This rod is made out of PVC pipe. Kyle and I pumped air into the bottom of the larger tube which builds air pressure then by pushing the button near the chamber, powered by a 9v battery, which causes the air to release projecting the object stuck in the tube.

Step 1: The Barrel

The barrel of the rod is made out of a half inch PVC pipe. This is the tube you place the projectile in. It's connected to the larger tube by a PVC half inch adapter. I taped a straw to the barrel to run the fishing line through so it doesn't get tangled up on any of the wires or tubing. I also glued a washer to the adapter to hold the hook in so it doesn't swing freely while not in use.

Step 2: the Chamber

The chamber is made out of much larger PVC piping than the barrel. This requires a 3 inch PVC pipe.This holds the air in it to compress which makes the rod work. On the bottom of the pipe is a lid with a hole in the middle of it, with a nozzle to pump air into the chamber. I put duct tape around the chamber just to reinforce it, it's completely optional.

Step 3: Reel and Bobber

I used a spinning reel for this project, but you can use any fishing reel. I got two metal clamps and clamped the reel in the space between the chamber and the barrel. I suggest you put it there since it's easy access and the most practical. I used a cork as the bobber since corks float and are cheap. I sanded the bobber down so it would fit snugly in the top of the barrel to get the best results. I also painted the bobber so it is more visible in the water.

Step 4: How to Use

You pump about 30 PSI of air into the chamber. Flip the top of the reel over so the fishing line will go out and stick the bobber on top of the barrel, then connect the tips of the red and black wires together. Next click the button and you should here a clicking noise then it will fire.

Step 5: Results

With 30 pounds of air pressure in the chamber, the bobber with a hook and two little weights shot 24 feet. I suggest you keep the PSI under 40 pounds.

Step 6: Materials List

Here's the list of the materials needed to build the rod:

half inch PVC pipe

3 inch PVC pipe

half inch PVC pipe adapter

9v battery

a power switch

wires

fishing reel

3 inch diameter lid with an air nozzle

a cork

small metal clamps

sprinkler valve

Step 7: Conclusion

This project is cheap to make. I don't have the exact cost, but it is fairly cheap. A fishing reel ranges from $10-$150, that is another cost factor. I would say it cost my partner and I around $45 total for the project. It took us a little over a month to complete. We had some design flaws such as; using a smaller PVC pipe for the chamber, which caused not enough air pressure to build up so the cork wouldn't leave the barrel. After finding out the design and exact pieces we wanted to use, it took us roughly 4 weeks to finish. If you were to do this project an improvement I believe you should make is, instead of using a straw to run the line through to get to the top of the barrel, glue washers on the barrel to run the line through. Sometimes the line would get tangled up in the straw, but with washers it shouldn't get tangled and would be much more practical. It would be very easy to make that improvement.