What's the best potato cannon ignition?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What's the best potato cannon ignition?

Posted: 10/24/2001 9:03:24 AM EDT

I see that there are some spud gun fans on this site, so I thought I'd bring it up.

I AM SICK AND TIRED of my lantern flint wearing out so quickly... anyone have a suggestion for an alternative? I was thinking along the lines of a spark plug.

Posted: 10/24/2001 9:11:34 AM EDT

[#1]

bbq lighter

Posted: 10/24/2001 9:12:25 AM EDT

[#2]

Not that I'd know, but I've heard a BBQ lighter works well. [:D]

God Bless Texas

Posted: 10/24/2001 9:14:44 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
I see that there are some spud gun fans on this site, so I thought I'd bring it up.

I AM SICK AND TIRED of my lantern flint wearing out so quickly... anyone have a suggestion for an alternative? I was thinking along the lines of a spark plug.

View Quote

One of those pushbutton Peizoelectric Barbeque lighters. Mount it in the cap that you unscrew to charge the cannon so the spray doesn't foul the ground plate. Get'em at a home improvement store, cost about $8.

shooter

Posted: 10/24/2001 9:44:07 AM EDT

[#4]

We used a ignition system from a small bike. ie: Coil, capacitor, [i]small [/i] 12volt gell battery, pushbutton switch and spark plug. [b]WORKS GREAT![/b]

I'm now in the process of disassembling a stun gun to provide a high voltage, low amperage spark in a much smaller pkg.

Which ever course you take - Go Electrical!
That way you have a RPG or LAW style look and function!

Posted: 10/24/2001 9:52:47 AM EDT

[#5]

I bet a stun gun would work pretty good....

Michael

Posted: 10/24/2001 10:13:02 AM EDT

[#6]

Check out www.spudlauncher.com Good info and constuction plans.

Posted: 10/24/2001 10:15:33 AM EDT

[#7]

Why don't you just microwave the potato. 10 minutes should be fine.

Posted: 10/24/2001 10:54:20 AM EDT

[#8]

Has anybody tried Ether starting spray as propellent?

Is it safe to do so?

Also what do you guys use for targets? At what range?

TIA! DaMan

Posted: 10/24/2001 11:38:54 AM EDT

[#9]

hell I always used hairspray (the kind that comes in a aerosol) with a regular lighter works fine for me and my friends

Posted: 10/24/2001 12:39:28 PM EDT

[#10]

aquanet works the best! and a bbq grill igniter works best too

Posted: 10/24/2001 1:07:44 PM EDT

[#11]

Propane.

Posted: 10/24/2001 1:16:36 PM EDT

[#12]

Electric push-button grill starter.

For fuel try Berryman's B-12 Chemtool. Works nice.

I've also used Thrust Starting Fluid. [pyro]

Posted: 10/24/2001 1:26:32 PM EDT

[#13]

Piezo-electric barbecue lighters work great for ignition, and there is no better canned fuel than Right Guard (original brown can).

For tons of detailed info and suppliers, check out the Spudgun Technology Center -

http://[url]http://www.spudtech.com[/url]

Posted: 10/24/2001 1:34:12 PM EDT

[#14]

I fourth or fifth the nomination for piezo BBQ lighters.

However, I prefer compressed air powered spud guns. You get better groups because the power is consistent, and it doesn't reek.

Posted: 10/24/2001 1:36:31 PM EDT

[#15]

Mine has(had) an 80,000 volt ignition system.
Just run wires from the electrodes of an ordinary STUN GUN into the combustion chamber. close enough to each other that they arc inside the PVC.

I'd post some pics of what I did, but my old spud gun is in CA. I mounted all the guts from the stun gun in a small hobby box, added an electrical key switch, an armed/disarmed switch and a momentary button, and mounted it to the side of the cannon.

Remember, you saw it here first. AFAIK I'm the only one who's done this.

Posted: 10/24/2001 1:58:38 PM EDT

[#16]

propane and a stun gun

little more expensive, but much more reliable

Posted: 10/24/2001 6:36:45 PM EDT

[#17]

Give up on that sissy internal combustion crap. You can get much better performance from compressed air.

Posted: 10/24/2001 6:52:25 PM EDT

[#18]

The Aquanet idea is ok, but it tends to get gummy REAL quick. For example, NEVER leave the cap on after using Aquanet. It might end up glued in place. Also, the ignition system tends to get gummed up and quit working. I've actually never had the time to put together a different system, but I do know from experience that Aquanet (or any other hairspray) sucks.

Posted: 10/24/2001 6:59:08 PM EDT

[#19]

a gas grill lighter that takes a volt baterey you can get them at home depot a lot cheaper than a stun gun
Gary

Posted: 10/24/2001 7:03:44 PM EDT

[#20]

"Spudgun Technology Center" ROTFLMAO!

Posted: 10/26/2001 6:59:18 AM EDT

[#21]

As anyone ever made a metal reciever and used Acetyline & Oxygen. ???

Benjamin

Posted: 10/26/2001 7:02:27 AM EDT

[#22]

I have a welder friend who used acetylene and oxygen in a big stainless steel receiver. It made a lot of noise and was too scary to use much.

My PVC pipe compressed air contraption will fire a 1.5" cylindrical chunk of spud over 300 yards (when fired at a 45 degree angle, of course). I pump it up to 150 PSI with a bicycle pump.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What's the best potato cannon ignition?

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