SpudFiles

I was doing some "quiet shooting" with some hairspray and after a particilarly loud blast, I had trouble getting my end cap off. After prying it off with a big wrench, I noticed a section that was browned and smoking a little. Is there something wrong?

You probably had a very good shot and the cap wasn't on good. The hairsray is like glue. That is why you cap was hard to get off.

That sucker is burnt! This happens when a cannon is ignited with the cap off and continues to burn, it has been used a whole lot, or the cap/cleanout adaptor cooled much too quickly when molded which made the whole part(s) shrink. I would suggest tossing it away because you will probably end up blowing the cap(s) out. Typically the female threads are rendered useless by this point, the only option I know of is to cut the chamber where the cleanout adapter is and cement a new one on. This will shorten your chamber but save some pvc, especially if your barrel is not interchangable

edit: dammit spudstuff beat me to it. forgot to mention a loose cap

Yeah I think I may have had it cross-threaded when I put it on or something. Putting a new adapter on will be a little tricky though. My sparker hole is very close to where my existing adapter is, so I would have to cut that off and drill a new one...

EDIT: This picture shows how close my sparker is to my adapter.

(I know it's generic, but it's my first one, so I'm kinda attached to it...)

Not much you could do without redrilling the holes. I say just try and clean out the threads with a triangular file or a razor blade. OR don't use hairspray. Or were you using hairspray because you wanted it to be more quiet?

Coat the threads on that cap with some teflon tape.

Heated air leaking through those threads at around 2,200 K, (just using propane as a model, hairspray probably burns colder), is bound to turn the female adapter brown, as well as burn the crap out of your hand if the leak gets bad enough.

MisterSteve124 wrote: Or were you using hairspray because you wanted it to be more quiet?

Yes, that's why I said I was doing "quiet" shooting

the only option I know of is to cut the chamber where the cleanout adapter is and cement a new one on.

ATENTION!!! YOU CAN SAVE YOUR FITTINGS/PIPE!!!!!

All you need to do is cut about 4 vertical slices in the pipe/fitting attached to the pipe/fitting you want to save. Then with a hammer and a screwdriver, you work the screwdriver between the two parts and pry. I suggest that you work the screwdriver in on several spots for each slice before prying. If you do this correctly the solvent weld will break like a hot knife cutting through butter............well, not exactly like a hot knife but you get the idea.

I'm no expert, but i was thinking that you got some hairspray on the threads themselfs, and with a loose fit it cought fire and melted the parts together. If it was mine i would cut as little off as possible and glue another one on, remount your sparker and your done. Happy shooting!

Is there a echo in here, (i hear chrickets cherping now).

^^Yeah jrrdw probably has it