Potato Gun Alley

 
This Page is to help you make a Potato Gun and to show 
you some of the Potato Guns that i have made in the past several weeks

 
1st thing you want to do is, go to you're local hardware store
and buy these items to make you're Potato Gun

The List

3" diameter X 16" long  - ABS Piping (Chamber)
2" diameter X 36" long - ABS Piping (Barrell)
3" to 2" coupler (reducer)
3" T thats fits on the end of the 3" Chamber
Also when buying the T, DOn't forget the Bottom adapter and the Threaded end cap
3" Adapter (Male End to Threaded Female)  for the 3" T to fit End Cap
3" Male threaded end cap that screws into the adapter
A Coleman lantern sparker -  or  - A BBQ Gas Igniter 
Two rubberized metal eyelets (for the BBQ Igniter wires - hook to the Screws)
Three (3) 1&1/2" screws (or Bolts,Nuts & Washers worked fine for me)
ABS Piping Glue
*Optional - Small T for the handle (For you're left hand up near Barrell and to rest the BBQ Igniter in to

Altogether this project should run you around $25 - $40
or cheaper if you have some piping laying around and if 
you find a BBQ Igniter from an old BBQ (not in use)


 
Putting the Pieces Together
Before you Glue any pieces together, you want to make sure that you drill the holes in the Chamber where you are gonna put in the screws.. i found that you should try and put the spark away from where you are going to be spraying the Hairspray so the screws don't get wet! (approx. 3" - 4" from Spray opening)
Drill 2 holes opposite of each other in the chamber and then the third (3rd) hole either on top or the bottom of the chamber but it must align with the other 2 screws in order to have 2 good sparks instead of 1.  After you have good spark then you want to start glueing the pieces together, start with the barrell (16" long 2" ABS) and glue the Coupler (reducer) to it the glue the chamber to Reducer.
Should have a chamber glued to the reducer and those two pieces glues the to barrell..Right? OK!... 
Now take the 3" T and glue it to the chamber ....take the male end of the 3"Adapter that fits the 3" T and glue it in, Now you should have a long barrell glued to the reducer glued to the chamber glued to the 3" T and the Adapter glued to it (remember not to get glue on any threads) Take the under side of the 3" T and glue the adapter in to it (where you would hang on the gun) When Glue dries you should have a screw cap that fits in the rear of the gun and the under side of the gun - It's Nice to have the end screw cap incase you need access in the chamber or you might have to play around more with the Spark. A good idea is to take a file and sharpen or Taper the muzzle end of the Barrell (this makes for a damn good seal and much easier to ram the Spud in! 
Next thing you want to do is Fire this Monster....

 
This is what it should look like when you have you're holes drilled and the 
3 Screws or Bolts in place through to the inside of the chamber and you're wires connected 
to the Bolts and you click the BBQ Ingitor - should see 2 sparx or maybe even 3 sparx!

 

This is what it should look like (or Similar) when all together

To Fire
Remove Under Side cap, So the air doesn't push back up the barrell when putting the potato in.
Ram a potato from the muzzle end. The tapered end will cut the potato to size. Make sure it has a good seal as you ram it down with the ramrod. Ram to the mark you made on the Ramrod. I've found most misfires happen when there are gaps between the potato and the barrel where gasses can escape. Spray 3 - 5 seconds worth of cheap hair spray (Tame seems to work best for me) Start at 3 seconds and see which gives you the best BANG without soaking you're Screws with hair apray. After the hair spray, quickly screw in the cap on the underside of you're Spud Gun (Handle). One Click of the BBQ ignitor sends the spud Flying from anywhere between 200 yards to 300 yards + & depends on how much Hairspray you use and how tight the seal was.
**Please Note, that this project is entirely up to you to make on you're own free will and i will not take responsiblity if you get hurt
*******Make & Fire Potato Guns at you're own Risk!!!!!*******

 
My SpudZooka Pictures Coming Soon!