 |
| I named this launcher 2 Plus 2 because of the barrel configuration, a 2" Sch40 pipe sleeved with another 2" Sch40 pipe.. I built this launcher with a few goals in mind. It would be used for launching golfballs. It would be compact. It would have a chamber that could be pressurized to 100 PSI with a 12 gram CO2 cartridge. As usual, for me anyway, it would be an O/U configuration. Also note that I did not install a laser sight. I took a 2" Sch40 pipe 24" long and sleeved it with another 2" Sch40 pipe that had a sliver cut out of it on the tablesaw. The fit was tight, but not too tight. It did not require any glue. I then cut another piece of 2" Sch40 pipe and cut it 13" long for the air chamber. I knew from previous reading at the Spudtech forum, that a chamber this size would pressurize to 100 PSI using a 12-gram CO2 cartridge. I "chopped" a Lawn Genie 204LG for pneumatic firing. See my "How-To" page on this site. I also chopped the blow gun pilot trigger because it would not fire the launcher in its original form. |
| I drilled and tapped a 1" close steel nipple for the air gauge (1/4" NPT), safety valve (1/4" NPT), and schrader valve (1/8" NPT) I glued the street elbows together using a short piece of 1" Sch40 pipe. The length of this pipe was cut so that the air chamber and the barrel would be as close together as possible. I do this mainly for aesthetics, but it also supports the weak joint at the elbows, along with the tie strap and spacer. When glueing, make sure that the elbows are perfectly aligned otherwise, your barrel will point one way and the air chamber another! After a day of letting all the glue dry, I test fired the launcher a few times, each time increasing the pressure, until I reached 100 PSI. I loaded a golfball into the muzzle, aimed a fired the launcher. There was a soft "fwoooph" and a slight kick. The golfball went out of sight! I again pressurized the launcher to 100 PSI and loaded another golfball, this time a bright orange one. I shot it with similar results. This time I went to look for the ball so I could try and determine how far it had traveled. I found the orange one, but not the white one which I had fired first. I paced the distance back to the firing point and counted 315 paces! At 29" per step, that's over 300 yds. This little launcher has a lot of power for its size! I fired it again with very similar results. This has turned out to be my favorite launcher. Needless to say, I accomplished all of my goals with this launcher. If I had seen this launcher on the internet first, it would definitely have been my first launcher. It is small, powerful, easy (other than the sleeve) and inexpensive to build. You can't get much better than that! |
 |
 |
 |
| Note: I designed this jig to trim a sliver out of the sleeve on the tablesaw. This procedure can be quite dangerous if done free hand. This jig holds the pipe securely and keeps your fingers out of the saw blade's path. Note that the length of the jig is 2" longer than the length of the barrel. That way you can trim the edges square after you have pounded the two pipes together. Please also note that the design limit of this jig3 to 4 feet. You will need more barrel support for barrels 5 feet and up. My barrel turned out quite well and is a great alternative to 1.5" SDR-21 pipe. To some, SDR-21 is the best golfball barrel available. |
 |
 |
 |