Pneumatic air cannons!

[tedshred]

Just thought I'd show of my two builds. Very easy to find parts and put together with some PVC glue and other materials. They are crazy fun to blast stuff with, and the kids seem to love seeing spuds flying high as a bird. These really qualify as PCP's, but they only deliver one shot per charge.

[DanoInTx]

That looks like a real hoot!

Maybe you've seen this, maybe not:
http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/cannon/air_gun.html

Read that a couple years ago, this guy shoots marbles and M&M's!!!!!

[TCups]

See also this fine book, with an extensive reference on spud guns.  The VonHoffman brothers use WD40 or Hairspray as the propellant, and fire with a steel/flint spark from a Coleman gas lantern igniter.  Their version will shoot a spud several hundred yards.  The book is a "must read" as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Hoffmann-Bros-Damn-Sheer-Manliness/dp/1575440849

[tedshred]

Good to see I'm with like minds here!

[jct842]

I keep meaning to get another one going.   I used to have one fired with a spark plug.   There is a way to make a valve that is totally contained in the large pvc.  it works by releasing some air at the bottom of the chamber.  a few years ago I saw a fellow shoot a golf ball out of sight using around 900# of air using that same valve design(but no pvc in the gun).  I like large bore (maybe tennis ball) and maybe 150#.   john

[paul]

I built one just like in pix #4,i had mine on tripod,i also made one as disscribed ,used hairspray and coleman i striker,everyone liked it because it was loud. They were alot of fun to make and shoot.

[Jaymo]

A friend of mine built one 10 years ago and used a piezoelectric igniter from a gas grill. All you had to do was charge it with hair spray and push the button.........BLOOP!

[howie1a]

Using PVC pipe for hi pressure air is not a good idea when I worked in one of the boat yards they built a supply line for running air tools 125 psi  out of PVC sch.80 thinking it was a good cheep way to go one of the men told them it was not agood idea since he worked in a yard that built a PVC air supply system and when it blew up luckly no one was near it and no one got hurt but they didn't lisen to him and had the same thing happen it blew up again they were lucky no one was near and no one got hurt, but PVC is not good for a air vessel. howie

[Jaymo]

My buddy ended up making a barrel from copper pipe due to concerns over the longevity of the PVC pipe.