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Building a calcium carbonate PVC cannon


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So in a different thread I talk about turing a Pop Up tent trailer into a Pirate theme pop up tent trailer. I was thinking about making a small cannon to have some fun with. But not a Black powder type. My friend suggest (my friend being a seattle area theater rigger, fire performer and a pyrotechnicnition) I make a Calcium Carbonate cannon, I found some instruction on the old interwebs

The link...

Anyone have any experience in this type of cannon. I would make it out of PVC and wood. Thoughts?

Kilted Eric

the Skirted River Pirate

In the beginning, the Universe was created. This made a lot of people angry, and has been widely regarded as a bad idea. - From the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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OMG OMG OMG

I started looking up on youtube and other video sources. I WANT I WANT.. This would be perfect. Small and light to pack in a camper. But stupid fun!

Kilted Eric

the Skirted River Pirate

In the beginning, the Universe was created. This made a lot of people angry, and has been widely regarded as a bad idea. - From the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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Oh wow. Those are AMAZING. I've been playing with the idea of potato cannons and purdying them up so they look a bit more piratical

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Original-Potato-Cannon/

These could be a cheap extra gun... Just don't shoot bratwursts... They're dangerous. =P

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I may be able to help - my better half Iron Jack has made quite a few carbide cannons. Here's a pic of a couple lashed to the deck of the schooner Aldebaran:

TheGirls.jpg

I took photos of the process and can send instructions - let me know if you'd like me to send them to you (may take a few days - I have to remember where those photos got to...)

RHJMap.jpg

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Holy Jumping Jimmy on a Plank! Those are things of beauty! I would give my right.....(ahem) for your instructions!

Great work to Iron Jack, and a great Pic!

I may be able to help - my better half Iron Jack has made quite a few carbide cannons. Here's a pic of a couple lashed to the deck of the schooner Aldebaran:

TheGirls.jpg

I took photos of the process and can send instructions - let me know if you'd like me to send them to you (may take a few days - I have to remember where those photos got to...)

Kilted Eric

the Skirted River Pirate

In the beginning, the Universe was created. This made a lot of people angry, and has been widely regarded as a bad idea. - From the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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Your right (ahem)? Should I PM you with my address so you can send that to me? :D

I should have those pics available in the next few days and will accompany them with instructions. In the meantime, here are the basic instructions:

It's essentially an ABS tube with a water reservoir towards the back, using a T-joint, reservoir and a hose clamp. Then you form a second, larger ABS tube around the first, make a V-cut in it and use a heat gun to form it into a slightly conical shape. Drill out two circles on the side to fit in the trunions. The trunions can be made with anything - we used more ABS pipe with a wooden plug in the end and cut on the inside to fit the curve of the inside pipe. Glue the trunions to the pipe, fit the outer tube around the inside tube (this will take some effort but be patient) and clamp it together using hose clamps. The breach is one of those plastic dog jolly-balls (the walls of these are fairly thick) cut in half with a doorknob attached to the back. Glue this to the back end of the cannon and cover the joint with either a strip of ABS or a tubular foam insulation strip cut in half lengthwise.

Use spray foam insulation between the two to secure everything together and to create a solid thick wall. The front end is an ABS expander (the kind used to join two sizes of ABS pipe) with a wooden flat-sided donut glued to the end to form the end of the barrel. Then cover the clamps with either more ABS or, if you want rounded barrel decorations, use tubular foam insulation strips cut in half lengthwise. Drill a hole at the top directly above the water reservoir about 1/4 " in diameter and insert a metal tube just long enough to go through to the inside barrel. Glue that into place. Rough up the ABS with sandpaper and spray paint everything matte black (or use textured spray paint, if desired.)

The carriage is just your basic naval carriage - you can't see them here because I hadn't put them on yet, but I used leather cut from an old belt for the trunion covers.

RHJMap.jpg

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I figured that Red Handed Jill would see this post and reply.......

The ones that Jack made came out really cool...... :D

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:huh: I remember unloading those from the truck at Ojai last year. I was holding one over my head like a weightlifter, looked over at Kenneth in the next camp, and said, "You really don't want to mess with me!" He just cracked up.

...schooners, islands, and maroons

and buccaneers and buried gold...

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"Well, that's just maddeningly unhelpful."....Captain Jack Sparrow

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