Exploding Confetti Cannon

Here is a cool pyrotechnics gadget that explodes with a shower of confetti! Great for live concerts, parties, weddings, special events...you name it!

See it in action and the test results!

Step 1 What You Need...

1. A glow-plug which you can get HERE
2. Electrical Box with cover
3. Plumbing Extension Tube (12" X 1 1/4" in diameter)
4. Hobby Box
5. Momentary Switch
6. 2-AA Battery Holder
7. Epoxy
8. Rubber grommet & wire
9. Flash cotton, flash paper and Flame Resistant Confetti

Comments

[rotsenz]

You didn't show what did you do to the glow plug?

[Aron313]

That awesome! How high does the confetti shot if it was outside?

[searl2]

How would you make this wireless. Also, does this give off enough power to launch airsoft bb's

[robot797]

could you use other fuel's? with an exnicion chamber or something like that. we dont have magic shops in holland (or verry few)

[alex-sharetskiy]

if you use small amoints of pure alcohal, a couple drops, you can make it go boom!

[Derin]

or lighter fuel

[alex-sharetskiy]

i don't know about lighter fluid, it has a higher boiling point

[nabzaf]

just use coffee creamer it will blow some stuff up

[Mr. Squishy]

You made a confetti cannon/flamethrower. I want it without the flamethrower.

[psyteknology]

And air compressor kind of rig might be better suited for you. =)
Not sure how to go about that though. Definitely safer, personally I like alittle danger and am a pyro @ heart! hehe

[Ranie-K]

Would this work?

How about two PVC tubes (the biggest one capped, and the smaller one with a choke/small hole and a tack glued to the inside), one sliding inside the other; put a balloon (sausage shaped) inside the bottom of the bigger one, and a paper wad and confetti in the smaller one.

Put the smaller on top, compress the air in the balloon by pressing down the smaller tube, and as the balloon eventually protrudes into the smaller one, it will make it to a tack that will burst it, throwing confetti safely out the end of of the smaller tube

[Ranie-K]

Hm -I think the balloon would have to bre wrapped in a layer of thin paper, so it wouldn't get caught between the two pipes and burst too soon.

[briguy1]

Auch safer way to do this is to get an old paintball gun, the ones that use CO2 cartriges, use the trigger mechanism to "fire" THE COMPRESSED co2. No dangerous chemicals and no risk of burning your house down.

[smartrobot]

you can put air soft bb's in it

[H3xx]

and then hide it near the front door and rig the trigger to the doorbell. Nobody will ever come over to your house again!

[vandal1138]

any tips on how to make a much larger, shoulder launched version? I'm serious...

[UZI dude]

wow you can make a rocket launcher out of that thang!!

[sharlston]

maybe if you packed the confetti in tissue so it pops in the air cos i thought there was more of a flash then connfetti

[Berkin]

Haha, nice! I like it a lot... but isn't there a bit of a fire hazard involved?

[comodore]

Great job KIpkay, as allwais! I am not a big fan of confetti, they make a big deal of mess, but I like your project. You kinda re-did the fireball shooter, just bigger and with confetti... all in all a good job! rate:*****

[John Lewis]

Interesting. I make the same thing in small quantities but use potassium permanganate (Condys Crystals). Crush the crystals to powder and mix with the Al powder. Pretty potent so only mix small quantities. I used to wrap it in a twist of paper and then light the paper for a loud bang flash and puff of smoke.

[comodore]

Interesting. What is the actual difference between flash paper and paper, I mean I can see the difference and feel it but that makes flash paper flash paper? :) Thanks !

[John Lewis]

Flash paper is tissuepaper that has been treated with nitric acid. It becomes nitro cellulose. effectively gun cotton. I've the recipe and instructions in an old magic book here somewhere and I have made it once or twice. A fair bit of washing is involved aand it takes considerable time. It deteriorates if not done right. It's much easier to buy it from a magic shop.

[comodore]

Well, the problem is that there aren't any magic shops around here...and I don't know where else to look.... but never mind... I was just interested in the proses that takes to make some... I have seen gun cotton from Mythbusters and it looks like they dealth with some dangerous chemicals... :P

[John Lewis]

Yes concentrated nitric acid can be pretty nasty. Boiling for some hours in urea solution after washing to stabalise is also a pain. I buy mine by mail order. It comes wet in a sealed pack for safety. You need to dry it out before use.

[comodore]

Hmm, I think I will order a pack.... Can you give me the site from where you order yours??? Thank you!

[John Lewis]

I'm in Australia. Depends where you are. Should be a shop nearer you. Do a search on Magic shops in your area.
I buy from Taylors Magic Shop in Sydney , NewSouth Wales Australia.
Heres a link

http://www.taylorsmagicshop.com/

John Lewis

[comodore]

Oh I am in Europe, a bit far from you... :D Balcan peninsula to be precise...

[G.O. Bluth]

I like this. It looks cool, but it has Station Night Club fire written all over it. Be careful.

[thebluemartyr]

gotta say, not his best work. it looks like fun, but he really has let the ball drop on this one, its less for the common man (no one has flash paper or cotton!) and more just for showoff. Not a fan of this one, sorry kip.

[bart416]

Actually, it's not that hard to find flash paper. Find a store where they sell things to do magic tricks. They usually have it in store but you'll have to ask for it. But it's not cheap.

Flash/Gun Cotton is harder to acquire though. Making it yourself is easier than trying to find a place where you can buy it. Luckily there are instructables on it already: http://www.instructables.com/id/HOW-TO-MAKE-NITROCELLULOSE-A.K.A-GUNCOTTON/

[mg0930mg]

It made me think of an atatri controller. HAHA! Great Job!

[red-king]

thats what i thought it was when i looked at the picture. lol

[evanwehrer]

lol me too

[mman1506]

me three

[bwpatton1]

ME 4

[hot-fresh-rider]

x5 and I didn't even own an Atari !

[uberdum05]

Me 6 and I've never used an atari, I've just seen pics of them

[mman1506]

me ethier but i did se a recreation at costco once

[WorstScreenNameEver]

First of all, I think this is a very well done Instructable and a cool idea... That being said... I think it should be noted that fire codes make it illegal to do this indoors, not to mention dangerous. Fire-resistant confetti is a nice nod to the danger this thing poses, but as the video clearly shows, you also need to worry about a fire resistant ceiling. The Station night club fire in Rhode Island started in exactly this way and killed one hundred people. Use pneumatic confetti cannons if you want special effects at your wedding.