How To Make Batarangs And Get One Step Closer to Being Batman

When you see upcycling projects, how often do they involve pallets or tires or water bottles?  Pretty typical, right? And sure, you can make some cool stuff from old pallets and tires. But can you make superhero stuff from them?

Well, to upcycle yourself some authentic-looking Batman batarangs, pallets and tires aren't going to cut it – but an old saw blade will do nicely. 

What makes Batman such a great superhero? He's less far-fetched than Superman or Spider-Man.

Just about anyone could be the Caped Crusader with a big enough bank account and a penchant for vigilante justice. If you have a sweet car and a cave full of gadgets and wonderful toys, you're off to a good start.

Probably the easiest of Batman's signature toys to make is the batarang.

You'll need an old circular saw blade, some glue, a template, a jigsaw, a clamp, small and large rounded files, a can of black spray paint, cardboard, and a sanding sponge.

Note:These are not actually toys. They can be dangerous. Don't ever, ever, ever throw them at people or property.

So, start out with an old 10-inch blade from a circular saw or a table saw. 

Then, print off a paper template for your batarang.

Glue the template to the saw blade with a glue stick, taking care to smooth out any creases, and let it dry.

Clamp the blade with the template to a sturdy surface with something under the blade to protect the surface. Load up your jigsaw with 30-teeth-per-inch blades meant for cutting metal, and start between the teeth, cutting the long, straight side.

If you don't have some oil to disperse the heat, make sure to go slowly, or you'll ruin your blades in minutes. Cutting out the curves will be tough, but it doesn't have to be perfect.

With some patience, you should have a rough-looking batarang at this point. Time to smooth it out.

Secure the batarang in a vise and then use the flat side of the small file to grind down the points and rough edges, and the round side to smooth out the contours and inside corners. 

Use the large file to shape the bottom curves, trying to make everything as symmetrical as possible.

Once you have a generally smooth, symmetrical piece, file the edges of the wing tips at an angle to create a point.

Stick one end of the batarang in a cardboard box and give it a blast of black spray paint, the kind meant to coat metal, to give it that authentic Dark Knight look. 

The tip stuck in the box won't get paint, but that's okay – just sand down the sharp edges with a sanding sponge to take the paint off.

Not bad! At this point, your batarang looks good enough for Batman's utility belt.

If you want to try some target practice with your new batarang, set up a proper target post – maybe a dart board with a solid wood backing.

For every three paces you are from the target, the batarang makes one rotation in the air. 

If you plan wisely, you might be able to make five batarangs from a single 10-inch saw blade – and you can find a few different templates to make different styles of batarangs.

Check out the full tutorial below!