Tater Guns

[Rock Doctor]

Crazy looking machine...... I want one, lol.

RD

[Stonewall]

I thought about the oxyacetalyene, but compressed air is free! What is a "piazo" igniter?

[Beeman]

You should make it fully automatic.. spin it like a Gatling gun.

[spookum]

OOH!! somethin i actually know about and can be an expert on!

the order of explosive charges:

1. compressed air

2. hair spray (cheap stuff but flammable) good for a boom and repetitive use

3. starting fuid aka eather. That stuf ROCKS but melts abs..... but i wont shoot anything else NAPA brand is best.

4. Ox-axytlaine. From what i know, light it up for cutting steel, tap it out on concrete or metal, and use this mix. Make sure you have current life insurance, the Mom, wife or girlfriend or children you leave behind will be appreciative.

ignition systems:

flint stryker : they use them on coleman lanterns as an accesory. Drill a hole in the igniton chamber and tighten it down.

electric (petzo ignition) for a BBQ. Tape to the cap on the igniton chamber, drill 2 holes. Hook one wire to each out side. ON the inside, use 2 wires about an 1/8 inch (er... 5mm) apart.

I like the electric ignition. If you get the flint wet when spraying hair spray or staring fluid your screwed, but if it sprays the cap, no big deal.

Also, as a safety feature use duct tape on the ignition chamber. If the ignition chamber cracks it will keep it from spraying you with little pices of plastic, kind of like how safety glass (think your windshield) works. Using this method i have seriously saved myself and others watching, from pain.

Good luck, and be safe. Remember, use safety glasses and a thick coat and you will be fine even if it fails.

[JohnF]

You should make it fully automatic.. spin it like a Gatling gun.

You might think this is funny. Those who know me wouldn't be surprised. After having this conversation last night I had to reverse engineer Stonewall's design. Rate of fire seems his major goal. So I designed "in my head" a compressed air cannon that could beat his rate of fire with a single barrel. Then I modified it so that it could be a Gatling gun. I could build an air Gatling potato cannon.

Yes, I am a geek. My wife asked why I woke up so early this morning and I told her that my head is designing a potato cannon. She laughed.

[Stonewall]

You might think this is funny. Those who know me wouldn't be surprised. After having this conversation last night I had to reverse engineer Stonewall's design. Rate of fire seems his major goal. So I designed "in my head" a compressed air cannon that could beat his rate of fire with a single barrel. Then I modified it so that it could be a Gatling gun. I could build an air Gatling potato cannon.

Yes, I am a geek. My wife asked why I woke up so early this morning and I told her that my head is designing a potato cannon. She laughed.

When you finish this design, could you share it? I have been trying to figure out a gatling tater gun for a long time! I have a design for a semi auto one in my head, but I haven't started on that one yet. I think I'll try a gravity fed pump action first.

[JohnF]

I have finished the design and I did share it... with another enginerd here in the office. Got thumbs up on the design.

Tell me the criteria to our little competition. How far we want to shoot the potato will drive the rest of the design.

Starting with a single actioned barrel is the right step. The first step though is a simple gun to engineer the gun's reservoir size. We already know we will need two tanks. One relatively big one to charge the guns and one to fire the potato. We are working on the "fire the potato" tank. We need to know this. Mine is a breech loader, I'll give you that...

[Beeman]

And a hopper? It'd be nice to drop in a bag of potato's and let er rip!

[Stonewall]

And a hopper? It'd be nice to drop in a bag of potato's and let er rip!

That's kind of what I was thinking, but the taters would have to be pre-sized before going into the hopper.

[JohnF]

That's kind of what I was thinking, but the taters would have to be pre-sized before going into the hopper.

No they don't.

[In edit] but it is easier if we use tennis balls.

[Stonewall]

No they don't.

[In edit] but it is easier if we use tennis balls.

My idea requires pre cut taters, I don't happen to have alot of experience or a department of engineers at my disposal... Will tennis balls fit in 2" pipe?

I think the goal distance should be 150-200 yards, with the highest possible rate of fire.

[MarshallEpp]

Im a plumber and that much pressure in a pvc pipe scares the hell out of me and im no where near.and the ftg's you used are not pressure ftgs'.please be careful!!!!!

[JohnF]

My idea requires pre cut taters, I don't happen to have alot of experience or a department of engineers at my disposal... Will tennis balls fit in 2" pipe?

I think the goal distance should be 150-200 yards, with the highest possible rate of fire.

The tater cutter is way down the road. 150 or 200? (big difference! And I like your ambition. )

tennis balls ar 2.5 inch I think. I vote 150. Rate of fire is cool enough.

[Stonewall]

Well, taters are cheaper, so that's what I'll probably use. I think I see how a breech loading gun would work, and save a lot of space... My build will be slow though, because my dad wants me to finish my Hustler and get it out of his shop.

Since this is a pneumatic build-off, and not all air compressors are created equal, I think for fairness we should regulate our pressure to a max of 150 PSI, coming from 1 hose. Minimum metal parts should be used, and any custom machined parts should be machined out of plastic. They should be operable by one person without assistance. No more than 6 barrels.

Judging criteria should be something like distance (150 is sufficient), rate of fire, and reliability.

[Stonewall]

Im a plumber and that much pressure in a pvc pipe scares the hell out of me and im no where near.and the ftg's you used are not pressure ftgs'.please be careful!!!!!

I still don't understand why I can't use 150 PSI in PVC that's rated for 220 PSI. Could you or John elaborate on this for me?