How many of you have potato cannons?

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clipiteer
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How many of you have potato cannons?

#1

Post by clipiteer »

Just got finished making my second one, a handheld model. Man, I forgot how much fun this was! <img src="tongue.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> Anyway, I've shot everything from 14 foot steel pipes (8 feet straight up) to lemons out of my CO2 powered one, and I have yet to test the flame powered one. Oh, and I was thinking of shooting a Dixie cup full of BB's to deter possums that get into the dog food late at night. (It's too hard to kill them with a pellet gun, and a I don't want to wake up the neighbors by shooting off a 20 ga. at 11 in the night) And it's kind of messy to kill them, so maybe it will deter them. I'm off to the store for more potatoes...<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
aero_student
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#2

Post by aero_student »

I have thought about building one. I recently finished making a trebuchet. All i need is 12ln of lead shot from a gun store for the counterweight. It should be able to throw a golf ball 100yards.
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SpyderNut
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#3

Post by SpyderNut »

SWEET! I love Potato Guns! <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0><img src="tongue.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0><img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

My brother and I used to own one a few years ago, but after a truck and silo incident, the Spud machine mysteriously disapeared.<img src="tongue.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> My father liked it as much as we did, and on some occasions we would all go out and have a "blast". We tried lighter fluid and hair spray for the propellent, and found that hair spray didn't work all that bad. My cousin was working on a propane model....now THAT would be sweet!

~Spydernut
LIZARD
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#4

Post by LIZARD »

THEY ARE TOTALLY FUN! I HAVE SHOT POTATOES OUT OF MINE ALL THE WAY OVER THE BUILDING AT WORK AND HAVE KNOCKED DOWN 1" DIAMETER DEAD BRANCHES OUT OF TREES.I FIND THAT AQUANET HAIRSPRAY MAKES THE BEST PROPELLANT.THE CO2 IDEA IS INTRIGUING.HOW DO YOU SET IT UP?
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Big-Target
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#5

Post by Big-Target »

Did you put a bayonet lug on your favorite<img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>, so you can mount it on your potato gun????
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Joyce Laituri
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#6

Post by Joyce Laituri »

I agree AquaNet makes the best fuel source...try corn on the cob sometime it creates an amazing "shrapnel-like" effect and turns everything in its' path corn yellow!

Joyce
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java
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#7

Post by java »

Wow!! Great topic!! Great Ideas! Affixing my Military to the muzzle as we speak!

Beauty, Joyce! Got to try that!

Y'all check out the Backyard Ballistics homepage!?!? This page gets five <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>s in my book! Great info on alternative "armaments".

http://www.frii.com/~bsimon/backyard.html

Play safe y'all!
yog
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#8

Post by yog »

Would this be like something I saw on the tele a couple of months ago, where the presenter got a metal pedal bin, sprayed most of two hairspray cans into it, rammed a plucked turkey in the end and put it on a cooker hob aimed at a 28" television 10 yrds away. 15 seconds after turning on the cooker the turkey blew out the pedal bin, across the studio, straight through the television, blowing out the back in the process.
**** that 20 pound turkey flew <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

If this isn't what your talking about, any chance you can post some links to these beasties.

Is that a <img src="http://spyderco.com/forum/spyder.gif"border=0> in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me ?
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SpyderNut
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#9

Post by SpyderNut »

...Kinda reminds me of that UK TV show, "Junkyard Wars" or whatever its called. All this talk about Spud-guns has got me thinking.....has anyone experimented withe propane? I would like to hear a report on that if someone has a model.<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

~<img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>Nut
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#10

Post by Rookie »

I like Junkyard wars. Cool show.

<font color=blue><b><marquee loop=infinite >In the land of knives, <img src="http://www.spyderco.com/forum/spyder.gif" border=0> is KING!!</marquee> </font>
aero_student
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#11

Post by aero_student »

I have heard of people using very concentrated rubbing alchohol as propellant. You put it in a pump like a perfume bottle and spray that into the chamber.
clipiteer
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#12

Post by clipiteer »

If anyone wants the plans for the CO2 one, email me because it's too long to post here. I can also get plans for hand pumped 100 p.s.i. pneumatic launching cannons. I like my CO2 powered one better because it will shoot anything and doesn't torch the neighbor's shrubs.
Alan2112
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#13

Post by Alan2112 »

Me and me buddies like to fire patato guns at Road Atlanta, when we camp out at motorcycle road racing events. It's a wonder we never got into troble there. RKBA!
sam the man..
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#14

Post by sam the man.. »

potato guns? Hmm...

Sam

have surgical scars will travel..
clipiteer
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#15

Post by clipiteer »

It's probably something like a scaled down turkey launcher you mentioned. Two cans of hairspray! Man, that must kick! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
Hoosierdaddy
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#16

Post by Hoosierdaddy »

I like to use oxy-acetelyn, it works way better than hairspray. We used to make oxy-acetelyn bombs out of prestone jugs and use toilet paper fuses. When we got tired of that we started using 32 gallon trash bags, talk about a big explosion. You have to get the mix right. If you don't have "experience" with this don't try this at home!!! You can easily blow yourself up, seriously!!! They propel the potatos really far.

I always have an unsafe and insane 4th!!

Edited by - Hoosierdaddy on 2/28/2002 7:54:30 PM
Pachucko
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#17

Post by Pachucko »

Its all fun and games...until you launch a potato through your 89 year old neighbor's kitchen window while shes washing her hair (in the sink!!), then its just alot more fun---Pachucks
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ruxton
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#18

Post by ruxton »

*confuzed look on face* is this another one of those crazy american pasttimes?
hey yog that was jeremy clarkson with the turkey, the best one was where he put loads of asprin, bubble bath and bicarbonate of soda in a washing machine and blew the door 10 foot with foam!
MAT (VERY glad that hoosierdaddy is several thousand miles away)
yog
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#19

Post by yog »

Ruxton
Unfortunately I missed most of Clarkson's shows, but I did catch the one where he put a string of christmas tree lights in a microwave. Boy did they sparkle <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Is that a <img src="http://spyderco.com/forum/spyder.gif"border=0> in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me ?
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