how may of you guys have had one of these??

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brother chris

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

My buddy has one that can shoot the house 7 doors down(not to say that he does that:)
 
L

Link

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

Originally posted by brother chris:<br /> My buddy has one that can shoot the house 7 doors down(not to say that he does that:)
Click to expand...
Ha! Chris..<br />The head mechanic at a marina I worked in 93 made one that would shoot potatoes well over a 10th of a mile out into the puget sound.<br /><br />Ok doing the math... 600+ feet would be about 7 houses ... but it sure was fun watching him fire it off :D <br /><br />He was using hair spray for fuel.<br />Dont think the new wd40 would work. <br /><br />Iv'e got a small black powder cannon that shoots down rigger balls if that counts :p <br /><br />Trying to get permission to use it on our 1000 yard range at the gun club
 
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unixgeek13

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

I'm a Boy Scout leader and I have to tell you that potato cannons are about as much fun as anybody can ever have with hairspray!!!!!<br /><br />Of course, we know this only in theory (wink-wink, nudge-nudge)
 
Dunaruna

Dunaruna

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

My brother and I used to make the same thing but with oranges. We used hairspray for fuel and glued a cigarette lighter into the end of the tube for ignition, I think we got the plans from a mate at school. Had to handpick the oranges - size and fit was important for correct launch velocity.<br /><br />Dad conficated it and broke it up into pieces after we smashed 6 roof tiles on our house, we had lost sight of the orange and thought it was a big waste of time but the orange had actually gone straight up - what goes up must come down.<br /><br />Aldo
 
Kiwi Phil

Kiwi Phil

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

We use to use Mothers' Hair Spray.<br />She could never work out why the can was full one day, then half empty the next.<br />All came to an end when one projectile passed through a kitchen window.<br />Cheers<br />Phillip
 
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gaugeguy

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

I have a pretty awesome potato cannon. I used to do the hairspray thing also, but got tired of having to remove the cap to fill it with propellant. Now I use the 1lb propane tanks with a ball valve. Turn the valve up for about a second, close the valve and push the igniter.<br /><br />Another good secret is to put a beveled edge on the muzzle so it cuts the potato easily when ramming it down the barrel.<br /><br />And for the deer hunters out there, deer love potatos!! Fire a couple dozen volleys to your hunting location, the deer will come on in and gobble them up ;)
 
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FSHKPR

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

did the potatoe cannon at the campground. of coarse theres always someone who has to take it one step futher. so we a guy make one that lauched musk melons, or cantelope. did not launch them as far as the potatoes but they still went pretty good.
 
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samagee

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

Those things rock! We use to use them all the time as kids. :D I liked the time we used ours against some older kids we were losing a snow ball war with. They went home with bruises as well that day. ;) We used tennis balls though.
 
KaGee

KaGee

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

What a waste of an otherwise perfectly good Potatoe! :D
 
Skiuseme

Skiuseme

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

I had one of these fun things it was great until I had the pvc glue give away and got a welt on my chest about the size of a softball from the end cap. Then we made another that used either instead of hair spray.
 
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samagee

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

cough*tennis ball cans*cough
 
B

beezee28

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

KaGee, Just think of the rush that you would have. Something that you build and has the power to hurl potatoes in any direction you want and feel the recoil. Man... I have to say that it is really fun thing to do. Did my share of shooting off these potatoes and gone through a few cans of hairspray... :D :D :D
 
rolmops

rolmops

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

We did them with a teeny bit more power,using carbide adding some water and through the tiny hole in the rear,some spark.We did this to send fireworks on their way,well above their supposed height.
 
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wilkin250r

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

Do you think it's too powerful to shoot hard-boiled eggs? I'm wondering if the force would simply blast the egg to peices.<br /><br />Maybe if I left the shell on the egg, and simply crushed a small ring of the shell to get the egg to squeeze into the barrel. Maybe that would allow the egg to hold together?<br /><br />I'll have to experiment...
 
12Footer

12Footer

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

I got in very much trouble over one of those when I was 10. But my dad thought it was cool, liked my construction prowess took measurements, and then proceded to beat the living hell outta me for putting large dents in the niebor's trash cans, waking the nieghbors, and getting the police called on me. :rolleyes:
 
H

Homerr

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

Here's some reading for ya on the spud guns:<br /><br /> http://www.spudtech.com/ <br /><br /> http://webpages.charter.net/potatoguns/UltimateGun.htm <br /><br /> http://home.swbell.net/rapjr1/hvmp.htm <br /><br /><br />If you Google "spud gun" ... You'll have a nights' reading... There are lots of great ideas and plans.<br /><br />Just be careful and responsible if you use them, and check local laws... <br /><br /> :) Yea right :) !<br /><br /><br />H.
 
rolmops

rolmops

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

It will work with eggs,but you will have to put several layers of aluminum foil betwween the egg and the explosive of choice.However,the trajectory of eggs in flight is very unpredictable due to their shape.
 
12Footer

12Footer

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

Tennis balls have a more accurate trajectory, but don't have the mass that a golf ball has as a projectile.<br />Golf balls make some gawd-awefull holes, and dents in trash cans. :)
 
KaGee

KaGee

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Re: how may of you guys have had one of these??

I think I'll stay away from the spud shooters.<br />LOL :D <br /><br />My son got arrested for setting off a borax bomb. The detective asked him and his friend if they set it off and they lied. So, since he didn't think it funny, he charged them both with some ridiculus felony explosives thing. He got off, but it cost him court cost plus lawyers fees.<br /><br />I could see some by-the-book flatfoot accusing me of using artillery or something!
 
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