DIY Spring Loaded Retractable Web-Slinger

I've always enjoyed watching super hero movies like Spiderman into the Spider-verse

I wanted to see if I could create a functional 'grabber' device using purely mechanical parts. This webshooter skips motors and batteries, instead focusing on a design that is easy to replicate but powerful enough to snag nearby objects.

1. Tape Measure (to take apart, so choose one you don't need)
2. Paper
3. Super Glue
4. Spring (0.5 in. diameter)
5. Skewers
6. Magnets
7. Plastic Spool
8. Scrap Plastic/Cardboard
9. Velcro
10. Paper Clips
11. Paper Cups
12. Electrical Tape
13. Hot Glue
14. Popsicle Sticks
15. Small Rubber Bands
16. Fishing Line (25lb or higher recommended)
17. Cardboard (Corrugated and non-corrugated)

You will also need:

Safety glasses

Gloves

Pliers

Utility Knife

Screwdriver

Take a strip of printer paper (8cm x a few mm more then your spring, fully compressed), then roll it up with the second side facing towards you [pictures 1-2].

Glue it up, then drench it in super glue to make sure it is strong [picture 3].

Take a piece of non-corrugated cardboard, the size of the outer diameter of your tube and punch a hole big enough for a skewer to have a couple mm of wiggle room, but stops the spring [pictures 4-5].

Roll another piece of paper up (8cm x 2 cm) the same way as the first and before drenching it with glue use an utility knife to cut a slit near the front that is 0.5cm long and as wide as your popsicle stick [pictures 6-8].

Then glue it to the other part you made on the end with the cardboard and drench it with glue one more time to ensure it is strong [pictures 9-10].

Cut a skewer, a little longer than the length from the end of the barrel to the slit and a slip of paper (8cm x 0.6cm) [picture 1].

Wrap the paper around the tip skewer then glue it [picture 2].

Glue a small magnet on the top of the skewer and then wrap it with electrical tape to secure it [pictures 3].

Roll another piece of paper farther down on the skewer and glue it; leaving enough room so that when you push the projectile all the way in the barrel there is paper wrapped above and below the slit of the barrel [picture 4]

Glue your springs at the bottom of the skewer making sure they are aligned with the center of the skewer [pictures 5].

Now put on some safety goggles and press your projectile into the barrel, and jam the slit with a craft stick, pull it out to shoot [video]!

Use an X-acto knife to cut a small piece of popsicle stick width as the slit and twice as tall

Then using the knife, or a hand drill, make a small hole just big enough for some fishing line to slide in

Tie the fishing line in a loop so that you can wrap it around your finger

Put a tiny rubber band around it and the barrel and make sure when you flex your finger the popsicle stick will move down

I used a screwdriver to take the screws off of the tape measure [picture 1].

Then I completely removed the tape, leaving me only with the coil in the middle [picture 2].

I used a saw to cut away excess pieces before sanding the rough edges [pictures 3].

Then I wrapped the outer perimeter with cardboard leaving an opening on the front.

With a piece of cardboard that has a hole in it to allow fishing line through, I glued it to the cardboard [picture 4-5].

Another piece of cardboard, this time with a super thin slit and glue it on top of the previous piece, this will be the holder for the retractability [picture 6-7].

Optional: I also put a little box at the front of the body to hold the string while you load it

I cut the bottom off a paper cup and drilled a hole through it [picture 1].

Then I glued half of it to the spool, and the other half to some velcro dots so I could still open it [picture 2-3].

Using tape and glue I attached 2 meters of string on the spool and wrapped it up in the direction that the tape measure winds up [picture 4-5].

Then, placing the coil back on the body, you can see it retracts when I pull it [video 1].

Then i used some hot glue, and made a blob on the string about the length I wanted it to shoot, this is so we can slid it into the super thin slit and it will get stuck [video 2].

I took two pieces of corrugated cardboard that are the same shape and glued them together [picture 1-2].

Then I cut a rectangular hole on the front part for the barrel [picture 3].

Using some popsicle sticks I reinforced the back part [picture 4].

Then I glue some velcro dots on both the base and the tape measure so I could take it on and off.

Using some more glue I then attached the barrel to the base with the craft stick in the hole [picture 5]

Wear safety goggles and don't shoot at people or other animals!

To test it out first push the projectile into the barrel and jam it with the craft stick blocker

Then detach the string compartment and pull out string until the glue blob comes out

Then put the glue blob into the slit and roll up the string on the box (if you have one)

Pull the craft stick blocker to shoot, the glue blob should pop out and tape measure retracts

*I put three videos because it was too large*

Hook: To grap things that aren't magnetic, I also designed this magnetic hook attachment using a magnet [picture 1-2].

I rolled up some paper like in the projectile and attached a magnet on one side securely [picture 3].

Then on the other side I tape some bent paper clips [picture 4].

Strap: Using paper and tape create a long-ways strap that can be worn on your arm using velcro dots