potato gun

[wheelspinner]

which is better compressed air or combustion (hairspray or whatever). just give an opinion and a quick reason.

 

[rcca]

Ive built many of both but air is my favorite. It is more powerful and easy to use and no screwing up by putting to much axe in or w/e. I calulated on mine at 60 psi (i can go to 130 easy) it shots a paintball at 650 fps. Ive managed to get some paintbals through 1 inch of pottery, 1 inch plywood, and some very thing metal. Also if you use the track balls in mice ive gone though about 4 inched of reedwood and it went on going.

 

[clodman666]

i've built a few "potato" guns and i definately like air better. with combustion you really have to get the perfect mix to get the most power. with air you just hook up a compressor, let it fill to whatever psi you want and unload.

 

[Thorsteenster]

i made one years agor, 2" pvc barrel and a 6" gas chamber. i used aqua net hairspray and would shoot 4 - 5 second bursts in the chamber depending on how much bang i wanted. never had any problems, i'd rather carry a can of hairspray than an air tank.

 

[TMXONR]

Air, There was one designed by a student and built by some teachers at the high school here, a few years ago. They were vaporizing potatoes, and shooting them past the football stadium, probably some where between 1/8 mile to 1/4 mile. they also shot a little ball through both sides of a metal building.

 

[Scattman]

i made one years agor, 2" pvc barrel and a 6" gas chamber. i used aqua net hairspray and would shoot 4 - 5 second bursts in the chamber depending on how much bang i wanted. never had any problems, i'd rather carry a can of hairspray than an air tank.

Same here. Aquanet was always my propellant of choice. "thumbsup"

 

[slugzracing]

Combustion if for no reason other than you can be out in the middle of nowhere and pull out your spud gun and play. Air is cleaner (wont gunk up the ignition source like hairspray) and can deliver more punch but it will not shoot flames out of the barrel:twisted:

 

[Thorsteenster]

i used a coleman sparker flint wheel, never gunked up or failed to ignite.

 

[Scattman]

i used a coleman sparker flint wheel, never gunked up or failed to ignite.

Damn, so did I. Way better than a grill igniter. I also never had a problem lighting it off after switching to the lantern igniter.

 

[slugzracing]

i used a coleman sparker flint wheel, never gunked up or failed to ignite.

I used them as well but every once in a while I had to dribble some water on the wheel to keep it clean. I never did try propane though:twisted:

 

[Kranberry]

this mabe stupid but if you used combustion alll you have is a big flaming fri flying thru the air:twisted: so i geuss compressed air

 

[Del Monte]

if you go with a combustion gun, try static guard as a propellant.
Seems to have a bit more power then aquanet, in my guns anyway 8)

 

[jason]

Air powered one are way more reliable, and shoot way more powerful.

Both are fun though.

 

[KylePipkin]

Pneumatic launchers are way more powerfull and less dangerous than combustion launchers. If you build a combustion gun you should go with propane instead of hairspray. Propane is more reliable. But the most powerfull and dangerous potato gun the pneumatic/combustion hybrids are just pure evil. I would be more afraid to build one of thoes than to build a 100 foot long pumpkin cannon. Hybrids are just a few years old people just started building them not too long ago . If you havent heard of them , go here to find out all about them. www.spudtech.com
And never never never never use Right Guard as a fuel for combustion guns

 

[Mechanicalbob]

I would go with combustion my self. That is just me. I have built a few. My favorite one that I built was a 8 cylender spud gun. It took a bit to do but it was fun. The parts needed was a V/8 distributor, 8 spark plugs/w wires, 8 shut off vlaves with a t and a PSI gauges, large propane tank, some ply wood and some other things. When it was done all we had to to to shoot was stuff the cut potato slugs in the tubes then fill to the right PSI in all 8 cyl. flip the power on and turn the distributor, 8 potatos away"thumbsup"

 

[clodstall]

i like the combustion myself. nothing like blowing something up.lol not a terrorist act.

 

[Thorsteenster]

yup, good ol combustion. at night i'd give it an little extra squirt of aquanet and barrel flash was like a foot long and highly visible.

 

[BARK]

I built and shot the gun in the video.
This one is combustion but I guess I need to build and air version now...
Maybe butane...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erN-hT_GAGI

I know that many of you have seen this video of me being shot by a potato cannon in the backyard, but I figured it was time to upload it to the web. So in case you missed it, you & the rest of the www can now see the glorious stupidity! enjoy the laugh again & rate it as 'awesome'......at least that way I get something for the pain & whelp.

 

[blazed]

ever been shoot in the nuts with a potato not fun at all. but i like to have them wars. gas and a shop rag are all i need. i put to much psi in my other one, it went boom and i was pulling pvc out of my side:-(

 

[Thorsteenster]

i was working at a swimming pool company at the time i made mine so i had access to all the pvc i wanted, up to 8". anyway, a guy there said i should wrap it with chicken wire or somthing to keep it from shattering so much when it does eventually burst or too much gas. he was saying the pvc could only handle so many shots before weakening.