Air Cannon
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: Air Cannon
: Air Cannon -- cbennethumIV	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: rwolfejr ® 01/12/2009, 13:38:17 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Look up potato gun on the world wide web and you'll find everything you'll need to know about this sort of set-up... Including sites describing serious injuries attained from those things. One of the more memorable ones I recall reading about was a kid that blasted himself in the face with a frog he stuffed down the tube. Different diameter tubes will give you a different effect depending on what your trying to simulate... small arms or bombs etc. Probably be O.K. with a balled up rag or cardboard for your wadding. Thinking you'd better go with sand or sifted dirt for what you're after. This will help insure that it doesn't jam up on you. Have fun but be really careful. "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye."

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: : Air Cannon
: : Air Cannon -- rwolfejr	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: randykimball ® 01/12/2009, 16:04:42 Author Profile eMail author Edit

... oh geeeze... Caution, try this stuff at your own risk ..!!! The below story and idea is an old fart telling about silly stunts that may or may not have happened when he was a young whipper snapper. By reading this you accept all responsibility for any actions, injuries, or laughter occuring. Do not try this in modern times.. Well, I have no idea where you learned this but... some flour, and a few ashes added to a bunch of ripped up foam rubber in various sizes, do add a realistic "sort of safe" white / black smoke to the effects.... I seem to recall someone using spent 30-lb R12 or R22 canisters with the bottoms removed for the cannons... but I think using AC canisters is no longer legal, ... but AC repair men seem have the new versions in abundant... hummm. As I also recall, they were connected to small air tanks, with 12VDC air valves having buried wires connected to a nail board (watch the +/- polarity and air flow direction of the valves). A nail board, as I seem to recall, is a board with a line of nails.. each nail is wired to one side of each of the 12VDC air valves and the other side of the valves is wired together (in common) to one side of a car battery. By touching the nails with a wire connected to the other side of the battery.. the selected cannons blast their contents into the air for effect. Some creative person has been known to use hot water bottles for the air tanks... I think it takes drilling and taping the plugs for a threaded male hose barb.. but I dauh know, maybe I'm dreaming. (note: hot water bottles can and will explode with serious forces {as for some reason I seem to vividly recall}). To determine how much air can be put into a hotwater bottle it is recommended that one be destructive test filled at a safe distance (....of about 50 feet or more, using ear protection). Fresh, new hot water bottles work best and be sure to cut the resultant burst air pressure by a safe margin when setting up for the real thing. Don't let anyone stand near the effect and DO NOT STEP ON the earth covering the hot water bottle... it isn't kool. Don't skimp on the size of the air valves if you want dynamic effects, (1/2" NPT valves go poof really well). I can't imagine where I got this stuff..... wink... there is no way I was EVER that wild in my youth. .. do ya think??? let's see, ..what's the words... ah...("you should have seen it in color!!!") Seriously, .... do not try this.. but it you must.. please do be VERY careful! ...why did I help THIS student...? The reason I helped this "film student" with this portion of a project is because the students still must compose, produce, frame, and story book the process. Seeking out techno advice while shooting a production is proper method and builds on the increasing accuracy of the industry. The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them. Modified by randykimball at Tue, Jan 13, 2009, 15:07:05

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: : : Air Cannon
: : : Air Cannon -- randykimball	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: cbennethumIV ® 01/12/2009, 21:23:37 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Thank you. Hopefully me and the small crew I given will be able to make a prototype. I will post links with updates and pictures for you guys. Once again thanks.

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