Safety issues... help?

[sooch90]

I heard that if it's cold out, it's not safe to fire the potato cannon? Is this true? How cold?
It's like 30 degrees out, do you guys think it would be okay to shoot it?

And how many shots will I be able to fire before the potato cannon gets too worn out?

[jrrdw]

I'd say anything below 50 degress f is to cold. As for how many shots, i guess it depends on the build of the gun, kind of a wide open question there. So start shooten and find out, you can warm the gun up then take it outside and shoot.

[Hotwired]

Well its less safe than usual to fire a PVC cannon when its freezing because plastic becomes more brittle as the temperature drops.

So the colder it is the less flexible the pvc becomes and the greater the risk of it cracking up under pressure.

Use a lower pressure than usual in the cold if you want to fire it.

I wouldn't worry about a potato wearing out your cannon, you're more likely to get bored with it way before any potato-pvc contact damage is noticable.

[SpudBlaster15]

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[sooch90]

Okay, well here is a different safety issue I need help with.

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See the line? It kinda looks like a crack? The picture is kinda blurry, but in real life the line is very distinct. However, when I run my fingernail over it, there is almost no indentation. It's really hard to tell.

What do you guys think I should do?

[MisterSteve124]

Replace it. There is basically nothing else you can do. You can't use cracked pvc its not strong enough.

[sooch90]

blah, but how do I uncement the barrel??

[jrrdw]

Cut the barrel off rite where the line stops, then get a coupler and add more good pipe.

[MisterSteve124]

You gotta cut it off. My advice would be cut the chamber right before the reducer, then get a new reducer and put that on and a new barrell.

[sgort87]

How about you cut the base leaving enough room to add a threaded adapter so you can use any barrel size you want as long as it has another threaded adapter to fit onto the other adapter?

Durrr....

[sooch90]

but then wouldn't that shorten the chamber and weaken the power of my gun

also do you guys think it's actually a crack? How could it crack so quickly? I just built it haha

[MisterSteve124]

it would shorten it by about an inch which wouldn't do much. And you said you were going to fire it in 30 degree weather so thats probably why. PVC is pressure rated to 330psi in like 70 degree weather not 30. Were you using pressure rated in the first place?

[sgort87]

No, you don't cut your chamber. You cut your barrel.

[MisterSteve124]

Yeah but then the reducer is still there and there is a small peice of the pipe in the fitting which you cant get out. So you would have to cut the chamber.

[sgort87]

It most likely isnt affected the WHOLE WAY down the barrel. I'm sure the base is fine.