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How to Make a Mini Cannon from a BBQ Lighter

video How to Make a Mini Cannon from a BBQ Lighter

This is how to make a mini combustion cannon sized to fire airsoft pellets. The only materials required are a BBQ lighter, a few screws, epoxy or other strong glue, and a drill.

213 comments

1-40 of 213

Jun 9, 2011. 8:35 PMharry88 says:

what is the exat brand / exact model lighter

Jun 13, 2011. 6:48 PM

NightHawkInLight (author) says:

Sorry for the delay. I used a 'grill zone flexable lighter'

Apr 16, 2012. 6:39 PMAlpinepotato says:

What happends if you put the 2 bolts to close

Apr 12, 2012. 2:13 PMKL505420 says:

Ok. I have two questions. 1. How far does the gap have to be to create a powerful spark. 2. Examples of fuel it can be used. Thanks.

Mar 11, 2012. 9:08 AMweaponmaster1 says:

Go to this link now http://www.instructables.com/answers/Airsoft-gun-102/

Feb 22, 2012. 9:15 PMAirsoftgeek says:

First, can I use electric tape to cover the self-tapping screws and can I add the fuel from the barrel?

Feb 17, 2012. 4:30 PMgunner223 says:

is the screw at the back of the cannon air tight

Feb 17, 2012. 7:54 PM

NightHawkInLight (author) says:

Yes, for the most part. It might let a small amount through.

Feb 17, 2012. 10:26 PMgunner223 says:

thanks

Feb 6, 2012. 5:03 AMDARKBLAED says:

how powerful is the mini cannon?

Jan 24, 2012. 10:02 AMcarter5056 says:

I just tried this out, only I was able to put the cannon back into the lighter case, and extended the barrel so that it still looks like a lighter. Thought it would be a nice little gag to pull on some when they are trying to light a candle or what have you.

Jan 16, 2012. 5:47 PMNathair says:

Ok I'm srry to burst all ur little bubles but one contrary to watnighthawklight said adding oven a miner amount to much fluid nomatter what u use for fuel it could still blow up I know because my little brother was killed when one blow up in hi hand oh and I've taken these kinds of weapons of inmates at my prion that have been used to kill people and are illegal nomatter what they shoot

Dec 31, 2011. 2:54 PMFootball viking boy says:

fps?

Dec 31, 2011. 11:21 AMjbaker22 says:

DO you have tO register it as a firearm?

Dec 28, 2011. 7:26 AM

PotatoCoffee says:

No thats awsome!

Dec 28, 2011. 10:31 AM

NightHawkInLight (author) says:

Thanks! You might like my instructable shown here as well: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Ninja-Darts-for-the-Lighter-Mini-Canno/

Also, if you have a minute I would be very grateful for a vote for my instructable How to Make a Fire Wire in the Make it Glow contest!

Dec 28, 2011. 10:38 AM

PotatoCoffee says:

I've seen it.

Jun 24, 2011. 4:45 PMtato312 says:

Hey, im building this cannon but im using lighter fluid as the fuel for it.

The thing is that I cant get it to ignite. There's a spark and everything, but it just wont ignite. Ive tried using more fuel but still nothing happens.

But when I take the rear bolt out and light the cannon with another lighter.. BOOM!
A lot of fire

I dont know whats wrong... Can someone help?
Thanks

Dec 6, 2011. 9:27 PM

Goodhart says:

Sounds like the fuel / o₂ ratio is off....i.e. you need more air.

Nov 7, 2011. 3:50 PMcj8675 says:

are you using 91% rubbing alcohol

Oct 15, 2011. 4:20 PM

Pfarmkid says:

you might be adding to much gas it also it is a bit harder to make lighter fluid ignite unless its a steady stream of gas

Jun 29, 2011. 2:10 AMslipknot rules says:

Sounds like the fuel:air mixture is way too high try using less fuel :)

Jun 24, 2011. 10:57 PM

NightHawkInLight (author) says:

You can't use butane in this, the chamber is too small. If you add more than 3% of the volume of the chamber worth of butane it won't have enough air to ignite.

Nov 12, 2011. 7:06 PMstevenh429 says:

What physical store did you go to buy that exact lighter?

Nov 11, 2011. 8:27 AMairgunguy123 says:

seems cool but how far can it shoot and how fast.

Nov 4, 2011. 10:04 AMEverett_McKinley says:

awesome! I have to make one of these!

Oct 24, 2011. 12:21 PMshowe2 says:

COuld you hook up another lighter to fuel it, like take away the igniter and feed the tube in where the screw is?

Oct 22, 2011. 3:55 PMCocothewarior says:

I absolutely LOVE this, it's better than my airsoft gun lol.

Oct 12, 2011. 1:06 PMmrwaffles2 says:

How much fps is it?

Oct 11, 2011. 6:57 PM39otto says:

A word of advice, do not use a bic barbeque lighter, it has a completely diffrent layout and cannot be used.

Aug 28, 2011. 12:17 PMddang1 says:

Keep the butane... it works better than the alcohol.

Sep 27, 2011. 4:46 PMOrkekum says:

that might be, also it's harder to only get a smaller amount, and the explosion might be so strong that it can't take it, blow up in your hand

Sep 27, 2011. 5:24 PM

NightHawkInLight (author) says:

"the explosion might be so strong that it can't take it, blow up in your hand"

That's not true. If too much fuel is added it won't even burn. Adding too much fuel will only make the cannon less powerful, it will not make it explode.

Aug 24, 2011. 12:08 PMBron98 says:

Great job! I tried building one but the fuel tank in the lighter had three different chambers in it. So I had to use a pill bottle which is great too. But rubbing alcohol doesn't work in it. So I put hairspray on a cotton swab and rubbed it around in the bottle. I had to pull the trigger lots of times before it would shoot. It only shot two times for me that way and once for me when I sprayed hairspray in it. Now it doesn't even spark. What am i doing wrong?

Aug 24, 2011. 6:10 PMBron98 says:

I had put lots of hairspray ,rubbing alcohol , and deodorant in my cannon. Then after a couple hours without hardly thinking about it I picked it up and pulled the trigger. . . BOOM. . .lots of fire and it made a crack in the side of the bottle (it's a good thing I didn't have a BB in it or else it might have put a whole in the wall). JB weld fixed the crack in the bottle. Now it sparks a good spark but it still doesn't light with rubbing alcohol. What's the deal with it?

Aug 24, 2011. 7:17 PM

NightHawkInLight (author) says:

The deodorant may have had a volatile solvent that evaporated over that time. Not sure why alcohol isn't working for you except that you may be using too low a concentration or not enough/too much. Just stay away from the other things you tried though, you don't want an unknown chemical in there that may burn far too violently for it to be safe, such as you have already experienced.

Aug 24, 2011. 8:39 PMBron98 says:

K thanks for the reply. i'll see what works.

Aug 30, 2011. 12:09 PMBron98 says:

I figured out that I wasn't putting enough alcohol in but it still doesn't shoot every time. I don't think it's getting enough oxygen.

Aug 25, 2011. 3:36 PMpickle5 says:

how far does it shoot

Aug 16, 2011. 8:54 PMCh33se87 says:

Oh, You have to put it in the clear casing, I guess if you put it in both it make it have an unsafe muzzle flash.... Maybe. Would it work if you could spray the inside of the clear casing with rubbing alcohol?

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