Shock and Awe

Show us your pneumatic spud gun! Discuss pneumatic (compressed gas) powered potato guns and related accessories. Valve types, actuation, pipe, materials, fittings, compressors, safety, gas choices, and more.
iknowmy3tables
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:55 am

lucky you found cheap valves, you should build a double chammber/valve cannon with two of your 3 valves
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dauphinoise potato
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:16 pm

Great looking cannon, I think some fizzy drink bottles fit in 75mm 16bar pipe(the brits tennis ball pipe) so it might be worth a tr with your tennis ball pipe.
It's all a bunch of tree huggin' hippie crap!
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HaiThar
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:33 pm

Very clean build. Do you know your exact C:B ratio?
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:19 pm

HaiThar wrote:Very clean build. Do you know your exact C:B ratio?
no clue... I just cut some pipe and put it together. Pretty lazy of me...
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ammosmoke
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 11:03 pm

Man, I wish schmanman still regularly posted here.... His swat gun is probably the biggest ever posted on spudfiles. I can't even find it either.....

EDIT: WOOT 500 posts!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
woffer5698
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 1:01 pm

Nice gun man. I was debating about weather or not to configure the valve like that, but i thought it would be easier to shoot the way i have it. isn't it awkward to shoot with a ball valve directly connected with such a powerful valve, or do you just put it on the ground? I have a another question about your valve. Did yours come with a plastic hose connected to the chamber port and ran towards the solenoid, then to the barrel port? I had it on mine, and there was no equalization port on the diaphragm, so i had to run one from the chamber to the top of the valve, then shut it off with a ball valve. Also, you can threat a 3/4 inch QEV to the stem of the valve very easily, and it makes a big difference. just get a 3/4 elbow and a nipple at least 6'' (for leverage). then just start twisting it on and it will cuts some nice threads. just make sure you go a little ways, then back off and clean it and start again.
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:18 pm

woffer5698 wrote:Nice gun man. I was debating about weather or not to configure the valve like that, but i thought it would be easier to shoot the way i have it. isn't it awkward to shoot with a ball valve directly connected with such a powerful valve, or do you just put it on the ground? I have a another question about your valve. Did yours come with a plastic hose connected to the chamber port and ran towards the solenoid, then to the barrel port? I had it on mine, and there was no equalization port on the diaphragm, so i had to run one from the chamber to the top of the valve, then shut it off with a ball valve. Also, you can threat a 3/4 inch QEV to the stem of the valve very easily, and it makes a big difference. just get a 3/4 elbow and a nipple at least 6'' (for leverage). then just start twisting it on and it will cuts some nice threads. just make sure you go a little ways, then back off and clean it and start again.

I guess you could say the ball valve makes it a bit awkward if you're trying to shoulder it, but I just hold the thing down at my waist by the barrel with one hand, and my other hand controlling the valve. It's difficult to aim it that way but a sling would definitely help.

There is no hose connecting the chamber port to the solenoid part (pilot volume) on my valve. Instead, the diaphragm has an equilization hole in the middle. The flow control rod fits through this hole and can limit the movement of the diaphragm. The spring inside keeps the valve closed as it's being pressurized until air fills the pilot volume and the pressure equilizes. Your valve must be different though. I'm not sure how it would work.

For piloting the thing, I used a ballvalve because it's cheap and all that it really needs. I also found that once you remove the guts of the flow control system, the plastic stem is the perfect diameter to be tapped with 3/8" NPT. So I just threaded in my ballvalve.

If I ever come across a 3" sprinkler valve, I'll definitely keep your suggestion in mind. I'm sure it would take more than a ballvalve to pilot a valve so big. I have 3/4" taps and a QEV ready to go once I find one.
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jrrdw
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:03 pm

I'm surprized that ball didn't bounch back through the board, wouldn't that be cool! I'll be waiting for updated video's. Why the name 'Shock and Awe"? Just wondering.
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:34 pm

1) It's a cool sounding name for an even cooler military tactic.

2) The looks on the faces of everyone I showed it to was priceless. Nobody was expecting to hear such a loud crack and see a tennis ball of all things get blasted into another street or clean through a sheet of plywood. And the reaction I had was one of sheer amazement.

I never really made something that could be considered a "spud" gun. All my other projects (with the exception of the ongoing Omega project) were all small bore little things. Going from them to something so massive and powerful, well, it was amazing. So I found "Shock and Awe" to be a fitting name!
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jackssmirkingrevenge
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:26 pm

Paint a cute bunny being electrocuted on the barrel. Then you could call it "awwww...." and shock! :D
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:39 pm

Sheeeit. If I could I would man!
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DR
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Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:28 am

PVC Arsenal 17,
It's been quite a while, since my last login here at Spudfiles. And your launcher was picked out of Random Cannon... Nice job on the construction and (especially) your choice of barrel size/length! 8)

Tennis ball cannons are my favorite and yours kicks ass! If you were to install an adapter on the pilot (3/8"NPT to 1/4"NPT) and install a blowgun (either directly or remote) you would actually gain a little extra performance AND make the launcher much easier to launch by hand. (Merely a friendly suggestion).

What else have you made? (Too lazy / Too unfamiliar with the site to check)
~DR.
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DR
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Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:45 am

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:Paint a cute bunny being electrocuted on the barrel. Then you could call it "awwww...." and shock! :D
Couldn't find a pic, so I made this:
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mega_swordman
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Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:11 am

That picture is delightfully funny and random. Nice job on it DR, and welcome back to the forum (I'm assuming you're back).
"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." George S. Patton
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MrCrowley
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Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:15 am

DR wrote:
jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:Paint a cute bunny being electrocuted on the barrel. Then you could call it "awwww...." and shock! :D
Couldn't find a pic, so I made this:
Is that a cat dressed up for Easter? :lol:

I love everything you make PVC, always very clean and I love your innovative barrel supports and overall design.

@DR

Are you back for good or just stopping by?
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