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Can Anyone Make An Air Cannon (T-shirt launcher)?

1K views 30 replies 15 participants last post by  PolishPete 
#1 ·
Looking for a T-shirt launcher. There's a ton online, and a bunch of home made types, figured if there was someone out there locally who could build one for a better price than a pre-made one online...why not go that route.

Also, anyone have any experience/recommendations for these? Anything to look for good/bad?
 
#3 ·
I'm surprised at how many people remember/know about that!

RIP
 
#6 ·
Pete, if you don't get anyone here (PilotX) who can make one for you, I have a friend who has been making them for 10+ years. He makes everything from ones that can fire expired AA batteries to cans of Beans. He specializes in air vs combustion (and happens to be out of work so might want the side work). PM me if you want me to ping him and see if he's up for a build.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the tips.

I was thinkin C02 as those seem to be the most popular T-shirt launchers on the web.




Think he can make it economically (cheap). Not like cheap $10, but not as expensive as the real deal bought online?

OK, so where will you be launching tshirts?
The plan is to use them at events. I'm planning on having my office sponsor local sporting events and what not, and would like to have an employee dressed in the big bear costume, launching T-shirts, say at a high school football game. Co-sponsor the events. High school name on front, my info on the back. That type of thing.
childs play :)

i know nothing about their anti-goose application but against barns adn some fish... its effective


you really want to launch t-shirts? or something else
air powered or combustion

if air powered youll need an air compressor or a bike pump and patience
Yeah, T-shirts, maybe other give-a-ways if possible, but overall goal would be t-shirts. I'm thinking CO2, strong enough to launch into bleachers at sporting events (high school size, not stadium size).

Thoughts on what you're thinking and cost? PM me if you'd like. And yes, I'm completely serious, just looking for options so I can get a cost effective, yet effective and good looking product that I could really use for marketing.
 
#10 ·
childs play :)

i know nothing about their anti-goose application but against barns adn some fish... its effective


you really want to launch t-shirts? or something else
air powered or combustion

if air powered youll need an air compressor or a bike pump and patience
 
#12 ·
I just hit up eBay to see what the T-shirt launchers there look like...and it seems that they have their own built in mini-compressor!

I can't imagine it takes that much PSI to launch a folded up shirt...but I'd totally go with a Nitrogen tank for portability. It would have to have a limiter of some sort so you don't blow the expansion chamber I would figure. Hmm...
 
#17 ·
Ballpark numbers: I didnt actually go to the store to price everything out
with the CO2 system included:
$260

No CO2 (youprivide compressed air source)
$165


now that youve got me thinkin about this, I kinda want to build one for myself... winter project :)
 
#19 ·
I know, I was actually disappointed where my price and the ebay price came out to be the same, I was sure I could beat the price

if i were building this for myself itd beat the ebay price but when i add in a profit to pay for my time, effort, driving around to get the stuff the prices came out the same :(
basically same selling price but no shipping costs with me

eric what about your guy?
 
#20 · (Edited)
Hmmmm...

Pilot, is your design similar to what to the ebay one? If not, what did you have in mind.

What do you guys think of that ebay one...crap/good quality?

The refill after each shot kind of turns me off. Some of the more expensive ones allow multiple shots though. Pilot, what's your design shooting (one or multiple)?
 
#21 · (Edited)
yes similar

I could arrange things differently but the concepts and components are the same

like with theirs being doubled back on itself I could make it all inline, though its be longer overall, if i go inline itd be easy to make it so you could break it down into 2 peices for easy transport, and setup would take like 1 min

different barrel lengths and diameters could also be accomodated with the break down so if you wanted to shoot foam balls one day, t-shirts the next and so on itd be a simple matter of threading on your different barrel


the c02 equipped model would just need an ammo reload and a chamber recharge for the next shot, the co2 tank accomplishing the recharge in about the same amount of time it takes to load it
no co2= you need to recharge from some other compresed air source be it a compressor or air tank
 
#23 ·
Still kind of confused with this. Lets say I run a setup that has a C02 tank attached, say a 20oz paintball tank, how many shots will that support. Guess I'm not understanding how the process of refilling it before each shot works.
 
#22 ·
Colin Edwards likes to use them. I approve. always wanted one
 
#25 ·
ok...
there are 3 main parts to this launcher
1)barrel
2)pressure reservoir
3)compressed gas source[paintball tank]

the pressure reservoir has a volume greater than that of the barrel to make sure the tshirt is being pushed out the entire way as it travels down the barrel

the launcher does not fire directly off the pressure inside the co2 tank rather the co2 tank is attached to a regulator which reduces the approximately 900psi tank down to a far more managable 100-150psi(this is about the range of pvc piping) filling the reservoir takes some time just like to takes time for an aircompressor to fill a bike tire.

once the reservoir is filled to your desired pressure you trigger the valve which releases all this stored pressure(very rapidly) down the barrel launching your tshirt

as for shots per 20oz tank, im only guessing here but id say 25+
 
#26 ·
That all sounds about right. What do you use as a release valve beetween the expansion chamber and the barrel?

eric what about your guy?
Not sure, I've not heard from him, but I'm guessing it would be the same as your price since his would factor all the same details and costs. I know he's sold some custom launchers for a couple hundred before. I was hoping a T-shirt one might be cheaper, but judging from your estimate I'm guessing not.
 
#31 ·
Cool. I tried to paint PVC once (jumps for my dog made from PVC)...didn't turn out so well...I hope you can do it better than me. :)

Which of the ebay styles are you thinking of doing. The simple $170 or the gun stock/handle cool looking one for $200?

Btw...I'm posting this here vs. PM'ing as maybe it'll bring you some builds/sales in the future. :)
 
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