Add to favoritesSo you want to build a cannon? I think nearly everybody is familiar with the basic idea of the Tennis Ball Cannon—some type of device that, when ignited, fires a tennis ball out one end.
This sounds simple enough, but making a cannon that can shoot long distances (E.g., 100+ yards) can be a bit tricky.
The purpose of this document is to guide the reader through the production of a number of different types of cannons.
Section 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 deal with the three types of cannons I’ve built to date.
If you just want to build a cannon, these are the sections for you. These cannons are probably not the most powerful that can be made, but they have all been built and tested.
They’re easy to build and easy to fire, unlike some of the vague net–info I’ve seen floating around.
Hopefully I’ve been precise enough that anyone with some a little talent and time can successfully build a cannon that can fire impressive distances.
If you’re interested in theory or experimentation with unproven designs (by this author, at least), check out later sections.
While I’ve never had any serious accidents with my cannons, I recognize that this it not a harmless sport!
I feel that although the simpler cannons are fairly safe (assuming standard precautions are taken), the more advanced models can generate TREMENDOUS pressures in the barrels.
This guide will have you an artist of cannonry in next to no time.
You will discover inside:
- 1.0 Introduction and Disclaimer
- 1.1 Equipment list
- 1.2 Credits
- 2.0 Tennis Ball Cannon v1.0
- 2.1 Tennis Ball Cannon v2.0
- 2.2 Tennis Ball Cannon v2.5
- 3.0 Other Designs and Ideas
- 3.1 Alternative Fuels
- 3.2 Alternative Designs
- 3.3 Assorted Ideas
