GeneticsDave said:
Does it work? Can you show me where to get one/how to make one? :drool:
Yeah, it works. Shoots candy a good 30 yards, great for birthday parties, church functions, visiting family, etc. This picture has it loaded with rolos (my sister was in town, so we upgraded the ammo from the usual salt water taffys). My husband built it from some plans I aquired on ebay before they started banning that kind of stuff, but we've since found other designs we like better if we were to do it again.
Ours is made from a 12" piece of 6" schedule 40 pipe with 1/4" plate welded to the back end and a little hole drilled in the back right at the bottom for the fuse. Steel pegs welded to the side to sit it on the frame and a tab welded on the back to adjust the angle of the shot. The frame is also steel with arms on both sides to hold the pipe. Another piece comes up in back, kind of curved with holes at various angles to bolt the tab on the barrel to set the shot angle. The problem with this one is it is REALLY heavy and overbuilt--we were just following the plan specs on materials, so didn't realize how heavy is was until it was finished. (the plans even had it with an 18" barrel which we changed, otherwise I'm not sure I could lift the thing!) Have a friend who built his by cutting an old oxygen bottle and using about 18" of the top of that for his barrel, welded pegs to the sides and built a wood base for it with a dowel through holes in the base to adjust angle. Works pretty good, and is a little easier to haul around as it doesn't weigh nearly as much as ours, plus can hold more candy.
Takes about 3 capfuls of 2F or coarser black powder (depending on the candy load and how far you want it to go), the wad we are still trying to perfect--currently using a foam circle covered with duct tape and in the past used the bottom of a 6" vinegar bottle. Also need cannon fuse (available at cabela's and I think sportsmans) and 1-3 lbs of candy. Anyway, if you want more info, pm me with an email address or maybe your home address and I'll try to get some more pics of it and/or can send you a copy of the plans and you can do what you want with them.
) Hope to learn lots here and contribute when I can.
