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Frisbee launcher

Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 11:03 am
by matti
Just to get some new ideas and topics here, has anybody thought of building a frisbee launcher ? Probably pneumatic. I was thinking about making one from parts I have :idea:

How would we build the launching system ? Because you can't just put it in barrel and shoot :lol: I have pneumatic cylinders, so maybe I could use them to "throw" the frisbee or launch it from a barrel with some side "hop up" system ? I'm looking for a hand held type of cannon, like a grenade launcher style. Most of what can be found in youtube etc. are large, bulky and not hand held for sure :D

I'm looking to use it in frisbee golf / disc golf (just for fun), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_golf

Re: Frisbee launcher

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 6:01 pm
by mark.f
I would say a rectangular "barrel" with a slightly sloppy fit horizontally, and then having one side of the "barrel" made of a high drag coefficient material like a hard rubber.

Re: Frisbee launcher

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 10:57 am
by matti
mark.f wrote:I would say a rectangular "barrel" with a slightly sloppy fit horizontally, and then having one side of the "barrel" made of a high drag coefficient material like a hard rubber.
That was my first idea too :D Not sure if I should go for some type of fast pneumatic cylinder launcher system, because frisbee is not very "good seal" for rectangular barrel :lol:

Re: Frisbee launcher

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:52 pm
by mobile chernobyl
This guy has made a pneumatic clay pigeon launcher - you can probably abstract an idea from his basic mechanism:

Re: Frisbee launcher

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 6:52 am
by AlfiePB IanB
Clay pigeon type launcher sounds like a good idea, do they put some spin on the disks as when you throw a Frisbee you put spin on it which I assume helps it fly, maybe similar to how rifling puts spin on a bullet, but I don't know as the spin is along a different axis.

Re: Frisbee launcher

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 10:24 am
by mobile chernobyl
The clay pigeon setup usually imparts spin from the arm -

As the arm rotates, the frisbee/pigeon will move outwards along it from the centrifugal force. The arms usually have a little rubber U-shaped channel that the outer edge of the disc can maintain contact with. This is how the disc starts spinning.

You have to match the friction coefficient to your intended slip/grip of the frisbee's material and you have to match the channel shape to the edge of the frisbee. If you are using a traditional frisbee you will have a much larger edge vs. a frisbee golf disc.

A possible way to accommodate any sized frisbee edge would to be make a 45 degree internal V-shaped channel - hopefully you get the idea haha.

Re: Frisbee launcher

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:01 am
by matti
mobile chernobyl wrote:This guy has made a pneumatic clay pigeon launcher - you can probably abstract an idea from his basic mechanism:
I'm looking for something more hand held then that :D swing arm type thrower is quite clumsy to be held like a rifle :lol:

Re: Frisbee launcher

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 12:36 pm
by mobile chernobyl
What's a reference size you want it to be, and a reference weight? Good place to start!