| Basic Potato Cannon |
| Materials: * 1 10 foot piece of 2 inch diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe * 1 10 foot piece of 4 inch diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe * 1 4 inches threaded female coupling (also called a cleanout trap) * 1 4 inch threaded end cap (also called a cleanout cap) * 1 4 inches to 2 inch reducing bushing * 1 Coleman lantern sparker- These can be found in Wal-Mart or a local sporting goods store. * 1 PVC primer can * 1 PVC glue can If you don't already own a hacksaw or a drill you need to purchase one of each to make a potato gun. Directions: 1. Cut an 18 inch piece from the 10 foot piece of 4 inch in diameter pipe (This piece will become the combustion chamber). Sit the rest of the 10 foot piece aside. 2. Grab the 4 inch to 2 inch reducing brushing and glue it to one side of the 18 inch pipe. 3. Glue the 4 inch threaded (only on one side) female coupling to the other side of the 18 inch pipe. 4. Cut a 45 inch piece from the 10 foot piece or 2 inch pipe (This piece will be used as the barrel). Sit the rest of the pipe aside. 5. Glue the 45 inch piece to the other side of the reducing brushing. You should now have a completed gun, except for mounting the sparker. 6. The Coleman sparker is threaded and it has two nuts to hold it on. To mount the Coleman lantern sparker you need to drill a hole in the center of the end cap that is the diameter of the shaft of the igniter. Unscrew the knob with a screwdriver. Then unscrew the nut that's on top of the sparker. Mount the igniter inside the end cap. Make sure the unscrewed nut is on the outside of the end cap. The shaft should slide back and forth, but it shouldn't come out. Now put the knob back on and tighten it with a screwdriver. 7. Wait overnight until the glue has dried! Remember safety! 8. Make a ramrod from an old broom stick. 9. Take a potato and shove it down the barrel. 10. Use the ramrod to push the potato down the barrel. 11. Spray some Right Guard deodorant down the chamber for about 4 seconds. 12. Quickly screw on the end cap. 13. Brace yourself for the kick of the gun. 14. Then sharply twist the igniter. 15. It should go boom! |
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