Another alternative to the "Big Shot"

[TDunk]

So i was sittin' around drinking last night, and was thinking about the other thread on an alternative to the the big shot. Using a large sling shot etc..... Then the light bulb went off. So i ran to the bathroom and grabbed my wifes hair spray, grabbed some potatoes (see where i'm going with this) and off to the garage i went. Stuffed the potato in the barrel, set the bean bag on top of the potato and touched it off, HOLY:censored:. It was kinda dark (and i was kinda drunk) but that thing had to go 150 ft. with no problems. And pretty accurate too. I think if my barrel was a little smaller to keep the bean bag from bouncing around it would be even more accurate. The only problem with this system is the potato becomes a projectile, and will take out any small limbs in it path, and who knows where it going to land. It's not the most practical "bean bag thrower" , but thought you guys would get a good laugh out of it.

 

[masiman]

This one needs a vid

 

[TDunk]

Already on top of that. Need to get a new disc. for the camera.

 

[masiman]

Already on top of that. Need to get a new disc. for the camera.

And lay off the sauce while gittin it dun....on second thought, drink up so we can get bonus footage involving neighbors, the law and hopefully only minor property and personal injury

Looking forward to the vid

 

[BC_Logger]

why not make a duct tape fake potato with a string on it

at least it might be quieter when it lands on your neighbors roof
:greenchainsaw:

 

[TDunk]

And lay off the sauce while gittin it dun....on second thought, drink up so we can get bonus footage involving neighbors, the law and hopefully only minor property and personal injury

Looking forward to the vid

Oh i wasn't smashed by any means. I just had a few to unwind after a super hectic day and thought the potato gun/throw bag launcher sounded kind of cool. There's 20+ acres at our garage so i thought that would be a good place to do some test fireing.

I need to run to the hard ware store to try and find some smaller PVC pipe for the barrel. 2" is a little to big. But i think i'm gonna have to shorten the "combustion chamber" to deal with the smaller diameter barrel. It'll be worth the wait.

 

[JONSEREDFAN6069]

LOL, we play with potatoe guns here all the time. mine has a 2" barrell about 4 feet long with a 5" expansion chamber about 2 feet long with a clean out screw off cover. drill a hole about half way and install a barbeque igniter with
the wires with female spade connectors with a peice of wood so they almost touch and spark when the igniter is pushed. make sure you contact cement everything very good. i rough up both surfaces very well before gluing. dremel
out the inside of the end of the barrell so it's sharp and will squeeze the potatoe into the barrell. i cut off a hockey stick so it will only push the potatoe to a certain point every time them spray some hairspray into the expansion chamber about 2 seconds is plenty screw on car tight shake a couple times hang on tight and hit the igniter. my best shot is 325 yards.

 

[TDunk]

I have a 50" barrel (2 " diam.) with a 2 ft. long 4" combustion chamber. If your using 5 inch. for the chamber, then i should be able to run a smaller barrel with out shortening the chamber. I just don't TO much pressure and blow apart the chamber from having a smaller barrel.

 

[JONSEREDFAN6069]

i dont think it will explode but it can either blow the front or back off it. don't use the blue cement make sure it's the yellow good stuff. and rough up the joints really good. and with the hairspray the cheaper the better but it has to be aerosol and only a spray or two is all thats needed.

 

[masiman]

Y'all are just playing around. You really need to think bigger.

Compressed Air

 

[TDunk]

i dont think it will explode but it can either blow the front or back off it. don't use the blue cement make sure it's the yellow good stuff. and rough up the joints really good. and with the hairspray the cheaper the better but it has to be aerosol and only a spray or two is all thats needed.

All the joints were roughed up real good, but my cement was purple. haven't had any problems yet, but this gun is a few years old and i might just build a new one for S-n-G's.

I've been experimenting with propane but seem to have a harder time lighting it. I don't know if it's b/c propane is heavier than air or what, and it doesn't even matter where the striker is at. Top, side, bottom.

 

[TDunk]

Y'all are just playing around. You really need to think bigger.

Compressed Air

That's just nuts. Puts some bowling balls in there and i could just de-limb the tree that way.

 

[JONSEREDFAN6069]

Propane has to have the optimal air to fuel ratio to burn. I've tried it all hair spray seems to be the best. Not sure why though.

 

[pdqdl]

Pneumatic launchers are the way to go, skip the explosives!

Check this out:

http://www.antennalaunchers.com/antlaunching.html

or

http://www.akbeng.com/products/antenna-launchers/csv19-launcher/


Add a cheap battery operated air compressor from walmart, and you have a safe, re-chargable, LEGAL launcher that will outperform a Big-Shot.

Or so they claim... I haven't built mine yet.

 

[Blakesmaster]

If you were to use a tennis ball instead of a potato it would just bounce off the neighboring roofs or pedestrians. That's what we always used as kids. I would refrain from aiming it at glass though.




...also seems like it would be a good motivation tool for that one goundie...you know which one I'm talkin' about.

 

[ATH]

Check this out:

http://www.antennalaunchers.com/antlaunching.html

or

http://www.akbeng.com/products/antenna-launchers/csv19-launcher/


Add a cheap battery operated air compressor from walmart, and you have a safe, re-chargable, LEGAL launcher that will outperform a Big-Shot.

Or so they claim... I haven't built mine yet.

I built mine 2 years ago and use it all the time.

I filled a tennis ball with bbs and it weighs 16oz. I use that for the first "throw" then switch to a regular throw bag to possition the line in the tree. This way there is no "unaccounted for projectile".

Works great. I just "upgraded" from a target cordless compressor to a double barrell foot pump from the bike tire area. It is faster, quieter and the batteries never die.

You could do the same with tennis ball in a a traditional explosive potato gun and use 2.5" pvc. It may fringe the fuzz a little, and I'd probably plan on switching balls more frequently as the explosion is likely to damage the ball. I had to get the 2.5" pvc and a couple of valves and the like mail order from McMaster Carr.

It was well over 2 years ago, but I did get the original idea from the video side of Arborist Site. Credit where credit is due.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I just skimmed the thread, so I Don't know if it was said, but Jerry B. has been using Spud Guns for several years to get into the redwoods and sitkas and eucs; oh my.

Sorry, could not resist.

Anyway, he launches with monofilament for a messenger, then pulls standard throwline, which is used to pull the climbing line.

Graeme Mcsomethingorother, the Crazy Ausman, who uses HE to demo giant eucs, uses two tandem bigshots and bailing twine (biodegradable, fire-and-forget) as a messenger.