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Frequently Asked Questions

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Make a simple cannon
Common terms of plastics relating to spud guns
How do I glue PVC pipe?
Multi-spark igniter for combustion spud guns
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Common terms of plastics relating to spud guns

“Originally posted by Drac on the Spudtech forum and modified by”…Sqort87 from LaunchPotatoes

“Helpful Terms:

NSF-PW: means that the pipe is pressure rated. (PW=Potable Water)

XXX PSI: the pressure the pipe is rated to.

DWV: Drain, Waste and Vent: safe for Combustions, not for pneumatics.

NPT: National Pipe Thread.

Male NPT x Socket Weld: Adapter with male threads that fits over a pipe by slipping on.

Female NPT X Socket Weld: Adapter with female threads that fits over a pipe by slipping on.

NPT x Spigot: fits into a coupling, Tee, Adapter, or anything that joins over pipe. Spigot fittings
have the same outer diameter as the corresponding pipe.

PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride: Standard pipe, pressure rated but can become brittle in the cold.

ABS: Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene: fine for combustions, but not pressure rated so DON'T USE IN PNEUMATICS!

Cellular Core: Very Unsafe. I wouldn't recommend to use it in anything.”

How do I glue PVC pipe?

“Square pipe ends and remove all burs and dirt.

Check dry fit of pipe and fitting. Pipe should easily go 1/3 of the way into the fitting. If the pipe bottoms, it should be snug

Use a suitable applicator at lease ½ the size of the diameter. For larger size pipe systems, use a natural bristle brush or roller.

Clean pipe and fitting with a listed primer.

Apply a liberal amount of cement to pipe to the depth of the socket. Leave no uncoated surface.

Apply a thin coat of cement to the inside of the fitting. Apply a second coat of cement to the pipe.

Assemble parts QUICKLY. Cement must be fluid. If cement surface has dried, recoat both parts.

Push pipe FULLY into fitting using a ¼ turning motion until pipe bottoms.

Hold pipe and fitting together for 30 seconds to prevent pipe push-out – longer at cold temperatures. Wipe off excess

Allow 15 minutes for good handling strength and 2 hour cure time at temperatures above 60 degree F before pressure testing to 180psi. (Water use only. Not designed for those strengths with compressed air.) Longer cure times may be required at temperature below 60 degree F or with pipe diameters above 3”.

OATEY
4700 160^th St., Cleveland, OH 4413
800-321-9532 www.oatey.com Made in USA”
Directions from the Oatey PBC Cement can.

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Multi-spark ignition for combustion spud guns

You can use an electronic igniter instead of the old mechanical BBQ style igniters for firing your combustion spud gun. The electronic versions "pulse" a continuous stream of sparks as long as you keep holding down the trigger. This igniter was obtained from eBay for about $20 each from eBay seller oildoc. The best, however it is slightly expensive, is the stun gun igniter for spud guns.

Here is some information on how to assemble the unit into a trigger.
http://www.wolfcall.com/dummy_battery.htm

Some Helpful Questions regarding your Sparker from "Spud Talk"

Do you know of a way to make some assembly procedures easier? How about how to make a better sparker. This is the place to share and ask specific questions on design, assembly and use of all types of spud guns.

capt. potatoe // April 1, 2008 at 5:51 pm

I have the same question. a few bags of spuds ago I built my first spud launcher. Combustion model with spark plug in the chamber with grill igniter on the trigger. Inject hairspray the cheaper the better $1.99 can) close up the back, press the trigger. Sometimes first time but a lot of the times many pushes of the button before it’ll fire. Anybody got any feed back? I have a photo of the assembled unit if anybody’s interested.

Extreme Spud Master // April 1, 2008 at 7:01 pm

Well, Two Things about hairspray. One, it will gum up the igniter. When the fuel in the spray burns off, then the igniter and the inside of your cannon, as well as, the twist cap is left to deal with the sticky residue. Ugh! A fix to this problem is that most aerosols are lighter than air. So by positioning you sparker at the top of the cannon will make for an 75-77 percent sparking to ignition ratio. that is if you clean it every time. I have no problems with mine. and I will explain in step Two. My igniter is positioned on the bottom. What, I just said to position it on the top? Well, that is because I use right guard deodorant. This fuel is heavier than air. You will find that you ratio is much higher. I hope this helps. If you do not want to spend the time with fixing the position of your igniter then switching fuels is recommended. Before you do that, use warm water and soak the interior of your cannon to get rid of the gunky build up. Spray Starch is an option. So is bug spray, however, that gives off toxic fumes and is not conducive to firing in doors. Just kidding regarding firing in doors.

Other resources

To get some more helpful hints regarding plastics used in the construction of combustion or pneumatic potato gun / cannon, click on the link below. This is great stuff. You will not regret it.

http://www.launchpotatoes.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34

www.wikipedia.org

www.spudfiles.com

www.spudtech.com

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