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Why wont this spud gun work???

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:59 am
by JAYDIZZLE
Hey I am obviously new to the forums and was wandering if anyone could help?

Yesterday I tried to build a spud gun in a very fast manner as I just wanted to kinda get out there and shoot stuff. I was sort of following a basic tutorial on another site.

I cut a PVC pipe to about 4 feet long, it was big enough to slide a smallish potato down the tube (duh). Anyway I drilled a whole through the tube about four inches away from one end, I pushed a metal rod through the holes to stop potatos falling. On the same end i ducktaped nice and tight around end and covered it, I then made about a hole about a 1cm wide.

To fire i just put a potato down the other end, I then sprayed air freshener in the pierced hole for about four seconds, I then struck a match and pushed it in.

The closest I got to the poato firing was a quite POP sort of noise at the other end a bit of smoke.

Can anyone tell me why this did not work, or how I should go about lighting it. Thanks

PEACE

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 1:39 pm
by teledu
ur using air freshner and too much of it that was my problem only use a little bit and a match wont work. you need a proper ignitor like a bbq or lantern sparker

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:08 pm
by JAYDIZZLE
Ok thanks alot yeah I will try that

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 3:36 pm
by PCGUY
I really suggest building a proper cannon insted of that thing. If you do get it to fire well your going to blow off that duct tape no matter how much you stick on.

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:56 pm
by spudshot
yeah, thats VERY dangerous, just having the touch hole for the match creates an open hole for hot gasses to leak out and burn your hand, and your hand being near that duck taped back means that if it does ignite you'll never be able to get your hand out of the way in time, the tape will just come off and all of the gasses will burn you

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:47 am
by JAYDIZZLE
Thanks, I think I am gonna build a proper one, with a chamber and end cap I am going to follow the design on a particular website.

I will post the link later