10 Deadly Do-It-Yourself Gadgets

By Sean Fallon
Nerd Approved

If you ever took the “don’t try this at home” disclaimer seriously, it has to apply to the following do-it-yourself gadgets. When you go to Lowes and they say “let’s build something together,” I’m pretty sure that they didn’t plan on being an accomplice to a crime.

Machete-shooting crossbow
In the event that the world is overtaken by zombies, a 6-foot-long crossbow that shoots machetes isn’t going to be my first choice in protection. First of all, it’s a little unwieldy to carry and use. As you will see in the video, you are also more likely to injure yourself than you are the target. No, my weapon of choice would definitely be a bazooka that shoots laser-guided chainsaws. YouTube via Nerd Approved

Flame gloves
Is there a point to making gloves that shoot flames? Absolutely not — I don’t care how cold your hands get. The creator of these flame gloves claims that it is the kind of thing that could be integrated into a performer’s costume, but they’ve probably just seen too many superhero movies. Fortunately, I don’t think we will be seeing these in Walmart anytime soon. Talking on the cellphone, petting dogs and high-fiving friends could turn into an epic disaster. YouTube via Fashionably Geek

Mini-fridge beer cannon
This homemade mini-fridge beer dispenser is powered by an air cannon, webcam and an ioBridge platform that handles the remote control and monitoring functions. The user simply selects what type of beer they want using an iPhone, then it switches to a targeting view to line up the shot. Ice-cold beers are vended toward increasingly inebriated targets at 50 psi. Whenever alcohol and projectiles get together, good things are bound to happen! YouTube via That’s Nerdalicious

Homemade pulse laser gun
This homemade weapon looks like something straight out of a video game, and it isn’t far away from a real laser weapon in terms of performance. It’s capable of firing a 1-megawatt blast of invisible infrared 1064nm light that’s powerful enough to burn through razorblades, plastic and Styrofoam. OK, so we’re not going to be taking down any aliens with it (unless those aliens are very Smurf-like), but it’s definitely dangerous. YouTube via Nerd Approved

Homemade TSA scanner
If you thought body imaging scanners were unsettling in the hands of the TSA, imagine how bad a portable version would be in the hands of that creepy neighbor across the street. In the video above, Jeri Ellsworth demonstrates that it is possible to make a primitive version of these scanners using feed horns from satellite dishes. The resolution isn’t anywhere near what you would find on an expensive TSA model, but just in case you might want to pick up some Fourth Amendment underwear — and maybe one of those lead-lined vests you get at the dentists office. YouTube via Nerd Approved

Jet Pony ride

I can’t say that I would be up to strapping a pulse jet engine to the back of my seat so I could be whipped around in a circle until I was perpendicular with the ground. I mean, have the people in this video even had a proper 30-minute carny jet training course? I’ll be sticking to the teacups thank you very much. YouTube

Automatic shaving helmet
Sorry Kojack, this automatic shaving helmet isn’t real. It was actually part of a viral video designed to sell head-shaving razors, but as you have seen from the other gadgets in this list, the fact that something is stupid and dangerous isn’t always an effective deterrent. In fact, it might be the only real motivating factor. Well, that and YouTube hits. YouTube via Fashionably Geek

Driving a car with an iPhone
When I don’t use my blinker on a deserted country road, the cops come out of the trees and hop on the hood of my car like some sort of Terminator. But when some dude ghost rides on top of a car with no doors that’s being driven by an iPhone, they’re nowhere to be found. Obviously, a hack that would allow you to drive a car with your smartphone is definitely not something you want to try at home, but you can check out the video to see how Waterloo Labs pulled it off. YouTube

The Bacon Bazooka
Remember when I said that I wanted a bazooka that shoots laser-guided chainsaws? Well I’ve changed my mind. What I really want is an air cannon wrapped in bacon that fires sausage (and maybe a grenade that covers everything within a 20-foot radius with maple syrup). This breakfast bazooka was created for the official observance of Bacon Day in Fayetteville, Ark. If I had my way, Bacon Day would be a national holiday complete with fireworks and a 21-bacon gun salute. YouTube via That’s Nerdalicious

Tesla coil car security
What lengths would you go to in order to protect your car from thieves? Alarm systems are more annoying than they are effective, which is why Tesladownunder stepped things up a notch and mounted a tesla coil to the roof of their car. It has a rotating arm that creates a veritable force field of electricity that will shock thieves or, at the very least, mess up their hair. As you will see a the end of the video, long-term exposures create a really dramatic effect. YouTube

[Via MSNBC]