SpudFiles

My friend, a fellow spudgunner, is building a "cannon" for a play. He decided to use a pneumatic burst disk replica of a carronade, a miniature(sp) cannon. It is built with a three inch chamber and a sprinkler valve connecting it to a three inch burst disk. Then he is going to construct an ABS "cannon" out of 6" and slide the burst disc in. To create a smoke effect he is thinking of using flour on the burst disc. I am posting this on the forums to see if anyone has an better idea because currently there is no muzzle flash, and I have concerns about the flour settling on the ground to create a dusting of white.

Ask BC Pneumatics...I think he's into pyro stuff.You need something that gives a nice flash and some smoke but not a real big bang.Electrically controlled would be nice

See that's the problem, I think the principal is really freaked about fire or something and won't let there be any on the stage. That's why we built a pneumatic one instead of a combustion. Only problem is that with my friends design there is no muzzle flash and I have concerns about the flour coating the ground/audience.

I cant see a principal be very excited about a cannon being used to shoot a materail to create a "smoke" effect.

Fog machine? Maybe you can google and find some "homemade" fog machine plans...

You could put a little piece of dry ice and some water in the chamber. Then it will steam and when the gun is fired it will blow out, hopefully looking like smoke.

Good ideas!
@Pimpman; I looked at smoke machines in general, seems that they use "smoke juice" which is then put into a chamber with a metal plate that heats it until it vaporizes creating pressure that forces the thick white fog into the room. It would work, if the play was organized differently. From what I understand the cannon will be kept offstage, but in an unaccessable place for about an hour. This is ample time for the smoke to then de-vaporize and condense in the chamber, creating a mess, that is of course if he fills it beforehand.
@Shrimphead; That idea should work in a pinch! There is only one problem that I can see, that the pressure created by the dry ice will blow the chamber. Otherwise it should work.

Just make sure that it's a pressure rated chamber, and don't put too much dry ice and water in just to be safe.