Spudtech Forum

Originaly posted by jpet79,
So in the NHRA drag racing biz, the top fuel cars have some kind of cloth, be it nylon or may be Kevlar, that covers the engine. The idea is that should the engine blow, the cloth cover will not let a hot piston shoot into the crowd. It will contain the would be flying debris. Would there be a way to fit the gun with some type of heavy canvas material to the same thing? I am building my first combustion launcher this weekend, and I am kind of anal about safety. It looks like tons of fun, but it isn't worth injury. I have read everything I can find to read about materials, construction techniques, ratios, fuels.. the whole nine yards.. so other than the above thought, is there anything else that will make the first trigger pull less nerve racking? How about maintenance?

Originaly posted by False,
...remote...maby a string from the the trigger and hide behind something...

Originaly posted by DrX512,
just make sure you dont use any propellant that is too powerful. No bug spray (melts the pvc), NO CARB CLEANER (pvc go boom), no spray paint (glues your gun together). Also, make sure you do not use a cellular core chamber. If you are REALLY anal about everything then use Scheduel 80 pvc..it is thicker and should never explode under proper circumstances. Also, when gluing the pvc together, use ample cement and whipe up the mess for a very strong bond.

If you do everything correctly you will be perfectly safe. Almost no casualties have occurred from PVC explosions, only morons who burn off their eyebrows because they dont screw on the end cap or click the ignitor trying to find out what is wrong...while looking down the barrel!

Originaly posted by Cpace,
yeah dude. i know the first time those suckers are scary. but you'll get used to it. don't use fuel-oxygen-mixtures, since those things really have lots of power. oh don't worry about maintenance. when u use hairspray in a gun, just shoot a bunch of water and she'll be clean again
oh yeah and never shoot socks soaked in gasoline. i almost set my buds yard on fire doing that.

=cpace-