buying parts for water cannon yay!!

Build a homemade water gun or water balloon launcher and tell us about it.
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kylemw9
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buying parts for water cannon yay!!

Post by kylemw9 » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:20 am

Well I only have to buy A few parts so it should be cheap I only have to buy the end caps and the ball valve do to the fact that that I have most of the parts left from my mostly-failed water balloon launcher(it shoots water at least).Also have to get glue.
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DX
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Post by DX » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:46 am

Don't make the one in the pictures! I have a modified design ready to glue, but no batteries for the camera. Use a Y instead of a T for the middle of the cannon, and angle the Y towards the valve.
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m15399
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Post by m15399 » Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:11 am

Like this?
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DX
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Post by DX » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:39 am

Somewhat. Y pieces are straight except for one side, which is angled. You need a cap at the end, and the ball valve area should not be longer than the top of the Y. And if you use a PVC ball valve, make sure it is threaded [if that option exists]. You want to be able to change barrels with this gun if you want to use barrels.
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Silence
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Post by Silence » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:44 pm

I'm assuming the wye (official name) instead of the tee (official name) is used to help the air float to the top even on greatly angled shots, such as when you're using the 45-degree rule. I would imagine that the cannons are more effective at less than 45 degrees, but having never even seen one, there's a great chance that I'm wrong.

m15399's image doesn't appear, and I even used the Photobucket URL in a new tab--nothing comes up. Maybe the server is down, or something...I really don't know...

I don't think it really matters whether or not you use a threaded ball valve--you're going to need an adapter somewhere. In the threaded method, a male adapter would connect the PC to the ball valve; and in the non-threaded method, the adapter (either male or female) would connect to the removable barrels. Needless to say, a male adapter would have to be used in the threaded ball valve barrels unless you used a male threaded coupler; and the adapter used in the non-threaded ball valve system would depend on what you used to hold it.

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m15399
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Post by m15399 » Mon Jul 03, 2006 7:39 pm

It's hosted on Photobucket, so it should work.
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DX
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Post by DX » Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:19 pm

That's right on. Yeah I know that there's an adaptor, but in a worst case scenario [you screw up the gun near the valve or it cracks there] you can salvage the ball valve by unscrewing both sides. With it glued, you have to try and saw off and/or pry off the glued pipe and that doesn't always work.

Wyes are much better than plain tees for angled shots. However, you still have to be careful shooting at larger angles. Even so, the ideal angle for range isn't 45 degrees, it's like 20-40 or something. With small angles, these cannons are deadly effective, and this one should prove to be more efficient than the tee-based one. Plus, I've got the good type of glue and don't expect air leaks this time. :cool:
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Silence
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Post by Silence » Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:31 pm

Actually, this sounds a bit like a cross between my under-over (not over-under, which places the PC underneath) idea and the original water cannon. I like the barrels idea--even a short one might help reduce turbulence and improve lamination. However, wouldn't an endcap work well, too?

I'm assuming the Schrader valve fits in the back; that seems like the most probable location, though I might be wrong.

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DX
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Post by DX » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:14 pm

You could use a barrel and a nozzle for higher range/longer shot time, smaller streams. 100x+ in a second or two is a waste if you want to use the gun for something other than wiping out whatever is in front of you. You actually could get ridiculous range and/or shot time if you make a normal-sized nozzle. I may try it when the gun is fully operational.

I put the schrader valve facing in at the top of the wye. Why? :rolleyes: It is less likely to get scraped or come into contact with dirt up there. Even when the gun is lying on the ground, it doesn't touch the ground no matter what. You can't physically make the valve touch the ground where mine is positioned, if you are on a level surface.

This is kind of an in the middle design, half-way between an under-over and T. I did consider an under-over-esque design, but passed on that after I felt what it was going to be like. Using that design makes you handle this gun like a water balloon launcher. Using the less top-heavy wye allows you to handle the gun like a water cannon. :cool: Also, do remember that the air pressure variety of water cannon is a barrel away from being a water balloon launcher. If you want full launcher ability, the design has to take that into account. You can make a normal sized in-line launcher with the wye design. But with an under-over, you would have to have the barrel be an in-line, making for a very long and unwieldy launcher.
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kylemw9
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Post by kylemw9 » Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:40 am

was there any improvements and how far does it go denozzled
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DX
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Post by DX » Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:45 am

I have no idea, I haven't glued it yet. I'll try to glue tonight before I go to bed.
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