Lawn Darts

Robert Hankins

Robert Hankins

Joined
May 19, 2003
Messages
1,848
Lawn darts:D
Anybody remember those little deamons from the 80's?
Anywho I happen to have around three feet of 1/2" round O1 tool steel just waiting for the right design....
Always wanted to make something like it just never sat down to design it yet!
 
1/2" is pretty thick for a lawn dart. If I remember correctly (I haven't seen one in years) they were about 1/4" thick. I can't remember what the tip looked like. Didn't they have a sliding set of tail fins, that would move up and down a shaft, or am I remembering something different? Is it possible to find old sets? I heard they were outlawed because of people getting nailed by them. Anyway, to get them to work, you need a heavy point and a light tail.

If I had that stuff, I might sharpen the ends of it and make a big throwing spike.

To go a little off topic, (on a slightly drunken ramble), I made a spike with a hole drilled at the back end. I tied a good length of rope to this, and I could spin it around and throw it, and the trailing rope made sure the point would hit every time. Fun stuff.
 
Lawn Darts was our Christmas family tradition! I just threw them away earlier this year while cleaning out my Grandparents house...
They were about 12 or 13 inches long, with a weighted head about 4 inches long, almost 1/2 inch around at the large part tapered down to a blunt point in about the last 2 1/2 inches. the top 7 or so inches was a hollow tube that held the plastic fins in place...We used to have a lot of fun with those things, they are an insurance companies worst nightmare...could you imagine them coming on the market today? there would be protest! lol, good thing we were to busy having fun to realize how dangerous it was ;)
 
Nixel
Agreed 1/2" is way too thick.
Cold, thanks now I remember what they looked like.
Just musing how it could be made into a portable custom thrower of some type. Like the idea of using a Spike with a tail of some type.

There is plenty of Drill Rod out there in a bunch of sizes just waiting for the right design:D
 
There are "ninja darts" - nails with tassels. They are thrown non-rotationally into the target.
They work fine for me w/o the tassels, but some people have more trouble with them that way. I've spent a decent amount of time working on a non rotational knife throw, so it feels natural to me.
 
In all fairness, though, Will, you've got a unique sidearm-snap type of non-rotational throw. Very impressive to watch, but difficult to emulate! God knows *I've* tried! I can see you throwing everything from scissors to rebar and sticking it. A dart of any kind should pose no problem for you.

Others' mileage will vary...
 
i've been trying to do this non-rotational throw for like two weeks and it still lands with a retarded thunk of metal and no stick.
 
I been learning None rotational as well commandojoe,
i had it working at one point, but its a case of keeping practicing till you get it. However, i have found that heavier blades have more force in them and tend to stick more. As when you throw non-rotational you dont have the addedd momentum of the rotation(correct me if im wrong) and the rest of it is just altering your throw until you can make it fly with out rotation.
Sorry if thats no help.
 
i made some throwing spike out of some 1/4 diameter nails i find that if i use the hammer throw and do throw it like a baseball...with two feet on the ground and the dart,hand and foot in line i have got it to stick in doors
 
Try laying 2-4 fingers along the length of the nail and pinching it to your palm with your thumb.
 
The gumint is takin' away our rights to play rushin' roolette in the privacy of our own bakyards.
bannedts2.jpg


Ebayitem(clickhere)

Good pic of how they looked for reproduction. I wonder what the black market price on these would be?

"psssst, hey buddy". "Wanna buy a Jart?" :cool:
 
I still have my set and played them with a few trusted friends last year.
Had to do something on "Independance Day" to thumb my nose at Uncle Nanny.

But the plastic is brittle now and the fins broke, and I'm trying to think of a good replacment for the old fins.
Suggestions will be welcome.
 
Sheet metal would work for fins...how to shape them is another story.

My idea would be to take some all thread and use two Nyloc nuts on either side of a stack of washers for weight. Sharpen the point and use some sort of streamers in place of fins.

Anybody else please throw in your 02s
 
Really cool pic cOLD! Original and in the box! Where did you get that pic? I don't believe lawn darts are anymore dangerous than horseshoes. A girl friend of mine, since childhood, still has a scar under her right eye where a horseshoe, thrown by me, took a bad hop and clocked her a good one.
 
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