This Thing Is Scary! | Homemade Potato Gun Step By Step

I just made something very dangerous, again. Check out my crazy potato gun! And make sure you'll stick around till the end! My potato gun didn't want to play ball, at all!
Used some PVC piping for the potato gun body, an electric lighter for the ignition system, and some motor starter as fuel. However, not sure I sealed it correctly or if my potato gun gas was too powerful. Just wait and see ;)
But if you're wondering how to build a potato gun and need some potato gun build plans, this is the video for you. But be careful so you don't end up with an exploding potato gun!
So whether you're calling it a spud gun, potato launcher, potato cannon, it's still very fun, and a bit dangerous!
Products in this video:
Rechargeable lighter: amzn.to/3fC2UZp
#potatocannon #potatolauncher #potatogun

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Hope you enjoyed this little project, it was sure fun building it! 😀 Check out my homemade nail gun next: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bF6WmqRnqtern5o

[@triniboybobb2332]

Already did🤙🏽

[@noahholliday9761]

That thin walled PVC is just asking for a catastrophic failure. Use schedule 40 PVC, and limit the amount of connections. Basically a combustion chamber of 4" PVC about 2' long, and a 1 1/2" reducer on one end with a threaded cap on the other. Use about a 3 1/2' barrel length and ram the potato down about two or three inches above the chamber. I use to use White Rain hairspray and it would with zero exaggerating launch a potato close to a half mile. Break open a glow stick and dump it down the barrel after loading and shoot at night. It's amazing. It would absolutely kill someone if they were hit with it, so be very respectful. Also not a bad idea to wrap the chamber in layers of duct tape to avoid the shattering shrapnel if you do have a failure. I never have, but better safe than sorry. Oh, and about a three second spray of the hairspray is what I found best for a good thump.

[@miinyoo]

Manufacturing your own lethal firearm is legal. It probably won't work well but it will work. There literally is nothing stopping anyone from doing it and can never be so. Don't worry. Making potato or copper jacketed steel and lead is much harder than throwing a few pipes together and have it be a reliable defense weapon.

[@triniboybobb2332]

love the design i never seen someone build it as cool as you normally its boring

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Thank you! Was looking around for some designs before building that one and I couldn't find anything that was "rifley" enough. So I made my own. Had plans for a bipod and silencer too, next time maybe 😉

[@nonkynonk]

From my experience do not have the twist cap pointed towards you, the amount of times I’ve got the mixture perfect and it’s been blown off or just turned into shrapnel is unreal

[@miinyoo]

Smart. Safety ballistic glasses and ear protection helps too.

[@ChrisDoesWhat]

LOL, made one of these almost 30 years ago. If you bevel the end for the potato loading, it will shave the potato making a tighter fit.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

That's some good advice! I'll remember that next time 😁

[@PhysicsViolator]

I reached supersonic speeds with this thing , I added pure oxygen and acetylene , holy shit that thing caused my windows to shake… it flew a coke can almost a kilometre away …. No joke

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Oh wow, that sounds both terrifying and awesome! 😂

[@vigneshkumar-so3zd]

Hi brother can u send me the link of the gun making video

[@gormless-idiot]

I live in the US. Of course it's legal.

[@roydunn4649]

They are illegal in several states

[@Amishhellcat]

Its not that you used too much, you used just the right amount, you got almost a perfect ratio of air to fuel!

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, I guess you're right! It was probably just my sloppy gluing that messed it up!

[@Amishhellcat]

@@TryingToBuildStuff i made one myself about 5 years ago, i had to screw my end plug shut, otherwise it'd just blow away every shot. :D

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@Amishhellcat couldn't find any of the ones you could screw in place sadly 😅

[@Amishhellcat]

@@TryingToBuildStuff i should've been more clear. My end plug is the same model as the one you have, i on the other hand had to drill a tiny hole and thread a machine screw through it for it to stay shut when fired. The expansion chamber is roughly the same size aswell, only major difference is i got a metal exhaust pipe from tema thats my barrel. Inner diameter is 43mm. Me and my trusted calipers then scoured the known universe for ammo, after much deliberation we found 41,5 diameterbouncy balls for ammo. Using a "jacob's ladder" (google it), that i powered with an electrical flyswatter, i can launch the balls for 200+ meters with starting gas as fuel. I ran out of balls when i was working on ways to improve and adjust the a:f ratio. :D

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Oh, that's clever! Think I need to add that modification to my gun as well. Have a lot of threaded rods in the shed, could probably run one of those through the whole chamber and tighten it from each end with some washers and nuts. To be honest, your "potato" gun sounds like danger on a whole new level! 😆

[@louvertureandco]

🤣😂🤣😂🤣 amazing video champ!!! Please make more!!!! 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha thanks! 😁

[@hotrodplumber]

Middle ignition is better! More bang and less fooong🎉

[@masterofnonetv8361]

Right guard spray deodorant works best in one of these because it doesn't leave a sticky residue like hairspray

[@sumpak292]

here in the phillipines we call it marble gun,cause we uses marble as the bullet on that toy,iys good for hunting birds

[@ariesleo7396]

Nail darts

[@PaulWarrenEaton]

😅 “Howdy neighbour! Yep just me.. all good!”

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Yep! That was pretty spot on! My neighbour thought it was hilarious, thankfully! 😅

[@matthewschlessman9786]

Part of the reason it blew up was the expanding gas could not escape through the small 45 degree elbow into the small diameter barrel, most potato guns are built in one long line of parts so the gas can escape down the barrel easily also that PVC is not very thick

[@ReichRoller]

I had one of these explode on me and slice my thigh, needed stiches! Fun stuff.

[@jimmyrussels5042]

"This is actually legal in Sweden" Well I'd hope so, its projectile is a potato lmao

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, sorry, meant to say "illegal", it's legal in Norway though 😁

[@ronemtae3468]

I built a potato gun out of copper pipe and I can shoot a D battery through four sheets of three-quarter inch plywood it’s scary as fuck. I use propane as the propeller

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha! Oh wow, that sounds super dangerous! I was thinking about building some kind of cannon with a copper pipe as well, need to figure it out!

[@jeffmccrea9347]

Another name for a potato gun is a TUBER TUBE.

[@almightymachine9930]

Norway has laws on the books for.potato cannons??

[@MikeHensley-sc3ns]

I recommend pipe cleaner and the proper glue.. also schedule 40 is thicker pvc and is much safer.

[@triniboybobb2332]

i just checked you your content is awesome im suprise you have 171 subs so ima make it a 172 just remember me when you have millions😊😁👍😎

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, thanks man, I appreciate that! 😀

[@Vo_d_kontra_o_norMAL]

Is important the spark be located on the botttom of the tank And facing the shoting direction ?

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

I prefer to have it in the middle of the combustion chamber to ensure all the fuel ignites (probably not necessary).

[@RickyD1968]

OOOP'S !!!

[@fishstick617]

That pvc looks a little thin

[@JustinJi-hu9xk]

DO NOT use epoxy glue if you are building a large cannon. It's not strong enough

[@davidcaskey4669]

Shot apples 4:39 or corn cob the its not a potato gun use a grill igniter and a spark plug no recharge required

[@abiyahabiyelbetsalel2869]

Make one that shoots black walnuts, then I could shoot treats out to the squirrels.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, that sounds even more dangerous!

[@LeviticusMoriarty]

wrap it in fibre glass tape. if the chamber explodes you dont want shards of plastic tearing through your face

[@peternault7040]

What if you made a potato gun but the potato acts only as a sabot for a pointed steel bolt with flechettes??? Would it be deadly?

[@rileyham9058]

Depends on the gun some of them can shoot up to a mile where as mine i built as more of a shotgun only shoots about 100 feet. But yes this could work.

[@Kungfupanda839]

use H2 & O2 generated from electrolysis. use the spark ignitor from cigarette lighter

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Good advice, sounds a bit more cumbersome to make oxyhydrogen than using motor starter, but I can imagine you might get a bigger bang from it 😆

[@Kungfupanda839]

@@TryingToBuildStuff check this 😁 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmmYgItsrqqqe5I

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha awesome! Need to try that someday ;)

[@johndoe9000]

@@TryingToBuildStuff I used a spark ignitor from a junk gas grill. Worked great! Instead of potatoes, I used onions. You can peel them down to where they are nice and tight. For my pipe, I used sch. 40 pvc and used the pvc cement to seal it up. I shot mine an an old, abandoned mobile home (trailer) length-wise. It sounded like a 12 gauge shotgun being fired. There was a hole going through the front, all the way through the back, and any wall in between. I have located some 12" water line pipe. I just may try to make a pumpkin cannon.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Onions! Wow, now that's clever! I need to try that! Through a trailer, that sounds pretty lethal! Also, if you end up making a pumpkin cannon, please record it and send me the link. That sounds insane! :D

[@bryancmcdonald3978]

Sweden 💓

[@bryancmcdonald3978]

In Sweden their National Guard takes all their weapons home 🏡 with them . ====== I watch wheel of Fortune and she walked through a small village and I'm thinking Whoii look at that quaint village. (.50 in the Porta John) You should use a hand held air pump. 👋😎💨 Bryan ==== Tim and Rex flip cars and stuff man and England with a washing machine electrical switch if you're crazy enough in a high pressure tank. Rick's actually uses it on himself .

[@WB-14]

😂 the bend will cause back pressure like a exhaust.

[@kronosdarkangel5290]

which is more powerful combustion or pneumatic?

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Combustion! 💥

[@kronosdarkangel5290]

@@TryingToBuildStuff when I did my research it says pneumatic is way more powerful than combustion... combustion may seem powerful just because of the loud bang... but it can only reach 70 to 80 psi or barely 100 psi and the potato is already propelled at lower psi since it takes time for combustion unlike pneumatic you can dump 100 psi instantly

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@kronosdarkangel5290 That's very interesting! Just thinking we would see more ordinary firearms using pneumatics then, but it might ofc be a matter of convenience I guess :)

[@vilius9454]

is it possible to make a working potato gun with just a barrel and no combustion chamber?

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Theoretically if you leave enough room at the end of the barrel for air and some flammable gas, it should be possible :)

[@vilius9454]

@@TryingToBuildStuff thank you so much!

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@vilius9454 Anytime! :)

[@ChewyFrog]

Too many elbows. A straight flow is always best for exhaust.

[@robertandlisathwaites3529]

Ha!!!!!! Me and granny possom are laughing our asses off!! That was absolutely fantastic!!! 😂😂😂 And love to your neighbours, they are why it's good to move every once in a while, to find knew people who haven't had to forgive you yet. Hope that end cap didn't leave a mark on your poor muffin top.!😟 And don't give yourself too much of a hard time, I'm 54 and still hurt myself doing dumb shit! And that my son, is why it's great to be alive! Try a welded steel setup. Not that I'd know, but no need to unscrew the cap every time, a little hole won't lessen the expansion too much... you may have a little to spare anyhow 🤔☺ All the best from Australia

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, this comment made my day! Thank you! :)

[@robertandlisathwaites3529]

@@TryingToBuildStuff ha, the pleasure west all our young fella. It warms our hearts to see the next gen have a crack at things, most impressed that you put the first attempt on camera. Can't wait to the episode of you making a fusion reactor.🤗

[@CondescendingOaf]

LOL - regarding shocking yourself: DO NOT put a finger from each hand on one of each of the contact wires. You think that shock was painful? I can assure you if you fail to heed my warning you will regret it. You "completed the circuit" just through your finger, imagine completing the circuit through both of your arms. I know this first hand because back in my 7th grade electrics class (circa 1985), a simple finger shocker (using two fingers from the SAME hand) was the first project that we made. However, I did it ONE TIME using a finger from each hand on the contacts - it felt like someone took a sledge hammer to both of my elbows.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, yeah, I'm trying to keep that in mind when working on stuff with more current 😅 Not sure that my small lipo-battery would give me too much pain if I touched it with a finger from each hand, but I'm sure as hell not going to try it either way! Better safe than sorry! Thanks for your comment, appreciate the concern! And I hope your elbows are back to normal by now 😉 Learning the hard way!

[@CondescendingOaf]

@@TryingToBuildStuff yeah it might not be that bad but...?🤷 The shocker used a D cell battery.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@CondescendingOaf A D cell?! Wow. Then I should probably be even more careful 😅

[@ollynx6109]

It's not legal in most of Europe.

[@bad_game_dev_11]

european pvc?

[@DOOMSLAYER-T16]

U look like gordon Ramsey

[@heeraksingh4722]

Can you lauch rocks with a potato cannon?

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

I think you can! As long as they are round and the same size as the barrel. You need a tight fit to build pressure!

[@rasmuswittsell10]

Illegal in Sweden, leagal in Norway. For me, being from Sweden, this makes perfect sense. It's a good thing he didn't support the butt of the luncher with his chest, or this would have been a video about the proper administration of CPR.

[@shanedennes9387]

How's your hand 😂

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, it's ok now 😅

[@jynx8501]

I’m between 20 and 60 years lld

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

😂 correct!

[@mrtony1326]

😂🤣😂😂😂🤣😂🤣!!!

[@GregariousAntithesis]

That is insane its illegal in sweden

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Yeah, I had a memory of it being illegal in Sweden growing up. So I checked the laws here before I started building ;)

[@GregariousAntithesis]

@@TryingToBuildStuff I admire how you folks up north put your citizens lives as a priority over business interests but the governments involvement in your personal lives like a parent is far to over reaching and fascistic.

[@Vo_d_kontra_o_norMAL]

This can be compared to the fire weapons power ?

[@ariesleo7396]

It’s like 1/10 the power

[@user-zq8up1po9b]

best to use abs pipe pvc can burst . build soon slow joe will out law them soon

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Very expensive design. All you need is a larger chamber tube, end cap, reducer & long smaller potato tube. This design is 4 X the price ! Just use a $2 stove lighter for the spark !! Everything you did was the most difficult way !

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

I totally agree with you, but it was fun to build ;) Tried to explain that you don't really need most of the stuff I used in the video, but I had the parts so I went for it :)

[@luvpants2012]

I hope his eardrums are ok

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Mine, or my neighbor's? 😉 All eardrums ok, but it was a loud bang!

[@luvpants2012]

@@TryingToBuildStuff you looked genuinely scared, like are all my arms and legs still here. That was dangerous lol. Glad you're ok. Definitely wear ear plugs though if you didn't have them last time. A guess of mine of what happened was maybe the potato was too tightly jammed, caused a bad blowback.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, yes, I was scared! Didn't expect that to happen at all, was too busy aiming. Thanks for your concern, and yes, I used solid ear protection, thankfully! Pretty sure you're right about that potato being jammed a bit too tight, should've peeled off the skin a bit and maybe put some grease/oil in the barrel :)

[@luvpants2012]

@@TryingToBuildStuff be well bro I'll subscribe for next time. Don't hurt yourself lol

[@luvpants2012]

@@TryingToBuildStuff I think the A Team built a potato gun on one of their episodes back in the 80's lol. Was powerful haha.

[@user-hn3iv9xy4j]

🤢🤮

[@WHEREVER-I-ROAM]

I'm a EX-FELON and of course I'm GONNA make one ALSO from the U.S.

[@AndresRodriguez-sm1fr]

I think you have Ben better off using something that screws on the back of chamber. That PVC you are using is not what I will use for one

[@user-rf2ey8ub4d]

THIS GUY is NOT someone you should take advice from. Thats NOT PVC for starters. Soo much wrong with his build..i just can't.