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BIG pipe questions

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:04 pm
by isban
Alright heres the deal
My friend and I were wandering through the woods and stumbled on an open yard filled with all sorts of pipe laying around. There was a large pile of plastic pipes in the 10"-18"+ range. I think I am going to contact the owners soon about it, but first my questions are-
a. Is there anything to shoot out of 12+ inch pipe?
b. I think there were a few fittings but if not is there any way to join big pipes like in a chamber to barrel configuration?
c. If the pipe is available would anybody be interested(it would probably have to be picked up(philly suburb))?
Any answers would be a great help.

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:12 pm
by Lentamentalisk
well as a chamber it would be shit, due to its obvious low strength, but depending on the length of the pipe, you could make a sort of watermelon combustion cannon, as seen somewhere on this forum.

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:16 pm
by hi
the problem is that unless its the really thick stuff, large plastic pipe isnt good for cannons, unless you are just using a few feet of it.

you would probably just have to use a single piece of pipe as both the combustion chamber and the barrel and separate the two with a big bolt through the middle (well, not the middle, but you know what i mean)

dont even try to buy fittings, the cost will be so high it wont be worth it. your best be it to make a custom, cap that bolts on out of sheet metal or maybe even wood.

i wouldnt recommend trying to make a pneumatic with the pipe, just because its so big it probably cant hold much pressure.

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:23 pm
by isban
I was thinking combustion but I have no idea what it would shoot

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:21 am
by SpudFarm
ehh... don't find anything to shoot out of a 12" pipe?
well all the stuff that are >12"

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:46 am
by psycix
spudfarm wrote:ehh... don't find anything to shoot out of a 12" pipe?
well all the stuff that are >12"
How would something >12" fit in 12"?
I assume you meant: You can fire everything that is SMALLER (<12) than 12".

And thats true, just get an old rag, put stuff in it and push it down the barrel :)

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:47 am
by SpudFarm
no (>12" = up to 12")
you mean (12"> = up from 12")

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:49 pm
by Fnord
I was thinking combustion but I have no idea what it would shoot
Basket balls, bowling balls, pumpkins, cantaloupe(because it sucks), golfball buckshot, 5 gallon buckets, snare drums, possibly water cooler jugs, other cannons, midgets, 20 lb propane tanks might fit, small appliances, flower pots, maybe a small child, stacks of cheap records, armadillos, a beach ball filled with water(frozen?), those spools that wire comes wrapped on, a big gob of steel wool (illegal, dangerous, but spectacular)...

This is really one of those '500 pound gorilla' type questions. You can shoot whatever the hell you want from 12".


Wouldn't happen to have any 3" steel pipe in all that would you?

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:05 pm
by rcman50166
O.K. I am not encouraging this, but I know how to strengthen pipe to handle pressure. Just the pipe though, not fittings. You take a large spool of 30 lbs tess fishing line and spool it onto the pipe. It's required that there is tension on the line at all times while winding it. It's also necessary to wind it NEATLY or you could compromise the strength of the line. This means NO overlapping unless multiple layers are going to be applied. When it's completed, Secure the entire thing in a coat epoxy resin. With this method, I've converted tubes that could handle about a PSI to be able to withstand close to 100 PSI. Pressure handlng capabilities are increased when using bare copper wire. 4 layers of 12 guage wire make can make a flexible tube completely rigid. I use fishing line because it isn't as heavy in the end and it is also cheaper. The more care you put into winding a pipe the stronger, safer, and more reliable it becomes. The downside, however, is that to wind a 6'' diameter piece of PVC that is 3ft long can take up to 4 hours by hand.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:40 pm
by Jared Haehnel
cantaloupe(because it sucks)
I object!

The finishing line is an interesting idea that is if you have time to kill...

I think in the end it would be cheaper to just buy 4" or 3" pvc and fittings.

Re: BIG pipe questions

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:14 pm
by grumpy
isban wrote: My friend and I were wandering through the woods and stumbled on an open yard filled with all sorts of pipe laying around. There was a large pile of plastic pipes in the 10"-18"+ range.
personaly i would not bother with it , not knowing how long it has been out there exposed to the weather, pvc does tend to get brittle when exposed to the weather for long periods. to me it would not be worth the risk.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:27 pm
by Lentamentalisk
Jared Haehnel wrote:
cantaloupe(because it sucks)
I object!
Image
Just remember to keep some perspective. If you think watermelon is delicious, and I think it’s only so-so, the important thing is that we each find something we like. Who’s to say whose taste is right?

I am. You are wrong; watermelon is overrated.

Also, I have never liked cantaloupe. It brings down otherwise tasty fruit salads. There, I said it.