DIY hacking has given us some great things — a Raspberry Pi turned mini Super Nintendo, a Kinect sensor turned 3D archaeological scanner. But now, US basement hacker Rob Flickenger has given us something utterly awe-inspiring. A 20,000-volt Tesla coil lightning-blasting Nerf gun.

The finished article took Flickenger nine months to build and was made using cheap everyday objects like old cans, an old TV and a lithium-ion battery from a drill. The total cost came to around $800 (£500) and, after nine long months tinkering away at it, Flickenger debuted the lightening bolt gun at his wedding reception.

“When it’s running, it makes the whole room smell like a thunderstorm,” he told Popsci.com. This ridiculous and wonderful experience is exactly why Flickenger decided to give us “better living through portable electricity”, as a Flickr feed documenting the invention tells us.

The perfect gift for every boy under the age of fourteen (and quite a few who are older!).

Read more and see a video of the gun in action at wired.co.uk.