Rocky5.9

I used to use 2" ABS pipe with a 2-3" and a 3-4" adapter a good threaded clean out cap, experiance says the more threads you can screw the better (almost lost a digit or two once), and a coleman lantern igniter. Some ABS glue, ether, and some potatoes...apples...etc, etc, you have several hours of amusement. I am going camping this weekend and wanted to make one, however, I can't seem to find an igniter. I heard of using some screws and the guts from a BBQ lighter instead. Anyone tried this? how was it?

JPR Ram

Yeah. check mine out. all of the pictures are in my gallery. anyways, i just used an igniter from a bbq, found a piece of pipe that it fit into (of course a little bit of elbo grease had to be pu into it) and the leads fall just inside the combustion chamber.

pmtg

i was gonna start one of these threads but i did a quick search and found this one up and running...

i always made the hairspray/lantern flint (instead of the BBQ piezo) and always makes for fun at get togethers!! but now im going the compressed air route!! i cannot seem to find large enough potatos for 2" barrels so my last few have been 1.5"....works great! corn, lemons, limes, potatos, whatever is in the kitchen

tonight i was working on a push button pressure relief valve for firing it. i could buy one, but it gives me something to do on slow nights....just wish i had more parts/leftovers in the garage to finish the valve.

the only drawback with compressed air is you need a compressor...but a bike pump can work with a little sweat

weve noticed the compressed air will shoot farther than the combustion ones, but we never did play with propane and tried ether once only to blow the back of the chamber right off!! not good!!!!!

fiveology

I have always used ether, and a grill ignitor. Most were PVC and never had a problem with them.

arizonakaiote

as scary as it may sound, we have used propane from our hibachi portable grill as a propellant.you can't point the barrel down when you fill it.try to hold it about 15deg, or so.start small. we had these shooting a few hundred yards during an elk hunt a few years ago.cool to have some recoil

LanceD

I am in the process of making a "potato" gun, only it will be shooting water filled gatorade bottles. I have a 5 foot section of hydraulic cylinder that has a 3 inch inside diameter, and a fitting on the very bottom. I was thinking of threading a spark plug into the fitting and using propane or black powder for propellant. any ideas for me?

Psychobilly

I converted mine into a TP gun

wannadiesel

I'd pass on the black powder.

You need a combustion chamber of some sort if you want to fire it via an explosion, you can't just fire it out of the barrel. You might consider an air or CO2 powered setup for this rig, a 5 gallon reservoir filled with about 100 PSI connected to the cylinder via a 3/4" or 1" ball valve will chuck the bottles very nicely. A 5# beer meister tank will give you several shots.

Totallyrad

I'll bet that was interesting but........................I didn't know you could hunt elk with a potato gun?

bigredBCS

you can hunt just about anything with a potato gun

Totallyrad

As long as you kill it with the first shot. I wouldn't want to have to reload on the run!

fbgdiesel

i built one out of and aspirin bottle a pen a lighter ignition two thumb taks and some glue haha its awesome