# Pneumatic Launcher



## Bearclaw (Aug 29, 2006)

Here it is guys! As promised my video for the pneumatic launcher that I made. It's a little big, but I think you'll like it. Check it out!

http://bearclawlimited.home.comcast.net/Video/AC256.wmv


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## Adkpk (Aug 29, 2006)

Got to have it! Where do you get those flashslghts?


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## TackleTree (Aug 29, 2006)

cool! Kind of reminds me of the potatoe gun from back in my black sheep days. How did you come up with conversion for psi=distance?


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## Adkpk (Aug 29, 2006)

TackleTree said:


> cool! Kind of reminds me of the potatoe gun from back in my black sheep days. How did you come up with conversion for psi=distance?


Good question. That shot was accurate. Ya, the ole potato gun is my need. My buddies would really look up to me if I showed next 4th of July with that rocket launcher.


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## l2edneck (Aug 29, 2006)

*good work*

Always good to see the innovations as they are created


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## xtremetrees (Aug 29, 2006)

Smoking inbention, patent it asap. make it smaller. and sell it like hot cakes you will. good job. How much will it cost me if you made me one?
Im close to buying a big shot but whoa I like this better.


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## Bearclaw (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks guys... the flashlight?... that was a 12 volt portable compressor with a light. As far as the psi/height conversions, I loaded the gun every 5 psi and measured the height.
Currently I am working on a smaller version. I found that as long as I get the air chamber/ barrel volumes at a certain ratio, I can get approx. the same heights but lose only a little accuracy.


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## Treeinnovator (Aug 29, 2006)

want smaller and safer?
don't use PVC to store the compressed air... use a fire extinguisher cannister instead. or you can try one of those small air tanks used to hold emergency air to fill up flat tires.


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## xtremetrees (Aug 29, 2006)

Smoking invention, you can sell it to fire depts. who currently take hours to rescue us.


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## woodbutcher44 (Aug 29, 2006)

*toytime*

i like it . If I can get a lock box to keep the help from play time!!!


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## Ekka (Aug 30, 2006)

What a great invention/idea.

Using tennis balls hey, do you get much bounce if you hit the stem etc?

Good on ya.


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## Bearclaw (Sep 1, 2006)

Well Ekka, the tennis balls are only somewhat filled with lead shot, so they kinda act like a deadblow hammer. (Very little bounce, about that of your typical leather or vinyl throw bag.)


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## Ekka (Sep 1, 2006)

You'll have to make a shoulder mounted bazooka model for those redwoods. Like good for say 200', people will be queuing up to use it.


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## Bearclaw (Sep 3, 2006)

This one is shoulder mounted. I'll show you a picture..... and it shoot to over 300' !!!


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Sep 3, 2006)

OOOHHH BOY, OH BOY. I love these things. I've built 6 or 8 pneumatic cannons similar to this but never one for launching throw bags (though the idea has crossed my mind before). I can tell you from experience, the reason PVC is not recommended for compressed air is it's tendency to fail catastrophically from fatigue. I have an 1 1/2" scar on my forearm from the last high pressure launcher I made and I was LUCKY that was all I got. What was left of the part that failed looked like shrapnel and this was only at 90 psi. I'll dig up some pics and post more later.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Sep 3, 2006)

Here's one from a few years back. It's actually the one that blew up also. The 4 - 2 reducer on the end was the culprit. My newest high pressure gun is made from copper with a 300 psi+ minimum rating. My compressor only does 150 psi so I'm safe.


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## Bearclaw (Sep 4, 2006)

Thats a big gun. Is it pneumatic or gas... maps and propane? Do you have pics of your copper gun?

I'll show grab a pic of my first explosive potato gun and post it soon.


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## arboralliance (Sep 4, 2006)

*What Thu*

:censored: !!

(Hey I was watching an episode of "My Name is Earl" the other week and the cops had a shot bag launcher they used to whack some guy silly on a balcony anyone know of these?)


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## jazak (Sep 4, 2006)

Awesome!!!!:biggrinbounce2:


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Sep 5, 2006)

Bearclaw said:


> Thats a big gun. Is it pneumatic or gas... maps and propane? Do you have pics of your copper gun?
> 
> I'll show grab a pic of my first explosive potato gun and post it soon.




Pneumatic. It operates by way of a blow back pistion housed in the rear the 4" pressure chamber. The 2" barrel runs inside the pressure chamber to with in 6" of the clean-out cap where the piston can seat against it when it's charged. The copper gun is not 100% complete but operational. No pics at the moment but I'll get some. It's 9 feet long overall.


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## DDM (Sep 5, 2006)

Looks like they sell them. 
http://www.antennalaunchers.com/antlaunching.html


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Sep 5, 2006)

Here's another that's been doing it a while.

http://www.spudtech.com/default.asp


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## 046 (Sep 5, 2006)

super coool.. 15lbs for 30 ft


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## Ekka (Sep 7, 2006)

aggiewoodbutchr said:


> Here's another that's been doing it a while.
> 
> http://www.spudtech.com/default.asp



In that link there's a 12mb and 1.40min video worth watching.

Here's a direct for it 

http://www.spudtech.com/movies/asf/tornado simulator.wmv


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## Canyon Angler (Sep 22, 2006)

Hey Bearclaw,

I was curious to see how that tennis ball launcher was held when you fire it. Do you fire it from your shoulder? Seems like if you're launching a 16 oz projectile 30 feet high, the recoil is gonna be fairly STOUT...no?

How much does the "gun" weigh?


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## Bearclaw (Sep 28, 2006)

View attachment 38402
Yeah, I do shoot from the shoulder and sight right down the barrel. I'll post a pic here soon. Even with the 20 oz. it really doesn't kick bad until you get around 100 psi.:hmm3grin2orange: Of course you don't need that kind of pressure unless you climbing giant redwoods....

The whole thing weighs about 6 or 8 lbs.

I'm almost finished with the mini version which will be smaller than the one in this pic.


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## rmihalek (Sep 28, 2006)

*valve*

Hey Bearclaw,

What kind of stores sell the sprinkler valves that you use to trigger the launcher? Do you think Home Depot or Ace Hardware would sell them?

Thanks.


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## Bearclaw (Oct 5, 2006)

Yep, any hardware store should sell sprinkler valves... anywhere from about 5 dollars to 15.


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## ASD (Oct 8, 2006)

ALL STEEL AND WILL SHOOT A GOLF BALL 5000' 





BUT I DON'T THINK THE LINE WOULD STAY ON


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## ATH (Nov 19, 2006)

On the valve:
*Did you use 2" diameter?
*Why did you modify it to be pneumatic? I assume just so there are fewer parts (batteries)?
*How did you modify it?
*What did you use as the "switch" to actuate the valve pneumatically?

Great idea. Thanks!


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## Bearclaw (Nov 21, 2006)

ATH said:


> On the valve:
> *Did you use 2" diameter?
> *Why did you modify it to be pneumatic? I assume just so there are fewer parts (batteries)?
> *How did you modify it?
> ...




The sprinkler valve is has a 1" outlet, the diaphragm is about 3". Standard sprinkler valve. I modified it to be pneumatic for simplicity, batteries would have added another component, and another reason for it to break down.
To modify it I simply removed the electronic acuator, filled in the hole with epoxy, and drilled the releif hole out a bit. Out of the releif hole runs the tube to the duster nozle hidden in the handle. When the pressure is relieved off the backside of the diaprhagm, the pressure is allowed to escape through the normal outlet, hence the firirng out the barrel.


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## rmihalek (Mar 26, 2008)

*still in use*

Hey Bearclaw,

Are you still using the pneumatic launcher for throw bag placement? If so, any long term performance updates?


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