Golf Ball Gun!!! How To Make One That Can Shoot 400+ yards!

New, better instructable:
http://www.instructables.com/id/GolfballAntennaNerf-Cannon---Build-One-That-Shoo/

New, better video:
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=pkejntZlQC0

Youtube Channel:
www.youtube.com/PerformanceCannons

This is my golfball gun, it features a 2" barrel sealing piston with 1.5" porting. The chamber is made from 2" Pressure Rated PVC pipe and the barrel is 1.5" PVC pipe. For more information go to:
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/viewtopic,p,100616.html#100616

Big Thanks to Nicholas Benigni, owner of SpudGunExtreme.com
You can find his website and spudgun products here:
http://www.spudgunextreme.com/

Note: In the video I am wearing safety glasses you just can't see me, the shot at the end without them is perfectly safe as I was only firing air.

I also have more then enough objects as a back stop to make certain the projectile doesn't go all the way.

One shot I am firing into the open, I was shooting a golfball 380m at a golf course that was closed due to weather 50m away.

You may need to use some Lube to help the piston slide easier:

http://www.amazon.com/Astroglide-Personal-Lubricant-Water-Based/dp/B000CLTYCW/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7975610-3340617?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1189202562&sr=8-1

Step 1 How it works:

1) Air is sent through the inlet valve, this pushes the piston(green) forward and sealing the barrel, the air leaks around the chamber and fills the chamber up.

2) Once the air is equalized all around the chamber and valve, the inlet valve is closed.

3) When you want to fire, you open the pilot valve and all the air behind the piston(pilot area) vents out this valve, since the pressure on the piston is un-equalized with more pressure at the front pushing it back, then pushing it forward the piston actuates.

4) The piston flies back at incredible speed and all the air goes out the barrel and launches the projectile.

That's how simple it is.

Comments

[TorturdChaos]

A friend and I built one similar to this - using a sprinkler valve as a trigger tho. For a piston we used a piece of exhaust pipe with 2 round plats welded to each end. Used some sheets of gasket and such to make seals and bumpers for the ends.
We setup a ballistics pendulum to try to get a reading on the speed of a golf ball and after breaking several of them we finally got something around 700ft/sec for a muzzle velocity. Our measuring whole setup was overly accurate, but I willing to say were in +/- 60ft/sec, which still puts that golf ball going really freaken fast (something like 400-500MPH)

[MrCrowley]

I would have used to think 700fps was impressive but then I started building hybrids and now I'm shooting golfballs at around 1600fps :D

Pneumatics can be fun but don't even come close in power and usually cost the same to build as a hybrid.

[danjo62]

how much psi would you pump it up to if you wanted the golfball to shoot 400 yards like you said?

[tomtortoise]

I was wondering what kind of can is the best for this like a specific brand or something. i was also wondering how much this costs about for a basic version?

[MrCrowley]

Depends. Just go to a store and try different brands. Things are different in NZ (where im from) compared to the USA.

Same thing goes for the pricing. Check out my other instructables for better ideas such as a different way to make a piston.

In America I would guess this would cost you about $100USD for a basic version.

[JamesTrick]

 I'm live in NZ and am just wondering what type of can you used. Or would a coke can work? 

[MrCrowley]

Not sure, do you mean the new V sized coke cans? Possibly. Though I no longer recommend using them. You get far better performance if you just make your piston from wood, cut an o-ring groove and water treat the wood so it doesn't expand from moisture.

I made this cannon when I was quite inexperienced and only about 14 or 15.
If you have a better idea for a piston, go ahead and use it. Just remember that the piston has to be a pretty damn good fit.

If you have a 1mm gap around the piston between the piston and the piston housing wall (what the piston goes inside), that equals about 160mm^2 of area. If your piston is 6cm long, that's about 960ml's or 960mm^3 of volume that the pilot valve has to get rid off. If your pilot volume is too small, this area could fill up with air faster than the pilot valve can get rid of it. Which means all your air goes out your pilot volume and your piston doesn't open.

Your piston should fit nicely (always use vaseline or some lubricant) and shouldn't be too difficult to moven with a few pounds of force. If you can turn the cannon verticle and piston moves without any pushing, it is probably too loose.

Let me know how your cannon goes, i'll be glad to help so you don't mess things up and waste hundreds of dollars like I did. Remember to always buy pressure rated pipe as well! I wrote this article here about identifying pressure rated pipe, I specifically wrote a part on NZ/Aus pipe:
http://www.spudfiles.com/spud_wiki/index.php?title=Pressure_rated

Goodluck.

[tomtortoise]

thanks. but also how do you attach the valves to the end cap on the back of the piston valve. i could use reducers to get it down to 1/2 inch but is there an easier way

[MrCrowley]

Check out my other instructable.

[audio8448]

can you buy the 1.5" sdr21 pvc pipe at home depot or lowes?

[clemsonguy1125]

 No

[MrCrowley]

Depends where you live. Some lucky people have found it at their local stores.

[clemsonguy1125]

 I can get mine locally but I have to go to a plumbers supply store, the have a giant scrap pile and sold me 8 feet for 75 cents

[MrCrowley]

no idea mate, we dont have them in NZ

[Musicman41]

I was trying to watch your animation, but I found it difficult to take in everything displayed.  It would be much better if you showed it in multiple pictures or had a button on the picture to advance the stages more slowly.  Just a suggestion. :)

[MrCrowley]

http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/piston-valves-explained-visually-t8157.html

[Musicman41]

Ah I see now.  That helps a lot!!  Thank You!

[knex luver123]

oops i said that in my friends login, he came over and we got on, he is cboyer123, so that was me.

[cboyer123]

no prob, now this was only at my local lowes, and your local lowes might not have the 1.5" sdr21 pvc piping, so dont get mad if it isn't there, but yes, only trustowes piping, my friend said his home depot one blew apart, so i built two of the same canoon (simple bal valve) with the same sch, and the home depot one blew up, and the lowes one owned, so i only trustlowes pipe.

[audio8448]

 thanks knex luver123! i have an air cannon that i should be able to make another barrel for using the sdr21 pipe

[knex luver123]

cuz iv dun it accesable with the deodereant one, and never needed yo acessit, and i think after 20 minutes i lose some air, and would like the maxikum amount of air for the bird removal.

[knex luver123]

oh and Mrcrowley, with the qwooden piston from your other cannon, do you still need the piston housing to be accessable?

[knex luver123]

audio8448, i foud it in my local lowes, and didn't really find what i wanted at all at home depot, and lowes piping is way better quality, if this will help at all.

[knex luver123]

i made it completily out of metal, and shoot it at 300 psi, and shot the ball, well i dont know, i never found the ball, but i am guessing around 600 yards. and then a custom (homemade lead slug) through 6 sheats of plywood!!!!!

[pablorox]

How much did This gun cost?

[bombmaker2]

those poor melons

[cowscankill]

im confused how this works. i wish you could make slightly better instructions, or more pictures of the inside.

it looks great, but i doubt i could make it right without better instructions. thats just how my brain works :/

[akatsuki666]

use his otyher instructable same thing just ignore the cartoon on the other one

[biggy smalls]

i agree as well, shallow and pedantic

[MrCrowley]

This was my first instructable and considering I had no construction pictures, just the final product, it was very difficult to write out so you could understand. Look at my other instructable, it's far better. They still lack detail because these are so easy to make I don't want 13 year old kids running around (or just using) cannons that can EASILY kill someone, when they have no clue to it's operation as they just followed step by step plans/ It's 'shallow and pedantic' for a reason, to save people. You guys just don't understand and i'm glad you don't as I wouldn' trust someone withone who doesn't know how to build it.

[GBG77]

Where can u find all of the materials????

[Speedmite]

STEREOTYPER!!!!! I have never shot anyone with anything remotely dangerous excluding myself.

[biggy smalls]

that was a reference to "family guy". but the point was that this instructable is not as easy to understand as the new one.

[akatsuki666]

no offence but this explains it much much better than ur other 1

[Colonel88]

I agree. The instructable is not so good, but the result is awesome. maybe better illustrations?

[aflacgoose]

Amazing design!

[Speedmite]

I read more and more of the comments, and I am shocked at gullible some people are. I am pretty sure this isnt the best instructions, no offense, and it might not be as good as MrCrowly's when you make it. Compare it to other thing in books and other sites to find the one to build that is right for you.

There are pneumatic and combustion cannons. Pneumatic cannons are safer and work up to 80 psi with my cannon. stronger PBC= more psi like 140. There are piston (like this one) and a much simpler valve one which there is no piston and one larger ball valve. I like the simple valve. and pneumatic.
Combustion are weaker at 15-30 psi, make a large boom and fire, and are more varied and simpler.

pneumatic is air pressure

[coolpizzadude]

Will paint eat any chemicals in the pvc.

[Speedmite]

PBC isn't styrafoam. Big difference.

[MrCrowley]

No.