Basic Combustion

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.
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PCGUY
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Sat Feb 12, 2005 8:22 pm

<div align="center">BASIC COMBUSTION

Provided By - <a href="http://members.aol.com/sph911/spud/">ht ... 1/spud/</a>

This is your standard potato gun. Aka spudzooka, spud gun, potato cannon, hair spray cannon, vegetable masher. This homemade fun agent is what started it all, and what will bring the revolution.

This is perhaps one of the cheapest and simplest launchers to make. Consisting of 6 parts, it can be built in many design, but they all follow the same basic form as follows.

THEORY OF OPERATION.

A projectile (usually a potato) is rammed down a long barrel. A flammable agent (usually hair spray or like propellant) is then sprayed into a large combustion chamber. This is the sealed. An ignition source (usually flint or piezoelectric) causes the gases inside the chamber to ignite and expand. The resultant explosion propels the projectile from the barrel at great speed and with great amusement.

MATERIALS.
2" x 4' pipe
4" x 16" pipe
4" to 2" bell reducer
4" clean out and cap
Coleman lantern lighter

This cannon has a four foot barrel of two inch pipe. The combustion chamber is 16 inches long and is four inch diameter pipe. The Coleman lantern lighter can be found at Gander Mountain. All PVC pieces are schedule (SCH) 40 pipe. First cut all pieces to length and clean the ends to be glued. Drill a hole for the lantern lighter and install it in the 4 inch pipe, toward the rear end. Make sure it fits right, you may have to countersink it. Taper the front end of the barrel to a point to help shave the spuds. Glue all the red areas with PVC glue only. Obviously, don't glue the clean out cap. Let the assembly sit overnight. WARNING: Don't spark the igniter while the glue is fresh or the fumes could ignite.

<img src="http://www.spudfiles.com/official_pics/ccannon.gif">

This cannon is cheap and easy to build. This one cost around $20. $15 for pipe and fittings, $5 for sparker. Don't forget to get glue and primer, about $7 extra.

This gun fires great. I used Dr. Scholls, but I've been told Aqua-Net hair spray is the best. Hair spray leaves sticky residue though.

<img src="http://www.spudfiles.com/official_pics/ ... eight1.jpg">

Provided By - <a href="http://members.aol.com/sph911/spud/">ht ... /</a></div>
Last edited by PCGUY on Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Yes, I am the guy that owns & operates SpudFiles (along with our extremely helpful moderators).
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toza
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Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:27 am

thank u 4 ur spud gun recomendations ect it helps so much when ur a beginner ty :!:
efairbanks103
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Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:38 am

thats cool, but i should post a pic of my double combustion spud gun....actually its more of a cannon! but its easy to make.
efairbanks103
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Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:38 am

keep on makin em
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CS
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Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:49 pm

efairbanks103 wrote:keep on makin em
This is just a simple combustion. And he posted the gun 8 months ago. Plus this guy moved to Chicago I think so left the hobby of spudgunning. Nice double post by the way.
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