# Potato cannon carriage



## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

*Frame/axle and elevating arcs*

Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.

I chose the 105mm Howitzer as a model. This is pretty typical as light artillery pieces go, I think. 









I scaled various relative dimensions from pictures, and once we got our cannon built, used those relative dimensions to size the other parts. These would only be guidelines, naturally. I used AutoCad to draw and dimension everything.

We built the cannon first. It's a 36" x 2" barrel and a 14" x 4" combustion chamber. The wheels (from McMaster-Carr) are 20". Try as I might, I could not find a 20" wheel with a solid rim to simulate the real thing.









This is the beginning of the axle, or the frame. I don't know the correct names for many of these parts, so I'm making them up. It's 1/2" baltic birch ply, with lightening holes, top and bottom, and 2x lumber milled square to 3 1/2" wide for the sides.









This shot shows the "trail" in the towing position. We're not actually going to tow it.









This is the trail in the firing position. There are 2 bolts in each arm, one farther back for the pivot, which will be secured with a nut, and one close to the forward end, which will come out, and drop into one of two holes, for each position. These pieces have been ripped a hair narrower than the frame side pieces so they will pivot easily.









Next are the elevating arcs. You can see these in the picture of the real thing. This is also 1/2" baltic birch ply. The curved slot is a circular arc, centered on the 3/4" hole on the upper right; the trunnion (cannon's elevation pivot) drops into the hole, and there will be a hanger stud sticking out of the trunnion assembly and through the slot, with a locking knob on it. The arc goes from -10 to +45 degrees, so when the piece is resting on the trail, elevation range will be about 0 to +55 degrees. My lightening holes are unevenly spaced; that's what you get when you eyeball rather than measure. I did all the cuts with both pieces double-side taped together.









Same shot; you can see the "trunnion bearing cap" in place here. The bearing blocks & caps are 2x lumber, milled square. The trunnion is a piece of 3/4" threaded rod. It will wear these holes out, but it's not going to be moving very much, and there's very little weight on it, since the hanger studs and knobs will be right near the cannon's center of gravity, so I'm not worried. If they get bad, I'll drill them out and put in a bushing.









Next installment: Frame/elevating arc assembly and trunnion.


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


What a cool idea! A nice way to show the nephew there's more to life than video games.


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


Well I have to say that will be the epitome of potato canons. And that is very typical of the Howitzer, that one is the M101 Howitzer from WWII era and continued service in Vietnam. It's main use now is ceremonial.


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## 559dustdesigns (Sep 23, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


I remember the one and only potato gun I ever had. I never saw it again after shooting it at a friends house, he lived on the gulf coarse. I still don't think it was that bad cause we yelled "FORE" first! LOL. This should be great fun to build. Can't wait till your next installment. Thanks, The trouble maker


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


That will be a BLAST!


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


What a fun project! I can't wait to see what you come up with as the blog continues. One of these would look great in the garden too (not going to happen according to the wife).


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


Very cool! I built this calcium carbide cannon from these plans.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


this is going to be interresting
I maybee need one to the next war with the kids…....LOL

Dennis


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


I like the carbide cannon idea. Looks like a great way to rid the world of load stereos!


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


Hello?

Um… Mr. Johnston? This is the police. We're calling because we had a report of a potato…

;-)


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


;-) I checked my city ordinances first. There's a section titled (paraphrased), "Propulsion of Missiles". It essentially says not to launch "rocks, paint balls, water balloons, etc. in such a way that is reasonably likely to cause harm to persons or property." I'm right on the outskirts of town, and there's a nice high spot overlooking a wide, shallow valley with nothing but scrub brush. It's the perfect potaton cannon range.


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## 559dustdesigns (Sep 23, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame/axle and elevating arcs*
> 
> Recently, I thought I would try to get my nephew, 9, away from his video games, so I proposed that we build a potato cannon together. Grandpa was not very keen on the idea of us firing it handheld, so in order to placate him I agreed to mount it on a carriage.
> 
> ...


I've seen those pumpkin chuckin competitions on Tv, the ones where they shoot pumpkins 3000 feet.
Why not start one with potatoes. 
You could have the raw potato class and the baked potato class. *LOL*


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

*Frame and elevating arc assembly and trunnion construction*

This weekend consisted mainly of painting, painting, painting, some more painting, and after that, some painting. I'm using canned spray paint from the big box store, and the wood just soaks it up. It takes a good 3 coats before I can scuff sand paint without also sanding wood.

Here's the frame with the elevating arcs attached to the sides, and the axle going through. It's a 5/8" threaded rod, 24" long. The box stuck to the side of the left arc is to hold a breech plug wrench, which you'll see later. 









Here's another angle. The paint color I settled on is Rustoleum "satin oregano".









The trunnion assembly starts out as a double thickness of 3/4" baltic birch ply, just wide enough to fit between the elevating arcs without rubbing. I used a router with a circle jig to make 2 - 5" circles.









Then each piece is cut from its end of the blank and notched for the horizontal member, a 3/4" x 2 1/2" x 14 1/2" piece of baltic birch ply. 









I drilled each piece vertically between the hole and the edge for lag screws, then split each ring horizontally through the center of the circle. Here's a shot of the completed assembly, with the axle going through. It's a 3/4" threaded rod, which will be cut to length later.









The rings clamp down on the cannon to hold it tight. The cannon is still painted in the green I chose initially, which I decided is too dark and too blue - more like the color of blue spruce. The lighter color is more of a sage green, and is a better match for my area.









Here's a shot showing the relationship between arcs and trunnion. You can actually see through the slot, where the hanger stud will stick out of the trunnion assembly and will have a knob that will be tightened against the arc. The cannon is just propped up for this shot.









Next installment: trail assembly and ramrod.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame and elevating arc assembly and trunnion construction*
> 
> This weekend consisted mainly of painting, painting, painting, some more painting, and after that, some painting. I'm using canned spray paint from the big box store, and the wood just soaks it up. It takes a good 3 coats before I can scuff sand paint without also sanding wood.
> 
> ...


This is gonna be so cool!


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## 559dustdesigns (Sep 23, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame and elevating arc assembly and trunnion construction*
> 
> This weekend consisted mainly of painting, painting, painting, some more painting, and after that, some painting. I'm using canned spray paint from the big box store, and the wood just soaks it up. It takes a good 3 coats before I can scuff sand paint without also sanding wood.
> 
> ...


Those bushes behind your place are in for a big surprise, soon. Thanks for the progress report.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Frame and elevating arc assembly and trunnion construction*
> 
> This weekend consisted mainly of painting, painting, painting, some more painting, and after that, some painting. I'm using canned spray paint from the big box store, and the wood just soaks it up. It takes a good 3 coats before I can scuff sand paint without also sanding wood.
> 
> ...


very niice progress 

have you seen Mathias homepage where he play around with some potatocanon

http://woodgears.ca/

its not on hes woodsite but on the other site he has but there is a link on it

Dennis


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

*Trail, ramrod and major assembly*

We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.









Here's a shot with the cannon and ramrod tube assembled. The machine screw in the side of the cannon is an electrode/spark plug for the ignition system. There's also one on the opposite side.









Here's a shot looking into the breech at the electrodes. You can see my "R" marks (for Rear) chiseled into the trunnion parts here. Heh - you can also see my smaller, handheld cannon on the wall rack across the garage, above my car.









Here's a shot showing the ramrod sitting atop the cannon. The yellow line indicates the proper projectile seating depth. There's also some extra length so it can be used as a cleaning rod.









And here's a shot with the ramrod in its tube. It still lacks the forward bracket holding the tube and barrel together.









Now the trail assembly is going together. At the end of each member, I ran a piece of left-over 3/4" threaded rod down through, and put a plain nut on top, and an acorn nut on the bottom for a foot.









Halfway along the right arm is a bracket to hold the breech plug, so it won't have to be set on the ground.









I bandsawed a breech plug wrench out of 3/4" baltic birch ply. The plugs tend to get stuck on these, with overtightening and fuel residue; this should be easier on the fingers.









Here's the wrench in its bracket.









It's on wheels!









Here's the start of the forward ramrod tube bracket. I'm going to split this one vertically through the centerline and put 2 screws through it horizontally. I've got the edges laid out; next step here is to drill for the screws, then split it, then cut/sand the curves and the taper. It's a double thickness of 3/4" birch ply.









And here it is sanded and ready for paint. It was almost 9:30, and dark, when I got to this stage, so painting can wait until morning.









Next installment: Ignition


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## flyfisherbob2000 (Mar 22, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


sweet! makes my spud gun look low class by comparasion. Cant wait to see the rest


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## kolwdwrkr (Jul 27, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


HAH! That thing is kick a$$. My high school friends and I made one of these (obviously not as elaborate). It wasn't firing one day so my friends dad took the cap off the back. He was looking inside it clicking the trigger to see if there was spark. Well there was still hairspray in it and it fired a big ball of fire into his face burning his eye brows off. That was the funniest thing I have ever seen and we laughed for days. LOL. Well done. Play safe!


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


That is cool. That is going to be hugely fun. I used to work in the automotive business and me and some guys in the shop decided to build one of these one day. Ours looked more like a shoulder mounted rocket launcher. We actually used compressed air to propell the projectile. What used a device use for setting the beads on big truck tires which had a valve that allowed us to deliver a large volume of air very quickly at about 150 psi (eventually blew out the pipe). We were shooting spuds quite some distance. Our record shot was several blocks away (that is as acurate as we measured). I saw a guy on some TV show make one similar to what we had and he fired one at a door mounted in a frame and it took the door down. It didn't go through the door, it knocked the door open as if someone had kicked it open. Amazing what can be inspired by a bunch of guys with one too man beers on a Friday afternoon after work.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


it´s realy begin to come together looks good
thank you for the toturial and the time you used to make it
I look forward to see the next installment

Dennis


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


very inspiring, I can't wait to see that bad boy fire


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


Heh - there's no shortage of "spud gun mishap" videos on Youtube.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


Very cool. You have to get a picture of it actually shooting. That would be way cool!
I was thinking about making a golf ball cannon because golf balls are truly round and fly so well.
Is PVC strong enough fot shooting a golf ball or should I use a steel pipe?
What is your propellent?


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Trail, ramrod and major assembly*
> 
> We made a lot of progress today. Most of the painting is done, so we could concentrate on assembly. Here's the lower trunnion assembly with the hanger studs and knobs complete. The potato projectiles are muzzle-loaded, so they have to be pushed down toward the combustion chamber with a ramrod. The ramrod will ride in a tube above the barrel, both to simulate the "recuperator cylinder" on the real thing, and because it's so long, there's no other place to put it. The smaller rings on top of the cannon clamp rings will hold the tube tight. It's 1 1/2" PVC; the ramrod is a 1 1/4" x 48" dowel.
> 
> ...


I really don't know enough about these to say whether or not PVC is suitable for golf balls; however, there's loads and loads of info on the internet. I also don't know if a golf ball would fly that well out of one of these, because it wouldn't be spinning, and it's the spinning (backspin, ideally) that makes a golf ball fly so well. This is more like a knuckle ball, with its erratic flight. For fuel, I'm using "Static Guard". I'm told it leaves less residue than hairspray, and so far, in my little handheld prototype, it works fine (and leaves a fresh, clean scent, too). FWIW, I had a guy at work tell me today that ears of corn the right diameter make pretty good projectiles, too.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

*Ignition*

Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.









On the other end of the lamp wires, about 8' long, I made up a pushbutton handle like a game show buzzer with some 3/4" PVC, 2 caps, and a pushbutton switch (again from McMaster-Carr).









I used butt connectors to crimp pieces of 10 gage wire to the stun gun terminals, and ran the wires to the electrodes. The stun gun is held to the cannon with a hose clamp. The connections are covered in a thick coating of liquid electrical tape.









Here's a shot of the arc. You can really hear it crackling inside the tube; it amplifies the sound like a drum. As of this moment, the gun is now, technically "shootable", but there's still more to do.









Next installment: forward armor plating.


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## FirehouseWoodworking (Jun 9, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


I'm liking it! Anything involving a stun gun can't be all bad!

I'm thinking I HAVE to get me one of these!


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


I got this smile from ear to ear! I too have got to make one of these!


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


You put hardware cloth at the exit and you can make French fries!

Can't wait for the video!


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


Damm a stun gun as a firing igniter , clever idea, but not possiple here in Denmark
its catagorized as a weapon and not allowed :-(
have to figur out what ells can be done

Dennis


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


Dennis, you can use an ingition coil from an older car with the "points" style ingition. In fact, the guy whose website you linked to in my last entry shows how.

You can also use a piezoelectric barbecue sparker, or even the most primitive, a flint and steel camp lantern sparker. I use one of these on my little handheld cannon, and apart from a little leakage, it works fine, but you can't trigger it remotely.


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


You have a bit of McGyver and James Bond in you. LOL. And a bit of the devil. But I love it. Can't wait to see it in action.


----------



## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


thank´s Jonston
the piezoelektric igniter why havn´t I thought of that
I have ten-twelf of them floating around somewhere  they are from one time gaslighters with long beam
they can easely bee converted to this little GiG


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


Driving outbound on our vacation Jenn could not understand why anyone would want to build a potato gun… is this a female/male thing…how could anyone NOT want to build one? We spent many kilometres discussing the pros and cons of potato guns and the mindset that goes into building one. I don't think I convinced her that this is something that needs to be added to the 'to do' list


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Ignition*
> 
> Ignition is via a 100,000 volt stun gun connected to the electrodes. The stun gun has a sliding on/off switch on the left side, and a momentary contact rocker switch on the right. I carefully pried the rocker switch body out of the housing and disconnected the wires. I then removed the guts from the switch housing, cut out a small rectangle of acrylic the same size as the bezel on the switch housing, drilled a hole in it big enough for the lamp wire I'm using for a remote switch, and super glued it to the switch housing. I tied both pieces of the lamp wire in a knot, down close to the ends, and soldered them to the switch wires. I then pulled the lamp wires back out until the knot was inside the switch housing, and snapped the housing back into the stun gun.
> 
> ...


Just borrow that old Harley rider's slogan: if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

*Forward armor*

First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.









The tube now has a cap on both ends; I put a light chain on the access cap to keep it from getting dropped or lost. I'm not super happy with how chunky the forward tube bracket is.









Now I'm starting on the armor plating. The "armor" is 1/8" plywood.









The framework for the armor is an H-shape of 1/2" thick poplar that sits on the forward part of the axle frame.









Another view:









The tops of the frame members are mitered at 45 degrees, and there are 2 additional gussets. I had a hard time clamping these. In fact, I gave up on clamping and just held them in place until my hands got tired.









The back of the armor.









The front. I had such a hard time clamping the upper flaps, I ended up putting in some screws. These are hinged on the real thing.









Here's how it will look assembled, from the front. I didn't quite capture the M101 howitzer; it looks to me more like a World War 1-era piece - I think it's the narrow, spoked wheels. You can also see how oversized the forward ramrod tube bracket is.









From the back.









Next installment: Artwork


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## CanadianWoodWorks (Dec 29, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


sweet


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## Jimthecarver (Jan 14, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


I have to say this is going the extra mile on a project. Totally cool, I have been watching your progress. 
Great design and build.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


This is the coolest thing I have ever seen! I love it..I have always wanted to build a potato cannon, and this is an awesome version. Nice engineering, design and build.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


I was enthralled by your cannon and I have just spent the last hour reading the whole blog and looking at your design. I agree that the forward muzzle bracket is a little too beefy and I hope you don't mind if I offer a suggestion. I whipped up a quick Sketchup design…this was a fast and dirty design exploration i apologize for the lack of detail… and I made both the barrel and the push rod cylinder the same size…
I was thinking that you could use some PVC T connectors that are oversized and a small piece of PVC to connect them..
















Or, if that wouldnt work you could just use slightly over-sized pipe sections and then you would have to chamfer the connecting pipe to the sleeves. Just an idea that I am kicking out there…I think it might suit the look a little better. Again…love the project and how its coming out so far. I also agree that its the wheels that are throwing your look off. they are too thin, and not the right scale for the cannon.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


I have follow the your building of this with pleasure
but now I´m a little scared, maybee I shuold start digging that trench in my backyard 

Dennis


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## Eric_Somerville (Jun 26, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


try not to get any glue on that STi !

You may have covered this in an earlier blog but what do you plan to use for fuel? Right Guard Aresol Deodorant (Brown Can) always worked well with no sticky residue like you get with hair spray. Propane can also be easily used but I'm sure you already know this.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


Too bad I can't get my nephew to think about the extra mile. Or even the ordinary mile.

Thanks for the suggestions. One of the problems I have to solve is attaching the bracket to both tubes non-permanently, so it has to be a mechanical connection - no glue. I also can't put any holes in the tubes - it has to clamp somehow. I've considered a much cut-down version of what I used, leaving only the part between the tubes, and a hose clamp to hold it together - but hose clamps (IMO) are crude and unsightly. I'd welcome more suggestions. PVC saddles, for example, but there's still the hose clamps.

Dennis - you're in trouble as soon as I figure out a way to integrate the cannon into the "workshop" feature of LJs. Then I can simply zero in on anybody's shop and let fly.

I've only ever used Static Guard for fuel. I've heard the newest version of Right Guard is non-flammable. As for the car, there's so much sawdust on it, the glue wouldn't even touch it. I could wait for it to cure, then just brush it off.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


OK…how about a similar concept. You get 2 T's one for each piece (barrell, and the push rod storage), large enough so each will just slide through easily. Then you could drill small holes in the walls of the T and put in threaded inserts or large set screws that would gently tighten against the barrel to hold it in place. then you could connect the two T's with a coupler or a short length of PVC. If you want to slide the barrel out you just loosen the set screws.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Forward armor*
> 
> First, I didn't like the way the ramrod just stuck out of its tube, as shown in part 3, so I made a longer one that fits the rod completely. I put a small eye screw with a keyring in the end of the rod so I can fish it out.
> 
> ...


I knew it!! 
this potatocanon is only the first step in domination and conger the world
the next is a balistic potato-rocket conectet to L Js shop-server

I better ad a Balsabunker over my trench

Dennis


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

*Some tweaks and the test firing*

I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.

I redesigned the forward ramrod tube bracket. It's as minimal as I could get it - a 3/4" piece of poplar, cut to fit between the tubes, and a hose clamp. This lightens up the front end, both visually and literally. I also reattached the cap chain with a ziptie right behind the cap, which shortens/cleans it up. A shot of green paint and everything looks fine.


















I had a vision of kids (my brother's) fighting over the trigger switch, so I put connectors at both ends of the wires to act as breakaways in case somebody yanks on it.









I added a bracket to hold the trigger switch and wires. It's a piece of 1-1/2" PVC with a cap (actually the end of the first ramrod tube) with a slot cut down the side, and a small block to hold it away from the elevating arc. The cord wraps around the block and the trigger switch drops into the tube.


















And finally, the moment of truth - the test shots. I'm on my back patio, shooting at a piece of solid core door leaning against the wall about 20' away. These are the first and third shots, and they're weak. I didn't record the second shot, and I wish I had - it went POW!! and made the dent you can just make out in the upper left quadrant of the door in the latter part of the video. It dented the near side almost 1/2" and pushed out a bulge on the back! I don't know what I did differently on that shot; I know I didn't stop to do any narrative, which I did on #1 and 3 (edited out).






Next installment: artwork


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## Woodworker123 (Aug 3, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


WOAH! Very cool looking potato gun. Any idea what the velocity you get out of it is?


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## brunob (Dec 26, 2006)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Ya could stand in o0ne place and plant a whole acre of potatoes. Neat!


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## sawblade1 (Feb 11, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Awesome man Cool toy!!!!


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


very nice! I'm going to have to make one of these.


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


That is so cool! What you using for fuel? Hairspray?


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


SO COOL!!

I could use one of these to scare the squirrels out of the garden ;^)


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Actually, you'd just be shooting food at them, so I don't know how well it would work. Fuel is Static Guard.

Velocity - I couldn't even begin to guess. There's so much inconsistency between shots, I don't know if knowing would be of any use.


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## JAGWAH (Dec 15, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Absolutely cool. You are a bad boy. Ok when we all team up for the potatoe wars I want to be on your side.


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## JAGWAH (Dec 15, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


So you core a potato, insert an egg, cap the potatoe and fire. Splat and ewwee! Cool


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## nailbanger2 (Oct 17, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


The only time I saw one firing, they used hair spray and the tighter the fit, the farther it went.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


It may depend on the shape of the potatoes, too. The ones I got are kind of flat, rather than football-shaped, so when they go down, they're short. I've had better luck with nice, round bakers that end up about 1 caliber long.


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## nailbanger2 (Oct 17, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


I remember they actually had taters that were too big, stuffed them in there so the sides scraped the skin off and formed an airtight seal.


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## kidi (Aug 9, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Very COOL! I've been waiting for this post to see the final project.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


That's the way it's done. You can see in the second picture above that the muzzle is sharpened. I fired the test shots before I took the picture, so you can also see some potato residue on it.

@kidi: it's not done yet. The best part is yet to come.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Cool…I like your idea for the bracket…really simple but it looks great. I thought it would fire with more velocity than that..do you have it purposely dialed down due to the fact that kids will be using it?


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## MadBeaver (Jan 21, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Ok my I ask is the Red Neck Wood Worker bored? Thou I am impress nice work, I hear that they launch Pumpkins 
this way to  Have fun.

Chris


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


If you throw a french fry cutter on the end, you could sell that bad boy to In-N-Out Burgers.


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Try hair spray, or better yet a spray can of ether…. two squirts?

Let us know how well it works.

I've used hair spray before and it works pretty well.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Hairspray works well, my friends and I had a cannon that would launch a potatoe over the football field accross the street, over the next street and just past the dorms that lined that street so we could launch them unseen into the campus. Ether was tried but is too dangerous. This thing looks wicked though.


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


HA HA HA HA If you could only add heat the this cannon there could be an endless supply of French Fries! Love it!


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## donbee (Feb 7, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


I thought about the use of propane for launch fuel. It would be easier to load a charge and keep your combustion chamber cleaner. Ordinary fuel tank for soldering torches would be very nice and inexpensive.

Don


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


The trouble with Lumberjocks is that your always discovering something different that you didn't know much about and so many things that you would like to try out. What's the range of these potato cannons?


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


Wow, I didn't think there would be this much interest, especially with the lame test shots.

Higher energy fuels like pure propane are too much for schedule 40 PVC, I think. For now, I'm trying to find the right length of fuel spray. I'm just timing it with a watch, so it will never be really consistent. I am pretty sure I need to try rounder potatoes so I get a nice long projectile, or load them lengthwise.


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## JamesVavra (Apr 27, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


I've always used starting fluid or carb cleaner as a fuel for potato cannons.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


I love it!
If I had a boy and not a girl, I would build one now…
My girl will not let go of the hair spary!
MaFe


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


I have the hair sprayed, hand loaded, hand held potato gun type. It is important to use big potatoes and smash it on the barrell then ramrod it down into the gun (no air sucking then). spray in the hair spray and push the button nearly immediately. OUr gun will shoot a potato the whole way across the Allegheny River… no exaggeration here.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


I think there's something to the notion of firing it immediately. I stopped to do some narrative on test shots 1 & 3, and they were duds. I fired #2 immediately, and it practically blew the wall down. I've also put a small taper on the inside of the muzzle, so the potatoes will be cut slightly oversized as they go in, for a tighter fit.

I used Google Earth to measure the width of the Allegheny in the Freeport, PA, area, and it's right at 300 yards. Not bad!


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## BigTiny (Jun 29, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


The guys at Myth Busters on the Discovery channel did one of these and got consistant ranges of over 300 feet, but the censored which fuel they used.

When I was a teen ager, they still used milk cans in restaurants. A couple of my friends rigged up a "liberated" milk can with a spark plug and a battery and coil. They then "liberated" a number of lids. They took this motley rig down to the Don river in Toronto's northern edge and loaded up a pump type bug sprayer with gasoline. A couple of sprays, ram on the lid, hit the button, and the lid became a *UFO*!

We never discovered what the range was, but we know at least one of them went over a quarter mile, as a friend's dad worked at a camp that far away and he brought the lid home as he'd found it on the grounds. The camp was at *least* a quarter mile away.

The stupid things we do when we're young…


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## Eric_Somerville (Jun 26, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Some tweaks and the test firing*
> 
> I made a few little improvements this week while I'm finishing the forward armor.
> 
> ...


I used to be am avid potato gun builder and shooter in college. I had four at one time, three combustion and one compressed air gun.

The best fuel I found for combustion was Right Guard deoderant in the brown can. It is very clean leaving no mess inside the chamber plus had the best combination of propellents.

If you want to do more research, go to www.spudtech.com. Lots of great projects there on the forums.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

*Artwork and final assembly*

It's been a while, but it's worth the wait. I asked a friend of mine, who's a talented sketch artist, to draw up some artwork reminiscent of World War II bombers. I asked for something in the style of Slim Pickens riding the bomb in "Dr. Strangelove", and including the name I chose for it, "Devas-tater", and after some fine tuning, this is the finished product. I've been using it as my avatar for the last couple of weeks. The "Mr. Potatohead" character was his idea, and I must say it's perfect.










I don't know how he drew and colored it, because he sent it to me as a .jpg (I've never even seen the original), so I printed it on some 11×17 white-background waterslide decal paper, and with advice from David's blog and my own experience building model airplanes in my youth, I was able to apply it successfully (on the 2nd try) to the "armor". There's not much to see there. First step was to wet-sand the area to receive the decal with 600 grit:










And here's the finished application. It's about 9 3/4" diameter. It's also a little bit off to the right (and there it will stay):










All that's left to do now is apply several coats of lacquer to seal and protect the decal, take a few more pictures, and post it as a completed project.

Thanks for following along - hope you enjoyed it!


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

JJohnston said:


> *Artwork and final assembly*
> 
> It's been a while, but it's worth the wait. I asked a friend of mine, who's a talented sketch artist, to draw up some artwork reminiscent of World War II bombers. I asked for something in the style of Slim Pickens riding the bomb in "Dr. Strangelove", and including the name I chose for it, "Devas-tater", and after some fine tuning, this is the finished product. I've been using it as my avatar for the last couple of weeks. The "Mr. Potatohead" character was his idea, and I must say it's perfect.
> 
> ...


I don´t know how I missed nr 6 installment 
but now have catsch it up and it so cool to see the finished gun
and now it even better and funnier with a logo on it
It has been a pleassure to follow your build of it
and thank´s for sharing it with us 

take care
Dennis


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

JJohnston said:


> *Artwork and final assembly*
> 
> It's been a while, but it's worth the wait. I asked a friend of mine, who's a talented sketch artist, to draw up some artwork reminiscent of World War II bombers. I asked for something in the style of Slim Pickens riding the bomb in "Dr. Strangelove", and including the name I chose for it, "Devas-tater", and after some fine tuning, this is the finished product. I've been using it as my avatar for the last couple of weeks. The "Mr. Potatohead" character was his idea, and I must say it's perfect.
> 
> ...


You know, I was just thinking that if a feller was to load up on rotten potatoes he'd have a pretty awesome weapon on his hands. 

That's lookin' real good and I do love that logo.


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## twoblacklabs (Jan 12, 2011)

JJohnston said:


> *Artwork and final assembly*
> 
> It's been a while, but it's worth the wait. I asked a friend of mine, who's a talented sketch artist, to draw up some artwork reminiscent of World War II bombers. I asked for something in the style of Slim Pickens riding the bomb in "Dr. Strangelove", and including the name I chose for it, "Devas-tater", and after some fine tuning, this is the finished product. I've been using it as my avatar for the last couple of weeks. The "Mr. Potatohead" character was his idea, and I must say it's perfect.
> 
> ...


Wow, like I don't have enough projects going right now. LOL This is too cool.


----------

