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Tennis ball cannon are
often referred to as a tennis ball launcher or a Polish cannon. Although
tennis ball launchers are a little different when it comes to purpose, like
launch and fetch with your favorite dog, they more or less have the same
function, shooting tennis balls into the air. Tennis ball cannons can
usually be made of home made materials or parts that can be found around the
house. Most people use or build them for fun at the park or merely playing
games with others who have them. However, a word of advice to those
planning to build one, it can injure you.
Whether you build a canon correctly and use it correctly, it can still
injure you.
Here are some safety tips
after you have built a tennis ball cannon:
● Use common sense. Do not
do this if you’re not an adult.
● Treat the completed
cannon as if it were a gun, always point it in a safe direction.
● Be responsible.
Materials for a Tennis
Ball Cannon:
Total dimensions of tennis
ball cannon are 33 1/8” tall, and 2 5/8” diameter.
● 6 tin cans, 2 5/8”
diameter, 5 ½” tall
● 1 tin can, 2 5/8”
diameter, 3 1/8” tall
● can opener, one that can
open the rounded ends of the can
● can opener, one that can
put a hole on a can
● Duct tape
● Lighter fluid
● Tennis ball
● Lighter or matches
Getting the right tin cans
for the tennis ball cannon is very important. The key factor is that the
diameter of the cans must be 2 5/8”, make sure you measure the cans to use
before you buy them. A 15oz can of Green Giant Asparagus Spears that is 5 ½”
tall and is exactly 2 5/8” in diameter is what you should be looking for.
If you find shorter than 5 ½ tall that’s fine but it is easier to use longer
ones as you’ll only need fewer cans. These cans must have flat bottom and
top, and not rounded ones, so that you can remove them with a can opener.
How to do it:
1. Using the first type of
can opener, open the top and the bottom of the six large cans, so that each
one ends up looking like a small tube with no top or bottom.
2. Using the other type of
can opener, take the small can and poke 6 holes in the top. The top will
look kind of a grill with those little triangle shaped hole. This is the
only way you have to open the can, so you have to shake the contents out
really hard. Do not cut the bottom out.
3. On the side of the
small can towards the bottom, just about an inch from the bottom, poke a
hole about 1/8” in diameter. This hole will be used for pouring the lighter
fluid through.
4. With the small can at
the bottom and its grill-like end facing on top, use the duct tape to attach
all the cans together end to end making a barrel, make sure that the
grill-like end is inside the cannon and you’ll only be able to see it when
you look down the barrel of the cannon. The bottom must be solid and no cut
out. Once all the cans have been joined and taped good, wrap two to three
layers of duct tape starting from above the lighter fluid hole, going all
the way to the end of the cannon but don’t cover the hole. Don’t be afraid
of adding two or three extra layers more if you feel that your duct tape
won’t hold (will melt or get soft) the heat when you fire the cannon.
Instructions for using:
Before you proceed to fire
the tennis ball cannon, make sure you read and understand all these
instructions first.
1.
Hold the tennis ball cannon upright, and then squirt about a ½ ounce
of lighter fluid into the hole.
2.
Grip the tennis ball cannon upside down with your right hand, waving
it in large sweeping motion for about six or seven times to get the lighter
fluid to spread throughout the tennis ball cannon. Don’t worry if a few
drops of fluid fly out to the end due to your waving motion.
3.
Put a tennis ball in the end of the cannon and push it down with your
hand as far as the bottom of the top can.
4.
Aim the tennis ball cannon in a safe direction, aiming straight up.
5.
Hold a lighted lighter up to the small hole in the bottom can, this
flame would cause the lighter fluid fumes to build up producing great
pressure to shoot the ball out the end.
Again, tennis ball cannon
should be used responsibly and wisely, whether it be for fun at the park or
showing off some friends, make sure you play it safe.
Note
from The Helping Circle: Please note that we will absolutely not
be responsible for any actions you take based on reading this article or
acting on the information contained therein. We urge you to consider
carefully before creating any device that can cause physical harm to
yourself, others, animals, or the environment.
Additional note: We have never tried constructing this item, nor do we
have any knowledge as to the safety or accuracy of the instructions
contained in this article.
Note from the mom in "A Christmas Story":
"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"
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