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Automatic Potato Cannon
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:40 pm
by TheAPCTube
Hi, me and my friends built a automatic golf ball shooting cannon controlled by a computer.
You can find videos, images and information here:
http://alduria.com/hosted/apc/
Cheers 8)
Edit: doh, wrong forum, could an admin please move it?
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:51 pm
by DR
That has got to be the coolest cannon, I've ever seen! GREAT job!
<img src="
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/templat ... ages/9.png">
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:37 pm
by deathbyDWV
Looks very good... And very complex... Got and damage pics or videos?
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:39 pm
by MrCrowley
deathbyDWV wrote:Got and damage pics or videos?
You can find videos, images and information here
That is one bloody cool cannon. Surprised you didn't go with metered propane or something, would seem easier to implement in the design but this is friggin' awesome regardless.
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:42 pm
by Gun Freak
That's freaking awsome. I thought you meant full-auto by the title
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 6:40 pm
by ramses
nice. and there I was hoping I would be the first to bring an automatic combustion/hybrid to this site!
Seriously, good job!
Does the chamber get hot with extended firing?
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:17 pm
by TheAPCTube
deathbyDWV wrote:Looks very good... And very complex... Got and damage pics or videos?
Check the second youtube video at
http://alduria.com/hosted/apc/
ramses wrote:Does the chamber get hot with extended firing?
No, not really, the fan does a good job cooling it down.
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:37 pm
by MrCrowley
Do you have plans to make another one or improvements to this one?
I think you could keep the concept the same but change to
fuel metering as seen on
typical advanced combustions, perhaps incoperate the fan inside the chamber which would also help for fuel mixing and then upgrade the pressure rated PVC simply because of the higher pressures involved and rapid firings.
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:03 pm
by JDP12
Holy crap!!!
That thing is beautiful!!
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:46 am
by POLAND_SPUD
heh I wouldn't say it's beautiful
but it is amazing
good job
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:41 am
by SpudFarm
First off, that's a good job! The servos makes the thing look like something from the US army. Hardly a surprise though, Everywhere I find something nice on the internet I also find a Swedish guy. Just like larda and you.
MrCrowley wrote:upgrade the pressure rated PVC simply because of the higher pressures involved and rapid firings.
If the selection of pipe is the same in Norway and Sweden that would be what we call pressure rated, we can't get proper fittings. I have seen it in a couple of online stores though.
Don't know if it was this you meant but i think so.
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:43 am
by MrCrowley
Ah I meant "upgrade to pressure rated PVC", but if that stuff is rated I guess it doesn't matter.
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:46 am
by SpudFarm
MrCrowley wrote:Ah I meant "upgrade to pressure rated PVC", but if that stuff is rated I guess it doesn't matter.
That's what I thought.
I also think it is a strange thing that this haven't been done before. Atleast I haven't seen anything like this.
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:43 am
by DR
I don't really see the need for any "improvements" to the design, because part of it being so cool, is the servo-actuated fueling, with the old school hairspray can!
Have any of you noticed; Every time a ball is dropped in, a small amount of vapor is pushed out of the breech area? - Perhaps this is a contributing factor in why the cannon fires consistently?
I've watched videos for years and it amazes me that people will spray a 3 or 4 second shot of __________ ? and it still fires... I've always had trouble, even with a short 1/4 -1/2 second spurt, as if even THAT was too much... ah well.
Again, it's a very cool design. Retro/Old School Techno Upgrade v1.0
8)
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:07 am
by POLAND_SPUD
@DR
yeah but it's so much
Rube Goldberg that I am surprised that it works at all...
surely this can be much simplified but the fact that they managed to get it to work despite its unneeded complexity is impressive