Air actuators / plumbing issue
by Trenton Myers
I was wondering what kind of an actuator i would need to shoot a twinkie out of a eight foot long piece of pvc pipeing? Bill answers... So - Trenton... you want to make a Twinkie Cannon? Thanks for visiting my website and for writing in. First off, PVC pipe is not meant to be pressurized with compressed air. If the pressure inside the pipe exceeds the burst capacity of the PVC, that's what will happen. The pipe will shatter and people could get hurt. By sticking a Twinkie in the end of the pipe, you are blocking the air exit, and as you add compressed air, if the air pressure in the pipe gets too high before the Twinkie is dislodged, boom - you have a problem! Recognize that though the PVC pipe may appear to be built to withstand some air pressure, on a hot summer day, the burst resistance of PVC drops dramatically. Having said all that, a Twinkie Cannon would be a neat thing. Twinkie in one end and a method of getting air into your pipe in the other. Why not use copper? It's good for industrial strength air pressure and will work just fine. You'll need to add a fitting on the "trigger" end of the pipe to take as large an air line as you can fit. You'll need a source of compressed air. And you will need a large 2/2 air valve to allow enough compressed air inrush into the pipe to get the Twinkie really flying. Check out the these air valve pages to understand more about the air valve will need. Why not send us in a picture when you've built it? Good luck, and be safe! Cheers, Bill
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