The Spud-Gun Family Page

So we made a Spud-zooka
(aka spud gun, spud canon, "LAW" -- light anti-tofu weapon).

I've attached some very bad pictures made with my el-cheapo web camera.

Based on current world events, decided a desert-camo paint scheme was most appropriate.

It has a 3" diameter by 11 inch long combustion chamber and a 2 inch diameter (i.e. 200 caliber, 50mm) by 3 foot long barrel. All made from PVC pipe picked up for about $10 from the hardware store.

Trigger is a piezo electric starter ($10) for a BBQ wired to a couple of deck screws in the combustion chamber.  We measure fuel from a propane torch into a 60cc plastic syringe ($2 from a farm supply store, supposed to be used to give shots to horses!) and then inject through a tire valve stem in the combustion chamber.

With 60cc of propane it will fire a spud about 300 feet.  At shorter ranges it mashes empty coffee cans (not much left of the spud either) and punches right through cardboard boxes.  Don't know yet if sour cream and bacon bits will affect performance.

Makes a very satisfying kaboom when fired but the cops haven't shown up yet.

Currently looking for more interesting targets to blast and considering using frozen spuds.

Many web sites out there about spud-guns,

• www.stanford.edu/~gmiller/coolstuff.html
  (hmmm from Stanford U.)
• www.user.dccnet.com/hathaway/spudgun.html
  (nice basic drawing, the stuff about ABS pipe vs. PVC is bull.)

We also made a Trebuchet (don't have any photos yet) that is about 18 inches tall and flings a walnut about 25 feet.  For the uninitiated, a Trebuchet is basically a cross between a catapult and a sling shot. Our Treb' looks about like the one at www.trebuchet.com . Or, check out www.biochemistry.bham.ac.uk/gcoates/treb.html for more info.

Or, what do you get with a really big Trebuchet and a dead cow --

• www.biochemistry.bham.ac.uk/gcoates/images/cowend.jpg

The full, nicely twisted site is at;

• www.biochemistry.bham.ac.uk/gcoates/treb.html
  (Hmmm, another academic site.)