was duff. [DrCurry, Feb 27 2006]
Boomerang Gun
http://www.firebox....ion=product&pid=855
Range 100'. Sounds an awful lot like what you're proposing. One might even call this MFD consumer advice. [DrCurry, Feb 27 2006]
TriFly fast catch
http://www.boomeran...n.com/plans/mhr.php
[hippo, Feb 28 2006]
Triffid Gun
http://www.bbc.co.u...ffids/reviews.shtml
[DrCurry, Feb 28 2006]
Please log in.
If you're not logged in,
you can see what this page
looks like, but you will
not be able to add anything.
Destination URL.
E.g., http://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)
|
| |
Has anyone ever actually seen a boomerang return? |
|
| |
Me. (Of course, I had to include a stamped self-addressed envelope.) |
|
| |
Precision-make the boomerangs, and because of the fact that it is a machine, it will throw them the same way every time. The throwing motion isn't that complex, it deals a lot with the wrist, and timing of the release, as well as the torque motion. |
|
| |
I know a bit about boomerangs. |
|
| |
Cool link [DrCurry]. I've seen 'em come back, but not right to the thrower's position. |
|
| |
[DesertFox] what do you think the range on those would be? (interesting idea). |
|
| |
Btw, you do realize that boomerang launchers (guns) are a staple of children's stores? See link for one that fires three-bladed boomerangs. (You might want to buy one for Bristol, I guess she lacks the proper wrist action.) (Girls, sheesh!) |
|
| |
I had a traditional (2 spoke) boomerang that would come back to the throwing location reliably. It's the only one of its kind I've ever had that worked this way, and I can not find one like it today. Most notably it was large - about 3 feet long, weighing about 10 pounds. My guess is that some would-be Einstein decapitated themselves with one leaving the rest of us to play with the dysfunctional remnants of what it once was. |
|
| |
I've never thrown a boomerang but I've seen them thrown many times without their ever coming back to the thrower. |
|
| |
I've seen people throw Frisbees in such a way that they traveled a large circular path back to the thrower. |
|
| |
This annotation contains words longer than 30 characters and will be difficult to display. Please use the [link] button for URLs; if your long word is not a link, find some way of breaking it up with spaces. |
|
| |
It takes a fair bit of practice to get a boomerang to return, [bris]. Not only do you have to throw them very hard, but it also takes a good quality boomerang... The crap you get at tourist traps is not much use. Good quality returning boomerangs are usually big (2ft6in to 3ft long) and heavy (about 2-3lb). |
|
| |
When there's something that big whizzing about your head it's usually a good thing that they don't come back too well. Most of the time I'm happy if I can get it to come back within twenty feet or so of me, after it following a loop out and back, about 60-80 yards across. |
|
| |
Of course, returning boomerangs were just toys for the Australian Aborigine, mainly for kids. |
|
| |
The real ones don't come back well, if at all. They are about 5 feet long, assymetrical, and are used to kill birds on the wing (I've seen an aboriginal stockman who used to work for our family bring down eleven ducks with one throw, from a flock of wild ducks taking off. He would almost always get between 2 and 5, after sneaking up on them. More effective than a shotgun.). |
|
| |
Then there are those that were not only for hunting, but also used for intertribal warfare. They are also big, and usually have a hook on the end so they will catch on a spear shaft held up to deflect the boomerang. Once it's hooked it spins around the shaft, collecting the victim at high speed. All of the rotational energy and forward motion becomes rotation. It's frightening just how hard they hit. |
|
| |
There's a very good display of them in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander section of the Queensland Museum. |
|
| |
For a people who employed stone age technology it is quite instructive to see Aboriginal tools like woomeras (spear throwers). They are a handle, about 4ft long, notched at one end to take the butt of a spear. The spear is laid along the woomera, which is used like a sling, to launch the spear (usually a long, straight root of a hardwood tree, about 10-12ft long) at incredible speed. Seeing 3 out of 4 spears skewer a man sized target at 180 yards is pretty scary. |
|
| |
The people who lived on the cattle station where I spent my childhood had only come to live in "civilised" conditions... given up their nomadic lifestyles... in the 1930s. Their culture and folklore were still very much alive and well. Sadly, most of that is gone now. Housing, cars, petrol sniffing, (sit down money) aka welfare, groceries... all have conspired to homogenise the aboriginal people into our society. |
|
| |
I've used something similar to the Trifly Fast Catch (see link), which was lightweight, small and so easy to throw even I could make it return to me.
[note that's "Trifly" as in "Tri-Fly", not "Trifle-y" - i.e. similar to a trifle - that wouldn't fly at all] |
|
| |
Those little plastic ones, with the three blades... much easier. |
|
| |
Spear throwers are sometimes touted as the most significant tool development. |
|
| |
Good one, [UB]. I was going to do the 'I'm Australian, let me tell you about boomerangs' thing but I'm glad you beat me to it. Hadn't heard of the hook thing. |
|
| |
There's a boomerang-gun-like triffid killer in 'Day of the Triffids'. |
|
| |
Well, it's a damn good thing Dick Cheney doesn't use a boomerang. |
|
| |
Millions would disagree with you there, and one lawyer in particular. |
|
| |
Question for antipodean members: Was the rocket range named after the launcher, or was this simply a happy coincidence? |
|
| |
Yes, the range was named after the launcher. It's interesting living here in the antipodes ;-) |
|
| |
I haven't looked around the net for it, but there was some evidence that boomerangs were popular for a short time in ancient Egypt, around 800BC, prompting speculation that Egyptians may have had contact with Australia way back when. Highly likely, as the northeastern coastal tribes were quite familiar with seafaring Macassar tribes from Vietnam/Philippines. |
|
| |
Wow, I just did a bit of digging. There appears to be quite a lot of Egyption reference around, including two gilded boomerangs found in Tutankhamen's tomb. |
|
| |
I do remember reading somewhere that traces of eucalyptus gum were found in some of the mummies. |
|
| |
great idea! btw I don't think Aborigine is a politically correct term anymore, your supposed to say "aboriginal" or "indigenous australian" or maybe "black fella mob" if your in the right circles. |
|
| |