Potato Guns
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 846
Likes: 2
From: Bakersfield Ca.
Potato Guns
Where I used to work in a boiler shop, we made a few acteyline cannons. We also use to launch aerosol spray cans into the air like a rocket. They would go so high you would loose sight of them. Homemade things that shoot, or go ka-boom! It must be a guy thing.:P
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,964
Likes: 1
From: Woodruff, SC
Potato Guns
>Hey bud, I like to have fun with things that go bang. I
>just think that this is a very dangerous toy. Try stuffing
>a rabbit hole in a cliff full of dynomite and then shooting
>at the charge with a 30-06. You'll know when you hit it
>
Yes, I like things that go bang.
Now you talking!
Wiz
[link:www.clubfte.com/users/thewiz427/index.html|"Wiz's Place"]
>just think that this is a very dangerous toy. Try stuffing
>a rabbit hole in a cliff full of dynomite and then shooting
>at the charge with a 30-06. You'll know when you hit it
>
Yes, I like things that go bang. Now you talking!
Wiz
[link:www.clubfte.com/users/thewiz427/index.html|"Wiz's Place"]
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 839
Likes: 0
From: Brooklyn
Potato Guns
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 15-Nov-02 AT 11:38 AM (EST)]I owned one of these devices for a short period of time. It was made from PVC, probably 3". It was glued to a "Y" and the both end of the Y were capped. The lower end had a igniter from a gas grill installed. The upper end screwed off for the shot of hair spray. We muzzle loaded it with a poatato and fired the sucker after igniting the hair spray with the igniter. It was'nt too loud but sent that spud flying.
We picked off squirrels from the bare trees. Knocked them for a loop!
BTW: the law does consider them weapons!
We picked off squirrels from the bare trees. Knocked them for a loop!
BTW: the law does consider them weapons!
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Potato Guns
Mine is U shaped, it has a 4 inch pvc chamber with a 1.5" barrel. Imine is pnuematic, I put a valve right between the 2 elbow joints, and then i put a pressure guage and a tire valve on the top to fill it with air i go til i get about 110 psi then i crack that valve wide open and watch whatever i put in it fly, it works a lot better than any of the explosive ones i have made.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Potato Guns
>If you wad up a bit of wet newspaper and put it in the
>barrel first, you can get one of these things to shoot
>almost anything.... great for making an 1/8 mile cast when
>your fishing, or blasting partridge guts at your friend in
>his Toyota when your hunting....
Nice visual...
Good stuff, lots of good ideas. I like the gun that can be disassembled and barrels interchanged, that is good. I hadn't thought about using an air compressor either, my gun was just loosely based off one I had seen before. Sounds like it would work good though, but no big bang. Dad's air compressor puts out 175 psi, if 110 is good then 175 must be better.
May have to build myself one of these. Don't think I can afford one of those punkin chunkin contraptions though, heck, I couldn't afford the semi needed to transport it :-staun Very cool though, in a Tim Allen kind of way.Next up...compressed air gun!
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Potato Guns
>Gee Ranger don't be a party pooper just havin a little
>fun.Talk about blast anybody use blackpowder?
Oh yeah, it's all fun and games til someone gets an eye put out.
We made ours from tennis ball cans; cut the bottoms out of all but the last and duct taped four or five together. Fuel was lighter fluid or sometimes hair spray, cram a spud into the top and touch a match to a nail hole punched about 1/3 the way up.
We are talking some high speed engineering here.
>fun.Talk about blast anybody use blackpowder?
Oh yeah, it's all fun and games til someone gets an eye put out.
We made ours from tennis ball cans; cut the bottoms out of all but the last and duct taped four or five together. Fuel was lighter fluid or sometimes hair spray, cram a spud into the top and touch a match to a nail hole punched about 1/3 the way up.
We are talking some high speed engineering here. 
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 1
From: inver grove heights MN
Potato Guns
ive known people who had them blow up on them. its all fun and games yet. so i wrap mine extra tight with duct-tape.
mine has a smaller chamber so itll only send a potato 250-300 yards. thats all i care for. on a few occasions the spuds came out so fast it sounded like my 12 guage shotgun
i use aqua-net and a gas grill push button igniter.
the cops were in my house one time for a "disturbance" ( party )
they saw the spud gun but never raised a fuss about it. i live in Minnesota.
BuiltToughF250
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 465
Likes: 1
From: Tower MN, Houghton MI
Potato Guns
hahaha.. I know guy that would fill up inertubes with actelyne.. float them out on the lake and shoot them with a deer rifle.. kkkaaabbboooom!!!!
as said above.. maybe its a minnesota thing
as said above.. maybe its a minnesota thing
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,964
Likes: 1
From: Woodruff, SC
Potato Guns
>hahaha.. I know guy that would fill up inertubes with
>actelyne.. float them out on the lake and shoot them with a
>deer rifle.. kkkaaabbboooom!!!!
>
>as said above.. maybe its a minnesota thing
We do that with punching ballons here in Fla! They can get so loud sometimes the Air Force investigates especialy since i'm about a mile from the base.
Wiz
[link:www.clubfte.com/users/thewiz427/index.html|"Wiz's Place"]
>actelyne.. float them out on the lake and shoot them with a
>deer rifle.. kkkaaabbboooom!!!!
>
>as said above.. maybe its a minnesota thing
We do that with punching ballons here in Fla! They can get so loud sometimes the Air Force investigates especialy since i'm about a mile from the base.
Wiz
[link:www.clubfte.com/users/thewiz427/index.html|"Wiz's Place"]
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
From: outside of HoustonTX
Potato Guns
>would raise the flag and then shoot a tennis ball over the
>Production department's office. Man those Production guys
>hated that! LOL!
Soak the tennis ball in lighter fluid first. Makes a lovely flaming fireball.
Just be sure you're shooting into water or the fire marshall will come looking for you! 
>Production department's office. Man those Production guys
>hated that! LOL!
Soak the tennis ball in lighter fluid first. Makes a lovely flaming fireball.
Just be sure you're shooting into water or the fire marshall will come looking for you! 
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,821
Likes: 19
From: South Dakota
Potato Guns
I just built my first tater gun, I kinda followed this link, but my barrel lenght and chamber is a tad bit bigger.
And I also made 1 1/2" and 2" interchange able barrels.
http://www.mshamash.com/spud/
And I also made 1 1/2" and 2" interchange able barrels.
http://www.mshamash.com/spud/
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 325
Likes: 0
From: mt. shasta california
Potato Guns
Ooh! I have two. Both ABS 4inch diameter chamber. 1st gun has a 13 inch chamber to a 5 foot barrel which is 2 inches in diameter. Second one has a 18 inch chamber with a 4.5 foot barrel that is 2 inches in diameter. For fuel i use right guard with some ether. I got my igniters off of old barbecues at the dump. The 5 footer will launch a potato 300 yards and more. We like to freeze the potatoes after they have been cut to shape and then add aerodynamics by making them bullet shaped. Great fun!
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,987
Likes: 7
From: Memphis, TN
Potato Guns
I've made several for myself & friends; all the same design:
3'4"-long chamber, 4"-to-2" reducer, 5'-long barrel. The back of the chamber has a screw-off cap with a rod drilled thru as a handle in case it jams; the reducer has 3 2" drywall screws to stop the potato from falling into the chamber, and the end of the barrel is chamfered to shave the potato down to the proper caliber automatically. I like the pushbutton igniters, but I've sometimes used flint lantern igniters. We experimented with AquaNet, but always came back to starting fluid - the smaller the squirt, the better! 
I found that golf ***** wrapped in carpet foam make great subcaliber rounds... 
3'4"-long chamber, 4"-to-2" reducer, 5'-long barrel. The back of the chamber has a screw-off cap with a rod drilled thru as a handle in case it jams; the reducer has 3 2" drywall screws to stop the potato from falling into the chamber, and the end of the barrel is chamfered to shave the potato down to the proper caliber automatically.
I like the pushbutton igniters, but I've sometimes used flint lantern igniters. We experimented with AquaNet, but always came back to starting fluid - the smaller the squirt, the better! I found that golf ***** wrapped in carpet foam make great subcaliber rounds...
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,821
Likes: 19
From: South Dakota
Potato Guns
hey I got a idea,
how about all of us FTE'ers round up all our tater guns and form the first TATER militia or something to that effect, and go over to Iraq and take care of business.
This way we can take care of business and not have to worry about the leftists worrying about our use of "guns", all we have to do is tell them we were planting potatoes! Mind you, we don't have to tell them where we're going to plant them if you get my drift!.
how about all of us FTE'ers round up all our tater guns and form the first TATER militia or something to that effect, and go over to Iraq and take care of business.
This way we can take care of business and not have to worry about the leftists worrying about our use of "guns", all we have to do is tell them we were planting potatoes! Mind you, we don't have to tell them where we're going to plant them if you get my drift!.