Beginner's 1st Cannon

[jrrdw]

Motivation from this thread.

OK guys most of us has seen it, thought about it and discussed it.

What is it?

Well the title gives it away. Any one willing to make their showcased cannon/s way simpler to understand for beginners to build please do so and post it here.

Example:
Cannon name and builder
Type of cannon (pneumatic or combustion, no hybirds allowed)
Parts list
Number the parts
Step by step assembly
Link to the full verision

That's it, plain and simple for the newbies. A thread like this will stop (or help to stop) the questions like the link above. After a few plans have been posted I'll place them in a sticky thread.

Questions? Comment's? As allways feel free to ask...

[shiny455]

This is a great idea, should price also be one of the limitations. I don't believe many people will want to spend a great deal on their first gun or maybe just list the price of the material used

[jrrdw]

Being as how prices are different every where you go if you want to include pricing I would list the city/town so there is no sticker shock when builders shop for the parts.

I will also include some site links like useful links and information page.

[MRR]

What about the "not spoon feeding" policy of this forum?
A dumbed down version of a cannon is still a cannon. I have recently set a how-to video on YouTube to not listed because people started to mess around. One guy told me that he lost a finger (he was trolling but I was shocked at first) and another one uses a pneumatic launcher to cull his goats.....

I always thought it was a good idea to grow slowly into this hobby and the community by doing research and taking advice and guidance from more experienced members. Everything you need is already available on spudfiles, making it too easy opens the door to abuse in my opinion.

[Gaderelguitarist]

I agree with MRR. There are some people in this world that shouldn't handle a butter knife, much less a piece of pvc filled with air pressure.

With instructions come liabilities. What happens when a less than intelligent kid builds a cannon from his father's scrap plumbing and ends up blowing a hole through the garage, let alone something living? The parents would no doubt seek answers.

Of course that is a worst case scenario, but it does happen. If someone cannot figure out how to build something by understanding the principals involved, as well as the construction materials and their properties, they should refrain from potentially dangerous projects.

[Technician1002]

I think a couple of links to some Instructables would fill the bill here and keep liability low.

Here is a good starting point.
http://www.instructables.com/group/launchit/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Tennis-Ball-Mortar/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Marshmallow-gun/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Marshmallow-Mortar/

[SpudBlaster15]

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[clemsonguy1125]

I am with SB15 here, there is plenty of information on the forum to get a new member started. Im hesitant to give plans or anything because if they were to mess up building it and it exploded, there could be legal trouble.

[saefroch]

I have to sound like a follower, but I'm really in favor of NOT spoonfeeding. Not only is it dangerous, but it ruins half the fun of the hobby.

However I am all for making more information like that on this thread available.

[Crna Legija]

i think this topic could be use to show what a safe cannon is, like the different types of pressure rated pipe( pn and nsf-pw) why its not a good idea to keep pvc under high pressure, how to solvent weld and use epoxy(really a hold bunch of links for noobs) and if its useful maybe pcguy can make it automatically come up when you make new account.

[Zeus]

Basic information should be compiled and wrote in such a way that all the dolts who come here looking for fun can't understand, and those who have the mental capacity to understand the basics of phyics can learn.

If the dolts can't understand the plentyful information here then they shouldn't be viewing this forum, simple as that.

Really, what's so hard about the principle of a piston valve or QDV? Just let them go back to being "clever" with their games and TV.

Begin stoning the forum nazi now.

[jrrdw]

Well, it was a idea off the top of my head, a thought in passing. I knew there would be talk of "spoon feeding" but the bases of this idea/thought was geared towards the newbies who do have enough skills to build a basic cannon.

While reading the replies something else came to mind...we can't know who has or doesn't have those beginner skills.

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Maybe a beginners quiz when a new member ask for "what kind of cannon?" or where can I get plans?'. No one would answer the questions until the quiz is passed...The last question could be:

"Whats your cannon design?".

I've noticed more and more that new members all ready have their plans/designs at hand. That automatically limits the/any quizzes to be given.

[Technician1002]

This is what the How to section is for. Any spoon feed should refer to the How To section for everything for how to glue, how to fuel, how to mod a sprinkler valve etc, so the true noob can look up fuel or glue if needed.

I don't see anything wrong with a basic spray and pray giving some common dimensions and then referencing glue, fuel, DWV, paint, ignition, etc in the article.

For Liability, a legal section should be included as regulation vary from outright illegal to legal for air at X energy, etc for various locations.

When I have time I should look to see if there is a good section on Legal in the wiki.

[cammyd32]

Surely any kind of plans or how-to's should be fine as long as you add a disclaimer? so if you do get people who

shouldn't handle a butter knife

(put nicely in the words by Gaderelguitarist), try building a pvc gun and it blows their hand off, they could not do much as the disclaimer could say something like "this page is for information purposes only, we take no liability for any damage caused to you/others by making this gun". - now tell me that would not work.

[Crna Legija]

Surely any kind of plans or how-to's should be fine as long as you add a disclaimer? so if you do get people who

shouldn't handle a butter knife

(put nicely in the words by Gaderelguitarist), try building a pvc gun and it blows their hand off, they could not do much as the disclaimer could say something like "this page is for information purposes only, we take no liability for any damage caused to you/others by making this gun". it would work yes?

i'm not sure but in Australia this stuff is completely illegal and i think the dis-calmer would basically be canceled out.