How do you build a beer can mortar or tennis ball mortar?

I have built several "potato" guns, although I always shot limes out of mine. My fuel of choice is Aquanet aerosol hairspray, followed by VO5 aerosol hairspray. They were built with ABS plastic from a hardware store. I am not sure if there is a size of ABS that fits a beer can or tennis ball. The fit should be very close, but not tight...think spitwad in a straw.

From muzzle end to back end, it goes like this, everything roughed up and properly glued with ABS cement. Barrel(usually 3 feet of 1.5''ABS). Then adapters to mate the barrel to a chamber made of 4'' ABS, usually 18'' or so. Then a screw on cap at the other end. For ignition I always used a coleman lantern lighter flint wheel mounted in the middle of the chamber. Drill a hole for it and make a recess so that the bolt can securely reach the screw mount. Then drill a small hole through the barrel about 1'' away from the chamber. Put a coat hanger through this hole so that the lime will not fall in to the chamber. Spray Aquanet for 3 seconds, close the lid and twist the sparker...BOOOM! Mine shot over 150 yards with a lime. They can be a little finicky though, they take a little practice to get a consistent boom.

Tennis Ball Mortar

This Site Might Help You.

RE:

How do you build a beer can mortar or tennis ball mortar?

Not actually a hunting question but know my gun friends will know how. Live on a farm and want to shoot beer cans or tennis balls across the pond to a marked target for points, whoever gets closest wins.

I can't help with a mortar where the detonation is caused by droping the charge down the barrel where the charge has anything to do with a tennis ball. But I do have a few design directions involving detonation of a charge dropped down a barrel based on several readilly avalable items from a local hardware store, lowes, or home depot. you will also need a few household trash items too. I also have more design ideas for a more traditional muzzle loaded cannon once again involving many of the same items from some of the same places. Alternatively, have you considered the lower tech field of artillery rockets, the housings of which are sold by the millions every day in any wal mart or grocery store. The feul is also available to any United States citizen with just a drivers liscense and unless you buy it on a credit or debit card it doesn't even require a signature Destruction isn't about secret military training or some terroristic plot, Most of it here in America in fact is about bored rednecks like myself who haven't used the phrase, "Hey y'all ... you want to see something (A.) funny (B.) impressive (C.) cool" or "hey, watch this" in the last few days. I am not a hard man to find ... just follow the smoke or ask the neighbor hood watch, both tell on me regularly.

Beer Can Mortar

I suggest a pneumatic canon over the traditional grill ignitor/hair spray type. It's safer and can be much more powerful if doen correctly.

Pretty much everything you need can be found at the hardware store and/or your garage. BAsically you'll need a five foot length of PVC pipe (probably need 2.5 or 3" diameter to fit beer cans, but measure first), a PVC end cap (corresponding size to the pipe length), a PVC ball valve (again, corresponding size), any connector pieces to attach said parts, a bicycle inner tube (an old one works, it will be cut apart, just make sure the valves in good shape), PVC cement and a good, strong two-part epoxy.

Oh and of course a good air pump (preferrably electric for better pressure) to fill your cannon.

From there it's pretty self-explanatory. After cutting the length of PVC into two pieces - one 3.5" length (for the barrel) and one 1.5" length (for the air chamber) attach the two to the ball valve with the PVC cement. The end cap piece needs a hole drilled in the center of it just big enough to fit in the valve from the inner tube. Cut the valve off the inner tube, leaving about an inch of the rubber around it and fit in the drilled hole. Attach these with the epoxy and allow to dry. Then attach the end cap to the back of the smaller length of PVC (air chamber) with PVC cement. Allow all parts to dry and ensure an air tight seal (do so by putting some air into the chamber with the pump while the ball valve is closed. Soak in water and looks for bubbles, or just listen for leaks.)

If no leaks, you're all set. Measurements may vary depending on your preferance for barrel length, etc but these are the basics. You can also use some adapter pieces and make a larger air chamber (4" PVC or whatever) and you can also use screw on part for a detachable barrel(s).

Just be careful with inflation - use a pump with a PSI meter on it and start small (50psi or so) working your way up to whatever pressure your air chamber can handle or whatever it takes to send beer cans-a-flyin'. I would say a well built cannon could send a beer can a good 100 yards with about 120 psi, but this will vary. Potatoes will fly even further. Golf balls are fun and the most aerodynamic too.

Wish I had a diagram or something but you should be able to figure out what you're doing as you go along with these simple instructions. Good luck and have fun!

instructables dot com has several varieties.

This one seemed pretty cool. The site usually has pretty good directions on just how to do it.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Tennis-Ball-Mortar...

Do an internet search for potato cannon...works very similar

Be careful...they can be VERY dangerous... and quire fun

Ask Blackwater of Iraq. They're the experts!

It's real easy