How to Make a Spud Gun out of PVC

Making your own spud gun can be a fun weekend project. Potato guns can be built in myriad styles and sizes. You are limited only by your imagination. The following steps show how to make a spud gun out of PVC.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flint igniter
• 4-inch PVC cleanout plug
• 4-inch PVC fitting cleanout adapter
• 4-inch PVC coupling
• 4-inch by 24-inch PVC pipe
• 2-inch by 4-inch PVC increaser reducer
• 2-inch by 48-inch PVC pipe
• PVC cement
• Sack of potatoes
• Hair spray
• Drill
• Hand saw
• File

1. Cut the PVC components to the stated length and clean all the joints.

2. Glue the PVC fitting cleanout adapter, the PVC coupling, the 4-inch by 24-inch PVC pipe, the PVC increaser reducer, and the 2-inch by 48-inch PVC pipe together.

3. Drill a hole for the lighter in the middle of the 4-inch by 24-inch PVC pipe. Install the lighter into this pipe using the included hardware.

4. Use a file to sharpen the edges of the 2-inch by 48-inch PVC pipe. This will make it easier to insert the potato into the pipe. The filed edges will shave off the excess potato.

5. Locate a large, open area to fire the spud gun. Load a potato using a stick to push it most of the way down the pipe.

6. Spray hair spray into the fat end of the gun. You will have to experiment with the correct amount. If you don't use enough, the potato will not launch very far, and if you use too much, it will not work at all because there isn't enough oxygen.

7. After spraying the hair spray, quickly screw on the PVC cleanout plug. Aim the gun in a safe direction, and flick the lighter.

Tips & Warnings

• The accuracy of the spud gun increases with the length of the barrel.
• Right Guard can be used in place of hair spray. It does not leave as much residue as hair spray does. If you do use hair spray, Aquanet is a good option.
• Put petroleum jelly on the end cap. This will prevent hair spray buildup on the threads.
• Never use gasoline as a propellant. It will weaken or even dissolve PVC.
• Freeze the potatoes before you use them. Otherwise you'll just be shooting mashed potatoes out of your spud gun.

Resources

• Purchase a spud gun from SpudTech.com.

[natlog]

on 10/26/2009 I saw one that used the flint ingniter from a lantern and engine starting fluid (ether) as the propellant. It had a good range.

[alejosbin]

on 7/24/2009 you can also learn how to build a spud cannon at www.spudgundepot.com the one I made was very powerful. you can also buy a spud cannon there