lemmiwinks Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 A snow cannon, really, capable of firing snowballs great distances. The initial plan was to use a potato launcher, but I want to be able to fire snowballs without fear of shards of PVC or something coming out as well. All I could find online were snow makers and some gay snowchucker that works like a sling. So, I bring my problem to the forum of hookahs, which has no real relevance to this subject except for the fact that the window was open on my computer. My next idea was maybe using CO2 and a paintball regulator, my main fears with this being how the CO2 would fare in cold weather and whether it would have the power to send a snowball any considerable distance, not to mention whether the air would just go around the snowball, assuming I don't have a perfect seal and a very well packed snowball. And I guess the PVC exploding could be a problem.So really, I'm just brainstorming, and I could use some help. NOW! (please) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokingDjinn Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Cool idea but you posted it in the wrong forum. Potato gun won't work, will probably melt and destroy the snow ball. Sling would probably be the best, or some type of catapault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foos Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 This is probably more relevant in the general discussion but my opinion would be that any kind of compressed air would destroy the snow ball. I think the only sound devise would be some sort of catapult or trebuche (awful spelling I know). That way there is no sudden force applied to the snowball but instead a gradual one, reducing the risk of breakage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmiwinks Posted December 17, 2007 Author Share Posted December 17, 2007 (edited) Ah my bad, meant to post this in the general chit chat... Mods if you could please move it?Yeah I thought of using one of those water balloon slingshots but I'm kind of looking for more of a gun/cannon type of thing than a sling. And a catapult would really only be cool if I could send snowman size snowballs throughout the neighborhood.I think maybe if the snowball was packed tightly enough, or maybe if I just packed more of a snow cylinder, it could withstand the pressure long enough, but I don't really know. Another thing I was thinking of was some kind of firing cap, like between the propellant and the snowball, but then there's the obvious problem of where it goes after the snowball is launched.Edit: Actually now that I think of it a foam cylinder the same diameter as the tube could work really well, if it could take the pressure. Maybe if I just made it thick enough... Think it would work? Edited December 17, 2007 by lemmiwinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternalSoil Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 make a pneumatic (air powered) potato cannon and just make sure you pack it well! an air compressor is needed to fire faster.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineout Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 get thick PVC and an air compressor or a CO2 tank and make an air cannon, but i say make something to pack back towards the rear of it then drop the snowball in so that as soon as it hits free air, the styrofoam will fall off but the snowball will keep going. I have plans for one around here somewhere ill see if i can find it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybersist Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 (edited) I've been thinking of doing the same thing, a shorty hand-cannon type thing. I was going to do the potato gun design with a buffer/wadding between the well-packed snowball and the ignition chamber. Styrofoam, cardboard, and a metal disk with a stopper at the end (to keep the metal disk inside the tube after launch) have all been ideas. EDIT: I had a nice little sketch using my keyboard keys, but that didnt work Edited December 18, 2007 by Cybersist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldog_916 Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Make a tight snowball and rub it with your bare hands then stick it in the freezer. The trebruche is your most likely candidate. It is simple and straight forward. Counter-weight, launch arm. Nothing to it at all. Fashion an A-frame with 3 cross supports. You can find weights ANYWHERE. A simple 4x4 at about 7 feet long will make a stellar launch arm. Then use thin anchor rope or water skiing rope as your launch rope. Simple soft rubber at about a foot by 8 inches will be the cradle of the snowball. Fashion a quick release and you're set to go. WAR SNOWBALLS!Note: Using surgical rubber slingshot design will accelerate the snowball too fast, making it break apart at the release. The trebruche will accelerate it at a slower rate, making it stay together better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmiwinks Posted December 18, 2007 Author Share Posted December 18, 2007 (edited) Quick update, after doing a bunch of research I decided to go with a pneumatic air cannon for safety and whatnot, now I gotta work on building this baby. As before if anyone has suggestions for projectiles, building, etc. let me know, otherwise I'll update this after I get some results (assuming my ass doesn't get lazy...). Edited December 18, 2007 by lemmiwinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 QUOTE (Cybersist @ Dec 17 2007, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've been thinking of doing the same thing, a shorty hand-cannon type thing. I was going to do the potato gun design with a buffer/wadding between the well-packed snowball and the ignition chamber. Styrofoam, cardboard, and a metal disk with a stopper at the end (to keep the metal disk inside the tube after launch) have all been ideas. EDIT: I had a nice little sketch using my keyboard keys, but that didnt work How about a sabot? Use a plastic cup or container to seal up the chamber and then put the snowball into the cup. Make it loose enough so the the cup/tub will drop away and the snowball will continue on.We've fired handfulls of dogfood, grapes (grape shot anyone?), and painballs out of my old spud gun using slightly damp newspaper for wadding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicayotte Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 potato launcher will work, just do as the mush master said and put something behind it first like a real bullet(casing) Such as a damp newspaper, a Styrofoam piece cut to the diameter or a hookah base Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff_T Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 You definitely need to post some pics and preferably a video of this monster in use, maybe toward middle school/high school kids getting off a bus. You know they deserve it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoalition Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 perhaps if you had a piston type deal inside driven by the air compressor is would block the air from destroying the snowball but also force the ball out. plus it seems you could scoop snow and it would get half packed by the force of the piston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmiwinks Posted December 18, 2007 Author Share Posted December 18, 2007 QUOTE (mushrat @ Dec 18 2007, 11:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Cybersist @ Dec 17 2007, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've been thinking of doing the same thing, a shorty hand-cannon type thing. I was going to do the potato gun design with a buffer/wadding between the well-packed snowball and the ignition chamber. Styrofoam, cardboard, and a metal disk with a stopper at the end (to keep the metal disk inside the tube after launch) have all been ideas. EDIT: I had a nice little sketch using my keyboard keys, but that didnt work How about a sabot? Use a plastic cup or container to seal up the chamber and then put the snowball into the cup. Make it loose enough so the the cup/tub will drop away and the snowball will continue on.We've fired handfulls of dogfood, grapes (grape shot anyone?), and painballs out of my old spud gun using slightly damp newspaper for wadding.Good plan, now I've just gotta build the thing. I'm psyched for this, going to Menards today. QUOTE (Jeff_T @ Dec 18 2007, 03:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You definitely need to post some pics and preferably a video of this monster in use, maybe toward middle school/high school kids getting off a bus. You know they deserve it...lol. As funny as that would be and a s much as they deserve it, I don't want to get arrested/lose my cannon after I spend good time and money on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybersist Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 QUOTE (mushrat @ Dec 18 2007, 12:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Cybersist @ Dec 17 2007, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've been thinking of doing the same thing, a shorty hand-cannon type thing. I was going to do the potato gun design with a buffer/wadding between the well-packed snowball and the ignition chamber. Styrofoam, cardboard, and a metal disk with a stopper at the end (to keep the metal disk inside the tube after launch) have all been ideas. EDIT: I had a nice little sketch using my keyboard keys, but that didnt work How about a sabot? Use a plastic cup or container to seal up the chamber and then put the snowball into the cup. Make it loose enough so the the cup/tub will drop away and the snowball will continue on.We've fired handfulls of dogfood, grapes (grape shot anyone?), and painballs out of my old spud gun using slightly damp newspaper for wadding.That work work well, and it would be less work. Solo cups, anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternalSoil Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 use a sprinkler valve with a solenoid for the valve. grab a 9v battery, a little case for it and a switch. works great. launched potatos up about 100 yeards and no clue how far at only 90psi. just make sure you get schedule 40 or better. the safe psi rating is on the side of the pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmiwinks Posted December 20, 2007 Author Share Posted December 20, 2007 Yeah I'm actually getting a modded sprinkler valve off BCARMS, this way I can manually open the valves as I'd like it to be mechanical plus it's supposed to open faster than the electric, so good stuff. This is gonna be so much fun, I'm going to Menards right now, and turns out I'm actually building two (Christmas present for my brother). I'll put pictures up when I'm done, video if I can. Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danvm Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 woo hoo, signing up to make one post....Came across this on google. just like to share my experience. i have a rather large combustion gun. 4" x 12" Chamber and 5 feet of 2" barrel all ABS, electronic ignition. What i do is take a chunk of leftover barrel material or same sized object and start packing snow in from one or both ends and compressing it into the tube until i cant get anymore in there. then i slide it out of the piece of barrel stock and cut a 3-4 inch long piece off, slide it down the barrel of my launcher and fill with my fuel of choice (aerosol right guard deodorant in the brown can is the best aerosol fuel, bar none, burns fast and doesn't gunk up the chamber.) the snow slugs i make hold up amazingly well and have a distance and report comparable to an actual spud.Hope this helps someone, Happy spudding! (or rather snowballing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybersist Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 ^^^ thats interesting.... sounds like a good method Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmiwinks Posted December 29, 2007 Author Share Posted December 29, 2007 (edited) Yeah, sounds like a damn good idea, thanks. I'll have to try it, all I need is two brass fittings for my gauge now and I'm done! (My dumb ass bought the wrong size gauge... Though in my defense the stupid package says the hole is supposed to be 1/4" NPT even though it's clearly not... grrrr)Edit: so i'm finished, it's damn sexy of course. Probblem is I can't see where the shit I shoot goes in the dark, I just lost a foam ball for I assume forever. I'll shoot it during the day tomorrow, and takee pics if anyone is interested. by the way if anyone wants to build one of these i'm pretty much pro now (at least when i haven't been playing beer pong (i won the tournament bitch) so just ask me) thanks all for the help, hopefully post pics manana! Edited December 30, 2007 by lemmiwinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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