When you are looking for a way to have fun while not breaking the bank. Building a pneumatic cannon is a great way to learn about science and have fun along the way.

The types of pneumatic cannon you can build really depends on your level of expertise and available resources. All pneumatic cannon have a few components that are the same regardless of the budget involved. The four common elements of your pneumatic cannon are a filling valve to allow air in. Then there is the air chamber which holds the air that will be released. Next is the pressure release valve which will allow the air to push the projectile out. And finally the barrel which allows the projectile to spiral out of the pneumatic cannon building critical speed in the process.

The type of barrel you use for your pneumatic cannon plays a major role on whether or not it will be effective and accurate. Most budget conscious builders rely on PVC piping as the material of choice for their pneumatic cannon. The reason that most people use this material is its relative inexpensive costs plus ease of sourcing for it. The inherent strength of PVC makes is very suitable for the rigors that are common when a person is using a pneumatic cannon.

When you are designing your pneumatic cannon a major consideration is how you are going to get the compressed air into the chamber for it to fire. If you have an air compressor you can attach it to the barrel. Attaching an air compressor does present some challenges since it can be cumbersome and expensive. What some pneumatic cannon builders do is use a CO2 cartridge as the air source for their testing needs.

In order for your pneumatic cannon to fire properly the entire unit must be air tight otherwise the air chamber that contains the compressed air will not be able to generate enough pressure to drive the potato out. The way you can test for leaks of the barrel is to immerse it in wet soapy water and then lift it out of the water. If you see air bubbles coming out of the barrel then you have a leak and it must be plugged.

When you do use a pneumatic cannon you must be aware that it has a tremendous amount of power behind it and you should never ever aim it at anyone else. The speed in which the projectile comes out can break glass and dent metal so it is something that is not to be taken lightly. If you follow the basic safety rules then you will have fun with the pneumatic cannon for years to come.

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Filed under: Pneumatic Cannon • Potato Guns

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