To get around the explosion hazard you just have to show that there is no ignition source. LOL.... Ah, how naive we are (no offense). It's not a matter of showing something as simple as "no ignition source." That's easy. You have to get explosive certification. You have to sit down before a formal ...

Ragnarok wrote:A lot of people may not like my decision to use a full bore ball valve after the main valve, but it really has it's safety benefits.

Actually, I'd call that one a great idea.

Pete Zaria wrote:Besides that, what do you think of the idea?

No reason why it wouldn't work, but it requires a steady supply of ammunition that is The Same Every Shot.

Any thoughts that the T fitting that carries the barrel might get crushed by the recoil? Yes and no. Yes, the thought has occured to me. No, I don't think it'll be a problem. Mind you, I've not yet done that structural analysis, but when I do... Well, if it turns out that there is a potential probl...

So, a chamber fan is definetely out? Some wild ass ideas for mixing. Well, I don't know that it's out per se, as much as impractical. Remember, I'm talking about a 30" diameter chamber that's 50' long. Admitedly it's over kill and I'm seriously considering chopping 20' off of it to reduce the chanc...

I think this is what I was talking about: http://www.galcit.caltech.edu/EDL/publications/reprints/jannaf99_paper.pdf Or view it <A HREF="http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:ZlgVykp4Q_4J:www.galcit.caltech.edu/EDL/publications/reprints/jannaf99_paper.pdf+deflagration+detonation+transition&hl=en&ct=...

One thing to keep in mind.... Strictly speaking, the teflon tapes aren't supposed to be sealants. They're supposed to be dry lubricants that allow you to tighten the pipe threads properly, blah blah blah. Anywho, a trick I picked up back when I used to tinker with paintball equipment: Forget teflon ...

DYI wrote:which in turn means attaching copper to copper, not copper to brass.

I've seen brass conduit attachments... Which can be pipe thread since they want it to be water proof. Voila, copper to brass.

Why not just buy an el cheapo scope at Wal-Mart (or similar)?

What kind of photocells? I wouldn't think photovoltaics would work, too slow. I would recomend phototransitors (PTs). They respond much faster than voltaics and are much more sensitive. Thanks. I admit that instrumentation is not my gig so this is exactly the type of input I was looking for. the si...

if you dont [have a high pressure source] you might as well build it out of pvc because there isnt as much reason to go metal if you are just going to use it at 100psi. Well, there is this little thing called "safety." If you have the resources to build metal and you don't? You're a fool. Now, gran...

Another thought regarding instrumentation.... I want to be able to say things about the flame propogation and such. Fast response pressure gages are very expensive and very delicate. If I have one "oops" I've just lost Big Bucks. So what I was thinking.... Have two fast response pressure gages. One ...

As for it mixing the fuel I thought I remember you being opposed to adding the fuel before the air. Have you changed your mind on that or am I remembering it wrong? Yes and no. You're not remembering it wrong but I didn't change my mind either. What DID happen is that I realized that there's no rea...

As some of ya'll may be aware, I'm currently in the middle of a redesign of The Pipe Dream. Why? Because it may actually get built. The design I had was better than back of the envelope, but it wasn't a finished design. So I'm rolling things over in my mind and... Burst Diaphrams vs. Shear Pins Has ...

And today I started a complete redesign of the gun. The design ya'll have seen was a preliminary design. Better than back of the envelope, but not something to send to the welders, ya know? So today I started on the redesign. So far.... I'm going to incorporate a multiple barrel capability. Since th...