How many of you have made a spud gun? - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

Fibercus · 08-27-2003, 12:54 PM

ANyone made one / Heard of one?

thelinja · 08-27-2003, 01:02 PM

Those things kick as s. We made one in chemistry once in HS.

**West** · 08-27-2003, 01:32 PM

What's that, like a potato gun? If so, we made several

Its fun as hell shooting em off mountains

I think im going to have to build another.

rps13kid · 08-27-2003, 02:07 PM

spud guns are cool but spud guns that shoot golf balls are cooler

but they are very dangerouse...please dont try to make at home unless a parent or gaurden are preasent....lol j/k

Fibercus · 08-27-2003, 02:50 PM

Im making one with ABS piping,using a latern flint, suave hair spray is the fuel

Suave burns great but what did everyone else use?

s14falcon · 08-27-2003, 03:15 PM

Hell yeah i've made a potato gun. It was out of PVC with a barbacue ignitor to shoot and aqua net hair spray. However, at my school, we have two science teachers who are the kings of making things shoot and explode. They built a double barrel potato gun w/pvc and it has like this valve thing to controll which cylinder fires. its awesome.

*radhaz* · 08-27-2003, 04:24 PM

Growing up in a small town led me and my HS buddies to do some stupid things, and the flaming tennis ball launcher was a good example. We collected ammunition from around the local HS tennis courts over the period of a week and on the weekend created a monster cannon out of pvc. We used the pizeo-electric ignitor out of a barbecue lighter as the trigger, and used various flammable liquids (lighter fluid, zippo fluid, gasoline, isopropyl alchohol) as well as some propellants as ammunition. The fluids were atomised using cheap-o spray bottles acquired at the local K-mart.

Initially the intention was simply to launch the tennis balls further than the next guy. After watching a few balls launch someone decided to saturate the ammo in fuel and see if it would catch fire upon launching. Needless to say no matter how much fuel we used to launch or whatever we put on the ball they wouldn't come out of the cannon flaming. One of my friends was undeterred by the failures and chose to completely saturate a tennis ball in gasoline. The ball was dripping fuel when it was slid into the cannon. We chose atomized lighter fluid for the fuel and when it launched the ball came out flaming and so did the cannon as there was too much fuel to "flash off" the ball didn't stay lit long, nor did anyone care to watch it since we were all running around with buckets of water putting out the flames on and around the cannon.

It was on that note that we chose to end the days of the cannon. In retrospect that was a really dumb albeit fun thing to do. We were lucky we didn't blow ourselves up playing with explosives. But it does make for good conversation when people talk about spud guns.

edited to space out the paragraphs

the head · 08-28-2003, 12:38 PM

the two most powerful spud guns i have ever built were an all iorn pipe unit using M-80s as propellant 1 M-80=potato gun 2 M-80=mashed potato gun fun but damn heavy
the other used a PVC gun assembly with a metal pipe inside the fuel chamber it used a grill ignitor from a weber gas grill and our two most used fuels were starter fluid or finly misted octane booster although starter fluid worked best the only problem is that we kept blowing the breech out of the damn thing

Fibercus · 08-28-2003, 01:46 PM

Interesting storys, these things are fun lol

I was reading an enthusiest' site, and hes tried all kinds of fuel & said that oddly enough SUAVE Hair spray was the best, and it had to be Suave in the red bottle. Dont know why, but something about the burn rate, no cleaning, and distance. also the $$ factor was good

azn_romeox · 08-28-2003, 02:41 PM

Theres on in my garage right now awaiting a propane valve to be added. I havn't worked on it lately.

*weirdstyles.net* · 08-28-2003, 04:50 PM

Ive built about 7 tater tossers over the last 4 years. A very effecient spud gun can be made with PVc, its light and packs a punch if you do it right.

Heres what most dont understand about the spud-a-nator, they function exactly like a cyc in your engine. If you force air in, youll get more bang for your buck. Take the blash chamber and drill a 1/4 hole. Insert a 1/4 valved air fitting, the kind that powers air tools but it has a open/close valve on it. Make sure thats all sealed up and pretty, it MUST hold air.

Assemble the gun completely

Use a port-a-air-tanks people use for flat tires... Hook it up to the 1/4 fitting, with the valve and blast chamber closed. Open your blast chamber, spray your fuel in. Close the chamber. Open and close the valve on the 1/4 fitting. Use a lil trial and error to learn how long to open the valve.

You can now, seriously, but taters through walls.

Another instance of forced induction, saving the day.

Warwick5s · 08-28-2003, 05:32 PM

my brother built one that uses compressed air, and is the perfect size for a D cell battery. he's gunned down a few of his un-friends cars with it. it can hold over 100psi!!!!

it's sick.

Fibercus · 08-28-2003, 05:41 PM

I was going with ABS piping, 2" 36" barrel and a latern ignitor

*weirdstyles.net* · 08-28-2003, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fibercus
I was going with ABS piping, 2" 36" barrel and a latern ignitor

The latren flint is the best way to go, those grill ignitors are too unreliable...

paNX2K&SE-R · 08-28-2003, 06:19 PM

Yup, I agree with that. The grill ones work great at first but then they become very hit or miss (no pun intended). Flint ignitors are very reliable over the long term. Hearing these stories of using compressed air is making me get the itch to build another one

Quote:

Originally posted by Weird Styles
The latren flint is the best way to go, those grill ignitors are too unreliable...

*weirdstyles.net* · 08-28-2003, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by paNX2K&SE-R
Yup, I agree with that. The grill ones work great at first but then they become very hit or miss (no pun intended). Flint ignitors are very reliable over the long term. Hearing these stories of using compressed air is making me get the itch to build another one

i feel the same way... I think to myself, "Self, if a PVC barrel can hold enough air to launch through a wall....how much do you think a metal barrel can hold?!"

i bet im posting bail by next week

Burmonster · 08-28-2003, 09:00 PM

me and my buddy got bored one day and went to walmart and bought about $200 worth of chit to build a spud gun. Go to www.berkobin.com and click on the spudzilla link, we have video of the gun firing. We even riged up a tracer round for night action!!!!!

*crioten* · 08-28-2003, 10:20 PM

another cool ting to do is take co2 cartriges and take a metal pipe that has a treaded end and a matching cap and a nail...weld the nail on the inside of the cap and screw it on, all ya gotta do it drop the co2 cartriges down the pipe and blam, instant $4 mortar

my step bro and i always make golfball cannons, well we used to until he shot it at a brick wall and it bounced back and hit him in the chest and broke a rib lol, but yeah black powder golfball cannons are so cool...just a big pipe w/ a little hole in the end, stick a wick in the hole and fill w/ enough black powder and load the golfball...weve gotten one to go about 300 yards or more

DudeYourSoOOJDM · 08-28-2003, 11:20 PM

We have a 4' ABS spud gun.....I burned the little hair I have on my rt arm off on the 4th because i didnt "seal" the combustion chamber......It was sweet.

Back in the day we used to shoot it into walls, and a LOOONG time ago we used to shoot Vons from 300-400 feet away.

*weirdstyles.net* · 08-29-2003, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hypersh1ft240
We have a 4' ABS spud gun.....I burned the little hair I have on my rt arm off on the 4th because i didnt "seal" the combustion chamber......It was sweet.

Back in the day we used to shoot it into walls, and a LOOONG time ago we used to shoot Vons from 300-400 feet away.

what the hell are Vons?

*crioten* · 08-29-2003, 09:21 AM

vons is a supermarket...prolly called something else where you live

*weirdstyles.net* · 08-29-2003, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crioten
vons is a supermarket...prolly called something else where you live

oh....ok then

*radhaz* · 08-29-2003, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Weird Styles
what the hell are Vons?

Vons.com

*weirdstyles.net* · 08-29-2003, 04:06 PM

Ohhhh... GENUARDI'S or how ever the hell you spell it.... Thats what Vons is called 'round my way....

interesting names....

DamnedButDetermined · 09-01-2003, 12:12 PM

I have built about three of them ranging from a pea shooter, to a grapefruit shooter!

I found the best thing is a 2" barrel with a 4" chamber, flint ignitor and at the end of the barrel put a bevel edge on the inside of the pvc. This way when you cram the potatoe down the barrel it gets squeezed and seals extremely tight.

That being said open the chamber spray in your fuel, then cram down the potatoe to get a pretty good compression stroke (just like in your engine) Makes them fly much further. I always used Aqua net (cheapest spray available) and a pleasing smell when burnt!

Fibercus · 09-01-2003, 12:41 PM

Thanks for the info, thats what Im going with. Ill post a pic of my new toy once its done

720_datsun · 09-05-2003, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fibercus
ANyone made one / Heard of one?

i hit a biker in the canyon last year with my spud cannon. thing was huge. good stuff.............for eduacational purposes of flight, compressionand fuels ofcourse.

Fibercus · 09-05-2003, 07:30 PM

rofl

yeah educational purposes only.

:hammer:

SilviaDriver · 09-05-2003, 07:36 PM

these things shoot potatos? y are u guys wasting food!?

DudeYourSoOOJDM · 09-05-2003, 07:40 PM

Quick...someone call Sally Struthers.

Ohh yea....I remember there was a guy in the El Pollo Loco drive through next to vons in a convertible......and we got the potato into his passenger seat.

That would have sucked if it hit him.....

08-27-2003, 12:54 PM	#1
Fibercus BANNED Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canyon Country, CA Age: 41 Posts: 714 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	How many of you have made a spud gun? ANyone made one / Heard of one?

08-27-2003, 01:32 PM	#3
West OMNOMNOMNOM Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Denver, CO Age: 40 Posts: 6,456 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: West Feedback Score: 0 reviews	What's that, like a potato gun? If so, we made several Its fun as hell shooting em off mountains I think im going to have to build another. __________________ West - Zilvia.net - Toyobaru.net - NapkinSketch.com

08-27-2003, 02:07 PM	#4
rps13kid Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: GrEeN BaY WI Age: 37 Posts: 415 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	spud guns are cool but spud guns that shoot golf balls are cooler but they are very dangerouse...please dont try to make at home unless a parent or gaurden are preasent....lol j/k __________________

08-27-2003, 04:24 PM	#7
radhaz Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: SD SoCal / Jax, Fl Posts: 659 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Growing up in a small town led me and my HS buddies to do some stupid things, and the flaming tennis ball launcher was a good example. We collected ammunition from around the local HS tennis courts over the period of a week and on the weekend created a monster cannon out of pvc. We used the pizeo-electric ignitor out of a barbecue lighter as the trigger, and used various flammable liquids (lighter fluid, zippo fluid, gasoline, isopropyl alchohol) as well as some propellants as ammunition. The fluids were atomised using cheap-o spray bottles acquired at the local K-mart. Initially the intention was simply to launch the tennis balls further than the next guy. After watching a few balls launch someone decided to saturate the ammo in fuel and see if it would catch fire upon launching. Needless to say no matter how much fuel we used to launch or whatever we put on the ball they wouldn't come out of the cannon flaming. One of my friends was undeterred by the failures and chose to completely saturate a tennis ball in gasoline. The ball was dripping fuel when it was slid into the cannon. We chose atomized lighter fluid for the fuel and when it launched the ball came out flaming and so did the cannon as there was too much fuel to "flash off" the ball didn't stay lit long, nor did anyone care to watch it since we were all running around with buckets of water putting out the flames on and around the cannon. It was on that note that we chose to end the days of the cannon. In retrospect that was a really dumb albeit fun thing to do. We were lucky we didn't blow ourselves up playing with explosives. But it does make for good conversation when people talk about spud guns. edited to space out the paragraphs __________________ Need a 96 driver side window switch. Feel free to pm me with a price

08-28-2003, 12:38 PM	#8
the head Nissanaholic! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: in a dark room mastering the art of typing with one hand Posts: 2,164 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	the two most powerful spud guns i have ever built were an all iorn pipe unit using M-80s as propellant 1 M-80=potato gun 2 M-80=mashed potato gun fun but damn heavy the other used a PVC gun assembly with a metal pipe inside the fuel chamber it used a grill ignitor from a weber gas grill and our two most used fuels were starter fluid or finly misted octane booster although starter fluid worked best the only problem is that we kept blowing the breech out of the damn thing __________________ I never knew you could do that with an eggplant

08-27-2003, 01:02 PM	#2
thelinja Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,466 Trader Rating: (3) Rides Gallery: thelinja Feedback Score: 3 reviews	Those things kick as s. We made one in chemistry once in HS.

08-27-2003, 02:50 PM	#5
Fibercus BANNED Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canyon Country, CA Age: 41 Posts: 714 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Im making one with ABS piping,using a latern flint, suave hair spray is the fuel Suave burns great but what did everyone else use?

08-27-2003, 03:15 PM	#6
s14falcon Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: south florida Posts: 574 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Hell yeah i've made a potato gun. It was out of PVC with a barbacue ignitor to shoot and aqua net hair spray. However, at my school, we have two science teachers who are the kings of making things shoot and explode. They built a double barrel potato gun w/pvc and it has like this valve thing to controll which cylinder fires. its awesome.

08-28-2003, 01:46 PM	#9
Fibercus BANNED Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canyon Country, CA Age: 41 Posts: 714 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Interesting storys, these things are fun lol I was reading an enthusiest' site, and hes tried all kinds of fuel & said that oddly enough SUAVE Hair spray was the best, and it had to be Suave in the red bottle. Dont know why, but something about the burn rate, no cleaning, and distance. also the $$ factor was good

08-28-2003, 02:41 PM	#10
azn_romeox Zilvia Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 288 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Theres on in my garage right now awaiting a propane valve to be added. I havn't worked on it lately.

08-28-2003, 04:50 PM	#11
weirdstyles.net This guy... Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Jersey Age: 37 Posts: 889 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: weirdstyles.net Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Ive built about 7 tater tossers over the last 4 years. A very effecient spud gun can be made with PVc, its light and packs a punch if you do it right. Heres what most dont understand about the spud-a-nator, they function exactly like a cyc in your engine. If you force air in, youll get more bang for your buck. Take the blash chamber and drill a 1/4 hole. Insert a 1/4 valved air fitting, the kind that powers air tools but it has a open/close valve on it. Make sure thats all sealed up and pretty, it MUST hold air. Assemble the gun completely Use a port-a-air-tanks people use for flat tires... Hook it up to the 1/4 fitting, with the valve and blast chamber closed. Open your blast chamber, spray your fuel in. Close the chamber. Open and close the valve on the 1/4 fitting. Use a lil trial and error to learn how long to open the valve. You can now, seriously, but taters through walls. Another instance of forced induction, saving the day. __________________ My project car... From dust you were born, And to the ashes you return ~ Kill Switch Engage Family Guy Quagmire: Hey, how old are you sweet thang? Connie: 16. Quagmire: 18? Alllll-right! Connie: Mommmm! Quagmire: I like where this is going, Giggidy giggidy gig-gi-dy!

08-28-2003, 05:32 PM	#12
Warwick5s Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Madison, WI Age: 39 Posts: 504 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	my brother built one that uses compressed air, and is the perfect size for a D cell battery. he's gunned down a few of his un-friends cars with it. it can hold over 100psi!!!! it's sick.

08-28-2003, 05:41 PM	#13
Fibercus BANNED Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canyon Country, CA Age: 41 Posts: 714 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I was going with ABS piping, 2" 36" barrel and a latern ignitor

08-28-2003, 09:00 PM	#17
Burmonster Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Woodstock, Georgia Age: 42 Posts: 652 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	me and my buddy got bored one day and went to walmart and bought about $200 worth of chit to build a spud gun. Go to www.berkobin.com and click on the spudzilla link, we have video of the gun firing. We even riged up a tracer round for night action!!!!! __________________ Fat girls are like scooters...they are fun until your friends see you riding one. "Did you ever think that it could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others?" A -> B

08-28-2003, 11:20 PM	#19
DudeYourSoOOJDM Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Palmdale CA Age: 38 Posts: 479 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	We have a 4' ABS spud gun.....I burned the little hair I have on my rt arm off on the 4th because i didnt "seal" the combustion chamber......It was sweet. Back in the day we used to shoot it into walls, and a LOOONG time ago we used to shoot Vons from 300-400 feet away. __________________ Since 2001.

08-29-2003, 04:06 PM	#24
weirdstyles.net This guy... Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Jersey Age: 37 Posts: 889 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: weirdstyles.net Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Ohhhh... GENUARDI'S or how ever the hell you spell it.... Thats what Vons is called 'round my way.... interesting names.... __________________ My project car... From dust you were born, And to the ashes you return ~ Kill Switch Engage Family Guy Quagmire: Hey, how old are you sweet thang? Connie: 16. Quagmire: 18? Alllll-right! Connie: Mommmm! Quagmire: I like where this is going, Giggidy giggidy gig-gi-dy!

09-01-2003, 12:12 PM	#25
DamnedButDetermined Zilvia Addict Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Jax, Fl Age: 39 Posts: 637 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	I have built about three of them ranging from a pea shooter, to a grapefruit shooter! I found the best thing is a 2" barrel with a 4" chamber, flint ignitor and at the end of the barrel put a bevel edge on the inside of the pvc. This way when you cram the potatoe down the barrel it gets squeezed and seals extremely tight. That being said open the chamber spray in your fuel, then cram down the potatoe to get a pretty good compression stroke (just like in your engine) Makes them fly much further. I always used Aqua net (cheapest spray available) and a pleasing smell when burnt!

09-01-2003, 12:41 PM	#26
Fibercus BANNED Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canyon Country, CA Age: 41 Posts: 714 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Thanks for the info, thats what Im going with. Ill post a pic of my new toy once its done

09-05-2003, 07:30 PM	#28
Fibercus BANNED Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canyon Country, CA Age: 41 Posts: 714 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	rofl yeah educational purposes only. :hammer:

09-05-2003, 07:36 PM	#29
SilviaDriver Post Whore! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Age: 36 Posts: 5,514 Trader Rating: (2) Rides Gallery: SilviaDriver Feedback Score: 2 reviews	these things shoot potatos? y are u guys wasting food!?

09-05-2003, 07:40 PM	#30
DudeYourSoOOJDM Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Palmdale CA Age: 38 Posts: 479 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Quick...someone call Sally Struthers. Ohh yea....I remember there was a guy in the El Pollo Loco drive through next to vons in a convertible......and we got the potato into his passenger seat. That would have sucked if it hit him..... __________________ Since 2001.

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