How to Make a Barrel-Sealing Valve
Pneumatic cannons -- known as spud guns -- are designed to propel objects out of a PVC barrel with air pressure. Barrel-sealing valves constitute the firing mechanism. Sealing valves are designed to hold compressed air in a chamber and release the pressure when a spring-sealed valve is triggered. While the design is fairly complex, the components used are simple and construction takes less than half an hour. Once the barrel-sealing valve is constructed, it is ready to mount on a barrel, connect to an air compressor and fire.
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Things You'll Need
- 2-inch PVC plug
- 2-inch-by-1-inch bushing
- 2-inch Tee
- Air compressor valve
- 1/4-inch ball valve
- 1/4-inch post nipple
- 1/4-inch compression spring
- 8 screws, 1/4-inch
- 6-inch lengths of 1-inch diameter pipe
- 4 glue sticks
- Glue gun
- 2-inch rubber disk
- 2-inch coupling
- 1/4-inch laminated board
- Drill
- Drill bit set
- PVC primer and glue
- Glue gun
- Nonstick heat spray
- Pan
- Oven
- Teflon tape
Instructions
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1
Place the 2-inch coupler on the laminated board. Glue around the circumference of the coupler, adhering it to the board. Allow the glue to dry for 10 minutes. Melt the three remaining glue sticks in the pan over the oven with medium heat.
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2
Spray the inside of the coupling with nonstick heat spray. Pour the glue into the coupler. Allow the glue to cure for 20 minutes. Break the coupling off the board, and push the glue cylinder out of the coupling with your fingers. Melt glue onto the face of the rubber disk and glue it onto the cured glue cylinder.
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3
Glue the compression spring to the center of the rubber disk with the glue gun. Melt glue into the center of the inside of the plug with the glue gun and affix the other end of the compression spring to it. Prime and glue one arm of the tee and the outside perimeter of the plug. Slide the plug and spring into the tee.
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4
Slide the 1-inch length of pipe 1 inch into the hole in the bushing. Add primer and glue around the bottom of the length of pipe that is next to the face of the bushing, then slide it two more inches into the bushing.
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5
Drill eight pilot holes through the circumference of the arm of the tee and into the plug. Space the holes evenly. Drill eight screws into the pilot holes in the plug, through the arm of the tee. Drill two holes into the the face of the plug with a 1/2-inch drill bit. Teflon the ball valve and nipple, and thread them into the two holes in the face of the plug.
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