My first cannon!

Boom! The classic potato gun harnesses the combustion of flammable vapor. Show us your combustion spud gun and discuss fuels, ratios, safety, ignition systems, tools, and more.
Spudman8592
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Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:54 pm

Hey everyone! I thought I would post some pics of my first cannon. It is a propane powered combustion cannon with two 2.5" SCH 40 chambers. As of right now it has a 2.5" thin wall barrel for shooting pop cans. These work very good by the way as I have put numerous cans through an interior door that i set up as a target. It has a camera flash ignition and a computer fan for a good propane/air mixture. It has everything needed to fire self contained for easy use. Any feedback would be appreciated because I would like to know what some experienced spuders think about this as my first cannon. Also i want to make a barrel for shooting golf balls. Does anyone think that this could be a bad idea because it would possibly neck down too much and cause a rupture in the barrel?
Thanks, David
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This is my propane regulator made from a blow torch head that was cut then threaded to fit the regulator.
This is my propane regulator made from a blow torch head that was cut then threaded to fit the regulator.
This is my control panel. It has a fan switch with an LED to let me know if it is running. It has an ignition charging switch with an LED to let me know if it is charged, and it has a safety switch with a cover to stop accidental firing. Then, of course, there is the little red FIRE button. You can also see my meter pipe with two ball valves for measuring the propane.
This is my control panel. It has a fan switch with an LED to let me know if it is running. It has an ignition charging switch with an LED to let me know if it is charged, and it has a safety switch with a cover to stop accidental firing. Then, of course, there is the little red FIRE button. You can also see my meter pipe with two ball valves for measuring the propane.
This pic is for size comparison. That is my '96 Ford Ranger.
This pic is for size comparison. That is my '96 Ford Ranger.
P2.jpg
P1.jpg
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daberno123
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Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:03 pm

Excellent first gun!

I'd love to see some pictures of that door. Oh and you'll be fine with a golfball barrel on this, but I'd recommend sleeving it in Sch 80 pipe for extra strength.

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pizlo
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Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:11 pm

Amazing combustion gun you got there ate, but something about it makes me doubt its your first :wink:
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Technician1002
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Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:22 pm

Extremely well done :D .

As far as necking for golfballs, the barrel is not the problem. The chamber may fail. :shock: . Golf ball barrels tend to fail if they are too long and unsupported. The recoil whip tends to snap them off. A remote fire button may be in order if you try this to remove yourself from the shrapnel zone.

For better failure mode, some combustion guys use sched 40 Cellular Core ABS instead of PVC. It tends to split instead of grenade and handles impulse pressure well.
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vardas
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Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:39 pm

very nice!! how much does it weigh ?..how long is it?.. i like the black & silver theme !! maybe build a mount for it & tuck in those wires... oh yeah i wanna see some pop can damage !!! :twisted: ..welcome to spud files
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inonickname
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Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:50 pm

Very good! The regulator must ensure a good mix regardless of the weather.

Not much to fault, good work!
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suburban spudgunner
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:04 am

Oooooh...shiny buttons...

I like the control panel. Gotta see some pictures of that door now.
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:46 am

Very nice, bet it scares the heck out'a the door. :D

You really should add some bracing between the barrel and the chambers. As it is setup now all the recoil load is put into the elbows. Fire a heavy enough round and there is a good chance the gun will fail at the elbows.


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Spudman8592
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:31 pm

Thanks for all the positive feedback. Also, to pizlo, this is actually my first cannon. I did not just want to throw something together quick to have a little fun with, I wanted to do it right. I worked on this cannon for quite some time before it was finally ready to fire. For the barrel specs it is a 6'6" barrel. The chambers are roughly 36" long each. Also, after i shoot some more i will get some damage pics and post them up.
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:14 pm

Nice looking cannon for your first! Damage pics and shooting video's are all ways welcome.



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Spudman8592
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:34 pm

DAMAGE!!!!
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Entrance wound. That is a solid 1.5" fiberboard door. (Slightly rotten but still pretty hard)
Entrance wound. That is a solid 1.5" fiberboard door. (Slightly rotten but still pretty hard)
The hole was XTREME! This also shows the size of the hole.
The hole was XTREME! This also shows the size of the hole.
Another size reference.
Another size reference.
This is the remnants of the actual can shot through the door.
This is the remnants of the actual can shot through the door.
EXIT WOUND!
EXIT WOUND!
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rcman50166
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:35 pm

Strangely familiar to my cannon :lol:

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starman
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:44 pm

Really nice cannon. It looks like you have covered most of your bases. You should greatly consider tying the barrel down in some way. Another upgrade would be to install camlocks.

A golfball barrel would be a no-brainer if you want. SDR 21 1.5" pipe sleeved in 2" sched 80 will get it done everytime.

Welcome to Spudfiles! This is an excellent first cannon project.
Spudman8592
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:39 pm

Can you suggest some good camlocks because i have searched forever on google to find some pvc camlocks but cant find any.
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jook13
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Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:26 pm

I have seen them at my local ace hardware. But my Ace is badass as they have pressure rated 4 inch pvc. If no store near you has them, check here...
http://www.launchpotatoes.com/
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