214 lines
8.0 KiB
Plaintext
214 lines
8.0 KiB
Plaintext
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Potato Cannon
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First Published by Information Unlimited
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Transcribed to the Electronic Media for You by Thallion of WUFO MCMXCIV.
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The potato cannon is a fun device which is constructed of common
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materials that can be obtained at almost any hardware store. It uses a
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common "fuel" and can shoot a potato over 1000 feet. It is not, however, at
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toy. It can almost be considered a firearm. Therefore it should be treated
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with respect. It should be used by minors only under strict adult
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supervision. Always wear protective clothing which is available.
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I: Materials
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A Hardware
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1. Four inch PVC pipe (approx. 2 feet)
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2. Four inch threaded (female) cleanout
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3. Four inch threaded (male) cleanout plug
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4. Four inch by four inch coupling
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5. Four inch to one inch reducer bushing
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6. One inch PVC pipe (approx. 2 feet)
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7. Piezo ignitor (the type used on BBQ grills)
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8. Two 2 1/2 inch machine screws #10
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9. PVC cleaner and glue
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CAUTION! Because of an explosion risk, all pipe should be schedule 40!
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B Miscellaneous Accessories
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1. Drill
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2. 1/8 inch drill bit
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3. Screwdriver
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II: Chamber Assembly
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A Materials
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1. Four inch PVC pipe (Number 1 on the I:A list)
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2. Four inch cleanout (Number 2)
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3. Four inch cleanout plug (Number 3)
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B Construction
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1. With PVC cleaner, clean the inside of the cleanout. :-)
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2. Clean approx. four inches of the pipe.
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3. Spread an even amount of glue on the clean areas (be liberal,
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better safe than sorry).
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4. Immediately place them together and apply pressure.
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5. Allow to dry.
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III: Size Reduction
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A Materials
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1. Chamber
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2. Four inch by four inch coupling (Number 4 on the I:A list)
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3. Four inch to one inch reducer bushing (Number 5)
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B Construction
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1. Clean the inside of the coupling
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2. Clean the unused portion of the four inch pipe
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3. Apply glue
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4. Allow to dry
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5. Clean the unused portion of the four inch pipe
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6. Clean the four inch end of the reducer bushing
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7. Apply glue
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8. Allow to dry
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IV: Barrel Assembly
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A Materials
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1. One inch pipe (Number 6 on the I:A list)
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2. PVC cleaner and glue
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B Construction
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1. Clean the one inch portion of the reducer bushing
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2. Clean two inches of the one inch pipe
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3. Apply glue
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4. Allow to dry
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Now that the actual gun is constructed, it is time for the most
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important part of the gun. The ignition system. There is alternative
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ignition systems available, but this piezo system is easy to construct,
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and is therefore recommended. Any HV source will do, but as always piezo
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is the smallest and safest. The most important part of the ignition
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construction process is the correct spark gap. It must be as long as
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possible, yet it must spark every time. It should be tested before ANY
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fuel is introduced into the chamber.
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V: Ignition system
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A Hardware
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1. Piezo ignitor (Number 7 on the I:A list)
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2. 2 1/2 inch machine screws (Number 8)
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3. Drill
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4. 1/8 inch drill bit
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5. Screwdriver
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6. 18 gauge wire
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B Construction
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1. Run a length of wire, one from each terminal. Use electrical tape
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to hold in place.
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2. In the center of the chamber drill a 1/8 inch hole. Opposite that
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hole, drill another hole.
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3. In each hole, drive a screw.
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4. Drive the screws until they meet in the center with approximately
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a 1/4 inch gap.
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5. Solder each wire to the screws.
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6. Test the ignition system, and adjust screws accordingly.
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Now that the gun is completely built, it is time to load the projectile,
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and fuel the chamber. Care must be taken when fueling the chamber. Be
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positive that there are no flames left in the chamber before spraying
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fuel. Do NOT depress the ignition button while refueling.
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VI: Loading
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A Projectile Forming
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Your projectiles should be pre-formed for convenience and to also
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keep build-up to a minimum. To make the projectiles, cut a length
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(about eight inches) of one inch pipe. Firmly press the pipe into a
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potato. Push the pieces out with a smaller diameter piece of pipe,
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or a broom handle. After removing the pieces from the pipe, keep
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them stored in water to keep them from drying out.
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B Loading The Cannon
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To load the cannon, take one of the pre-cut projectiles, insert it
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into the top of the barrel. With a broom handle, push the potato to
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just above the chamber. Be cautious not to push the potato in too
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far into the barrel.
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The gun is now loaded and ready to fire. Before you can fire the gun, we
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must first discuss the fuel. The fuel found to be the most efficient is
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diethyl ether, which is bought under the pretense of starting fluid.
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VII: Fueling/Firing
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To fuel the gun you must first remove the cleanout plug. Then, spray
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the fuel into the chamber for approximately half a second, if not
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less. You need to experiment a little here to find the exact fuel/air
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mixture needed for your particular gun. After spraying the fuel,
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quickly replace the plug, and make sure it is on good and tight. Aim
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the gun, depress the ignition switch, and HOLD ON!
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Helpful Hints:
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* The barrel may be turned down on a lathe in order to achieve greater
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accuracy, it will also cut the potato easier thus creating less a mess.
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* Be sure not to spray too much fuel into the camber. This will cause
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improper ignition and can damage the gun permanently.
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* Do not allow anyone to stand directly behind the gun while firing as the
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plug may blow off and create serious injuries.
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* The potato cannon is not limited to potatoes alone. Pears, apples and
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almost any other fruit or vegetable can be used. Think about it, the
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possibilities are endless.
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* Ether is not the only fuel that can be used in the cannon. The original
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potato cannon used HAIRSPRAY! This was found to cause build-up and
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premature ignition fouling.
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* Please note that the finer the fuel mist, the better the gun will
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perform.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Fig 1:1 Potato Cannon
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_
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_ ___ _____|_________ ___ +------+
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_| || || | || || |______________________________
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|_ || || || || |______________________________|
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|_||___||_____|_________||___|| |
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| +------+
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^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
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| | | | | | +--- One inch PVC Pipe
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| | | | | +--- Four inch to one inch
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| | | | +--------- Four inch by four inch coupling
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| | | +----- Four inch PVC pipe
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| +---- Four inch cleanout
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+---- Four inch cleanout plug.
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You may also imagine a piezo ignitor, and two leads from it to the both
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screws, it was too hard to draw them in ASCII. (The drawing is not to
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scale, as you probably understand).
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Have fun with this device, and don't aim at innocent people...
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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