SpudFiles

I just joined this site. How is everyone doing? I want to build a spud gun. What do i need to build one. I want one that is fast and will shoot far. Ne help will be greatly appreciated

Well, you should start with a combustion since it is the easiest. There are several ways to build one, but basically you have a barrel (1.5 or 2 inch usually) a chamber (usually 3 or 4 inch) a way to connect chamber and barrel (usually a bell adapter), and a threaded opening (cleanout plug). The ignition is up to you, but two screws in the chamber connected to a BBQ igniter work well. Also threading a lantern igniter into the chamber works well.

Please for your own safety, if you can’t figure it out your self chances are you don’t need one. Look around there are plenty of sights that tell you how to make one, but on spudfiles you get something better, you get to look at “professional” cannons and see what worked and what didn’t, and from that you can make a VERY good cannon, I spent of two months doing research before even buying the parts to make one, then another two weeks before I actually glued it up, if you think you know what your doing chances are you don’t. Professionals built space shuttle Columbia, amateurs built the Wright flyer. Do some looking, learn how they work, learn the, dare I say it, math required. Once you think you’ve got an idea for one work up some schematics, then post it on here and let use shoot it down like a Flak88 after an ultralight, not saying you’d come up with something dumb or that we’d flam you, just tell you things that could be improved.
If your parent’s don’t like guns (a problem a lot of people have), make a pneumatic cannon as it can not be called a firearm.
Welcome to the forums!

By the way people have a tendency to take what I say the wrong way so let me clear things up: nothing I said was meant to be offensive.

Also don’t listen to LGM, sorry friend, he’s telling you to use DWV, which is BAD. DWV stands for Drain, Waste, Vent and is not designed for pressure, although it’s never happened, at least not to my knowledge, DWV can still explode sending fragments of PVC everywhere, not a good thing.

DWV is a label carried my most plastic pipe. Instead look for a nsf-pw label.
Pressure rated pvc or Cell-core/solid ABS should work fine in most cannons. And I would recommend making a pneumatic, contrary to popular belief simple pneumatics can be built quiet easily.

Elaborating on what frankrede just said about pneumatics are easy. Hold off on building your first cannon untill you can read and understand most of the things on this site. Mainly very simple combustion and if you read a little bit, very simple pneumatics. I had built and help build combustion cannons before I found this site. And when I did join this site I thought I could never figure out pneumatics. Finally after much reading and a few helpful tips from these guys, It was a sinch.

Yup, all you need for a pneumatic is two lengths of pipe and a valve, plus a few fitting but I’m not going to spell it out for ya.
Francrede’s right look for the nsf-pw label, usually found with the description on the pipe and on the around the face/opening on the fittings.
Edit:
Missed that he said DWV/cell-core was safe, it’s not don’t use it, especially not on a pneumatic, if it doesn’t have nsf-pw on it somewhere then do not use it. I’ve heard stores of a threaded cap blowing out, I’ve got a cannon that uses one as a breach seal (it’s an over and under pneumatic) and when I fire it I brace the cap against the ground.

Ya don't be a frankrede and build your first cannons wiothout any prior knowledge.

1:1 c:b, 2"abs cell core, 2" plastic ball valve. All glued with pvc glue, no primer nothing., oh and a pvc endcap. Took it too 100 psi then My tire valve that was salvaged of a bike tire blew out. The cannon did have a good run of about a week before I trashed it.

Where did I say that he sould use DWV piping?

LGM wrote:Well, you should start with a combustion since it is the easiest. There are several ways to build one, but basically you have a barrel (1.5 or 2 inch usually) a chamber (usually 3 or 4 inch) a way to connect chamber and barrel (usually a bell adapter), and a threaded opening (cleanout plug). The ignition is up to you, but two screws in the chamber connected to a BBQ igniter work well. Also threading a lantern igniter into the chamber works well.

Bell reducers and clean outs are usually DWV…

judgment_arms wrote:

LGM wrote:Well, you should start with a combustion since it is the easiest. There are several ways to build one, but basically you have a barrel (1.5 or 2 inch usually) a chamber (usually 3 or 4 inch) a way to connect chamber and barrel (usually a bell adapter), and a threaded opening (cleanout plug). The ignition is up to you, but two screws in the chamber connected to a BBQ igniter work well. Also threading a lantern igniter into the chamber works well.

Bell reducers and clean outs are usually DWV…

And there is nothing wrong with that.

I've seen a bunch of guns made out of bell adapters. I took one on a pneumatic up to 100 psi, more than what most combustions reach.
Just find one labeled schedule 40.

Frankrede, what part of “not for pressure” do you not understand? Clean out’s have blown before, DWV is not safe. For a few cents more you can get nsf-pw parts, why use DWV. Now I’m sure one of you are going to say something about “I can’t get nsf-pw parts”, first off stop your lying you can get nsf-pw parts from McMaster-car. There is no good reason to use DWV, it’s just plan dumb. Having a cannon for less is not worth losing something important, i.e. your eye! But don’t listen to common sense, go ahead and use DWV. Hay, why not make a DWV hybrid!

Edit:
If I recall right SCH40 is the wall thickness, it has nothing to due with pressure rating. I’ve seen SCH80 conduit, would you make a cannon out of that? also remember Murphy's Law: If anything simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway.

BCARMS.com has almost everything you will need, including a kit for a combustion cannon.

I AGREE COMPLETELY WIT judgment_arms YOU'LL KILL YOURSELF BEFORE YOU SEE ANYTHING HAPPEN.

C@SE-G

That's not Murphy's Law, the law states that anything that could possibly go wrong will. Also, all bell reducers that I have seen have had an nsf-pw mark on them, so I was not aware that many weren't. And yes, I should have said sch 40 threaded plug.