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My fisrt spud cannon let me know what you think!

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:59 pm
by aperro13
This is my first cannon so dont be to harsh

I have a spud barrel and a 2 1/2" barrel that is perfect for tennis balls. I also have some rags that fold up as perfect wadding for the barrel. This way i can shoot anything i want out of it. Golf balls, paint balls, anything thats less the 2 1/2" wide. When i shoot golf balls with the wadding they go out of site. I dont know if thats good or not. Let me know.
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The bottom of the chamber unscrews so i can use right guard but I have it set up for propane as well. THe hose in the first picture allows me to hook up to a grill propane tank too.
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All I did was buy a cheap propane torch at walmart. The tip of the torch screws off leaving exposed threads. The I just threaded the torch tip into a hole in the chamber that slightly smaller then the tip.
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I am using a lantern lighter for ignition because the spark is pretty big and you can use it forever by replacing the flint with flints for a zippo.
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:53 pm
by Mihlrad
Cool for a first, but to be honest it doenst look very safe. Totally unmetered propane doesnt seem like a safe idea...

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:04 pm
by djt
i dont see why it wouldnt be safe. if he puts too much in it just wont fire. nice job on the cannon though. good idea for the cheap propane injection.

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:07 pm
by Mihlrad
the propane tank just doesnt seem very stable hanging there.

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:23 pm
by aperro13
thanks for the honnest opinions guys. ya i found if i put to much it either barley lights for doesn't at all

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:25 pm
by aperro13
i was going to put some supports on the tank but i mounted it so when i firing the gun it is hang straight down and there is no weight on it side to side. it was suprisingly stable just being threaded in with a very tight thread

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:54 pm
by frogy
You need to put a ball valve in between the tank and the chamber or something because that's not exactly safe if your shooting it with the tank hanging there... The tank valves from blow guns are known to leak, and that would not only burn a hole through your gun if it leaked, but it would most likely start back towards the tank after the pressure gets lower...

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:09 pm
by DriftingRz
i was thinking, if the flame gets up into the torch head... ur fuked, if u maybe dont have it competely TIGHT, or something, i wouldnt shoot it anymore if i was u till i got taht off of the gun.

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:16 pm
by aperro13
ya but when your using it as a torch it is always open and with a continuous flame. if it doesn't get back into the tank then how would it in this setup?? let me know. i dont want to do anything dangerous

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:33 pm
by carlbelcher
Too much propane in your chamber is not a problem, too much and it won't fire. As for the flame getting back into the tank, I would unscrew the tank before you fire just to be safe.

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:44 pm
by frogy
Your not using the whole torch head.. only the first few inches... Your most likely safe, but in case of failure of the first valve a ball valve would save you...

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:07 pm
by aperro13
with out a meter i havent been able to get propane to work well consistantly. i might be better of axing the propane for now

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:45 pm
by sgort87
Flame entering a propane bottle is completely physically impossible. Worry not.

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:58 am
by drac
The chance of a flame entering the bottle is practically zero to none (is that really a phrase?) and even if it did, the 100 percent fuel environment wouldn't allow it to combust. Basic chemistry people....

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:04 pm
by frogy
I'm not worrying about the propane tank combusting, I'm worrying about a leak in the valve and when he fires it will just keep flaming until the oxygen is gone, but it will still most likely melt his PVC seeing that the torch head is pointing straight up into the chamber....