Spud Gun Ignition System

[5614]

when you mix pure O2 with fuels suchs as hairspray, H2, propane, it will explode. Try it. Put some proane in a balon along with lots of O2, put some kind of fuse on it, light it and run.

It looks good too, just, seriously, put a small amout of fuel in and go a considerable difference, you'll see what it's like and can add more fuel and go closer once you know what's gonna happen, don't risk your life on something when you don't know what it's gonna do!

[akcapr]

mixing oxygen and some fuel wouldnt be too bad. it would be powerful, but if u have a decent casew it wouldnt break.

[LPJuice]

I use the lantern lighter myself.

 

And you would need a giant boom to explode the cannon; unless you plug the end, you shouldn'thave any problems.

[Callipygous]

WHERE do people hear that combustion models are more powerful?

are you just guessing, since fiery explosions seem like they would be stronger?

 

everything i have ever used, seen, been told, or otherwise witnessed (everywhere but on this website) says that compressed air will get you much better performance than the gas powered ones. anyone have some source that says gas is better? because when we were researching it, every spudgun site we found said compressed air goes farther.

[H2SO4]

Ive never made a spud gun, but if i did, i would probaly make one using compressed air, but expirement with gasses also. I THINK THE THING IS, Gasses are funner for these guys. They are unpredictable, and produce a nice sound when shot. Oh..and fire!

 

Gasses you can do alot of expiremetation also, like which dasses are better, achievng a golden fuel air mixture.. wereas comprssed air, you just open the valve and its gone.

[jowrose]

yes, i do have a source for my opinion: my own experimentation. However, i have only experimented with a medium sized pneumatic spud gun. Had i the resources to build a proper pneumatic, i would and i am quite sure it would be more powerful. A "U" shaped compression chamber and one or two power compressors would do the trick nicely. However, as I do not own the compressors (aka the ones one would use for a nail gun) nor do i have the motivation to make a 40 pound bohemoth, i will stick with my combustion gun.

 

if one was to make 2 guns of the same size, i am reasonable sure that the gas gun would fire more powerfully, albeit less consistently. and there is also the "little boy fun" factor as well... fire is just funner you know?

[Callipygous]

i personally prefer being able to blast the thing twice as far over some pretty flames, but yes, i understand the little boy fun factor.

[jowrose]

do you have a pneumatic with the U shaped compression chamber? or perhaps duel chambers? or an extremely powerful compressor? just wondering, i'm thinking about creating a nice powerful pneumatic one myself.

[Callipygous]

do you have a pneumatic with the U shaped compression chamber? or perhaps duel chambers? or an extremely powerful compressor? just wondering, i'm thinking about creating a nice powerful pneumatic one myself.

 

 

unfortunately i dont currently have ANY spud gun. it was a joint venture and my brother sold it to one of his friends : P

 

what i did have was very basic. compression chamber with a bike valve at one end and a water valve at the other. turn the handle and the potato goes. in my experience, that design could launch it a couple hundred yards. the gas one ive used could only ever get it 50-100. the other thing is my pneumatic model was very basic, the u shaped ones you mention (with the diaphram instead of a valve) can go much farther. theres not much you can do to improve a gas one. pretty much the only thing you can do is get the chamber the right size and find the right fuel.

[jowrose]

i did the same thing, bike valve and water valve. Maybe i did not pressurize the chamber enough... I have a gas gun almost the exact same size and i think it goes farther. with the pneumatic i have, i would pump it for like 45 seconds with an electric pump. any farther i didn't want to go because i didnt know what would happen.

[Callipygous]

45 secs... any idea what psi? we were always told not to excede 40, but being the boys that we were we maxed out around 70.

[jowrose]

nah, i dont know the psi. i always meant to get a bike valve with a guage on it but never bothered... hmm if i have time i'll test it out.

[Halash]

i only use long stemmed peizoelectric lighters... those are the best i think.

 

just hot glue it in through a hole

[Halash]

WHERE do people hear that combustion models are more powerful?

are you just guessing' date=' since fiery explosions seem like they would be stronger?

 

everything i have ever used, seen, been told, or otherwise witnessed (everywhere but on this website) says that compressed air will get you much better performance than the gas powered ones. anyone have some source that says gas is better? because when we were researching it, every spudgun site we found said compressed air goes farther.[/quote']

 

the buildup can be dangerous in those.... the think about hairspray cannons is the pressure grows exponentially for about 1/10 second

[jowrose]

peizoelectric lighters? what are those? and where can they be purchased?

 

thanks

[Callipygous]

peizoelectric lighters? what are those? and where can they be purchased?

 

thanks

 

the lighters where you push the button and it makes an electric spark. any bbq store and probably most hardware stores.

[Callipygous]

the buildup can be dangerous in those.... the think about hairspray cannons is the pressure grows exponentially for about 1/10 second

 

 

maybe... but if your careful you shouldnt be in much danger. stay within the recommended pressure, use ABS instead of PVC. make sure all your seals are tight. not too much to worry about.

[jowrose]

oh everywhere i've read says NEVER to use ABS. and those pizzaelectric things, i have one of those i guess. i just call it a bbq lighter...

[Callipygous]

some places say not to use ABS because its softer. but one of the side effects of it being softer is that when it breaks it rips like a paper bag. when PVC breaks its more like a grenade, EI lots of shrapnel and the like, almost gauranteed to ruin your day. i personally would rather have my gun rupture than explode.

[jowrose]

what about having a pvc chamber with a covering of ABS (perhaps 1 to 2 inches more in diameter) to act as a shell in case the PVC exploded. the best of both worlds, perhaps.

[Callipygous]

what about having a pvc chamber with a covering of ABS (perhaps 1 to 2 inches more in diameter) to act as a shell in case the PVC exploded. the best of both worlds, perhaps.

 

interesting idea.... good luck building it though. ive heard all sorts of suggestions, including wrapping it in something like duct tape just to try to hold the pieces together, like putting masking tape on windows in a hurricane...

 

both strike me as being pretty hopeless.

[jowrose]

I've seen at home depot sections of ABS piping that have holes with 1/2 inch diameter punched across them, that would be ideal for preventing a grenade-like explosion.

[Callipygous]

I've seen at home depot sections of ABS piping that have holes with 1/2 inch diameter punched across them, that would be ideal for preventing a grenade-like explosion.

 

 

i think your talking about those drain pipes with holes at the bottom, right?

 

why would those be ideal? the problem is with building it so it gives reasonable coverage by surrounding the inner chamber, but still allowing access to the bike valve you fill it from. i dont know of a way to do that.

[jowrose]

no, they have .5 inch diameter holes along the length of the pipe. and i was thinking of using them for a combustion gun because of what was said about the pressure growing exponentially for a tenth of a second. that still does leave the problem of the end cap flying off as well though...

[Callipygous]

no, they have .5 inch diameter holes along the length of the pipe. and i was thinking of using them for a combustion gun because of what was said about the pressure growing exponentially for a tenth of a second. that still does leave the problem of the end cap flying off as well though...

 

yeah... sounds like a pipe for a french drain.

 

4" diameter pipe with a bunch of half inch holes in a line on what is going to be the bottom of the pipe. why on earth would you use that for the combustion chamber? so you get a bunch of little flamethrowers and lose a bunch of your power?

 

 

you dont really need to worry much about an explosion with a gas spud gun. the only thing holding the pressure in is the potato, so as soon as the pressure is great enough to move the spud it starts to let some of it off. its the pneumatic ones where you have to worry about it blowing up because you decide when there is enough pressure. until you let it loose the pressure is completely contained behind the valve, it doesnt get released when it gets to high.