Tennis Ball Mortar

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The tennis ball mortar is a great project for many reasons: all the materials are cheap and readily available, its construction is extremely simple, and it gives off a nice loud *pop* which the video doesn't do justice.

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Quick and dirty explanation on how it works: The mortar is composed of three sections of Pringles cans duct taped together. The metal bottoms of the top two cans are cut to form baffles, which will focus the force of the expanding hot gas created by the burnt vaporized naptha, onto the center of the tennis ball. Thanks to the near exact match in diameter of the ball and can, the force of the compressed gases is trapped behind the tennis ball for the whole length of the top can.

As you can probably guess this design has room for improvements. For example, if the length of the top can were extended, the ball would have a longer time to accelerate and thus achieve a faster speed, but at what point does the downward air pressure on the ball overpower the structural integrity of cardboard and duct tape? How does increasing the volume of the cans affect overall performance? What effect would adding a few more baffled cans have? I'm sure the answer is only a simple math problem or two away, but you look bored and like your enjoying a few too many fingers. (More after the video)



Today (June 1st) I am beginning a contest (Shhh! Its not an official contest so don't tell my bosses Eric and Christy) to see who can come up with the best tennis ball mortar design. No one characteristic defines "best", it is a combination of performance, creativity, adn 1's aBiLiTy 2 not tlak LIEK Dis!!!1!1 I am judge and jury of this contest, and my decision is final.

How to enter: Join the group Tennis Ball Mortars (Its moderated) If you feel your design is truly innovative, and that you are making great advances in the field of tennis ball mortarology, write a new instructable and post it in the group. If you just have some pictures, or if the only difference between your mortar and someone else's is the color of the duct tape, post it in the forums, and then add it to the group.

Now for the good part *THE PRIZE*. I'm sure your dieing to know what sacrificing several fingers, gaining numerous pounds, and clogging all your arteries will win? ::Drum roll:: The ULTIMATE SUPER GRAND PRIZE is ...
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...
a cookie, thats right you win a cookie (Specifically: (1) Entenmann's chocolate chip cookie mailed in plain white envelope to any address in the world ( Its internationally delicious!! )). I know what your thinking "Damn Tetranitrate you cheapskate, even Fred, the guy who sits in his van by the playground is more generous with sweets then you", to which all I reply is "After all those Pringles you don't need anymore junk food, and you should probably tell a trusted adult about Fred."

**DISCLAIMER: By entering this contest, thinking about entering this contest, or even just reading this, you retain all liability should you happen to blow up or injure yourself in an attempt to build this.

(edit: I ate the cookie)

Step 1 Materials

1. (3) Pringles Cans
2. Duct tape
3. Lighter fluid
4. Tennis balls (edit: or aerosol hairspray)

(Told you it was simple)

Comments

[dylancotton]

If you duct tape it horizontally to a skateboard, would it move the skateboard?

[LittleBigMikey]

Is it possible to use a PVC Pipe ?
:D

[Everett_McKinley]

I want to use it for airsoft and I wanted to know if anyone knows how to make the tennis balls explode and shoot BBS everywhere.
Any ideas?

[poikilotherm]

Maybe put a small explosive in the center of the tennis ball, and fill it with BBs. Then leave the fuse to the explosive trailing out of a hole in the tennis ball, and launch it from the mortar with the fuse on the back of the tennis ball so the action of firing it lights the fuse.

[explosivesroxdawrld]

just wrap the BBs in aluminium foil or place a paper ball underneath it

[anguil13]

what i did was put a hole in the tennis ball with a drill and add a fire cracker...filled it with bbs....but you need to take a knife and cut make the tennis ball a little thinner by cutting some of the stuff off it....also try other things that the fire cracker will explode easier like a ping pong ball with weights or something

[xs0skill3dx]

how many shots will the mortar last for? and if i were to make one out of the metal tube that the tennis balls come in ( i think its made of a similar, but thicker material as the bottom of a pringles can, aluminum or whatever) how many shots would that last for?

[Everett_McKinley]

the original one lasts about 5-6 shots depending on what you use as fuel

[dtc-joey]

can it whit 2 cans???

[skipster2]

yes you can put a hole in the top can

[Achan20]

hmm. slight modification and it could shoot golf balls......

[ElQuirko]

Can you ditch the pringles and just use PVC piping?

[Doctor Someone]

 i tried making one with pvc, 2.5" is too small, and 3" is too big for tennis balls 

[M4industries]

There is a spudgun site that sells 2.75" pvc. It's somewhat expensive, but the piping can be used for pneumatic tennis ball cannons as well as combustion.

[ElQuirko]

Pringles work fine, but now I need a more explosive fuel. Hair spray is just not enough. Maybe hairspray and methylated spirits...?

[TXTCLA55]

I prefer my spud gun ;)

[thedog458]

hey really good Instructable. now this is gona be a really dumb question but do u have to use the lighter fluid?(coz where I live they don't sell it) :(

[jackh94]

 you seem to have the internet, anything can be got on the internet, including lighter fluid

[Thundertydus]

Yes they do No matter where you live, they sell light fluid

[freakytail]

are u serious?? where on earth do you live???

[pyromanizak]

spray some butane in there

[xs0skill3dx]

na dont use butane... last time i tried with it the whole thing just caught alight... the result was a 30inch candle and a flaming tennis ball rolling down my street..not cool

[jdoucette83]

Gotta be careful of that stuff, it'll go without even needing the "perfect" air mixture. For my potato canon I usually use Starter Fluid because its strong as hell and if you get too much the chances of it blowing up without enough air are pretty slim. I haven't made one of these yet, but I'm going to try to make it out of PVC instead...Pringles cans seem more like a cardboard pipe bomb.

[M4industries]

PVC potato cannon with starting fluid is a potential is pipe bomb held under your arm. Just to make a point that only hair spray is the safe propellant

[TXTCLA55]

why are you putting lighter fluid it that? I just use Axe, or Right Guard and that potato fly's damn far.

[M4industries]

Same here, but we were discussing starting fluid, a VERY flammable liquid that can aerosolize by dripping down the inner surface of the spud gun.

[TXTCLA55]

oh I see. well based on my experience you better be using some really strong PVC; I built two spud guns in the past, both firing chambers cracked with in 15-20 uses.

[Tetranitrate]

Yeah, you kinda do need the lighter fluid. Where do you live that they don't sell it, North Korea?

[pian0man]

I got a garage shop ballistics book, and it says that hairspray can work too, which makes sense. Would the whole thing just blow up?

[PikesPeak]

Yes, you'll be amazed what hairspray and a lighter can do. Instant blowtorch.

[PastTheVoid]

 Back-feed.

[codz30]

This is an old wives tale,
Fire needs oxygen to burn, their is no oxygen inside aerosol cans or else they could spontaneously combust at anytime.
Therefore, flame has no way of getting into the can, no back-feed

[M4industries]

There is an issue however. The flame can melt the regulator or nozzle and all the propellant can come out at once. But it won't go back in the can.

[nigel da nautilus]

hmm everyone seems to think that. if i put a match near a deodorant can all my freinds go OMG IT WILL BLOW UP AAAAAAHHHHH. it never has although i was once near an almost empty butane canister when the gas blew back twas F*****g scary

[macmccune]

wow. thank you. i never thought of it that way. i have always been terrified  to hold a flame for more than a second on an aerosol can. it makes a lot of sense. thanx. :D

[thedog458]

lol no I live no coober pedy. but thanks any way.

[pyrofire]

No, you should leave about 1/4" on each side of the hole.

[ElQuirko]

Doesn't work with hairspray - at least, not for me.

[maxhumphries]

i had more sucsess the second time i built a tennis ball morter with using the metal tube the tennis balls came in, first time the bottom of the pringles tube blew out after a few tries...

[KNEX BUILDING IS FUN]

another way to make a stand is using flat wood " / "peices that look like
l l
l l
l l

put a screw" T " at the bottom of the 2 wood peices n then duck tape" _ " the tops of the peices leaving around 5 inches of room, it shood look like this
                      
                       5 in.
                      _____
                  / /            / /
               / /                  / /
            / /                         / /
            T                             T