Parish Fun

(A friend emailed David asking for the plans for the ear plug guns his son had played with at our house.)  

The ear plug gun is a Parish creation that evolved from marshmallow guns. It utilizes ½” Sch 40 PVC pipe and the individual pipe lengths don’t seem to be too critical (within reason). The critical pieces are the Tee which also serves as a handle, and a coupler which goes on the exit end of the barrel. The combination of the two makes a satisfying pop when used with the proper brand of earplug (Max uncorded, orange color). There are slight variations in different brands of PVC pipe which lend varied results. Some fit the earplugs more tightly and produce a louder noise. Only once have I found a brand of pipe which was too tight to work properly. The Tee portion that serves as the handle needs a plug of some sort on the inside to prevent the earplugs from getting stuck in the intersection. A nickel works perfectly for this. These are awesome and a big hit with young and old alike. The following is a list of all the pieces you’ll need:

Back of gun – 5”

Handle of gun – 4”

Barrel of gun – 13”

Tee

Coupler

Cap – Not essential, but gives a nice finished look on the bottom of the handle.

Nickel or plastic disk with same diameter as ½” inch PVC sch 40 pipe OD

Lots of ear plugs.

Given your current location I trust you’ll take the necessary steps to prevent these from falling into the wrong hands…

All the best,
Dave