Ideas for a simple recoil system?

[BowerR64]

Im building a small noise cannon for the neighbor for the 4th of july.

I wanted to make it a little cooler then just a bunch of painted PVC that makes noise.

This is only a 1-1/2" tee and a 1" redicer bushing. Im guessing the sound of a 45 cal 1-2 pounds of recoil maybe. I was thinking of starting with rubber bands i have some thick ones like for working out 1/2" wide if i needed that much tension.

This was my idea but ide like some others that might be more simple or easier.

added the top view

[BowerR64]

This is what ive built so far, i think it might just work. Im not really sure how much recoil this little thing will have though, this is the second one of this size but i havnt even fired the first one yet just built this one with left overs.

I think if i raise or lower the rear screws it will change how soft or heavy the weight of the cannon is so i can make the recoil heavier or lighter this way.

I think ill wind up putting a slight angle on the sides and lower the over all hight of the base. Need to test it first though.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Makes sense, you might also want to include a small gas strut, they can be had for very few $$$: http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-PAIR-2-Gas-St ... 0945321863

[BowerR64]

That would be sweet if i had a cannon big enough to use a gas strut.

This thing has a 1-1/2" chamber it might recoil like a .22 maybe a 380 if that.

I might try shooting a rubber ball out of it and see how it does with that also.

[jimmy101]

A noise maker isn't going to have any recoil regardless of its size.

[BowerR64]

A noise maker isn't going to have any recoil regardless of its size.

You dont say?

[youtube][/youtube]

is it fake?

[BowerR64]

Mine had some recoil, not near as that big one but its enough to make it look cool.

I found that the recoil sloshed the water in the bottom all around then when i opened the rear cap water leaked out.

Ill either need to make it level or ditch the recoil, i think ditching it will make it more simple and more reliable.

First few shots i had to put on ear protection, its a little louder then i first though.

[jimmy101]

A noise maker isn't going to have any recoil regardless of its size.

You dont say?
is it fake?

Did it have a projectile? Or, is the actual recoil, given the size of the gun, so trivial as to not be worth mentioning?

Real recoil is when there is a need to do something about it to keep the gun from ripping itself apart.

[BowerR64]

I dont think he was shooting anything out of it. It is a 6" breech with a reducer to 4" IMO that right there is what causes the recoil. That and using carbide.

He is using a bungie cord to hold the cannon on the stand. IMO a bungie cord has quite a bit of tension and ide bet if not for the bungie cord the cannon would recoil off onto the ground eventually cracking it. Its moving quite a bit too.

Mine had some recoil for being just a 1-1/2" breech, it did have more however when the barrel was plugged.

I will eventually build a 6" one im still trying to find the best parts.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Real recoil is when there is a need to do something about it to keep the gun from ripping itself apart.

Folk still put muzzle brakes on their 22 rimfire rifles, nowt wrong with a bit of fun

[BowerR64]

I ditched the recoil idea, i think this setup is a little more practicle. I think it will be more reliable as well for a midschool kid to play with on the 4th.

[jimmy101]

I dont think he was shooting anything out of it. It is a 6" breech with a reducer to 4" IMO that right there is what causes the recoil. That and using carbide.

He is using a bungie cord to hold the cannon on the stand. IMO a bungie cord has quite a bit of tension and ide bet if not for the bungie cord the cannon would recoil off onto the ground eventually cracking it. Its moving quite a bit too.

The carbide fuel means he is burning acetylene, which burns pretty fast (3x propane) and that is part of the recoil.

Bungie cords range from wimpy to studly, so it is kind of hard to judge how much actual recoil force there is.

If he stuck say a big-ol softball in the barrel then you would see some serious recoil. :bounce:

[BowerR64]

I dont think he was shooting anything out of it. It is a 6" breech with a reducer to 4" IMO that right there is what causes the recoil. That and using carbide.

He is using a bungie cord to hold the cannon on the stand. IMO a bungie cord has quite a bit of tension and ide bet if not for the bungie cord the cannon would recoil off onto the ground eventually cracking it. Its moving quite a bit too.

The carbide fuel means he is burning acetylene, which burns pretty fast (3x propane) and that is part of the recoil.

Bungie cords range from wimpy to studly, so it is kind of hard to judge how much actual recoil force there is.

If he stuck say a big-ol softball in the barrel then you would see some serious recoil. :bounce:

Or you would see some serious chunks of PVC breaking away from the breech. Another guy on a different forum built one that looks just like a 6 pound cannon. He used a 6" tee down to a 3" barel! he shoots the same 3" tennis balls from his. The thing about his though is he wrapped the whole cannon with foam to give it that large look like a 6 pounder would look.

I wouldnt say the cords are that whimpy because that video shows the cannon moving back fairly quickly. Im sure the cannon is just sitting on that PVC stand. There is some friction there. The setup i made i used ball bearings that the cannon sat on so it was like butter moving back and forth. Its still kinda cool, for some reason the recoil looks so neat


IMO going from 6" down to 3" is pretty darn nutty. So far so good though, hes using 2 6" cleanout plugs on the bottom and rear part of the tee. Ide think those would fail first since they are so big.

Ide want to use a 6X6X4 tee and use a cap on the 4" section and a reducer to a 4" cap on the rear.

[Boomer58cal]

Ide want to use a 6X6X4 tee and use a cap on the 4" section and a reducer to a 4" cap on the rear.

That sounds like a good idea to me, those 6 inch cap seem to flex a lot. The one large spud gun I had experience with as a kid was a 6 inch reduced to 3 inch, the cap would blow off from time to time. Although looking back, a friend of mines dad made it and I'm pretty sure it was a DWV non pressure rated death trap. We would shoot apples off of my friends apple tree with other apples. That is until his dad found out that we had blown off half the branches on the tree.

[TheCannon]

Are caps not a good way to seal a pressure chamber? What if the cap and pipe are sch 40?