Spud Gun

[Eckels]

Was bored yesterday so i built a potato gun. Shot off two bags of potatos. It can easily reach 200yds. We were actually trying to not make it go too far. On the other side of the lake water is someone else's property. I hit the shore a few times, but managed to keep most of the shots in the water. The white shirt is me, the older man is my cousin.

Pictures:
http://www.zeldaclassic.com/eckels/spudgun/

In case you'd like details...

It's got a 40" barrel, made out of 2" pvc. I reduced a 4" sch40 Wye to 2" using two bushings. On the other end, i put two 4" cleanout plugs. (They screw in). Trigger is a grill igniter wired to two screws (from opposite sides of the chamber) that make about a 3/8" arc right in the center. Very simple build, can be completed in 20 minutes, for about 30$.

FAQ
Q.HOW DO I BUILD MY OWN???
I posted Instructions:
http://www.armageddongames.net/showpost.php?p=1026765&postcount=7
Q.ARE YOU MY FATHER?
Yes.
Q.JESUS IS IT HOT TODAY OR WHAT?
It's hot today. That's a retarded question. fuck you.

[Ganonator]

The potato gun was one of the greatest things on my past. My brother built one that ran on a D battery, using an amplifier. You just had to flip the switch, connecting the circuits, and it fucking went off.

*sigh*

I do like how your's has a 'handle'. We tried to shoot ours as a bazooka, and it was hard to control.

FYI, our childhood was based off of this Dave Barry article: http://www.totse.com/en/ego/no_laughing_matter/potatoe.html

[Eckels]

yeah it's constructed in such a way that you'd hold it like a very bulky shotgun. the trigger is also placed where you'd expect the handle to be. i dont know if you can see it in the pictures. it's black.

[Beldaran]

I hope that when I'm old, I'm shooting potatoe guns and just generally fucking around, having a good time, and acting like I'm 18.

[JayeM]

Totally cool, Eck! Haven't you lost some weight?

[fatcatfan]

My only experience with PVC based projectile launchers was when we made a paintball shotgun type thing. Made the wad of styrofoam cups filled with paintballs, with the PVC sized so the cups fit snugly. It was far too cumbersome to actually use in a game, but we had fun playing with it anyway.

[Eckels]

Continuing to be bored, I've provided assembly instructions for those of you who'd like to duplicate my spud gun.

http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/eckels/spudgun/spudgun.gif

Materials needed:

All PVC (pipe and fittings) is Schedule 40. This is important.

1 - 4" Wye
1 - 3" x 4" Bushing (not coupling)
1 - 2" x 3" Bushing (not coupling)
1 - Length of 2" PVC Tubing, approximately 40" long. (you can go longer but the gun becomes more difficult to handle. using a shorter barrel can sacrifice distance.)
2 - 4" cleanouts with plugs.


1 - Replacement gas grill pushbutton ignitor
2 - #14 x 2-1/2" long zinc pan head sheet metal screws.
1 - small piece of spare primary wire (maybe)

tools

11/32" drill bit
five minute epoxy
PVC Glue
Electrical Tape
Screwdriver
Grinder
wire stripper or wire cutters
A broomstick handle, or piece of wood less than 2" wide, and 48" long


Ammo:
All Purpose Potatos (apparently one of the purposes, is ammunition)
Aquanet hair spray (WD-40 is also a good fuel in a pinch)
Apples and Onions also work well.

Step 1: Assemble the PVC pieces as shown in the diagram above, using PVC cement. If you're an idiot, then you should probably test fit all the pieces before you start gluing.

Step 2: Drill a hole approximately the size of your grill igniter as indicated in the diagram. You want it to fit tightly so dont drill it too big. if you have to, start small and slowly work it bigger.

Step 3: use the two part epoxy to set the igniter in the hole, try to cover the threads on the igniter the best you can. The tighter the igniter is set, the better. Remember, it has to withstand the force of explosion.

Step 4: OPTIONAL: grind down the tips of the machine screws so that they taper to a perfect point, smooth for about the last half inch or so. This will make it easier to clean the contacts when they get gummed up.

Step 5: predrill two holes on perfectly opposite sides of the back of straight 4" hole. see the pictures for clarification.
http://www.zeldaclassic.com/eckels/spudgun/DSC00739.JPG_s.jpg
http://www.zeldaclassic.com/eckels/spudgun/DSC00740.JPG_s.jpg
http://www.zeldaclassic.com/eckels/spudgun/DSC00741.JPG_s.jpg
http://www.zeldaclassic.com/eckels/spudgun/DSC00742.JPG_s.jpg

Thread your two machine screws into these holes - the tips of each screw should sit about 1/4" - 3/8" of an inch apart when fully inserted.

Step 6: Drill two small holes for your igniter wires to come out of the back of the PVC wye. Two is better than one, because you can get the wires to fit snugly when you only have on in each. One hole for both would leave a gap - unless it's filled with caulk or something else. my way is quicker.

Step 7: connect your igniter wires to the igniter and wrap the igniter with electrical tape. The electrical tape prevents the hairspray from caking up on the ingiter, therefore preventing your spark.

Step 8: Run the wires out the two holes you drilled, and connect one to each screw. You may need a bit of extra wire, depending on the length of your igniter wires and where you put the screws. You COULD solder the wire to the screws, or something fancy, but i just tightened the screws down on the bare wire and it worked fine.

Step 9: Cover the contacts on the outside of the tube with electrical tape. I also covered up the wires to be sure not to tug at them. If you dont cover the contacts, you could get shocked. It's not going to hurt you, it just wont fire the gun.

Firing the gun:

A Take a potato that is larger in diameter than 2", and jam it into the barrel. It will take some coaxing. The sides will tear, and you'll be left with a half-skin, or whatever. As long as the potato creates an air-tight seal, you're gold.
B Using the broomstick (or whatever stick) push the potato to the very back of the barrel. It will stop when it's all the way in the back. The bushing provides this stop.
C Test your igniter to make sure you're getting a spark.
D Cap the trigger side of the chamber with one of the plugs.
E Fill the chamber with hairspray (about five seconds of spray is plenty), and quickly cap with the other plug.
F Aim and FIRE!
G Watch in amazement
H Get a beer and do it again!

WARNING: Never fire at people or animals or anything worth more than a dollar. This gun will turn a trashcan inside out. It would put a hole in a wall, and some serious holes in your windshield or car doors.

[Master Ghaleon]

Looks like Im gonna get in trouble launching spuds at houses now :o