How to make a blood shooter
"Blood Shooter Build"
By: Erik Beck
Hey everyone, below are the detailed plans for the blood shooters you saw in Episode 5. Remember that none of these plans are set in stone. Be creative and improvise if necessary. If you figure out a better way to build this rig, send us an email or video! Here is what you'll need to get started.
For the Blood Shooter Rig
1. Small tube of quick set epoxy.
2. A length of 1/2" diameter PVC pipe. (3’ should do the trick.)
3. Plastic 1/4-turn release valve, with 1/2" female thread on both sides.
4. PVC adapter from 1/2" slip to 1/2" male thread.
5. Nylon bushing from 1/2" thread to 3/8” thread.
6. Brass bicycle valve adapter from 3/8” thread to...uh..bicycle.
7. 5' length of 3/8" inner diameter (ID) flexible hose.
8. Nylon adapter from 3/8" barbed to 1/2" male thread.
9. Nylon 3/8" barbed elbow joint.
10. Tiny rubber bands (found in the hair accessories isle)
11. Plastic wrap.
12. Empty 2-liter soda bottle.
For the Blood
1. Corn Syrup
2. Water.
3. Red Food coloring
The Air Tank
Using some epoxy bond the 1/2 PVC adapter to your PVC pipe then your release valve to the PVC adapter.
Next using a bunch of epoxy bond the other end of your PVC pipe to the end of your empty 2-liter soda bottle. Make sure and use enough epoxy to make this strong and air tight! Also I noticed that different brands of soda have minor differences in the diameter at the top of the bottle. Out of the handful I tried, Pepsi bottles seemed to fit the PVC pipe the most snug.
Congratulations you've just made the heart and soul of your blood shooter! Easy huh?
The Blood Hose
Now you need to trim one end your elbow joint. I used a rotary tool, but you could use a steak knife or a hack saw in a pinch. It would just take a bit longer. Either way you'll want to cut off all the barbed edges except for the last one. When it's done it should look like the picture below. This is the part of the rig where the blood will shoot out. Therefore we do not want too much of it to stick out.
Next take your 5 feet of clear hose (being clear makes it easier to see how much blood you have in there) and attached your modified elbow to one end and the 1/2" threaded adapter in the other.
The Filling Adapter
Take your Nylon bushing and screw in the brass bike valve adapter.
Done!
Making Blood
Mix the blood, water and food coloring until you get the right consistency and color. For the blood shooter you want it to be a bit on the watery side.
The Set Up
The best part about this rig is that it is easy to reuse and adjust the effect. Keep in mind that you can decide how much blood and air pressure goes into each “shot”.
First open the valve on your air tank and screw on the filling adapter.
Any bike pump will fit our adapter. I haven’t done a PSI test, but with my bike pump I could get a good 16 pumps in. Once you’ve filled the air tank, close the valve and unscrew the filling adapter. My rigs leak a little while pumping, but stops as soon I close the valve. Now your tank is ready to go.
Next we need to seal up the end of our elbow joint. Remember, this is where the blood will shoot out. Take two small pieces of plastic wrap and put them over the hole.
Secure the plastic wrap with one of the tiny rubber bands and trim the excess wrap with a pair of scissors. This seal needs to be tight enough for the blood not to leak but weak enough to pop off when we open up the air tank.
Using a funnel fill your blood hose with, well blood! My philosophy on blood…more is better. Position the elbow joint on your actor wherever you want blood to be spilt!
Then using some tape put the tube over your actors shoulder then down behind them. Over the shoulder is best because you want most of the blood to be resting at the end of the tube nearest the blow off point.
Get a loose fitting shirt at Good Will. I’ve found a plaid, light colored button up number is best. You’ll need to carefully pre-cut the shirt where the blood is shooting out. A little “X” along the pattern of the shirt will be hard to see on video.
All you have to do now is connect your blood hose to your air tank. They are designed to screw right together!
Have a friend hide out of frame ready to turn that release valve as fast as they can. Then 1, 2, 3 BAM! You just killed your buddy on film.
Wow, nice. very very cool. W00T! Now everyone has their complete zombie tutorial!
Wow, you guys are the greatest thing since detonationfilms!!
(Evan better)
Brett:
Just wait until we put up the FAKE BRAINS episode. Then you'll have the complete zombie tutorial :D
Tilman:
Detonation Films rocks our world, so we take that as a great compliment!
wow, this is freaking awesome! I'm hoping to make a zombie movie soon (workin or script) and I'll definatly use this tutorial!
wow, really cool. You guys should do an exploding head episode, that would rock. does this site have a forum?
haha cool this makes me want to start filming
could you tell me were i can get these pipes, iam making a horror movie soon and i have a few seans were people get shot. I would would really apresate it. thank you for your time!
I already posted this before, but i figure it'll get answered faster the more i post it. Will it stain my clothes?
hey erik can you tell me how and where to get a fake gun like the one ine the blood-shooter episode
Is there any sure-fire place you know that will sell a 3/8 inch threaded bike valve adapter? I've called literally every bike store and Home Depot in the state of Arizona, and nobody has them. Alternately, is there any easy way to replace this adapter with something better? The entire project is useless if I can't find a way of keeping the air in while I pump.
HEY EVERYONE! Here is the answer to your blood squirting questions.
1) I got this fake blood all over my pants and it didn't stain. A white shirt might not survive though.
2) I bought the gun at Walgreens for like 3 dollars. All it is is a classic cap gun. It was bright orange until I painted it black. DON'T run around with a realistic gun!
3) I got all the pipes and bike adapter at an Ace Hardware. The bike adapter might have a different name. Print out the picture and bring it to the store if you have too. If you really can't find one I suppose you could cut one off a bike inner tube, then glue it into a rubber stopper which you drilled a narrow hole through. The stopper would have to fit the end of the valve pretty good. Does that make sense? Let me know if it doesn't and I can explain better.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING and COMMENTING!!!
YOU guys rock!
" Anthony wrote on June 14, 10:04 pm:
Is there any sure-fire place you know that will sell a 3/8 inch threaded bike valve adapter? I've called literally every bike store and Home Depot in the state of Arizona, and nobody has them. Alternately, is there any easy way to replace this adapter with something better? The entire project is useless if I can't find a way of keeping the air in while I pump."
you can get them at automotive or trucking supply stores. the valve is actually called a schrader valve.
COOL, thanks hyperdrive! I knew there was a better (Actual) name for this item.
YOU ROCK!
I think I may have found an even cheaper alternative to your way on how to make this...
Although I am still testing it and I'll let everyone know if it's actually worth it after I'm finished.
I cannot find a schrader valve anywhere (the bike valve thingy)....I asked many people at home depot, and lowes, and theyve never heard of it... Is there another name for it? Also, I dont have an ACE hardware over here...Anywhere else I can try looking?
Ok i built essentially the same rig with a minor altercation. Instead of using a 2 liter bottle which could leak or pop due to over pressurizing i used a 1/2 reducer a 3/4 reducer to fit a 1+1/2 foot long piece of 1 inch PVC to the end of the ball valve. I drilled a hole and fit a bike valve thingee which u can pressurize with an air compressor. I bought the bike/ tire valve thingee at Pep boys but i know other automotive stores carry them and i did cut one off a tire when i built a potato cannon a few years back. All the other stuff is the same and for those who can't find the part try any automotive store.
just a quick question, is the blood washable?
You've inspired me Erik... i want to make a video with Shattering Glass, Zombies, Gory Brains, and Bloody Gun shots but i cant cause i dont have a camera :( Oh Well AWESOME VIDEO
Funny you should say that Fox =) I found this website because im trying to make a zombie movie. Its going to run about 30min - 60min and we will hopefully be able to finish by mid august. Thank you guys here for showing me all the cheap tricks to make rigs and techniques, you are definitely the reason this is possible for me and my friends. If i get it done ill be sure to put it on youtube so you guys can watch it Thx again!!
how about multiple gunshot wounds? how do we do that? do we have to make 1 for each wound? thx in advance =D
The ending is a bit tricky... for the end that the blood shoots out of, the bushing plugs the end of tubing and then the elbow goes into the hole from the X-acto knife? or do you put the elbow on the end of the hose and then just secure it with plastic wrap? I'm a little lost, can anyone clear this up for me? I'm scared :| thanks in advance, awesome idea. It reminds me of this one "http://www.exposure.co.uk/eejit/blood/index.html"
oh wait... I'm an idiot... never mind :(
k does anyone have some info of where to get this bike valve adapter... I'm in Canada, so certain places are out of the question. I've tried Home Depot and Canadian Tire, maybe I was looking for the wrong thing, could anyone elaborate?
West, it's hard to find those because the name changes everywhere you go. They are called Shrader valves, tire adapters, bike adapters, tire nipples, tire pump valve, so the best way of finding it is to just bring in a picture to a car parts store. http://www.pricepoint.com/images/newvalvef.jpg (one on left)
hey, thanks for putting this up! my buddy and i are going to make at least 2 of these and use them in our "Power" trilogy of action shorts. We've already made 1, but we're in the middle of the sequel right now and are itching for some good, cheap, blood fx, and this looks to fit our film (and budget) very nicely. I'll be sure to give you the results of our sequel which will hopefully be done by next week. Here's our first (and extremely cheesy) short: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL6CQoVJckQ
thanks again for the tips, we'll be testing them out soon!
Thanks goldio, I'll make sure to keep looking with the list of names you gave and picture :P
I found that the bike pump adapter is called a tank valve. I found all my stuff At Ace hardware.
Im making a movie called vengeance and i am totally luck to have come across this site i jsut watched the video on the blood quibs and am going to get the stuff tommorow... please email me with other tutorials for my action film especially how to make fake guns lok real and such
Awesome nformation
In the supplies part, you said it was 3' (3 feet) of 1/2" diameter. I'm going to assume you meant inches...
^ PVC pipe
making this today can't wait
I've been searching for a cheap and easy way to perform the illusion of a gunshot effect and all I came across was squibs. I do not wanna damage any of my actors.
So i went to Indy MOgul and found this effect.
This effect is prolly the most creative i've seen.
is it possible to mod it not to have sucha bumpy edge? I might want to adapt this for extreme throat slit effect.
Good Times
blood shooter
These directions are retarded. Half the shit you list as needed are a lot more complicated than you make them seem. 1st the barbed elbow can be seriously like 100 things, and 99 of them are nothing like what is shown. You do NOT specify if the measurements you give are inside diameter, or outside diameter which is REALLY important if you want the shit to fit together. Maybe I'm just retarded, but making this did not work out in the least...waste of my money.
To Aaron: Just because you're having a hard time doesn't mean you should take it out on IndyMogul. Erik states very specifically what sizes you need in the various parts. Like you, I was initially frustrated that my local Home Depot didn't have everything and it took me several days to find the last piece. But keep at it! When you finally get it together, you'll be really glad you stuck it out.
Hey Indy mogul i love your vids there really helping me but ill just get to the case i really want to know how to make fake guns i also saw you ninja 1 where u buy toys and paint them but i cant find the toys -_- so if you can plz teach me how to make a Beretta PLZ (p.s i love Gary :D)
I just tested the blood shooter out and it's awesome!
i so cant wait to use this in my movie when i get the camera to make first cause it might be woth camers right? lol
does anyone know were i can get corn syrup in the uk? i've loked in tesco but i couldent find it.
I think marks and spensers sell it! If not use Lion Golden Syrup!
Please please please can someone tell me where to get this stuff in the UK?
After much searching (bike shops, auto supply stores, piping specialists, etc.) I was able to locate the schrader valve through an industrial supply house called Grainger's here in San Diego (www.grainger.com). However, the guys at the shop set me up with something a little different from what Erik shows in the tutorial because they didn't have that specific part. Instead they gave me the schrader valve plus a brass bushing which is basically the same thing. So don't get frustrated! Anyone who wants to put together the blood shooter should print out the directions and take them around to the various shops (with the exception of the Schrader valve thingy, I was able to get everything else at Home Depot.