SpudFiles

First off I would like to say that as a new member of the site I love this place. You all are awesome, intelligent people and are a wonderful community. I enjoy reading everyone's input on cannons, theories and other different ideas.

Flattery and compliments aside, I was wondering if anyone had some design ideas, suggestions, theories etc for a CD/Disc Launcher. A friend of mine as an insanely large collection of junk CD-ROMS and such (mostly AOL and other such companies.)

We were thinking that it is a shame we can't find something fun to do with them. He suggested making a launching device or gun of some kind. So I decided to throw the idea out here and see what you all had to say.

Thanks again for everything that everyone contributes here. Hopefully you take this post seriously and with enthusiasm.

Thanks for your time!

possibly a clay bird thrower would work? i believe they're similar diameter, though i havent shot skeet recently since the local shooting range banned shotguns

You could try something like this, I'm not sure whether or not you want it to spin though.

http://forums.spudtech.com/topic.asp?TO ... =horseshoe

this idea might work, i made the diagram realy fast in ms paint so tell me if you dont understand it. i think this is what im going to build after my hovercraft (sorry if this is the same thing as that link it wont let me see it without a user name and password)

irwinner wrote:this idea might work, i made the diagram realy fast in ms paint so tell me if you dont understand it. i think this is what im going to build after my hovercraft (sorry if this is the same thing as that link it wont let me see it without a user name and password)

Actually I understand that diagram fine. It makes sense. Its almost like one of those football or baseball throwers they use in the pro's. I was thinking along the lines of something pneumatic though, because I have seen magnetic ones out there. Your (kinetic?) example seems very fundamental and workable. How portable and self-loading could it be though.

If you decide to pursue the design, I would love to correspond with on it.

Thanks!

well i was thinking of using one of those high end r/c car motors (i think they cost about $30 for a 40,000 to 50,000 rpm motor) for the primary motor, so that would mean that you could use a r/c car battery to power it. as for the self loading you could add another much slower motor to it to do that, maybe something like this

What about just sandwiching two pieces of metal or wood together with a spacer between them to make a CD "barrel"? Then just either put more layers or wood or whatever on top and bottom to adapt it to a piece of PVC, or wrap a piece of sheet metal around the outside of this "barrel" and a piece of PVC or pipe or the end of a sprinkler valve?

heres a couple crappy pics to hopefully illustrate what I am talking about.
Basicly just make a flat "barrel" for the CD to shoot out of and adapt it to a male adapter to screw into a sprinkler valve.
http://i5.tinypic.com/20hr80w.jpg
http://i5.tinypic.com/20hr8f5.jpg

you know ms paint has a text box feature...

i like irwinners idea. Mythbusters did the same thing with playing cards and it worked so that should to.

irwinner good call on the r/c motor. Do you think tires from said similar product would provide the proper function for the firing wheels? Would both firing wheels have to be motorized for maximun peformance?

I think I will just go around to the stores tomorrow and see what all could make functional firing wheels. I know there is an R/C somewhere in town and I am sure I could find a motor online as well.

pyrogeek you had a good idea for the barrel. I've got some spare sheet metal set aside now for that purpose. It would definitely help with aiming LOL.

Going to start working on the construction of the launcher tomorrow, incorporating irwinner's design and providing that I have proper parts.

Anyone else have any additional ideas? pyrogeek do you think a pneumatic CD launcher is possible? I guess I just worry about it being able to properly fire a CD/CD-ROM shaped projectile.

And thanks for everyone's input so far. You all rock!

i like irwinners idea to. but i think a pneumatic one would be sweet

nick, will this thing hurt? can we shoot your brother with it?

I dont suggest shooting anybody with a flying cd. Could hurt really bad

come on cody saying that kind of stuff willl get the topic locked

oops my bad. can it shoot flaming cd's? lol