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light spigot mortar

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Author	Topic: light spigot mortar
ClintonxSucks Frequent Poster	posted May 17, 2000 08:34 PM Ok I just an intresting mortar. I took a one inch dowel, some 1 inch pvc pipe,BP,and some fuse. I sanded the dowel untill the PVC pipe would slide easy down it. Then i cut a 14 inch lenth of PVC pipe. Cut a one inch lenth of dowel. I expoxied the dowel about 3inchs down in the pipe. Then i drilled a 1/8 inch hole in the dowel. I inserted a 5in fuse(with 3 inchs coming out one shallow end, and 1 inch the other) threw the hole and then expoxied it in. I filled this small comparment 2/3 with BP, then glued another 1inch lenth of dowel on top of the BP. Thats your warhead. I then drilled a 1/8inch hole 10 inchs form the open end. Then i poured enough BP to fill the other end of the pipe 3 inchs. This being done, i slid a another 1inch dowel lenth on top of the BP, and tapped it with a rod untill there was tight fit. I inserted avery long fuse and once agin, expoxied it. I went out side, stuck a 4 foot 1 inch dia dowel in the groud, pointed down range at about 60 degrees. I lit the fuse and ran. Luckily the round didnt blow up. The round flew about 100 yards,hit the ground and blew up a second later. Ok not bad. I want to make improvements by using a metal tube in place of PVC, an O-ring(s) on the dowel, and an increased warhead comparment. So if anyone wants to suggest something, i'd be grateful, thanks
ClintonxSucks Frequent Poster	posted May 17, 2000 08:42 PM Oh also i added 4 fairly large cardbord fins glue-gunned around the base of the round.
BoB- Frequent Poster	posted May 18, 2000 03:55 AM what always used to be cool was to wrap 2in. of Tru-Burn waterproof control wicking in typing paper and fray both exposed ends then take an empty Co2 cartridge and fit it for a screw in the neck (drill the hole, then put a small bolt in and screw it in with a drill then remove) fill the crater maker 3/4 full with MODEL ROCKET POWDER this entire operation isnt safe with BP or any fast-burning or explosive insert wrapped fuse until it touches the powder and tap until ALL the powder is off the neck then put the screw in in 5 second incriments. screw while counting to 5 STOP 30 seconds later start again, until the screw is firmly holding the wrapped fuse. these shot out of buried 3/4" SEAMLESS gal. steel pipe is very cool with electrical det. I got this idea from some site about launching beer cans with pipe and photocells only I used steel wool ignitors modeled after model rocket ignitors to ignite the BP charge, I think I like your idea better sounds like less work, and less sweat work (when what your doing makes you so nervous you sweat) ------------------ Look Ma No Hands! (there over by the shed)
VeHeMT Frequent Poster	posted May 18, 2000 11:21 AM If your going to use a brand new co2 cart, there is a better way to do it. BTW your instruction for making a crater maker is full of crap. I will give the basic concept of the mortar, but I cannot give details because this is all speculation. Basically you take a steel pipe of 1" ID and end cap. Drill hole in exact center of pipe cap and insert a bolt that has a rounded/pointed tip pointing into the pipe. Use a nut to secure in place. Screw pipe cap onto pipe. I dont know if this works or not, its all speculation. The propellant charge is the co2 cart with the nozzle pointed downwards with some impact sensitive warhead ontop of it. In this way when the round was dropped down the mortar pipe you want the pointed bolt to puncture the seal and let all the gas out to propell the round. I dont think itll work beyond about 20-30m though depending upon weight of the warhead. [This message has been edited by VeHeMT (edited May 18, 2000).]
Maddoc Frequent Poster	posted May 18, 2000 01:51 PM I love cannons etc and two of my favorites are the "aussie morter" and the "Flying Crater Maker". The "Aussie Morter" is a piece of 2.5 inch ABS pipe 4 foot long, I dig a hole about 1 foot deep, and put a piece of 2x4 in. I place the ABS on top of the 2x4 and fill in the hole with dirt. For a charge I use a film canister filled with BP or pyrodex. I have a 6 inch fuse coming out. I light the fuse, drop in the charge and then an empty Heinekan (badly spelt) can. It doesn't fly far but gains a huge altidude. The "Crater Maker Cannon" is a piece of 3/4 inch steel pipe, 20 inchs long with an end cap and 1/8 fuse hole. I drop in about 2 teaspoons of BP or Pyrodex, and then a crater maker. The crater maker has a 1 inch fuse that is wrapped in tape. What happens is when the cannon is fired, the tip of the fuse is lit(by the flames and hot gases), and the crater maker is fired out of the cannon and explodes about 3 seconds later. I strongly recommend these to anyone. They are great for the 4th and parties (lots of empty beer cans to shoot). They were both built and fired for under $10. ------------------ Whoa, where my fingers?
BoB- Frequent Poster	posted May 18, 2000 05:09 PM Vehemnt-Co2 cartridges only fit smoothly in 3/4" seamless pipe and I assure it does work the ground asorbs alot of the shock I've seen PVC not break under these conditions, the paper is to insure the fuse not falling or shooting out and it not lighting prematurely which has happened and it wasnt pretty on the ear-drums Maddoc-Aussie mortar, thats it! I couldnt think for the life of me what the name of that site was I built one and thats what gave me the idea for my grenade launcher (Which DOES work) it wouldnt fit in the 2.5" (which is almost impossible to find) so I use 3" muffler pipe which is actually 2.734" or something ------------------ Look Ma No Hands! (there over by the shed)
BoB- Frequent Poster	posted May 18, 2000 05:28 PM Vehemt- thats actually a good idea I never thought of that reminds me when we used to make Co2 "racers" that would travel down a line in science class maybe you wouldnt even need to do the mortar thing, maybe a "pull and lock" type thing maybe some 1/4" threaded re-bar with one side sharpened inside a 3/8" nipple with 1 end cap drilled to allow the re-bar to pass through a 1/4" nut could hold a spring between the end cap and itself then another on the otner side to allow as a stop and to make the tension on the spring adjustable making the entire section of re-bar spring loaded. the locking/firing device could be a "L" shaped peice of steel pivoted in the middle to lock into a hole in the re-bar then just press the other side and... the barell itself could seamless black steel 3/4" and a 3/4" by 1/2" reducer on one end then a 1/2" by 3/8" thr. bushing this would of course mean the sharpened end would have to be fairly long and the Co2 could rest on the recess formed by the reducer with a war-head on it like you suggested this could make a portable rocket launcher with no neccessary electrical devices! PS the crater maker your refering to, would be for use only in the cannon ------------------ Look Ma No Hands! (there over by the shed)
ClintonxSucks Frequent Poster	posted May 18, 2000 08:50 PM Ok i made a new round. This one use a 2inch PVP nipple with a endcap, and a 2-1 reducer(pipe expoxied up) and used an BP rifle percussion cap nipple with a cap on it, it did work and went off on impact. However, i had to use power propellent to luanch this, and so the dowel with shot about 1 foot deeper on the ground, but this works great, although the range about 80 yards at 60 degrees.. Thinking of adding a baseplate and fire controls(like a real mortar) adjust fire range. Any ideas??
BrassMonkey Frequent Poster	posted May 18, 2000 09:44 PM Maddoc: for either/both of your mortars, can AP or other homemade explosive be substituted for the BP. also what is pyrodex, where do you get it, and can one make it?
Maddoc Frequent Poster	posted May 19, 2000 01:00 PM Pyrodex is a synthetic version of BP. You cannot make it to the best of my knowledge. If yuo treasure not getting hit by flying shrapnel, dont use AP or anything more powerful than Bullsye pistol powder. ------------------ Whoa, where my fingers?
HydraShock Frequent Poster	posted May 19, 2000 04:14 PM What was the size of the explosion & crater from the first round? Was the explosion/crater from the second round bigger?
BrassMonkey Frequent Poster	posted May 20, 2000 03:22 AM Yes Maddoc youre right I like my body the way it is, and pieces of pipe protruding from my.. say forehead, is not an appealing thought.
ClintonxSucks Frequent Poster	posted May 21, 2000 01:20 AM Hydra: Well saddly, PCV pipe bombs w/ BP are not that powerfull. So, im guessing the carters would be small. I didnt see hem becuase i was running back into the house should someone drive by and see it, or the pigs come or whatever.

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