T-shirt Cannon

Everybody has wanted to build a B.F.G. This time it was my turn, so i built a T-shirt cannon to blow the minds of crazed fans and students

Step 1: Research

for my cannon I would like to use it at rallys and school football games so it had to:

-shoot multiple shirts on one charge

-have enough power to project the shirts a good distance

-be reasonably priced and portable

so after a bit of research i found this video

It had everything i needed, so instead of buying his modestly priced gun of $560 dollars, I set out to build my own for less than $100.

Step 2: Parts List

WORD OF WARNING! MAKE SURE YOU DRY FIT ALL OF YOUR PARTS BEFORE LEAVING THE HARDWARE STORE! SAVES TONS OF TIME. I AM IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE IF YOU HURT YOURSELF!!

Tanks:
- 4" diameter PVC 2 foot length
- 3" diameter PVC 2 feet total cut into foot long sections
- 4" PVC caps x2
- 3" PVC cap

next set of parts is to reduce from 3" to 1". if you find a cheaper way ignore my parts list
- 3"coupler x2
- 3" to 1.25" reducer x2
- 1.25" to 1" recucer x2
- foot length of 1" PVC
- 1" slip to 1" threaded adapter x2

Plumbing:
- 1" sprinkler valve
- foot length of 1/4" hose (get one that is properly rated)
- 1/4" hose adapter (hose barb) to 1/8" threaded x2
- 1/8" nipple x2
- 1/8" elbow
- 1/8" valve
- small hose clamp x2
- Teflon tape
- bike pump valve (can be replaced with a air compressor adapter)
- Epoxy
- PSI gauge

Tools:
- Drill
- various drill bits
- PVC cement and primer
- Popsicle stick
- Duct tape (optional)

Step 3: Drilling and Epoxy

1. Take one of the 4" caps and drill a hole just big enough to insert the bike valve
2. take the other 4" cap and drill a hole that is just big enough to screw in a nipple
(screw the nipple into the elbow to make it easier to screw into the PVC, use Teflon tape)
3. take the 3" cap and drill a hole that is just big enough to screw in the hose adapter
3. once they are inserted add epoxy to the inside to seal any un-seen leaks
4. once dried do the same to the outside

Step 4: Firing Tank and Barrel

1. take the 1' section of the 3" diameter PVC and solvent weld the coupler to the pipe
2. solvent weld the 3" to 1.25" reducer to the coupler
3. solvent weld the 1.25" to 1" reducer to the other reducer
4. cut about a 5" section of the 1" pipe and solvent weld it to the reducer
5. solvent weld the 1" slip to 1" threaded adapter to the 1" diameter pipe

repeat twice

1. choose which one you want to be the barrel and which to be the firing tank
(as a personal preference I chose to cut the tank a couple inches so that the bulk length would be about a foot)
2. the barrel is done, take your firing tank and drill a hole for the PSI gauge, use the same technique for the nipple and adapter, screw in and epoxy
(measure out were it will be so that the gauge is on the appropriate side of the gun by screwing the firing tank into the valve)
3. once the epoxy has set, solvent weld the 3" cap to the firing tank

Step 5: Main Tank

1. Solvent weld the 4" caps to the 4" pipe
DONE

Step 6: Firing Mechanism

there are two ways to fire your gun you can use the electrical solenoid built into the valve or use the technique displayed by crispyjones

I will provide instructions for the electrical side
parts:
- 9V battery clip x3
- 9V battery x3
- shrink tubing
- wire
- switches, one that stays on and one that is momentary
Assembly:
- solder according to the diagram
- position the switches on the gun so that it is most comfortable for you
- use epoxy or glue to secure the buttons

Step 7: Plumbing

1. screw the barrel and firing tank into the sprinkler valve, use Teflon tape on the threading
2. complete the valve assembly by screwing the other nipple to the elbow, the valve to the nipple, and the hose adapter to the valve, use Teflon tape.
3. insert the hose onto the adapters, tighten using the hose clamps.

Step 8: Attaching the Two Halfs

you can use what ever you want, I used what i had on hand DUCT TAPE!!!

Step 9: DONE!!!

To check for air leaks fill the main tank with compressed air via bike pump or compressor. Seal any leaks with epoxy.

also the barrel can be screwed off to change the size and shoot other projectiles such a s potatoes, golf balls, tennis balls ect.

For shooting t-shirts I load the main tank with 100 PSI and then fill the firing tank with 40 PSI and this seems to work fine for me and can get about 6 shots in one fill.

NOW GO ENJOYING SHOOTING STUFF!!!!!

Comments

[aschurger]

Wanted to say thanks for the instructable. I'm a physics teacher and we used this to launch eggs instead of the tired egg drop experiment. Kids loved it and it was a success.

[hacker3455]

Projectiles, the perfect way to captivate physics students

[CaptainAwwsum]

Absolutely fantastic. A couple of friends of mine own a minor league basketball team and mentioned a t-shirt cannon. So in the same spirit of this post, I offered to build one. I took the plans here and added a toy gun handle with a safety and trigger switch. Overall build time was about four hours not including cure time. So far it's been shot over 100 times (including a snowball fight) and is still going strong.

[hacker3455]

Glad to hear you like the design!

[HIRULE]

quick question did you do any math in order to build this gun. im having a bet with my friend

[hacker3455]

What do you mean by math?

[rocketman217]

I think he means calculations

[distortyourPOV]

How far does everyone else's shoot? Mine only shoots about 20 meters.

[ilpug]

Very nice! i might modify this whole system and mount it on something for some kind of airsoft monster gun.

[ftball999]

I am currently building a nerf gun using that sprinkler valve, I am assuming that I will need multiple batteries but what is the purpose of the two switches? Thanks,

[hacker3455]

the non-momentary switch acts as a safety, therefore if it is not in the on position, the gun cannot be fired

[ftball999]

Ah, thanks. I will be adding a second switch to my gun for that!

[Pizzapie500]

What if my sprinkler valve runs on AC?

[hacker3455]

Have you tried applying a DC current to the valve? If you still don't hear the clicking sound of the solenoid, look online for a DC to AC circuit design, thats all I can really suggest. Or find a valve that runs on DC.

[Pizzapie500]

Thank You! It runs perfectly on DC. I will probably do this on my anti siphon valve. 5*

[knex_mepalm]

You might wanna make a hopper and tell everyone to looka t you then shoot them rapidly with t-shirts.

[waterboyf5]

you should so add a rotating chamber to it so you can load 6 at once.. but there might be a problem when you need to keep all the air centralized

[hacker3455]

If I were to add a rotating barrel system I would keep the initial design but just unscrew the firing barrel and replace it with the multi-barrel attachment

[waterboyf5]

that actually sounds a bit simpler than what i was going for. i just figured you could add a rotating chamber as a quick click on attachment but if your going for a permanent solution you should probably go with the rotating barrel system

[waterboyf5]

idea on that. if you add it at the end to where the shirt just drops into the chamber wouldn't it work? although in the building process you would have to add a full circular backing to it so it doesn't just drop to the ground

[hacker3455]

I would actually prefer the rotating barrel idea because you can get a much tighter seal around the shirt than if it is able to slide down. But then again you could load the gun with bolt action and probably get just as tight of a seal from the shirt ruffling up

[waterboyf5]

well what i was figuring is make the barrels just big enough to easily slide the shirt in and have a backing to it so it will not fall out. that way you would keep your original setup and original seal and yet have a way to load a couple at a time. although you would also have to make a mechanism that times the rotation of the chamber

[qazwsx755]

Awesome t-shirt cannon. But your sprinkler valve should be running at 24vac not 27vdc you are most likley going to burnout your valve that way.

[hacker3455]

That was always one one of my concerns but the fact that I'm not constantly supplying voltage to solenoid should prolong its "life expectancy".

[omgiri]

you should so add a rotating chamber to it so you can load 6 at once.. but there might be a problem when you need to keep all the air centralized and the good...

[Delta25]

lolwut!

[spnw85]

what is the purpose of the valve on the back of the gun? great design by the way!

[hacker3455]

 The purpose of the 2nd valve is to recharge the firing tank after each shot. This eliminates the need to reattach and re-pressurize after each shot.

[arthur92710]

Where did you get the reducer from?

[hacker3455]

 All of my PVC parts i bought from OSH, you could probably find them somewhere else such as Lowe's or Home Depot.

[evilperson9014]

 How far can u shoot a tshirt at 40 psi in the fireing tank?

[hacker3455]

 there are several variables that affect the outcome but i say that i can get about 100 feet.

[force9000]

 How much did this cost?

[hacker3455]

 i don't have an exact number but it was between $80-$90 and there is a lot of places where money can be saved

[kumaRAWR]

Is it possible to have the air compressOr on your back (like a backpack) and have the barrel be attatched to it by a hose?

[hacker3455]

yes you can, the easiest way i can think of is to create 2 main barrels and strap them to your back and have the 2 hoses come to a "T" joint and from there to the firing barrel. Therefore doubling your air capacity.  

[Willard2.0]

Thats an awesome idea, I just might have to try that.

Willard

[Willard2.0]

Great Idea, however i would like to offer some advice to put in your instructable: Before you fill the tank up with compressed air, you should fill it nearly full of water and then pressurize it. This is to test for leaks without the potential for an explosion. Water does not have want to expand under pressure, and therefore will not explode if there is a leak, it will just squirt out. I love the idea and I have built one that fires tennis balls and I love it. I had a end cap blow off on me when I pumped up to 85PSI(really deafening) so that is why I made the suggestion.

[hacker3455]

thanks for the suggestion, I should do that to find those pesky leaks that always seem to appear

[Willard2.0]

Your welcome!