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how to build a potato gun

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By gooadam



The Potato Gun is a classic destructive toy built by teenagers and adults who never wanted to grow up. This will be an instructional as to how to construct a combustion type potato cannon.

(Flaming, explosive, black powder, or living projectiles can often make a legal spud gun illegal in many jurisdictions. Many heavily populated areas have ordinances on projectiles and loud noise.)

The real trick on a combustion based potato cannon is finding the right ignition source. Some will tell you that a stun gun is the best ignition source, but stun guns aren't legal everywhere. So we have came up with a few alternates. Try finding a twist-type ignitor for a coleman stove or lamp. Or buy a Weber or other bar-b-q manufacturer push button ignitor switch which is usually sold at a hardware store.

Buy a solid thick length of a high schedule PVC 2" pipe and a solid 1" pipe with a threaded cap on the end. (We highly recommend using teflon tape and threaded ends as opposed to flammable glues). The skinnier pipe will serve as your "Packer" to force a potato down the 2" barrel a measured distance so as not to push it all the way into the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber can be constructed from a short length of 4-6" PVC with a large threaded removable cap at the end. The ignitor must be mounted into the combustion chamber by drilling a hole large enough to accomidate the ignitor, and epoxy glue must be applied to seal the ignitor in. This gives someone a way to touch a spark to air mixed with a fuel source and force the lodged potato to launch out the barrel. The effect is usually quite loud and should be very carefully tested on its first few rounds for amount of fuel needed and for impact. This can cause bodily harm and is really not a toy for irresponsible people like myself.

Fuel sources that I have used in the past have been mainly Aqua-Net Hair Spray. I would not recommend anything more powerful as we did have a cannon explode on us after using some starter fluid.

I will try to get some pictures up to make this an easier process for Potato Gun Newbies.

See Diagram of the Potato gun below......


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Kd 6568  says:
3 years ago

Aqau-net works good, but I have found that it eventually builds up on the contacts. Try right gaurd. Not only does it keep contacts clear it lubes the barrel.

gooadam profile image

gooadam  says:
2 years ago

The chamber should be around 9-10" in length and 20-24" for the barrel.

noackian  says:
2 years ago

i dont understand how it works..i mean the spark and everything...why does it work?

gooadam profile image

gooadam  says:
2 years ago

Well, you have a combustible gas trapped in a chamber (the hairspray or other solvent born aerosol) that when ignited expands rapidly as flammable gasses are prone to do. The volatility of the gas allows for a mere spark to set off the chain reaction causing the seemingly instant combustion. The potato that is lodged in the barrel is creating a seal that contains the gas until ignition whence the gasses force the potato back out the barrel at a rapid rate. The size of the potato does not let gas pass around it so all of the force is concentrated behind it. It is very much like a spit wad being shot through a straw except the method of adding the expanded air is many times more powerful than mechanical means of air pressure. It would be more of a fair comparison to copare it to a cylinder in a gas powered engine with the potato replacing the piston.

noackian  says:
2 years ago

thx aye dude. my dad is buying parts as i speak

gooadam profile image

gooadam  says:
2 years ago

JBWeld works good to glue the ignitor into the ignition hole and it is heat proof. I prefer using a coleman lantern's turning sparker, but you can use an electric sparker from a cigarette lighter or better from a BarBQ assembly. Just make sure that the chamber is sealed well or the explosion may take out your ignitor or barrel before the potato gets to be dislodged.

tom  says:
2 years ago

does having a really long chamber affect it?

J  says:
2 years ago

Do you have to start the igniter with your hand or do u have to start it with string from a certain distance.

mick  says:
2 years ago

wanna no a good thing to pack it with get like 4 pieces of newspaper and scrunch together pack it in really tight in the barrel at the firing end and stick a rock in the other end it goes off

later

i dont no  says:
2 years ago

um will axe work also for the gass

el tigre  says:
2 years ago

can it be used with small lead balls?

kieran  says:
2 years ago

can any one give me good instructions how to make pottato gun that would be good thanx

David  says:
2 years ago

I found that if you take a nipple for a black powder gun and tap it in the top of the combustion chamber you can use a black pwoder cap to ignite the gas with , just hit the cap with a hammer or you can do as i did and make a hammer on the gun to hit the cap with much like a old black powder gun works

ray  says:
2 years ago

to whom it may concern a iowa man was killed by such a gun.

jason  says:
2 years ago

im confused! i keep mixing up my bomb flamethower and spudgun recipes!get some pics dude it helps alot and im just a beginer so im confused!

liam   says:
2 years ago

ma mte got a patato cannon hes is powerfull and his easy make 250 yards

melanie  says:
2 years ago

i have the gun built..but how do i put in static guard ...do i drill a extra hole ???...i dont understand

Anonymous  says:
2 years ago

My bro and I just made a potato gun. It is not powered by hairspray and an ignition source. We used compressed air, the compression chamber is about 4 feet long, using a shrader valve you pump air into the chamber with a bicylce pump. then release it with a regular PVC ball valve, it is really good. Haven't shot it yet, but I know someone who did the same thing as us and shoots spuds 1/2 mile with 85 psi pumped with a BICYCLE PUMP! Really cheap. You could make it for about $35, and it's pretty safe too, as long as you glue the parts and all. I'm sure you could find tutorials on the inernet elswhere.

a kid  says:
2 years ago

The compressed air guns work good. Check out some videos on youtube.

Myles  says:
2 years ago

Hey can someone please send me some blueprints to mak one of these ... i realyl need them

Eric  says:
2 years ago

Hey Myles, I can send you blueprints no problems. Just by the way, how old are you? reason for asking is the term you use. Blueprints are long gone. It's all autocad (cadkey. etc.) now.

john  says:
2 years ago

but how can the spark go if there in no oxygen in thye chamber because i built one and it didnt work can anyone give me some help

tony  says:
2 years ago

need prints please e-mail

this guy's worshiper II  says:
2 years ago

Straight up pimp. you are great... NOT

Mr. Bean  says:
2 years ago

I think i went to the wrong site you all must be 14 yrs old or less....

victoria  says:
2 years ago

i made my first pink potato/tampon blaster....looks like a giant tampon...my girl friends and i use tampons thx all who posted there plans on you tube and on line all you guys are whack!

this one guy  says:
2 years ago

making a potato gun is easy as heck. all you do is glue some pipes together. the oxygen and the gas mix togther when you spray the gas into the chamber. Just unscrew the cap spray it in and put the cap back on. twist the igniter and boom.

I  says:
2 years ago

i just want som blueprints so i can get bak at my nabors cat, it ate my fish

$ÞÜÐMÅÑ  says:
2 years ago

To sort out neibours cat, buy a dog

poo poo heaqd says  says:
2 years ago

i dunno

badass rebel  says:
2 years ago

yall ar all gay as hell except for trent hell yeah get a 12 gauge or a rifle

zachary  says:
2 years ago

try to think of 1 of yuor own.

trent  says:
2 years ago

get a rifle you loosers and be done with it they do more and you can have shit loads more fun

john  says:
2 years ago

i think tator guns are pretty cool, i got a 12 gauge and 30-30 and i have just as much fun with my tator gun, so suck a dick trent

john  says:
2 years ago

naw nonsense, we are all responsible

jonlittle  says:
2 years ago

actually i lied this is a better website

advancedspuds.com

J  says:
2 years ago

When spraying the aerosol try water disperent and spray the can upside down into the combustion chamber. This way you can get a good mixture.

C-Payne  says:
2 years ago

get a real gun losers im only 12 and i own with my shotty lol i shot my neighbors cat on accicdent

John  says:
2 years ago

If you want a good bang use ether based starting fluid

J  says:
2 years ago

Or u could just use accetalene from a oxy and blow the whole thing up in yur arms.

Although on the bright side its one hell of a explosion.

nddss  says:
18 months ago

i need a piture of a potato launcher

Boring  says:
17 months ago

i need a pictures

Dudek  says:
17 months ago

make sure to check on your ignitor if using a BBQ assembly type apparatus because its know to erode and rust(wires) and hairspray work really well especialy if you want loud bang and a further distance for beginners i reccomend axe you know the body spray of other types of arosoles

cody   says:
17 months ago

none of you know how to make a real spud gun  i got one that we call the meat stick .. i used 6 foot of 2" pvc and made the chamber out of a nother piece of pvc usedd a grill ignighter screwed into the chamber cut a potato in half carved out some of the inside and fillde the barrel witk screws marbals nails bbs and other shit and we blew a 4x6 foot hole in a grage door from 150 yards  it fuckin rocks

big daddy  says:
17 months ago

ok has anyone here ever fill up a garbage bag with propane and use a lightbulb inside of it for the ignitor? theoretically it should work but i just wanna know how big the bang is

noname  says:
16 months ago

i need better directions

husky kid  says:
13 months ago

yous are so fing dumb im 13 i have 8 made by me mine goes 1.5 to 3 km 1500m to 3000m and yous are asking how to make them rather simple just make sure THINGS ARE GLUED PROPERLY OR RISK CATCHING FIRE VERY PAINFUL OK!!!

just make sure its PVC PIPE as well.

Andrew  says:
13 months ago

ether works really good but wach youre hands if theres any small holes it shoots out a flame like a propane torch and it hurts

IDAHO  says:
12 months ago

I have an AK-47, AR-15, 12 guage and many other guns. A potato gun is just as fun and a hell of a lot cheaper to shoot so suck a dick Trent!

shane  says:
11 months ago

i am a gas specialist and have access to electronic ignition components. I can rig a potato gun to fire off of a button or even a remote control. If interested email me at: timothygist@yahoo.com

mike  says:
11 months ago

use a spark plug for your igniter cause it can get wet

CBLOKAYA  says:
8 months ago

I read a lot of info on the combustion chamber BUT nobody says how much hairspray to use. My comb. chamber is 4" X 28" and will start wuth air spray. How many seconds of a burst of spray do I use? (one second, 2 or 3 or 4?)

What about quick start? Same questions.

I have usually a dozen bears around going & coming to the dump. This should deter them.

rob  says:
8 months ago

u will die

d becks  says:
7 months ago

get a real gun and grow a wang

taterexterminater  says:
4 months ago

if u want to buy a really cheap potato gun go to www.spudgundepot.com I bought a professionally made one for only $34.97. Also has plans on how to build your own. you gotta check out this website

kyle  says:
2 months ago

wow yall r all gay as hell who the hell wants a spud gun

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