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Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:56 pm
by Juice Box
My brother and I made this a while back. It's a fun way to work the dog and associate the "bird" going down after the shooting. Here's some pictures of the contraption.
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It's pretty much a potato launcher that shoots tennis balls. Just spray some stinky old man spray in the tube, seal it, and click the BBQ igniter.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:12 pm
by 3legged_lab
Get yourself a propane torch, crack the valve for about a 4 second or so count into the combustion chamber. Burns cleaner (so you don't have to smell burnt deoderant) and hotter. MAAP gas works good too.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:14 pm
by Flightstopper
Always used hair spray in mine and would get so gummed up you'd have to use pipe wrench to open it.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:29 pm
by BrewGUN
We just used butane. We had screw in interchangeable bbls and a ported bbl too.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:30 pm
by The Duck Hammer
I got one of those I made for physics but its run off compressed air. Barrel is smaller and it will shoot golf balls over 300 yards.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:32 pm
by jehler
Aqua net hair spray is the superior propellant FYI

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:32 pm
by 3legged_lab
BrewGUN wrote:We just used butane. We had screw in interchangeable bbls and a ported bbl too.

Haha I ported the barrel on my potato gun too.
Always wanted to make one that shoots golf balls

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:32 pm
by jehler
We made one that will
Shoot golf balls over 314 yards

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:35 pm
by AKPirate
Our golf ball shooter tossed it well over 350 yards...

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:38 pm
by Flightstopper
jehler wrote:Aqua net hair spray is the superior propellant FYI


Yup was always the go to load. Excellent ballistic properties

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:38 pm
by (MT)Montanafowler
i made screw in choke tubes for mine ;)

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:41 pm
by 3legged_lab
Flightstopper wrote:
jehler wrote:Aqua net hair spray is the superior propellant FYI


Yup was always the go to load. Excellent ballistic properties

You are both so wrong that I'm not even gonna bother.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:41 pm
by jehler
3legged_lab wrote:
Flightstopper wrote:
jehler wrote:Aqua net hair spray is the superior propellant FYI


Yup was always the go to load. Excellent ballistic properties

You are both so wrong that I'm not even gonna bother.
pfft

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:42 pm
by 3legged_lab
jehler wrote:
3legged_lab wrote:
Flightstopper wrote:
jehler wrote:Aqua net hair spray is the superior propellant FYI


Yup was always the go to load. Excellent ballistic properties

You are both so wrong that I'm not even gonna bother.
pfft

Exactly. Pfft indeed.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 9:19 pm
by Juice Box
All these new ideas are gonna be fun to try

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 9:20 pm
by NuffDaddy
3legged_lab wrote:
Flightstopper wrote:
jehler wrote:Aqua net hair spray is the superior propellant FYI


Yup was always the go to load. Excellent ballistic properties

You are both so wrong that I'm not even gonna bother.

We always used Aqua net until they didn't have any at the store we went to. They had this shit called Rave...potatoes went quite a bit further and had a lot nicer pop when it went off. Seemed to be a little cleaner too.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:04 pm
by Tiler_J
Starting Fluid. The best propellant out there! Just a tiny little spray will send things flying. It's awesome! I think it is the ether really gives it a good kick.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:20 pm
by Slingshot
Do any of yall have hair left . :lol:

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:22 pm
by Juice Box
Tiler_J wrote:Starting Fluid. The best propellant out there! Just a tiny little spray will send things flying. It's awesome! I think it is the ether really gives it a good kick.

I have a can of it too!!

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:29 pm
by RonE
Using combustibles to launch potatoes or tennis balls is for junior high students. Real spud guns use compressed air. Mine uses 165 psi of compressed air from a SCUBA tank and will shoot a 1 1/2" potato almost a quarter mile.

Most SCUBA regulators will put out 125 - 135 psi which is enough.........Poseidon regulators are set at about 165 psi and some US Divers regulators are adjustable.

Tennis balls run out of momentum quickly because they are so large and weight so little. Golf ball launchers are much more impressive.

Need to use Schedule 40 pvc and I wrap the air chamber on a bias twice with duct tape.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:31 pm
by Tiler_J
Juice Box wrote:
Tiler_J wrote:Starting Fluid. The best propellant out there! Just a tiny little spray will send things flying. It's awesome! I think it is the ether really gives it a good kick.

I have a can of it too!!

Just a tiny spray, less is more with this stuff. Too much and it won't ignite. Burns really clean, hope you have enough glue holding your launcher together. :thumbsup:

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:33 pm
by The Duck Hammer
RonE wrote:Using combustibles to launch potatoes or tennis balls is for junior high students. Real spud guns use compressed air. Mine uses 165 psi of compressed air from a SCUBA tank and will shoot a 1 1/2" potato almost a quarter mile.

Most SCUBA regulators will put out 125 - 135 psi which is enough.........Poseidon regulators are set at about 165 psi and some US Divers regulators are adjustable.

Tennis balls run out of momentum quickly because they are so large and weight so little. Golf ball launchers are much more impressive.

Need to use Schedule 40 pvc and I wrap the air chamber on a bias twice with duct tape.


I use 100 psi in mine, but the barrel is too big for a golf ball and too small for a potato. Bad planning up front.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:02 pm
by Tiler_J
The Duck Hammer wrote:
RonE wrote:Using combustibles to launch potatoes or tennis balls is for junior high students. Real spud guns use compressed air. Mine uses 165 psi of compressed air from a SCUBA tank and will shoot a 1 1/2" potato almost a quarter mile.

Most SCUBA regulators will put out 125 - 135 psi which is enough.........Poseidon regulators are set at about 165 psi and some US Divers regulators are adjustable.

Tennis balls run out of momentum quickly because they are so large and weight so little. Golf ball launchers are much more impressive.

Need to use Schedule 40 pvc and I wrap the air chamber on a bias twice with duct tape.


I use 100 psi in mine, but the barrel is too big for a golf ball and too small for a potato. Bad planning up front.

Too small? All the potatoes we use are bigger than the barrel. Stick the potato on the end of the barrel and smack it down with your hand. All the extra potato will be cut off, then use a broom handle or something similar to push it down the barrel. It gets a good snug fit, if it is a small potato you can't get a tight fit in the barrel.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:11 pm
by The Duck Hammer
Tiler_J wrote:
The Duck Hammer wrote:
RonE wrote:Using combustibles to launch potatoes or tennis balls is for junior high students. Real spud guns use compressed air. Mine uses 165 psi of compressed air from a SCUBA tank and will shoot a 1 1/2" potato almost a quarter mile.

Most SCUBA regulators will put out 125 - 135 psi which is enough.........Poseidon regulators are set at about 165 psi and some US Divers regulators are adjustable.

Tennis balls run out of momentum quickly because they are so large and weight so little. Golf ball launchers are much more impressive.

Need to use Schedule 40 pvc and I wrap the air chamber on a bias twice with duct tape.


I use 100 psi in mine, but the barrel is too big for a golf ball and too small for a potato. Bad planning up front.

Too small? All the potatoes we use are bigger than the barrel. Stick the potato on the end of the barrel and smack it down with your hand. All the extra potato will be cut off, then use a broom handle or something similar to push it down the barrel. It gets a good snug fit, if it is a small potato you can't get a tight fit in the barrel.

I've thought of that, but haven't tried it. I think it is a 2.5" barrel and a four inch tank.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:36 pm
by Tiler_J
It works great, just make sure you only push the potato down until it is almost to the tank/combustion chamber.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:34 am
by Juice Box
I need to come up with some way to rifle the barrel!

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 1:31 am
by Bootlipkiller
Juice Box wrote:I need to come up with some way to rifle the barrel!

You will shoot your eye out.


Sent from an undisclosed location on the river

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:18 am
by RonE
The Duck Hammer wrote:
Tiler_J wrote:
The Duck Hammer wrote:
RonE wrote:Using combustibles to launch potatoes or tennis balls is for junior high students. Real spud guns use compressed air. Mine uses 165 psi of compressed air from a SCUBA tank and will shoot a 1 1/2" potato almost a quarter mile.

Most SCUBA regulators will put out 125 - 135 psi which is enough.........Poseidon regulators are set at about 165 psi and some US Divers regulators are adjustable.

Tennis balls run out of momentum quickly because they are so large and weight so little. Golf ball launchers are much more impressive.

Need to use Schedule 40 pvc and I wrap the air chamber on a bias twice with duct tape.


I use 100 psi in mine, but the barrel is too big for a golf ball and too small for a potato. Bad planning up front.

Too small? All the potatoes we use are bigger than the barrel. Stick the potato on the end of the barrel and smack it down with your hand. All the extra potato will be cut off, then use a broom handle or something similar to push it down the barrel. It gets a good snug fit, if it is a small potato you can't get a tight fit in the barrel.

I've thought of that, but haven't tried it. I think it is a 2.5" barrel and a four inch tank.

My gun is 6' long with a 3' long air chamber around the barrel. Barrel is 1 1/2" Sch 40 pvc and the chamber is 3" Sch 40 pvc I use a piece of 1 1/2 that is beveled on the end to cut potato projectiles.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:37 am
by JGUN
With a 1 1/2" barrel you can fit a big slam bottle cap down it and add a handful of pea gravel and you have a nasty shotgun. Or walnuts with the green husk still on them are wicked projectiles too. I think I could actually kill a deer at close range with a walnut.

Re: Tennis ball launcher!!!

PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:30 am
by RonE
At 30 feet, you can kill a 90 lb whitetail deer by breaking it's neck while it is eating your wife's flowers in the front yard at night.....truly!