I don't know much about machines, hydraulics, or engineering, but I want to make something that can shoot badminton birdies at high velocity. I'm not sure how to make it, how the machine would work, what the machine is made of, etc. I'm limited on money so I can't make anything that costs a lot.

 

My first idea was to use pressurized air or something. Would that even work? The birdie is light. Where would the pressurized air come from? How do I build a machine that uses this concept? How would the birdies load? Where do I get my supplies from?

what do you want to be able to do?

 

are you looking for birdie machine gun action or do you just want to be able to pelt your sister with a high velocity projectile?

 

a think a spud gun might suit your needs if its the second one. if so there is already a thread on it, look for "spud gun ignition".

 

if your looking for something faster or more sophisticated i cant really help you.

A 3 foot long cylinder and an air compressor.

Birdie? is that another word for shuttlecock?

 

assuming it is, I think you would also have to bear in mind the way that the shuttlecock flies when you hit it - the cork on the bottom would turn to point in the direction of flight. In other words, it might be more efficient for your loading mechanism to take shuttles 'backwards' as it were. I am not sure you could make an effective machine terribly cheaply, but it would probably be simple enough to design and make with a little trial and error. I am a little doubtful as to how easy it would be with compressed air though...the actual area available to push against the shuttle is limited, and they generally have holes in them reducing it even further. I could be wrong though.

 

lol, I was going to end there actually but you got me thinking - how would you make an automatic loader? Tricky with a shape that doesn't roll. A similar machine for tennis would be easy since it's loading balls. Surely you wouldn't load shuttles individually? I play badminton too - much easier to get somebody to hit them up for you

If you're still looking for a design:cannon

 

(I really should come here more often.)