The CB2 combustion launcher is more
reliable and powerful then the standard combustion potato cannon that
you may have seen. It's much easier to aim and shoot due to the shape of the
combustion chamber. The igniter is right by the hand hold for easy firing.
It uses a new ignition system that sends a spark between two bolts located in the center of
the combustion chamber.
TP is very fun to launch. You can launch
a whole roll of toilet paper and watch it un-roll through the air. This works
well for TPing someone's house, yard, trees, the whole block!
Any launcher can be used to shoot toilet paper. It just requires the cannon to
have a 14" long 4" wide barrel. You will also need wadding when shooting TP.
Below are instructions for making the perfect wadding. This particular launcher
can shoot toilet paper about 150 feet.
TP Wadding: To make this
work you might want a drawing compass to help you cut the circles. If you don't
have one you can take a piece of cardboard and put it up against the barrel and
trace around it. So which ever you choose to do make the circles 4" in diameter.
You can use scissors to cut them out. Keep them close in size. Make 2 or 4 of
these. Tape or hot glue them together. Sand the edges smooth for better
performance. Another simple way to make wadding is to use a soda bottle.
Push the soda bottle into the barrel and cut off the excess bottle. After the
wad is cut remove and turn upside down (open end goes in the barrel first). Push
the wad all the way to the bottom of the barrel and then insert the TP.
NOTE: There is enough information on this page to build
this launcher on your own but if you need more help there are
detailed
plans which are available for this cannon.
Click
Here The plans included full plans on how to build this cannon as well as the
TP Cannon.
The picture above is of the CB2 with 4" toilet-paper barrel.
Parts List and Assembly
All parts are ABS:
- 1- 3 foot long 2 inch ABS pipe (barrel)
- 1- 2" long of 2 inch ABS pipe (connects
reducer to male adapter)
- 1- 4" x 4" x 1.5" 45º
"Wye" coupling (looks like a lower case y (see pictures)
- 1- 4" to 2" bell reducer(looks like
a funnel)
- 1- 4" Cleanout and cap (screw it in)
- 1- 1.5" cleanout and cap (screw it in)
- 1- 2" male adapter (attaches to reducer)
- 1- 2" female adapter (attaches to barrel)
- 1- About 8" of 4" ABS (this
connects the reducer to the chamber and chamber to the 4" cleanout)
- 1- About 3" of 1.5" ABS (this
connects the chamber to the 1.5" cleanout)
- 1- One Spud Gun Igniter (see bellow).
- 1- 4 foot broomstick or equivalent.
- 1- Can ABS joint Cement (small).
Assemble all parts to look
like the picture above (the picture has a 4" barrel on it, just ignore it). Cut the
ABS to length. Now take the ABS cement and put it on one joint at a time. Meaning you put
it on the joint then assemble it right away. Then go on to the next one. Make sure you
don't get any glue on the threads of the cleanouts. Make sure all parts are fully pushed
together.
Ignition Method
The best and most reliable ignition
system seems to be a BBQ
grill igniter coupled to two opposing sharpened bolts that almost meet inside the chamber
(picture below). The gap can be as large as a 1/4". The bolts were sharpened to help
the spark make it across the gap. The BBQ igniters were available at both Orchard Supply Hardware and Home Depot in my
area for around $10.00. The igniter comes with a nut and washer, so it is just a matter of drilling
the appropriate sized hole in the handle, inserting igniter and bolting it securely in
place. Mount the igniter on the 1.5" section of the "Y" for easy
firing. Go
here to find out more on the
ignition system used.
The spark jumps across
the two bolts as shown.
