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Welcome to Ray of Endor's Arsenal!


The spud gun


Disclaimer: Read at your own risk. Potato cannons are dangerous if misused. Adult supervision would be Very good! Never play with hair spray or the lantern lighter. Have fun but don't take the cannon for granted that it will aways work. These guns will wear out. Always use common sense when using them!


The potato cannon is made of PVC pipe. Plumbers use PVC pipe so home improvement or hardware stores will usually have it. Though there are several different sizes, most spud gun plans call for two-inch or three-inch diameter pipe. You will also need a lantern lighter found at camping goods stores for a few $. The gun is made up of a chamber, barrel, and end cap and end cap piece. The end cap piece is glued onto one end of the chamber and the barrel onto the other end of the chamber. The spark igniter is drilled into the end of the end cap.

  • This is the end cap fitted with a lantern lighter.

  • This is the bottom of the end cap.

  • The four main pieces to a spud gun:

  • 1a. The barrel, which is tapered at the end.


    • 1b. This is what happens when you get carried away when tapering the barrel. Serrated edges! You taper the end of the barrel because you will jam the potato into the end to load the gun.



  • 2nd piece. The chamber.
  • Attached to the chamber is the end cap.

  • The 3rd piece for your gun is the end cap (see above).
  • Your last piece for the gun is the lantern lighter. The lantern lighter will have to have part of it taken off to fit in the end cap.


    • Loading and firing your potato cannon

    The first thing to do is find a safe, open area where you can see where the shell will land. Depending on your model and several other factors, the cannon could shoot up to a couple hundred yards! Push a potato onto the tapered edge until the tapered edge shows through the other side of the potato . Next, use a broom handle to push the shell down to the end of the barrel. Spray the hair spray into the chamber then immediately screw the end cap on. Twist the igniter on the lantern lighter. The spark inside the chamber will cause an explosion that will push the potato out of the barrel.


    Many things determine how far the shell will go:

  • How much hair spray is used*
  • How tight the fit of the potato was in the barrel(was it an old, squashy potato or a firm one?)
  • The lenghth of the chamber and barrel
  • Is the flint in the end cap old and worn or new?
  • Was the shell pushed all the way down the barrel?

    *The amount of hairspray used varies. If the temperature is around freezing, then a larger charge of hair spray would be necessary. If the temperature is warmer or hot, then a three second charge will be enough. More than this could endanger not just the gun but also you!


    Uh-oh!



    The third gun, six-feet long, sits on the ground waiting to be loaded.