pen gun

[aggromere]

If any of you are familiar with the potato guns you make out of pvc and sparkers from gas grills you will appreciate this story.

I was drilling an african blackwood blank on my metal lathe. First I drilled a small pilot hole to depth, backed it out and loaded up a 31/64ths to drill the hole. Backed it out once to clean away debri. Tried to drill the second half of the hole without backing out (im lazy) and created a lot of heat and smoke (some how the blank survived). When I backed the bit out it was very tight and the minute it left the hole I heard a noise (like a potato gun going off, only smaller) and a large compacted wad of dust and shavings shot out of the hole like a bullet. Never had that happend before. Anyone else?

 

[Jgrden]

No, but I'd like to try it.

 

[hilltopper46]

I was making some twig pots on the lathe yesterday PM and drilling past the flutes on the drill (5/8 inch). It puffed every time I backed the drill bit out and the end of the flutes came out of the bore. I was wondering what would happen if I left it in there a while but didn't want to find out.

 

[bitshird]

Sound like fun to me, UNLESS THE BLANK SPLITS, THEN NOT SO FUN!!

 

[Padre]

PEA GUN, PEA GUN!!!

 

[RAdams]

This gives me ideas i probably shouldn't have!

 

[aggromere]

When my kids were younger we made quite a few pvc pipe potato guns. My cousin lives on a lake and I made a big one and it's at his house. When ever we have a cook out there we launch potatoes out into the lake. Some go 200 or 300 yards. It's cool.

 

[ctubbs]

Have you ever watched the Punkin Chunkin shows? Puts all my tater guns to shame.
Charles