What to do with pneumatics in the off-season

[Gary Bonner]

Make ice cream.
http://media.putfile.com/Pneumatics

[Billfred]

That totally gave me an idea for an off-season project for 1293.

Can you give us some more specifics on the setup? Surely those aren't powered by the KOP compressor.

[Rick TYler]

I was wondering if they used the RC to control the valves.

We are such nerds.

[phrontist]

How did you do the timing?

[ICE MAN]

one of our projects is to make a ultimate Nerf shooter that uses the pneumatics to charge the gun instead of human pumping. One cool project that i saw was two years ago at nats, a team made a pneumatic wolverine blades that were controlled by a pneumatic back pack. the guy would occasionally raise his right arm and shoot the blades in and out. it was totally wicked.

[Andrew Blair]

Originally Posted by phrontist

How did you do the timing?

If you look carefully at the back of the cylinders, you'll see what I imagine to be the magnetic reed switches supplied with certain cylinders. I think that as the cylinder trips the switch, you switch the pressure on the cylinders.

[Gary Bonner]

Originally Posted by Andrew Blair

If you look carefully at the back of the cylinders, you'll see what I imagine to be the magnetic reed switches supplied with certain cylinders. I think that as the cylinder trips the switch, you switch the pressure on the cylinders.

That's correct, we used the magnetic pistons with reed switches. The switches are wired directly to the solenoid valves without going through a controller. It's powered off a small shop air compressor. The two 12" X 1 1/2" pistons would be way too much for the kit compressor, at least at a speed that would keep the ice cream from icing up.

[Rickertsen2]

Well last night, i built a C02 powered potato cannon based off a Quick Release valve from a bus air brake system.

I like the ice cream maker. I want some ice cream right now.

[lukevanoort]

At some point I may convince my team to make a hardcore teeshirt cannon. 6 Compressors, twelve Clippards... watch out! I'm thinking about trying to make a supersonic pellet gun, but it would need insanely high pressures, well above what the kit parts can take. (mmm, can you say 1Kpsi?)