I’m trying to come up with some fun summer projects for the team, and want to have them start on a tshirt cannon. But the one I have in mind is going to be a multiple barrel design, going on an old tank tread chassis. In order to keep up with the air requirements, we are going to need a higher volume compressor.
Anybody that has done similar in the offseason, what did you use. I just don’t want to fry our comp. legal compressors.
Go to viaircorp.com they have dozens of 12v compressors in varying CFM, duty cycle and pressure ratings.
We used the 480c, 200 psi, 100% duty cycle, 1.76 CFM, for our t-shirt cannon prototype quite successfully until it got co-opted for our in pit air system.
The 420c is 2.54 CFM but only has a 33% duty cycle.
The 400h is 2.54 CFM but again is only rated for a 33% duty cycle.
So do your homework to determine exactly what you’ll need and then look at the fill rates, duty cycle and amperage draw and you’ll find the best one for your needs.
One neat thing if you want to keep it simple with using non FRC specific components is you can get a pressure switch which is rated for enough amps to run the compressor through.
*(http://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-90223-Sealed-Pressure-Switch/dp/B002AYJUXW)
with this compressor
I dont know what the duty cycle is for that compressor but it is priced well and worked in our application.*
Funny that you mention it. I was thinking about doing this in our spare time as well. We go to a lot of car shows where our compressors are used for air suspension and we give away T-shirt from time to time…So why not make a pneumatic T-shirt cannon? 
Here’s the one that I wanted to make.
If you decide to move forward with the project, please upload a video for us to see as we at VIAIR would love to see the final product.
We’ve been talking about creating a mobile pack using a small 12v motorcycle battery or two 6v batteries wired in series to reduce weight, strapped to a backpack with our 250C IG series so that we could carry it around with our t-shirt cannon. Though I have to be honest…i don’t know if this idea will ever come to fruition.
RS
I remember back when I joined 1102 they had made what they labelled as a “Bat-Pack.”
It was as medium sized backpack that contained a air compressor and several storage tanks at the bottom of the bag was a zip pouch which they used as a battery compartment. They then used several pneumatic lines up to a arm mountable cannon (single fire) that when a joystick button that was attached to the cannon was pressed the MAC valve would open and fire the T-Shirt. The backpack was moderately heavy-ish, but that thing was really cool, and nice looking too.
I wouldn’t recommend building one exactly like shown in the video. You cant get a good safe bond between the different plastics and you shouldn’t use PVC for a pneumatic system.
The Q industries MV-50 is a pretty large compressor for not a whole lot of money. It’s sold under a couple different brands including Master Flow MF-1050. I’ve been happy with mine.
Thanks for the tip Mr. V.