Introduction: Build a Potato Cannon - British Version
This version (of the very, very many potato cannons on Instructables) is helpful if you're UK based and have to work around the crappy stocks you find in our hardware stores, which, unlike American hardware stores, seem to assume you're an idiot who isn't interested in doing anything more complex than painting a skirting board. I bought all the components from Wickes. Homebase and B&Q were useless.
Full instructions are here: http://baddadgreatkid.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/how-to-build-your-own-potato-cannon.html
Bad Dad website: http://baddadgreatkid.blogspot.co.uk
4 Comments
7 years ago
Mrs. Dad : "Is that not a waste of good beer? Oh, no its Boddingtons..."
Superb
10 years ago on Introduction
When i made mine i went on a english forum based on the hobby of building these types of things. The one thing they all mentioned was not to just use the everyday pipe you get at your local DIY suppliers, even though this is what all U.S based youtube videos state. The reson for this was that in America the pipes used are made to a different standard. Something to do wih them being pressure rated pipes as standard. Where as in the U.K, unless it is for a specific job (and i don't mean spud cannon building) the pipe you get at DIY places is not, and therefore has a risk of exploding when fired due to the pressure build up involved. Potentially showering those within a certain radius with shards of sharp pieces of plastic. So therefore when i bought my materials i got it from an aqurium/pond supllies company (as advised on this forum).
Now i'm not saying yours is going to explode but was wondering if you did use pressure rated pipe or not. And have you heard of what i mentioned above?
Nice build by the way
11 years ago on Introduction
Disregard my question of your other instructable about your nationality, checking out this one answered my question. I do have a comment to make on this though, my uncle made one similar to this not long back, uses it to fire tennis balls wrapped in duct tape.. he was using hairspray as the fuel, but after a good half hour of shooting it starts to get too hot to use, we thought we'd see what else would work. We had a few cans of Start ya Bastard lying around. It's a product here in Australia, and gives about 10 times the bang of hairspray, if you can get it up in England, you've gotta give it a go, you might end up with a plate worth of beer battered chips with each shot though... haha! You did a bloody good job on it though
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Cheers! Never even heard of Start Ya Bastard, but just Googled it and will have to get hold of some. Genius. We have a glue called Sticks Like Sh*t, but I think that's as close as it comes. Found that the potato cannon probably shouldn't be fired more than 15 times in a row because it gets hot and things start to crack. As long as everyone else is a safe distance behind you, it's only you that gets hurt!