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Gadget Freak Case #103: New Potato Gun for the French Fryin' Legion
Design News Staff -- Design News, June 3, 2007
This project is definitely not small potatoes — three barrels loaded with spuds and charged with propane! Two PIC microcontrollers handle the User Interface, Azimuth and Elevation Aiming and Fire Control functions. Aiming is controlled with a joystick. The Fire Control subsystem verifies a projectile is loaded in the selected barrel before injecting the controlled charge of fuel and that the barrel is armed before firing. It doesn't verify the operator's age, sobriety or aim — that's your responsibility. The chips will fall where they may. Watch the video!
Download the build instructions | View Parts List | Post a Comment
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| Amt | Part Description | Allied Part # |
| 1 | PIC18F452 Microcontroller | 383-0570 |
| 1 | PIC16F88 Microcontroller | 383-0496 |
| 2 | 12V Rechargeable Battery | 610-0032 |
| 3 | LED – Green | 679-3001 |
| 3 | LED - Red | 749-9839 |
| 3 | LED - Yellow | 679-4306 |
| 1 | Buzzer - 5V | 404-0121 |
| 2 | H-Bridge | 288-1573 |
| 1 | 4 MHz Crystal | 895-0604 |
| Other Parts and Materials: | ||
| 2 | Voltage Regulator - 5V | |
| 1 | 3-Axis Hall Effect Joystick with 5 NO Buttons | |
| 2 | Mechtex DC Motor w/ 750:1 Gear Box, 12V | |
| 1 | 15" Telescope Base plus Azimuth Rocker and 2 Altitude Rings | |
| 3 | Propane Torch Head | |
| 3 | #26 Automotive Spark Plug | |
| 3 | TTL Controlled Ignition Coil | |
| 3 | Bosch Solenoid Injection Valves | |
| More batteries, plumbing, mechanical & electrical hardware and assorted passive electronic components (see text) |
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| Download Build Instructions | ||
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Very cool, but been there done that, I made a six barrel Gatling gun type spud chucking gun several years back, used ABS though, much safer. BBQ ignition, for the propane. We managed to get a fire rate of 20 per minute but the ignition chamber deformed from the heat.
Great fun.
- 2007-20-6 02:50:29 EDT -
Yikes! These guys are candidates for the emergency room. PVC is a brittle plastic to start with and becomes more so with age and heat. PVC will burst and shatter without warning into deadly shrapnel. This is why PVC should never be used with pressurized gas. Solution: the PVC should have external reinforcement to contain any burst. Better, polyethylene pipe specifically formulated for use with high pressure gas should be used (ASTM D2513) or Duraplus ABS pipe.
- 2007-8-6 04:14:57 EDT -
www.spudtech.com/components.asp
Even Paintball 'Markers' use rifled barrels. Have fun!
