Thingiverse User Creates Q-tip Shooting 3D Printed Mini-Crossbow

Some say quite simply that if you can shoot a gun or fire off an arrow, you can use a crossbow. That makes sense—but how is your aim with a barrette and a Q-tip? These are the questions DIY archer and Thingiverse user Steven Thone poses to you with his 3D printed mini-crossbow.

Most hunters and enthusiasts know it’s a different kind of individual who carries a crossbow — a hunter’s hunter. The archer has also commanded some recent celebrity with the uber hip, steady confidence of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and the tough-as-nails hunter and tracker Darryl Dixon in The Walking Dead, whose dead-on accuracy with the crossbow has made his character into something of a brooding hero. It’s no surprise that one of the latest fun projects sprouting up all over the web has been the DIY mini-crossbow made with popsicle sticks, bottle caps, and now some even more unique items.

I’m sure the ever-practical Katniss would respect the hair clip, I mean, um, bow — not to mention the extra Q-tips which always come in handy when you are trying to survive in the wild. This 3D printed mini-crossbow was constructed by Steve Thone, who is definitely an individual not afraid to try a DIY project, large or ‘mini.’ As with the construction of remote operated vehicles, which is his specialty, when Thone sees something he thinks might be fun to try, he likes to try and make it himself. This mini-crossbow came with some of his own modifications, by including not only a real, working trigger, but also a little delicate engineering.

Thone points out that he printed the crossbow upside down with the handle pointing down, with minimal supports. Using a 2/56″ x 1/2″ screw to hold the trigger in place, Thone used metal hair clips for the bow and Q-tips for the arrows. The 3D printed crossbow is able to shoot about 20 feet, according to Thone, who says that depends on the hair clips used.

The archer has always been considered to be a noble marksman with mythological proportions. Hair clips, Q-tips, and all — this might not quite reach godlike potential, but it is epic in creativity, humor, and best of all — good, safe fun. To check out Thone’s design and to 3D print one of these crossbows for yourself, click here.

Check out some images of 3D renderings of the mini-crossbow design:

Is this 3D design something you are interested in downloading, or have you 3D printed something similar? Tell us about it in the 3D Printed Mini-Crossbow forum at 3DPB.com.