New Guy, want ideas for a pnematic tennis ball mortar

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.
User avatar
Gun Freak
Lieutenant 5
Lieutenant 5
Posts: 4971
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:38 pm
Location: Florida
Been thanked: 8 times

Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:09 pm

How's it work?

A wood bracket secured with a large hose clamp has always worked well for me.
OG Anti-Hybrid
One man's trash is a true Spudder's treasure!
Golf Ball Cannon "Superna"M16 BBMGPengunHammer Valve Airsoft SniperHigh Pressure .22 Coax
Holy Shat!
duane
Private 2
Private 2
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:08 am

Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:10 pm

Blitz wrote:You got a few options. You could cut out a bracket and then zip tie the barrel and chamber together, for example. Or a large hose clamp. Or something. :)
Blitz,

I've got a friend bringing me a 2 1/2" hole saw, which I'm going to try to use to make a wooden brace. And I have a VERY LONG hose clamp... we'll see how that works out. :)

In the meantime, I have painted it. Why RED? Because that's what I had setting on the shelf. :lol:

Image

Duane
Image
duane
Private 2
Private 2
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:08 am

Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:18 pm

Gun Freak,

I don't know how well it works yet. I've only done one very low pressure shot (25 PSI) because I don't want to freak out the neighbors.

After I brace the barrel/chamber, I'll take it out to a friend's place in the country to find out. Hopefully this coming week-end.

Duane
Image
User avatar
Blitz
Corporal 2
Corporal 2
United States of America
Posts: 627
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 1:48 am
Location: Illinois
Been thanked: 3 times

Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:24 pm

Keep in mind that you'll need a 2 5/8 hole saw for 2.5" schedule 40 pipe.
User avatar
Blitz
Corporal 2
Corporal 2
United States of America
Posts: 627
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 1:48 am
Location: Illinois
Been thanked: 3 times

Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:26 pm

Also,that's the more elegant solution. You could always take any solid object that'd fit the space between your barrel and chamber and just secure that with a hose clamp or zip tie; just make it good and snug.
duane
Private 2
Private 2
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:08 am

Mon Aug 26, 2013 7:46 pm

Blitz wrote:Keep in mind that you'll need a 2 5/8 hole saw for 2.5" schedule 40 pipe.
I'm still going to give it a try. Every hole saw that I've ever used made a slightly larger hole than they were "supposed" to make.

If that doesn't work out, I'll go to plan B. :lol:

Thanks,

Duane
Image
biged
Private 4
Private 4
Posts: 99
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:06 am
Been thanked: 1 time

Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:18 pm

Just an FYI 2.75 tail pipe (you can get a automotive stores) has a inside diameter of 2.625 inches (2-5/8ths). New tennis balls (fuzzy ones) will not roll down but will have to be pushed. Older tennis balls will roll down just fine. Look in the trash cans at tennis courts/clubs to find them.

One of my tennis ball launchers: (All steel, 20lbs co2 tank, asco 1.5 valve yada,yada,yada)
Image

I have launched close to a thousand balls in 5 different states.
Radio me a grid, wrecking ball out....
duane
Private 2
Private 2
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:08 am

Sun Sep 01, 2013 1:25 pm

Wow ! Cool Gun !

Thanks,

Duane
Image
duane
Private 2
Private 2
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:08 am

Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:14 pm

Moderators: I know this is a duplicate post, but I wanted to make sure that those that wanted to see it did.


Well, I took the tennis ball gun out to my friend's place this afternoon, and we fired it about 30 times.

All of my previous shots were at low pressure, about 25 PSI, with compressed air.

Today, I was using CO2, from a 20 LB cylinder, at about 75 PSI.

I've got a 150 PSI regulator on the cylinder, and used a 25 FT hose. The "air" coming out of the regulator is COLD. Very, very cold. That's partly why I used a long hose, to give it a chance to not be quite as cold when it went into my PVC chamber. That seemed to work O.K.

There was frost on the fitting at the regulator, but the tire chuck at the other end never got uncomfortably cold. Of course there was a couple minutes between shots, so that had to help.

We were firing on a mowed area, about 100 yds long. Beyond that was a pasture of tall grass that would have made it impossible to find the tennis balls.

Most of our shots were fired at a very high angle, ending up about 75 yds out. I don't know how high they went, but they were way up there. Cool

It was a lot of fun, and no tennis balls were injured, or lost.

I tried catching a couple shots on my phone's video camera, with dismal results.

Let's face it, I am not Steven Spielberg. Laughing

For a maiden voyage, I'm happy with it.

Duane
Image
Post Reply