Best kind of glue to use for a water cannon.

Build a homemade water gun or water balloon launcher and tell us about it.
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kylemw9
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Best kind of glue to use for a water cannon.

Post by kylemw9 » Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:24 pm

I'm trying to find the best kind of glue to use for a water cannon (I think thats the name) but I have no idea if anyone has any clue please tell me.
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DX
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Post by DX » Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:31 pm

Multi-Purpose Cement. Used for PVC, CPVC, etc. I prefer the multi-purpose stuff over normal PVC Cement because the multi-purpose is thicker and dries much faster. In fact, normal PVC Cement I have used doesn't dry or seal well at all. Multi-Purpose Cement dries holds high pressure without as much worry about leaks or time. It might just be the local versions, but here, the PVC-specific glue sucks.
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kylemw9
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Post by kylemw9 » Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:36 pm

our pvc cement is reasonable if you give it an hour instead of fifteen minutes me and my dad tried that and the pressure chamber to the douchanator we were building blew off but after re-glueing and an hour wait it worked.
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DX
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Post by DX » Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:39 pm

To make sure the glue dries well enough, regardless of the label, you should let it dry overnight, with the ball valve in the open position. Never give it just 15 minutes, or an hour. Only one test should be necessary if you glued it right, which is the test after allowing the glue more than enough time [6 hours-12 hours] to dry.
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Silence
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Post by Silence » Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:15 pm

Primer is also recommended--it cleans the surface and allows the cement to properly adhere to the surfaces that you're gluing. If you having a single piece of PVC melted together, you don't want junk in the middle of the weakest points (the seals). The primer should also be allowed to dry for a while--usually at least a few hours. Sure, it looks horrendous, but that's all the more reason to paint your homemade :cool: !

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SSCBen
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Post by SSCBen » Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:24 pm

Just use most any cement meant for PVC pipe. Don't forget the primer too (and please only use the primer with the dye - they put the dye in so you can tell where the primer is going). Follow the instructions on the can and everything will melt together. I don't know how many times I have to say that...

You should notice (or at least my cans say) that the cans recommend holding together the parts tightly for at least 15 seconds before letting go. That ensures that the pipe does not move from the fitting. I very highly advise doing that if you don't want the pipe to fly out.

For good measure, wait half an hour after putting the primer on to put the cement on. The primer is meant to be dry - it cleans the PVC and makes the cement stick better. Note that while wiping the primer on the pipe, the lettering is disolved off - that is the cleaning action. I usually place the pipes on pieces of wood to prevent the newspaper from sticking to them as well. I'd also recommend rotating the parts with primer at least once so it doesn't pool on one side.

Also, be sure to keep all valves open while cementing. That prevents pressure from forming inside of the cannon and also lets the inside dry out.

Wait at least 24 hours after application of the PVC cement before testing as well. The cans say you can pressurize after about 6 hours, but this is something important and you should wait. An hour is way too little time for drying and is probably the only reason you had problems.

If you want to be sure that you're getting a good seal as well, you could try actual PVC welding, but I very highly doubt you'll need to try that. PVC cement melts the plastic together, so you obviously am doing something wrong if it pops off.

With this many tips, hopefully you'll get it right. ;)
Last edited by SSCBen on Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

kylemw9
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Post by kylemw9 » Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:13 pm

ya but what I don't get is that my cement said to wait one hour to two hours and to hold it together for thirty seconds??
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SSCBen
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Post by SSCBen » Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:00 pm

What are you talking about? Could you explain what you don't understand?

If I do understand what you said correctly, you probably misread the can. Typically it says wait an hour or two before handling the PVC. That doesn't mean you can pressurize it at that time - they usually give you another figure for that. Also, after you push the PVC into the coupler, you have to hold it in to prevent it from sliding out. Be sure to get a slight rotation as you push it in as well to better distribute the PVC cement.

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DX
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Post by DX » Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:37 pm

I know what he is talking about. On the can, it says "Wait 15 minutes for good handling strength" or something very similar to that depending on the brand. That means after 15 minutes, you can move the gun and parts won't fall off. Some cans may say an hour, some 30 minutes, etc. However, that does not mean pressurize. The figure given for pressurization is actually 24-48 hours, although 12/overnight is enough.

Once you glue, it is best not to touch the gun at all for at least 6 hours, unless you have to. Picking it up and the such may disturb the drying process and cause a piece to come out.
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kylemw9
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Post by kylemw9 » Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:48 am

Duxburian wrote:I know what he is talking about. On the can, it says "Wait 15 minutes for good handling strength" or something very similar to that depending on the brand. That means after 15 minutes, you can move the gun and parts won't fall off. Some cans may say an hour, some 30 minutes, etc. However, that does not mean pressurize. The figure given for pressurization is actually 24-48 hours, although 12/overnight is enough.

Once you glue, it is best not to touch the gun at all for at least 6 hours, unless you have to. Picking it up and the such may disturb the drying process and cause a piece to come out.
Yup thats what it said well at least I didn't misread it.
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