Ballistic Chronograph MK2 #DIY

DIY 3D Printed Ballistic Chronograph

A 3D Printed Ballistic Chronograph for $70 – $100 USD!

This ballistic chronograph is based on my original design, the MK1 (which can be viewed at https://td0g.ca/2016/07/28/ballistic-chronograph/). I’ve used the MK1 to take many high-speed photos, including a shot of a mach-2 bullet hitting a nice wine glass!  The new MK2 has the same performance as the original, but is much easier to construct.  It can be used for measuring high-powered rifles, paintball guns, and everything between!

3D Printed Ballistic Chronograph

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Ballistic Chronograph #DIY

DIY Ballistic Chronograph

2020-07-14 – If you’re interested in building a ballistic chronograph, check out the new 3D-printed MK2 design at td0g.ca/2020/04/19/ballistic-chronograph-mk2-diy/.  If you would like to purchase sensors for building a chronograph, they are available at https://www.tindie.com/products/19828/.

Preamble:

A ballistic chronograph is an instrument which measures the speed of very fast things (like bullets).  I decided to build a DIY Chronograph which could be used for high-speed photography, such as glassware getting shot with an air-powered rifle (see my other post on this topic or my Flickr album).  In order to take such a photo, you need to be able to trigger a flash at just the right moment, which will freeze all the juicy action.

DIY Ballistic Chronograph

There are numerous resources available which give very limited information on how to build such an instrument.  Unfortunately all of the resources are incomplete or describe an instrument which only works for slower objects, such as paintballs or airsoft pellets.  I designed and built this using the information available on the internet, my modest understanding of electronics, and many hours of trial-and-error.  To somebody who has some knowledge of electronic components, this post can be used to build an instrument useful for measuring the speed of objects travelling up to 1,000 m/s (such as high-powered rifle bullets), and even photographing a projectile ‘interacting’ with other objects!

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High-Speed Photography of Bullets & Glass

Preamble:

What does a  wine glass look like when it’s shot? (TL;DR have a look at my flickr album)

This obvious question was asked when my wife provided me with three wine glasses which were used to keep her Siamese Fighting Fish.  She couldn’t bring herself to drink from them after their use as aquariums.  So I decided to destroy them and make a few attempts at high-speed photography!

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