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Aluminum base, chamber shooter

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:51 pm
by willarddaniels
I figure the title might seem a bit misleading, but that is what this thing is. The pics explain most of it...
Fit a normal 1 litre or 2 litre bottle over the nozzle with the two o-rings (lubricated) and slide the keeper over the flare. Pressurize, pull on rope to let 'er fly. Height of projectile corresponded fairly closely to psi: 40 psi = 40 feet. This was almost always shot straight up.
Pressure ranges: 10 - 100 psi
The higher the pressure, the higher the chamber went. Not a single bottle burst on us, although 3 got stuck on the roof and one in the top of a very tall tree.

I taught my 4 and 6 year old how to operate it and then I went back to rototilling the garden, this way I could supervise their "playing".
While they were busy blasting away, my friend's 16 year-old boy drove by and stopped to see what crazy things we were doing now. **Proud papa moment** My older son explained to him exactly what they were doing and exactly how and why it worked so well. He used (properly) some terms: compressor, compressed air, trigger, releases, air hose, pressure, etc. to explain it to a kid 10 years his senior! They talked about it for a few minutes like they were buds in shop or ag class together. It was pretty dang funny to watch. He helps when I tinker in the shop, but I didn't know he was absorbing so much.

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:00 pm
by shud_b_rite
Cool. So this is just like a bottle rocket? Have you tried filling the bottles 1/3 full of water, it makes them go way higher

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:05 pm
by willarddaniels
Not yet... the high school science/physics class did that last spring. I'll have to try that in a few weeks when we bust it out again.

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:38 pm
by frankrede
I did something similiar in 8th grade Mesa class.
We used a u bolt and a wooden base,
I like yours alot.

Mesa-Mathematics, engineering, science, achievement.
special experimental class I took, lots of fun, we got to go to competitions and stuff.

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:10 am
by chaos
color the water with some glow in the dark stuff and do it at night how kool would that be?

btw, nice craftsmanship on the launcher

peace
chaos

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:44 am
by Velocity
Yeah, I agree with chaos, that launcher is incredibly well built

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:54 am
by benstern
Thats a nice water rocket!

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:12 pm
by A-98
wow, you must be one of the coolest dads ive ever met.

try filling it with water and see how that works. and try plain flour, i think it would look pretty dang cool