Super Soaker Central forums

Jesse17 · 06-01-2007, 07:04 PM

I'm looking to buy a watergun with the longest possible range, to be used at the upcoming Toronto Street War. This whole watergun community is brand new to me, and I'm not really sure where to start looking. Are there any very long-range waterguns available for puchase from toy manufacturers, or would I have to make one of these things or have one made? Who would I talk to about something like that? Would anybody be willing to do some freelance work in that area?

Silence · 06-01-2007, 07:18 PM

Welcome to Super Soaker Central!

What types of ranges are you looking for? It gets exponentially more difficult as you increase the targeted range. The three main things to consider improve when aiming for more range are the nozzle (size and lamination), flow (size of the tubing), and pressure.

30 feet - even below-average commercial water guns can usually get this far
40 feet - easy, the average/above-average commercial water gun can reach this mark
50 feet - more difficult, and usually requires a modded water gun or a homemade
60 feet - attainable by the best homemades and by only heavily-modded guns
70 feet - requires a water cannon such as SuperCannon II
80 feet - also possible with water cannons and with non-portable, more complicated/expensive versions
90 feet and above - possible with powerful cannons that have tons of brute force

So what are you aiming for? Sounds like you want a regular hand-held water gun, which narrows the maximum target range to 50-70 feet.

Commissioning water guns has not (yet) been done and would require some time to organize, and even a week would be pushing it were such a service available. However, building a homemade water gun is quite easy and possible if you figure out and order everything you need.

For starters, read the air pressure homemade article. (That's all ssuming you know how water guns work; if not, read the HowStuffWorks article on "water blasters".) Constant pressure homemades, which use rubber bladders to ensure constant pressure and range, are also easy to build. So pick something and ask what you want to do!

Jesse17 · 06-01-2007, 07:46 PM

Jesus! I just watched that Supercannon II video and, well, I guess that's the sort of thing I'd be interested in. It would be for sniping purposes--just need to get my target wet in order for it to count as a "kill."

Judging by your suggestions (immensely useful, by the way--thanks) it sounds like a homemade gun is what I'm looking for. The only thing is, as an English Grad, my engineering skills, are, well, underdeveloped. I don't trust myself to make any water-jetting device that won't blow up in my face. Commissioning a piece sounds like the way to go, except for the fact that, so far as you know, such a thing hasn't successfully been done on this site.

I don't know...any further suggestions?

Silence · 06-01-2007, 09:39 PM

No problem about the response. This was the last full day of school, so I've got all the time in the world for a couple weeks.

SuperCannon II is very powerful, but it would not be very practical if actually fighting a water war. You don't get much shot time, and unless you build a smaller version or have an electronic pump handy, you'll spend a while pumping. I'd suggest a regular APH or CPH.

As for actually building the homemade: All I'll say is that building a homemade water gun is very easy. All it really is is inserting pipe A into fitting B. In the end, it really just boils down to your confidence and whether or not you're motivated (sounds like you'll be fine).

You won't need exceptional skills at all. Admittedly, most of the people who have built homemade water guns are more technically-oriented, but that's just because most of the interested people are technically-oriented, I should think.

What tools do you have access to? All you'll really need is a sharp hacksaw, although some things like clamps to hold the tubes as you cut would help. But you can make do without a clamp. It also doesn't take much to cut with a hacksaw - just hold the tube in place somehow and cut a fairly straight line through it. Very easy.

From there, you apply purple PVC primer and then PVC cement and stick the pipe section into the fitting. That's all there is to it!

The pump is the most difficult thing to get right. However, if you have the right parts, you probably won't need to do much work there either. Get a 3/8" wooden dowel, slide on an O-ring, and use a bit of duct tape on each side to hold the O-ring on (there are other methods though). The O-ring should have a 3/8" ID (inner diameter) and a 5/8" OD (outer diameter) in order to fit into 1/2" PVC tubing.

Of course, there are many variants for the pump. Different methods suggest different sizes, tape types and alternatives, and amounts of work. This setup should work well enough, though.

06-01-2007, 07:04 PM	#1
Jesse17 Junior member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2 UserID: 1160	Long-Range Water Gun I'm looking to buy a watergun with the longest possible range, to be used at the upcoming Toronto Street War. This whole watergun community is brand new to me, and I'm not really sure where to start looking. Are there any very long-range waterguns available for puchase from toy manufacturers, or would I have to make one of these things or have one made? Who would I talk to about something like that? Would anybody be willing to do some freelance work in that area?

06-01-2007, 07:18 PM	#2
Silence Administrator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,315 UserID: 576	Welcome to Super Soaker Central! What types of ranges are you looking for? It gets exponentially more difficult as you increase the targeted range. The three main things to consider improve when aiming for more range are the nozzle (size and lamination), flow (size of the tubing), and pressure. 30 feet - even below-average commercial water guns can usually get this far 40 feet - easy, the average/above-average commercial water gun can reach this mark 50 feet - more difficult, and usually requires a modded water gun or a homemade 60 feet - attainable by the best homemades and by only heavily-modded guns 70 feet - requires a water cannon such as SuperCannon II 80 feet - also possible with water cannons and with non-portable, more complicated/expensive versions 90 feet and above - possible with powerful cannons that have tons of brute force So what are you aiming for? Sounds like you want a regular hand-held water gun, which narrows the maximum target range to 50-70 feet. Commissioning water guns has not (yet) been done and would require some time to organize, and even a week would be pushing it were such a service available. However, building a homemade water gun is quite easy and possible if you figure out and order everything you need. For starters, read the air pressure homemade article. (That's all ssuming you know how water guns work; if not, read the HowStuffWorks article on "water blasters".) Constant pressure homemades, which use rubber bladders to ensure constant pressure and range, are also easy to build. So pick something and ask what you want to do! __________________ Forum rules

06-01-2007, 07:46 PM	#3
Jesse17 Junior member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2 UserID: 1160	Jesus! I just watched that Supercannon II video and, well, I guess that's the sort of thing I'd be interested in. It would be for sniping purposes--just need to get my target wet in order for it to count as a "kill." Judging by your suggestions (immensely useful, by the way--thanks) it sounds like a homemade gun is what I'm looking for. The only thing is, as an English Grad, my engineering skills, are, well, underdeveloped. I don't trust myself to make any water-jetting device that won't blow up in my face. Commissioning a piece sounds like the way to go, except for the fact that, so far as you know, such a thing hasn't successfully been done on this site. I don't know...any further suggestions? Last edited by Jesse17 : 06-01-2007 at 08:38 PM.

06-01-2007, 09:39 PM	#4
Silence Administrator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,315 UserID: 576	No problem about the response. This was the last full day of school, so I've got all the time in the world for a couple weeks. SuperCannon II is very powerful, but it would not be very practical if actually fighting a water war. You don't get much shot time, and unless you build a smaller version or have an electronic pump handy, you'll spend a while pumping. I'd suggest a regular APH or CPH. As for actually building the homemade: All I'll say is that building a homemade water gun is very easy. All it really is is inserting pipe A into fitting B. In the end, it really just boils down to your confidence and whether or not you're motivated (sounds like you'll be fine). You won't need exceptional skills at all. Admittedly, most of the people who have built homemade water guns are more technically-oriented, but that's just because most of the interested people are technically-oriented, I should think. What tools do you have access to? All you'll really need is a sharp hacksaw, although some things like clamps to hold the tubes as you cut would help. But you can make do without a clamp. It also doesn't take much to cut with a hacksaw - just hold the tube in place somehow and cut a fairly straight line through it. Very easy. From there, you apply purple PVC primer and then PVC cement and stick the pipe section into the fitting. That's all there is to it! The pump is the most difficult thing to get right. However, if you have the right parts, you probably won't need to do much work there either. Get a 3/8" wooden dowel, slide on an O-ring, and use a bit of duct tape on each side to hold the O-ring on (there are other methods though). The O-ring should have a 3/8" ID (inner diameter) and a 5/8" OD (outer diameter) in order to fit into 1/2" PVC tubing. Of course, there are many variants for the pump. Different methods suggest different sizes, tape types and alternatives, and amounts of work. This setup should work well enough, though. __________________ Forum rules

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