3 ms·
Id love to make more potato cannons but my main issue is exactly this. I have no idea what the pressures are, what materials would work, etc. It's all folklore
by jvanderbot 2y ago
Id love to make more potato cannons but my main issue is exactly this. I have no idea what the pressures are, what materials would work, etc. It's all folklore and bravery
- doubleg72 2y agoNot really.. you can find standard ratings for pipes all over the place. I just ran air lines in my garage and it was fairly simple for me to get online and see that I needed type m copper based on the pressure I'm at. Wasn't cheap, but neither is aluminum pipe and now i have a nice reel in the center of the garage. There's a bit more to calculating the pressure when exploding hairspray in an enclosed vessel, but I'd be willing to bet just as easy information to find.
- memcg 2y agoI worked in a PCB shop that had a network of 1 1/2" PVC pipe for compressed air. When Tees failed we would lose production for the remainder of the day. We finally replaced the entire network with type M copper.
- metadat 2y agoMaybe wrap it in a ton of duct tape, then it can't shatter too dangerously.
- tyingq 2y agoDepending on the circumstances, that can also make it a more powerful bomb.
- metadat 2y agoHrm :-/ okay, please disregard.
- tetris11 2y agowhat if you house it in a pool of acid, and place it near a baby for safety
- jvanderbot 2y agoAgain - neither of these are much more than moderately held opinions.
- tyingq 2y agoThat strengthening a pressure vessel with tape might raise the pressure at which it fails? Does that really need a citation? One example: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-teen-gravely-injured-by-homemade-sparkler-bomb/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-teen-gravely-injured-by-h...
- jvanderbot 2y agoWell there's two of many possible outcomes, which are covered under your "depending on the circumstances", which make your comment universally true, and therefore not so informative: 1. We strengthen the pressure vessel enough so that it gives way at higher pressure, making a "stronger bomb" 2. We strengthen the pressure vessel enough so that it doesn't give way, making it not a bomb at all. It's not at all clear if the duct tape will do 1 or 2 or something else, and this first-order logic / first-impressions design doesn't smell to me like a rigorous solution.
- tyingq 2y agoSo I'm aware that wrapping a pressure vessel in tape has the possibility of making things worse. I thought, for safety reasons, it was worth replying to the comment suggesting to wrap "a ton of" tape around it. At the time I replied there were no other replies. Not trying to win a debate with you. Just trying to share that it could be a bad idea. Rather than just assuming that making the shards less sharp or fragmented was the only possible outcome.
- jvanderbot 2y agoFair! You're replying reasonably and I'm dragging that into my top-level comment about rigor. Impedance mismatch.
- MisterTea 2y agoThen use steel or aluminum pipe.