anyone build potato guns?

[maeu2003]

I've been into them for a while. My gun now shoots around 120 yards and will destroy a car fender in about 6 shots. (an old fender from a junkyard) . What kind of propellant do you use and how big do you make your guns?



Matt.

[VIPER69]

I use PVC pipe, which I think is 2 inch... don't recall though.
For propellant I use All Set hair spray because it is cheap. Any will work as long as you have a aerosol type that uses propellant that burns.
My buddy used to use WD40, but it did not do much better. He also had some gasoline in a spray bottle, which really blew but we were afraid it would hurt someone, plus it melted the plastic. Not cool.

For ignition we use the Lantern Lighter from WalMart for like $3. You twist it and it makes a spark. Good times.

Been a while since I fired mine.
Some places made them illegal.

[wizard]

Cheap hair spray works best. I use a chamber 4 inches in diameter by about 8 inches long. Barrel abut 4 feet long. I use an igniter for a gas grill. I have never measured the distance but it throws one heck of a snow ball. They will also shot green apples.

[Matchless]

We used to build these in college...... We used modified gas grill ignitors for ignition. Various different types of hairspray were used as fuel, but I seem to remember that 'Enamel Nail Dryer' was an extremely potent fuel.
One of the best performance tips we figured up was to only put the potato core in the tip of the 'gun'. Then spray in the fuel and cap the gun. Finish by packing the tater in with a ramrod and compressing the gas. We had some shooting a distance of 200 yards and shooting 3-4ft blue flame from the muzzle.

One drunken night, we started loading solid objects like icecubes in front of the tater, and essentially using the tater as 'wadding'. We could fire an icecube through a wall (both layers of drywall) easily from 10 feet. I don't suggest that at all..... Toooooo doggone dangerous....

I think these are illegal where I live now, and I have no urgent need to burn myself or knock my head off, so I don't mess with them any more.....

[maeu2003]

i use a 2" barrel. 3" chamber. mostly i use hairspray but i've tried other stuff. I also use a propane grill ignitor. for ammo i am currently using pears off of our pair tree. i can't wait to try snow balls though.

[Vic3D]

Y'all just gave me another idea.

[maeu2003]

i'm going to have to try compressing the gas sometime. thats a good idea.

[jack01]

A friend of mine a few years ago built an awesome potato gun. I don't remember the exact specs, but the barrel was about 8 feet long and the thing took two people to hold it. One could pick it up, but when it fired it would knock itself out of your hands. He made a coring tool that was razor sharp to cut the potato to the exact size. He also made the chamber out of three layers of high pressure PVC, so we didn't have to worry about it blowing up. The potato would come out long before the PVC ever gave. We used a grill ignitor for ignition, and White Rain hair spray for propellant. We never measured exact distance, but we could hit behind a tree line that was 200 yards away. My friend was from some small town out west where it was legal to shoot potato guns so long as you weren't in city limits.

[pitviper51]

one pic.. need new one,, but lets just say itll hit a 2 meter glider almost outa view,,, or maybe 200+ yards gonna upgrade old pic, not me shooting,, im planning one with 4 inch barrel for outer and gold ball size inner barrel,, to make a mock cannon

mike

[ConRadical]

muwhahaha.. I love doing this.. let me see if i can dig up a picture. I know I at least have a pic of a friend holding the gun i made on campus.

[Toro]

Map gas for sweating pipes is one of the best... butane with some O2 added in for good measure.... Clean burning, and complete combustion without residue.

[ConRadical]

.. One of my friends holding my spud gun! Freshman year.