Automatic Potato Cannon

Boom! The classic potato gun harnesses the combustion of flammable vapor. Show us your combustion spud gun and discuss fuels, ratios, safety, ignition systems, tools, and more.
TheAPCTube
Private
Private
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:25 pm

Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:40 pm

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?
Attachments
apc_header.jpg
Last edited by TheAPCTube on Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
DR
Specialist
Specialist
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 8:16 pm

Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:51 pm

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">
User avatar
deathbyDWV
Corporal
Corporal
Posts: 576
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 4:02 pm
Location: Owasso, OK

Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:37 pm

Looks very good... And very complex... Got and damage pics or videos?
Life's too short to mark off the items on your wish list...
User avatar
MrCrowley
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10078
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:42 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Been thanked: 3 times

Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:39 pm

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.
User avatar
Gun Freak
Lieutenant 5
Lieutenant 5
Posts: 4971
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:38 pm
Location: Florida
Been thanked: 8 times

Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:42 pm

That's freaking awsome. I thought you meant full-auto by the title :P
OG Anti-Hybrid
One man's trash is a true Spudder's treasure!
Golf Ball Cannon "Superna"M16 BBMGPengunHammer Valve Airsoft SniperHigh Pressure .22 Coax
Holy Shat!
User avatar
ramses
Staff Sergeant 2
Staff Sergeant 2
United States of America
Posts: 1679
Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 6:50 pm

Sun Apr 04, 2010 6:40 pm

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?
POLAND_SPUD wrote:even if there was no link I'd know it's a bot because of female name :D
TheAPCTube
Private
Private
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:25 pm

Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:17 pm

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.
User avatar
MrCrowley
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10078
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:42 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Been thanked: 3 times

Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:37 pm

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.
User avatar
JDP12
Staff Sergeant 5
Staff Sergeant 5
Posts: 1943
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:34 pm

Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:03 pm

Holy crap!!!

That thing is beautiful!!
User avatar
POLAND_SPUD
Captain
Captain
Posts: 5402
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:43 pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:46 am

heh I wouldn't say it's beautiful :D but it is amazing
good job
Children are the future

unless we stop them now
User avatar
SpudFarm
First Sergeant 3
First Sergeant 3
Posts: 2571
Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2006 9:39 am
Location: Norway Trondheim area

Donating Members

Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:41 am

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.
User avatar
MrCrowley
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10078
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:42 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Been thanked: 3 times

Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:43 am

Ah I meant "upgrade to pressure rated PVC", but if that stuff is rated I guess it doesn't matter.
User avatar
SpudFarm
First Sergeant 3
First Sergeant 3
Posts: 2571
Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2006 9:39 am
Location: Norway Trondheim area

Donating Members

Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:46 am

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.
User avatar
DR
Specialist
Specialist
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 8:16 pm

Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:43 am

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)
User avatar
POLAND_SPUD
Captain
Captain
Posts: 5402
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:43 pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:07 am

@DR
yeah but it's so much Rube Goldberg that I am surprised that it works at all... :D
surely this can be much simplified but the fact that they managed to get it to work despite its unneeded complexity is impressive
Children are the future

unless we stop them now
Post Reply