Author: Bob Knetzger / Source: Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers
They’re ubiquitous: those clicking ballpoint pens. Find them at the bank, the doctor’s office, or almost any place where forms and signatures are needed. Go grab a freebie pen and make this fun bagatelle: the Ballpoint Penball game!
Make It
For the ball launcher, use the ink cartridge as the plunger, the button as the tip, and the compression spring for the launching force. Reassemble the parts as shown, and discard the little cam and the barrel (above and below). The cap holds things together, and you’ll use the clip to help mount it to the game.
Make the game parts from styrene sheet following the downloadable template. To cut the pieces, score the plastic along a straightedge with the knife, then bend it backward. It will snap cleanly along the scored line. Cut out the playfield and plenty of rail strips.
Lay out the rail pattern onto the playfield with light pencil lines. Hold a rail piece in position, mark the length needed, then score and snap.
Hold the trimmed rail piece back in place and, using the solvent bottle, apply a drop of MEK directly to the joint. The MEK will flow along the seam. Carefully continue to hold the rail in position while the solvent bond…
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