Super Soaker Central

SoakerMedia is down, so I cannot access the Douchenator building instructions. DX, can you re-post them to the forums or SSC? Or does anybody have a link or a version of the instructions they saved? Thanks!

The instructions are still available on archive.org: http://web.archive.org/web/200712030852 ... uncher.php. Still, building a Douchenator is easy; it shouldn't need instructions. It's just a pressure chamber threaded to a ball valve threaded to a barrel. But if you need a concrete set of instructions, the link is there.

Thanks a lot!

I'll take this opportunity to recommend an over-under design rather than inline. The inline Douchenator is very difficult to take through the house (if you store it indoors) and an over-under design is probably easier to carry on the field as well as in storage.

C-A_99 wrote:I'll take this opportunity to recommend an over-under design rather than inline. The inline Douchenator is very difficult to take through the house (if you store it indoors) and an over-under design is probably easier to carry on the field as well as in storage.

unless a threaded valve is used so you can take either the barrel, PC, or both off. (like mine )

Specter, I generally avoid using threaded fittings too often out of fear that I'll ruin the threads. Maybe that's not an issue with enough Teflon tape, though.

C-A 99 mentioned the "over-under" layout – it's a regular water balloon launcher but with two elbows added next to the firing valve, which places the pressure chamber parallel to the barrel. The reduced length is probably good for portability whether or not you can unscrew parts of the launcher.

I am considering building one also. If I use the standard 3 foot barrel 2 foot chamber setup how many balloons will I be able to load at once? I would like to be able to shoot at least five so I can use it as artillery. Also I would like to know if I should use a metal or a plastic valve. I want to save money so I was thinking of just using a plastic valve with a torque handle.

Plastic with a torque handle is fine.

You'd probably want a much bigger pressure chamber if you're shooting multiple balloons. I don't know whether that's a good idea, though...Duxburian's friends once tried shooting water out of a Douchenator, but the inertia from all the water in the barrel forced the two halves to pop apart. I don't know how well everything was connected, though. Hopefully he'll post here if he sees this thread.

@Specter: Well, then you have to disassemble the thing to take it in...

I'd keep the PC to 1ft or close. It will pressurize much more quickly. However, you may want a faster valve for that, but that presents the risk of providing acceleration that's too high, which will pop the balloon. (I've popped balloons with ball valves being opened too fast)

I'll be interested to see how shooting multiple bombs works. And not surprised if the answer is badly.

Shooting multiple balloons is safe. If you put them in a pringles can, it will shoot 3-5 [depending] balloons pretty well. You won't get the max range with multiple, but they do all travel about the same distance, which is not what I expected when I first tried. If you use something else for wadding, the balloons may break. A container like a can protects them better than other material.

Either metal or plastic [with the torque handle] would be fine. Threaded brass ball valves are easier to come by than threaded PVC ones.

If you're going inline, I would keep the dimensions shorter. Longer barrels tend to have better max range, though you'll still get at least 200ft out of a short barrel. 1.5 feet is a good PC length. If you're going over-under, you might want a longer PC just for the sake of balance. It could be annoying if it is too top-heavy. Adding a comfortable handle makes it easier to use. Inlines rarely have handles though, people tend to make straps for those.

I don't think I have the ability to edit anymore, so I'll just double up:

The first video we ever made on the Douchenator, the one set to Bittersweet Symphony, shows what it looks like when multiple balloons are fired. With 3, you actually get a triangle formation as they fly away. I'll look for that video and put it up if I can find it.

I think I will be able to store a 5 foot long douchenator in my basement. I will use plastic parts then. I also would like to build a larger one that can fire ten balloons or so to create a mortar effect. Like so:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf2oL2WcABw&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvquZjnwIEQ&NR=1

I can't recommend the pringles can for sabots. The metal siding has a lot of friction and doesn't seal well, plus it can scratch up the bore. Instead, take a large cup (such as that from a medium soft drink from a fast food restaurant but anything that "stops" and gets stuck when you try to fit it down the barrel will work), put it in the barrel so that it's stuck and centered, draw a line, and cut along. Trim as necessary, and keep the cut straight and you have a much more efficient sabot. Ideally, WaterWolf's V7's are currently the best design (that I know of) for efficiency and preventing balloon popping.

I'd say that firing so many balloons creates more of a shotgun effect than an artillery bombardment, simply due to the extreme lack of accuracy. Thus, I'd use it as a long-range shotgun in that case. For that many balloons, you may want a barrel at least 4' long.

For the firing valve, I'd suggest a PVC valve with a custom torque arm as seen on the SuperCannon II. This allows for a longer, more comfortable arm that's easier to open quickly, but you have to build it. (though it's pretty easy to do) Using a metal ball valve is the other option, but metal to plastic connections seem to be a bit less reliable (though still generally don't have problems) and the torque arm is short.