Super Soaker Central forums

young_one · 11-08-2005, 10:00 AM

I get satisfaction from building something and having it work so I wanted to try a homemade. This would be my first one which brings my first question. I was reading the homemade section of the site and saw the Air Pressure Homemade and it really caught my eye. It seemed pretty powerful and had good instructions. So is it fairly easy to make? And how much is this project going to set me back money-wise?

Also, can someone explain what the ball valve does? I googled an image of it and it looks like it would open and close in the middle which I figured would either stop water flow or pump up the gun.

Ben · 11-08-2005, 04:34 PM

Difficulty of construction depends on who is constructing the water gun. Building a homemade water gun can be hard for one, but building can be easy for another. The Air Pressure Homemade water gun in that article was my first homemade water gun with PVC. Before I had built that I was under the impression that building a water gun was a hard if not impossible task from what had been said at Aquatica (a very old water gun forum that is no longer around). As it turned out, I was very surprised to learn that the construction was easy and very enjoyable! That's for me though - you could be different.

Cost was addressed in the article: "Depending on what you have, your first APH could cost you anywhere from $40 to $150." Tools needed, such as a drill (preferably a drill press), a clamp to hold the PVC during cutting, and a hack saw are the basic ones you will need. Pressure-rated PVC can be hard to find in some places and you may have to order the pipe online and pay a large shipping fee. I recently ordered some pressure-rated 4 inch pipe from McMaster.com with a few other items and I believe the shipping was $16! That's not much more than tax around here for what I bought, but it still is steep.

The pump moves the water into the pressure chamber, giving the air less space and compressing the air. The ball valve allows the water to flow out of the nozzle. The ball valve is not a pump. The pump is below pressure chambers. Buy a ball valve and you will see how they work easily. In a ball valve, a hole goes right through the valve and when the ball is rotated so that the hole lines up with the pipe, the water can flow through in short.

Here's some links that will help you understand how basic water guns work: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.c...er-blaster.htm

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Good luck on your first homemade water gun too!

young_one · 11-08-2005, 06:27 PM

Ok thanks. Great news; I'm still getting really late birthday presents. I recieved a card today and in it was $40. I spent the other $40 I had already had today on video games but with that $40 I now have $45. I have all the tools you mentioned so I think I might be alright on making my first gun.

On the APH gun I couldn't figure out something. What are the two cylinders on top for, and where is the water stored if anywhere?

Ok so I just drew up some plans. Now since this is my first attempt I need help on knowing if it would work and if I could tweak it to make it better. It will be like a bazooka gun where you have to push the pump on the back which forces the water out through the nozzle. Alright well I would show you guys a picture but I can't figure out how the image posting works here. Can anyone help me?

Ben · 11-08-2005, 06:57 PM

The two cylinders on the top are the pressure chambers. The water typically is stored in a backpack in an APH-type design. Please refer to Pepper's homemade water gun for an included reservoir design.

I wouldn't feel very confident building a water gun without knowing what parts do what in the homemade designs, so I would wait until I understand the design of the water gun before making one. Take apart a water gun and see how it works. That is how I learned and I am convinced that it is the best method.

m15399 · 11-08-2005, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Here's some links that will help you understand how basic water guns work: http://entertainment.howstuffworks....ter-blaster.htm

Let me give you some advice: Read that article word for word. That article explains everything you need to know to make your own water gun, even without Ben's instructions. If you're still confused about how water blasters work, read my article on air pressure guns (it's not as good as the one Ben posted, but it's much shorter and I'm betting you didn't actually read the other one word for word).

young_one · 11-08-2005, 07:39 PM

Oh no I'm reading it word for word. I did take apart a gun today and kept the resevoir for use maybe later down the road. I want to show you designs I drew up but can't figure out how to post a picture. I've stated this in my edit to my last post.

m15399 · 11-08-2005, 09:02 PM

Ah, now I can help with something! Go to the Google blog service and set up an account. Don't worry about making it fancy or anything, just click the "new post" thing and hit the picture upload button. View your blog, open the pic in a new window, and there's your pic link.

DX · 11-08-2005, 09:19 PM

You could also use Photobucket or Putfile. Both work the same way and are free to use.

m15399 · 11-08-2005, 09:40 PM

I looked at those, but found that Blogger is much simpler to sign up with and use. But that's just me.

young_one · 11-08-2005, 10:18 PM

Alright man thanks. Here's a link to my picture. Check out my gun design!! It's very badly sketched. I had to do it really quick but it should be alright.

Alright the concept is a bazooka. You see to load the gun with water you turn the valve nearest to the resevoir so that it's open then tip the gun upside down so water comes into the gun. Then you close that valve. When you're ready to shoot you open the valve closer to the nozzle. You then push the pump, sending the water flying in God knows what direction. I know already for this to work and have that ball valve on top near the nozzle that this piping will have to be smal so I can lay that ball valve down so it works. Questions now. Will this work? Are there anything suggestions on tweaking it to make it better? Thanks for your time.

m15399 · 11-08-2005, 10:28 PM

You could use check valves instead of ball valves (might mess up lamination though). If you didn't want to turn it upside down, you could have a peice of tubing go down into the reservoir.

Ben · 11-09-2005, 06:07 AM

That doesn't appear to be a very sound design. My suggestion would be to make a single-chamber version of the Air Pressure Homemade water gun before making anything else because you will learn during the construction and no other guide is really available. My single chamber version took barely any time to make at all and saved a lot of money on the large PVC couplers used in a two chamber design. I believe it cost me about $40 to build and that is why I put $40 on the lower end of the price spectrum. The pressure chamber still was modestly large (about 700 ml), so it really didn't make much of a difference in performance.

young_one · 11-09-2005, 06:47 AM

Yeah that's what I had planned on originally, making a single chamber APH. Maybe after I build that one I can draw up a better design. I'm going to try to get prices on all the PVC piping and other things I need for the project today.

DX · 11-09-2005, 04:16 PM

It is usually better to build an existing design, then make your own for a 2nd and each successive homemade. $20 is the lowest you can get so far for a homemade, but don't worry about that because the guide isn't out yet. However, this is a reason for me to make time for it.

m15399 · 11-09-2005, 06:01 PM

Unless you build a piston homemade, which could be $5 for all the materials (not including cement)?

11-08-2005, 10:00 AM	#1
young_one Junior member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: VA Posts: 14 UserID: 505	Questions about homemade water guns I get satisfaction from building something and having it work so I wanted to try a homemade. This would be my first one which brings my first question. I was reading the homemade section of the site and saw the Air Pressure Homemade and it really caught my eye. It seemed pretty powerful and had good instructions. So is it fairly easy to make? And how much is this project going to set me back money-wise? Also, can someone explain what the ball valve does? I googled an image of it and it looks like it would open and close in the middle which I figured would either stop water flow or pump up the gun. Last edited by Ben : 11-08-2005 at 04:16 PM. Reason: Two posts consolidated

11-08-2005, 04:34 PM	#2
Ben Founder Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 6,054 UserID: 1	Difficulty of construction depends on who is constructing the water gun. Building a homemade water gun can be hard for one, but building can be easy for another. The Air Pressure Homemade water gun in that article was my first homemade water gun with PVC. Before I had built that I was under the impression that building a water gun was a hard if not impossible task from what had been said at Aquatica (a very old water gun forum that is no longer around). As it turned out, I was very surprised to learn that the construction was easy and very enjoyable! That's for me though - you could be different. Cost was addressed in the article: "Depending on what you have, your first APH could cost you anywhere from $40 to $150." Tools needed, such as a drill (preferably a drill press), a clamp to hold the PVC during cutting, and a hack saw are the basic ones you will need. Pressure-rated PVC can be hard to find in some places and you may have to order the pipe online and pay a large shipping fee. I recently ordered some pressure-rated 4 inch pipe from McMaster.com with a few other items and I believe the shipping was $16! That's not much more than tax around here for what I bought, but it still is steep. The pump moves the water into the pressure chamber, giving the air less space and compressing the air. The ball valve allows the water to flow out of the nozzle. The ball valve is not a pump. The pump is below pressure chambers. Buy a ball valve and you will see how they work easily. In a ball valve, a hole goes right through the valve and when the ball is rotated so that the hole lines up with the pipe, the water can flow through in short. Here's some links that will help you understand how basic water guns work: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.c...er-blaster.htm If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Good luck on your first homemade water gun too! __________________ email: / Forum rules / Read this page before emailing me. Do not send me a PM or email with a water gun question if someone else could answer the question. Post at the forums. You will get a response from me along with others' views or ideas.

11-08-2005, 06:27 PM	#3
young_one Junior member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: VA Posts: 14 UserID: 505	Ok thanks. Great news; I'm still getting really late birthday presents. I recieved a card today and in it was $40. I spent the other $40 I had already had today on video games but with that $40 I now have $45. I have all the tools you mentioned so I think I might be alright on making my first gun. On the APH gun I couldn't figure out something. What are the two cylinders on top for, and where is the water stored if anywhere? Ok so I just drew up some plans. Now since this is my first attempt I need help on knowing if it would work and if I could tweak it to make it better. It will be like a bazooka gun where you have to push the pump on the back which forces the water out through the nozzle. Alright well I would show you guys a picture but I can't figure out how the image posting works here. Can anyone help me? Last edited by young_one : 11-08-2005 at 07:36 PM.

11-08-2005, 06:57 PM	#4
Ben Founder Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 6,054 UserID: 1	The two cylinders on the top are the pressure chambers. The water typically is stored in a backpack in an APH-type design. Please refer to Pepper's homemade water gun for an included reservoir design. I wouldn't feel very confident building a water gun without knowing what parts do what in the homemade designs, so I would wait until I understand the design of the water gun before making one. Take apart a water gun and see how it works. That is how I learned and I am convinced that it is the best method. __________________ email: / Forum rules / Read this page before emailing me. Do not send me a PM or email with a water gun question if someone else could answer the question. Post at the forums. You will get a response from me along with others' views or ideas.

11-08-2005, 09:19 PM	#8
DX Wicked Super Admin Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Easton / New London, CT Posts: 1,576 UserID: 75	You could also use Photobucket or Putfile. Both work the same way and are free to use. __________________ Mess With the Best, Get Soaked Like the Rest!! 2004 Red Sox - World Series Champions 2007 RED SOX - WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! 2003 Patriots - Super Bowl Champions 2004 Patriots - Super Bowl Champions 2007 Patriots - God Damnit! If I change my sig, will the world end?

11-08-2005, 07:39 PM	#6
young_one Junior member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: VA Posts: 14 UserID: 505	Oh no I'm reading it word for word. I did take apart a gun today and kept the resevoir for use maybe later down the road. I want to show you designs I drew up but can't figure out how to post a picture. I've stated this in my edit to my last post.

11-08-2005, 09:02 PM	#7
m15399 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 224 UserID: 495	Ah, now I can help with something! Go to the Google blog service and set up an account. Don't worry about making it fancy or anything, just click the "new post" thing and hit the picture upload button. View your blog, open the pic in a new window, and there's your pic link.

11-08-2005, 09:40 PM	#9
m15399 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 224 UserID: 495	I looked at those, but found that Blogger is much simpler to sign up with and use. But that's just me.

11-08-2005, 10:18 PM	#10
young_one Junior member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: VA Posts: 14 UserID: 505	Alright man thanks. Here's a link to my picture. Check out my gun design!! It's very badly sketched. I had to do it really quick but it should be alright. Alright the concept is a bazooka. You see to load the gun with water you turn the valve nearest to the resevoir so that it's open then tip the gun upside down so water comes into the gun. Then you close that valve. When you're ready to shoot you open the valve closer to the nozzle. You then push the pump, sending the water flying in God knows what direction. I know already for this to work and have that ball valve on top near the nozzle that this piping will have to be smal so I can lay that ball valve down so it works. Questions now. Will this work? Are there anything suggestions on tweaking it to make it better? Thanks for your time.

11-08-2005, 10:28 PM	#11
m15399 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 224 UserID: 495	You could use check valves instead of ball valves (might mess up lamination though). If you didn't want to turn it upside down, you could have a peice of tubing go down into the reservoir.

11-09-2005, 06:07 AM	#12
Ben Founder Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 6,054 UserID: 1	That doesn't appear to be a very sound design. My suggestion would be to make a single-chamber version of the Air Pressure Homemade water gun before making anything else because you will learn during the construction and no other guide is really available. My single chamber version took barely any time to make at all and saved a lot of money on the large PVC couplers used in a two chamber design. I believe it cost me about $40 to build and that is why I put $40 on the lower end of the price spectrum. The pressure chamber still was modestly large (about 700 ml), so it really didn't make much of a difference in performance. __________________ email: / Forum rules / Read this page before emailing me. Do not send me a PM or email with a water gun question if someone else could answer the question. Post at the forums. You will get a response from me along with others' views or ideas.

11-09-2005, 06:47 AM	#13
young_one Junior member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: VA Posts: 14 UserID: 505	Yeah that's what I had planned on originally, making a single chamber APH. Maybe after I build that one I can draw up a better design. I'm going to try to get prices on all the PVC piping and other things I need for the project today.

11-09-2005, 04:16 PM	#14
DX Wicked Super Admin Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Easton / New London, CT Posts: 1,576 UserID: 75	It is usually better to build an existing design, then make your own for a 2nd and each successive homemade. $20 is the lowest you can get so far for a homemade, but don't worry about that because the guide isn't out yet. However, this is a reason for me to make time for it. __________________ Mess With the Best, Get Soaked Like the Rest!! 2004 Red Sox - World Series Champions 2007 RED SOX - WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! 2003 Patriots - Super Bowl Champions 2004 Patriots - Super Bowl Champions 2007 Patriots - God Damnit! If I change my sig, will the world end?

11-09-2005, 06:01 PM	#15
m15399 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 224 UserID: 495	Unless you build a piston homemade, which could be $5 for all the materials (not including cement)?

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