When it comes to building projectile weapons there is nothing quite like a potato gun not only is it easy to build but it is very accurate and can travel a reasonable distance.

The type of potato gun that you can build is really only limited by your imagination and budget. The types of propellants that your potato gun can use is either compressed air or a combustible fuel source like propane and aerosol sprays. Avoid using gasoline for your potato gun not only is it expensive but it is also not stable to work with so stick with propane or the aerosol sprays. Making sure the tubing is well constructed is also very important, the cannon has to be airtight so the fuel can compress the air. If you do not know how to test the pipe to make sure it is air tight put the pipe in a vat of soapy water and look for bubbles escaping from the piping. If you see lots of them then you have a leak in your pipe and need to seal it.

Once you know your potato gun piping is air tight then you can build the base to hold the cannon in place. The holder should allow you to raise the barrel, this allows you to change the trajectory of the potato gun thing of mortar launchers used in World War I&II similar principle just a different projectile. You can use a wooden base or metal for your potato gun whichever one it should be sturdy enough to hold the gun without wobbling.

Do not hold your potato gun like a Bazooka since it is not designed for that and you do not have enough experience with it to know how it will behave. When you are ready to assemble your gun it is a good idea to test the ignition system to make sure it is firing properly. You do not want to have a misfire during your first shot. Once the potato gun is put together it is time to take your test shot, aim for some inanimate object and load the gun with your potato. When you are adding the fuel to the gun try with a smaller amount and then work your way up testing different volumes. You want to find the right mix of air and fuel, when you hit the fire button the potato should come out. If it doesn’t and you do not hear a sound or see a flame then you may have an issue with your firing system.Disconnect the electrical systems power supply and then remove the firing system and test it again to make sure it is working fine. Once it is fixed then you can put it back into your potato gun and fire away.

Tagged with: •

Filed under: Potato Guns

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!