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by **Evangel** on Thu May 17, 2007 8:08 am

I've found tips in the articles section about building basic water balloon traps. You basically tie the balloon to one end of a thin piece of string, throw it over a tree, tie off the other end into a tripwire so that when someone breaks the string, the weight of the balloon causes it to drop.

I tried that out last summer, worked okay but was too delicate to set up quickly, having to handle the balloon very carefully and needing a precise length of string. So what I want to try now is something more sophisticated and easier to set up.

I was thinking of something implementing a pin-based quick-release device (like the devices they often use on Mythbusters except smaller), so that when someone trips the wire, the wire pulls the pin, and the pin releases the wire holding the balloon(s). This should not only simplify and speed up the setup process, but depending on the device you use, can allow you to connect multiple balloons to a single tripwire.

I'm not an expert on these quick-release dohickeys though, so if anyone can tell me how they work, if/where I can find stuff like this, and how much they generally cost, or maybe even how to fabricate my own, that'd be great.

Edited By Evangel on 1179403795

by **Silence** on Thu May 17, 2007 5:34 pm

Nice idea - I don't see why it shouldn't work. Another concern with the regular tripwire is that the string might not break.

Hmm...details...

You could nail or tie a square wooden rod to a tree branch or two. Drill a 1/4" or 5/16" hole through the side of the plank. Get a 1/4" wooden dowel and cut it up into short pegs - longer than the width of the square wooden rod. Stick the peg into the hole in the wooden rod. Using nylon threads, suspend a water balloon below by looping a loop of thread over each side of the peg. Attach the tripwire cord to the end of the wooden dowel.

You may add more pegs to the same wooden stick.

EDIT: Perhaps you could consider a tripwire-activated water gun (a very simple water gun, at least - you'd use the threaded fittings to switch between a nozzle and the filling device). It'd be more complex though.

Edited By Silence on 1179437736

by **Evangel** on Thu May 17, 2007 6:09 pm

I don't think I have the tools for that.

I'm thinking what I need for the pin is something like one of these:
http://www.monroeengineering.com/pins/page200.htm

Maybe have the base "container" at the trunk of a tree and have a hole for both the pin and a "ring" tied to the other end of the string. The ring will be inserted through a slot at the top of the container unit, and the pin will be inserted into the side, and will pass through the ring and basically lock it in place. When the pin is removed from the container, it no longer holds the ring, so the balloon falls.

Know what? I should draw a diagram or something cuz it's kinda hard to explain.

by **Silence** on Thu May 17, 2007 6:23 pm

Hmm...I get it. But wouldn't you still need a drill or something to create the hole in the container? Or were you going to use something that already had a hole in it?

:cool:

by **Evangel** on Fri May 18, 2007 2:14 am

I dunno. I was hoping I could find some ready-made rig.

by **Croc** on Sat May 19, 2007 1:20 pm

Thing is, you don't want the locking ball to be locking the thing shut, otherwise your trap would be discovered. I would recommend that you just take two little stakes with you with a hole drilled in one end, and string between the two. It should be loose enough so that if it is nudged, the balloon will drop, releasing the load on your enemy.

Ok, so the spring loaded balloon arm there, the spring is tensioned, and held in place by the pin, which is for tripping the trap. When the trap is activated, the water balloons get flung forward, causing them to fall on your opponent. :goofy:

Edited By Croc on 1179870056

by **Evangel** on Wed May 23, 2007 2:10 pm

Uhm... could you maybe explain a little more? I don't quite understand the mechanism you decribed.

by **XP20Warrior** on Wed May 23, 2007 5:25 pm

I have used one with great success, but its very crude, and can get a little 'messy', dirt-wise.

Find a choke point, and dig a hole about six to eight inchess deep and about the same in width. Take giant party ballons and fill them with water, tie it, and place it in the hole. Cover it with grass and dirt.

You have a land mine. :goofy: Yeah, I know you were looking for something 'complicated'

by **WaterWolf** on Wed May 23, 2007 8:18 pm

So with the party balloon idea, how much of the water sprays upwards? Rather than just soaking the targets foot.

by **CA99** on Wed May 23, 2007 8:37 pm

Heh, I happen to be trying to prepare traps myself. I'm just using the conventional water bottle with holes in it, and I believe they'll work at least somewhat well when set up correctly. Problem is setting them to hold in place and concealment. Maybe I just have to place so many of them in one area that they're just certain to step on one. For concealment, I'm considering leaves and grass, but I'm not sure how well that'll work. (depends mainly on how smart the enemy is I guess)

by **Croc** on Wed May 23, 2007 8:54 pm

I have updated my post above, but here it is again:

Ok, so the spring loaded balloon arm there, the spring is tensioned, and held in place by the pin, which is for tripping the trap. When the trap is activated, the water balloons get flung forward, causing them to fall on your opponent. :goofy:

by **Evangel** on Thu May 24, 2007 8:12 am

Hm... I dunno. It still sounds weird and I still don't understand HOW the spring will be tensioned and held in place by a pin that you say needs to be like hairline loose. I told you I'm not fluent at this kind of stuff.

Also the individual components sound way too bulky. We're gonna be carrying these thing around until we can set them up, and have a bunch of long things like these sticking out of our back would definitely get it the way.

Wouldn't it be more efficient to just attach tough strings instead of that arm? I'm no expert, but I think strings would hide much better than some big 10ft-tall arm.

@C-A_99: Yeah basic claymores are my main choice for traps, but I dunno what the rules are for digging around my neighborhood, so they'd be pretty hard to conceal. I could maybe try painting them with camouflage patterns.

@XP20Warrior: I live in a condo complex and I highly doubt we'd be allowed to dig up the lawns for something like that.

Edited By Evangel on 1180009855

by **Silence** on Thu May 24, 2007 6:43 pm

The spring would be tensioned by you simply pushing the arm back each time. However, I can't see such a system as being effective - big, bulky, complex, heavy, poor aim, poor range...

All in all, I can't think of a way a trap could be really effective. Your original idea is practical, and I suppose "claymores" work, but when you can't aim or even ensure that the trap gets triggered...it just seems like more complexity.

by **Croc** on Thu May 24, 2007 7:48 pm

Or, you could make a trebuchet, and just barrage the enemy with water balloons.

Silence is right though. Traps aren't effective, b/c they have to be reset each time someone trips it. The thing is, the opponent would realize that the trap is there after getting hit, and not go by there again. In fact, you may forget you set a trap, and trip it yourself. :goofy:
A trebuchet would be cool though (wow, trebuchet isn't in the dictionary) :soaked:

by **Evangel** on Fri May 25, 2007 2:10 am

Well my traps were kinda intended for one-time use anyway.

Btw, how would I perhaps go about say... time-triggered water bombs, ya know like C4 bombs? =P Plant them in some kinda structure, then when the timer hits zero the whole place is flooded (assuming you planted enough of them).

Edited By Evangel on 1180073524

by **Silence** on Fri May 25, 2007 2:23 am

Hmm...what type of bomb are you talking about? Something on the floor or elevated? Something you step on, something that pours water, something that shoots water, something that shoots a balloon? There are a bunch of possibilities.

For example, you could have water slowly drip into an elevated bucket. When there's enough water, the center of gravity changes and the bucket tips.

Or you could have a pneumatic system that shoots a water balloon or even just a little bit of water. Air can slowly effuse through a tiny hole and then trigger some type of valve...

o:

And then there are always electrical solutions, provided you make sure the water can't short the wiring out.

So as you can see, there are a bunch of possibilities. Still, even a regular trap would probably be more practical, unless you just want a novelty.

by **WaterWolf** on Fri May 25, 2007 6:29 am

Trebuchets would be far too bulky and inaccurate to be of much practical use. I'd rather build several of my new PGL-Rifles (Of-which I just finished my first one this week), rather than spend the money on something that is practically immobile and is unlikely to hit its target.

by **Evangel** on Fri May 25, 2007 12:22 pm

Silence wrote:Hmm...what type of bomb are you talking about? Something on the floor or elevated? Something you step on, something that pours water, something that shoots water, something that shoots a balloon? There are a bunch of possibilities.

For example, you could have water slowly drip into an elevated bucket. When there's enough water, the center of gravity changes and the bucket tips.

Or you could have a pneumatic system that shoots a water balloon or even just a little bit of water. Air can slowly effuse through a tiny hole and then trigger some type of valve... o:

And then there are always electrical solutions, provided you make sure the water can't short the wiring out.

So as you can see, there are a bunch of possibilities. Still, even a regular trap would probably be more practical, unless you just want a novelty.

Well I was thinking of something pressurized, then when the timer goes off, the pressure is released and sprays water in large amounts.

Maybe something similar to CPS technology. Like say stuff several water balloons inside one another to make a CPS bladder, fill it with water, somehow cap off the end mechanically, then when the timer goes off, the end is uncapped and the water sprays everywhere.

by **Croc** on Fri May 25, 2007 4:27 pm

erm... You put a solenoid on.

Basically, you make your contraption, and then you get one of those stupid little timer things that make a noise when the time reaches 0. Disconnect the speaker, and connect the wires to the solenoid valve. When the beeper would normally go off, the solenoid would open. Just make sure to have the solenoid pointing the right way. :goofy:

by **Evangel** on Fri May 25, 2007 4:54 pm

Erm, sorry I have to ask this but...

What's a solenoid...??

o:

EDIT: Nevermind I wiki'ed it. I still don't quite understand how this works though...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solenoid_valve

But let's see if I got this. I'll try and relate it to a water gun if I can. The input side (or where a gun's CPS chamber would push water) forces water up to the diaphragm. On the other side of the diaphragm is a chamber filled with water that exerts pressure equal to the input water so that the diaphragm can't lift. The only way to relieve this pressure is through a small conduit, which is blocked by the extended solenoid device.

When the solenoid is charged, it contracts and allows the water to pass, so then the water in the pressure chamber can leave, thus relieving enough pressure for the input water to push the diaphragm and exit through the output valve.

Is that right?

Now the real question is... how much do these solenoid dohickeys cost, as well as all the other materials for this rig?

Also, a sample diagram for this rig might help.

Edited By Evangel on 1180128679

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