How to Build a Pneumatic T-Shirt Cannon
Vendors at sporting events and concerts sometimes project T-shirts into the crowd as giveaways. They use a high-pressure pneumatic gun to shoot the shirts high into the stands. Air pressure is built up in an air chamber of the gun and the air is released to force the T-shirt out of the barrel and into the crowd. You can make your own version of this cannon, sometimes known as a potato gun, from PVC pipe and other materials found at hardware stores or home improvement centers.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 pieces of 2-inch diameter PVC pipe
- Hacksaw or PVC pipe cutter
- Sandpaper
- Tack cloth
- Drill and bit
- PVC primer and cement
- Schrader valve from bicycle inner tube
- PVC end cap
- Ball valve
- Bicycle pump
Instructions
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1
Cut two pieces of PVC pipe to a length of two feet each. Sand both ends of each pipe smooth. Remove the dust with a tack cloth.
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2
Drill a hole three inches from the end of one pipe. Use the sandpaper and tack cloth on the inside and outside of the hole to smooth the edges.
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3
Apply PVC primer on the inside and outside of the hole. Apply a coat of PVC cement over the primer. Apply a coat of primer around the base of a Schrader valve cut from a bicycle inner tube. Push the valve through the hole from inside the PVC pipe and hold it firmly in place for one minute to allow the cement to bond.
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4
Brush PVC primer and cement around the end of the pipe near the valve. Brush the primer and cement inside the rim of a PVC end cap. Put the end cap on the pipe's end and press it firmly together for one minute to attain a tight seal.
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5
Apply primer and cement to the other end of the pipe and to the inside rim of a PVC ball valve. Put the ball valve on the other end of the pipe and hold it firmly for one minute to attain a tight seal. You have now completed the air chamber of your T-shirt cannon.
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Apply primer then cement to one end of the second PVC pipe and to the other side of the PVC ball valve. Push them together firmly for one minute to seal. The second pipe is the barrel of your T-shirt cannon.
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7
Attach a bicycle pump to the Schrader valve. Close the ball valve and pump the air chamber to a pressure of 35 pounds per square inch. Detach the pump. Load the barrel of the cannon with a tightly rolled T-shirt. Aim the cannon away from people, pets and objects and open the ball valve to shoot the T-shirt.
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Tips & Warnings
Use high-pressure PVC pipe rated for at least 70psi.
You can use foam balls, potatoes or other items to shoot out of the cannon.
This cannon can explode. Make very sure you have cemented it properly and that the cement is dry before using it.
Do not use high pressure in the cannon and never point the cannon at anyone.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit crowd at the stadium image by Christopher Meder from Fotolia.com
