Official Spud Gun/Air Cannon Thread!!!

[ScatterPlot]

WELL, I suspect that there's already been one of these, and Im not looking for info or anything on these, just a place to talk about home-made cannon!

ANYWAYS, to those of you who have some of these, post your best ideas/pics/videos/whatever! Also, unless you want to know some specific details, dont ask questions like "How do I build a potato gun/air cannon?", cause you can find that with a simple Yahoo search. My site even has one (a simple design, nothing fancy.) Here's the link: http://www.geocities.com/bertmcmahan/. Its got frames in case you cant find the link, just look to the left of the screen. Post away!

[einhander619]

http://www.spudtech.com

[ScatterPlot]

For the first topig of discussion, lets go with the spud guns. Specifically, the ignition system. What all have you guys tried? Ive used the standard grill igniter thing, but they dont work real well, as we all know. Ive also used a lantern igniter, which works better but it fails then it gets real wet. Im gonna try and build a capacitor-based circuit for one sometime soon, so Ill let you knwo what my results are on that one.

[Thordic]

Being a paintball-tech oriented group of people, we've done a high-pressure pneumatic one. Works pretty well, I have two of them.

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22668

[FalconGuy016]

There was an insano, mega huge thread on this on AO before. With insane videos

edit:
Ah, thordic got it

[m-98]

For an ignighter would a spark plug work well, if at all?

[speeddemon]

Well, a spark plug would work, but where are you going to get the voltage source to get the kind of voltage needed (As in several thousand volts)?

What I want to try is one of those stun guns. Solder some wires to it and stick them in the chamber, and boom, battery powered, and all it takes is the push of a button.

[PyRo]

You can use a BBQ igniter thing, pick them up at the hardware store. Thordic, I want one of those, just think of all the damage, mount 2 of those behind the grill in my car, slow drivers can have soda cans through there bumpers

[xmetal2001]

I've always thought the BBQ ignitor worked well.

[Warewolf50]

Yeah me and my friends have made a few, one that shoots potatos and the other shoots .5 liter coke bottles. We always use the grill lighter thingy, and they have always worked good. The next one i build is gonna be propane run similar to the propane ones on spudtech.

[ScatterPlot]

I never really liked the grill igniter, just cause it was never 100% reliable. I would click and click and click and then all of the sudden BOOM! it would fire and scare me to death. Thats why I wanna build a capacitor based one.

[bluemidget123]

im definetly building one!

[tony emerson]

I just put this up in paintball talk but check this one outhttp://www.aintalltherepumpkincannon.com/index.html

[PyRo]

Compress air isn't powerfull enough. What you need is a really really big explosion behind the projectile. A really thick steal pipe capped at one end with a big explosion that should launch a decent sized chunk of steal and lodge it pretty damn far into a tree or cement wall.

[ScatterPlot]

Man, with enough compressed air you can get some SERIOUS shots out. Explosions are good, but you can build better air systems.