confetti cannons

[urgle the danish cow]

my brothers children live in the midwest and there is a sport/choir thingy there called "show choir" where about 50 kids sing and do extreme dancing in the stage.
ANYWAY thats not the point, the point is that they need confetti cannons so my brother asked me if i could help out so i thought i could get some pointers from you
here is the criteria;
the stage is about 100ft long by 50ft deep so i need to cover all that w/confetti
all cannons must fire at the same time
cannons cannot be huge thus they must be relatively compact

so any help would be great. feel free to let loose any ideas and pictures or diagrams. i have plenty of time for this so im in no rush. my current idea is making the cannons coaxial and having the pilot unmodded sprinkler valves so a stage crew member could electronically fire them at the same time. i need ideas of caliber and barrel length too

P.S. i dont need massive power bc this confetti is being flung in the air. not through coke cans

[clemsonguy1125]

No need for a piston valve, the simple unmodded valve will work fine. Paper towel shells may work well for getting them to burst over the middle of the stage.

[jrrdw]

Sprinkler valve cannon powered by 11 gram C02 cartigdes.

Have a really good look in the pneumatic showcase section, very similar cannons discribed in detail are there.

These type cannons are at a beginners level to build. Just do it right, no short cuts while building with all the kids that will be near them etc...

[urgle the danish cow]

ok thanks. how do u attach the co2 cartridges to the sprinkler valve? also the paper towel shells may be a bad idea knowing that there are kids dancing on stage

[clemsonguy1125]

Schrader and bike tire filler might work

[urgle the danish cow]

Schrader and bike tire filler might work

for an airchamber? yes. but that adds the problem of 1kids corresponding with pressures. and 2 it may lead to the back pain i suffer from now aaahhhhh. my fathers a hunchback already

[Technician1002]

In a public setting (general admission audience) fire safety becomes a concern. This is not your backyard spudfest. look into the commercial flame retardant confetti. Your local fire code may require it. Dropping confetti on hot 375, 500, 575, 750 and 1,000 watt stage lights is something to consider. Flaming or smoldering confetti falling into the audience is not a good idea.

I don't normally endorse commercial sales, but in your application, this should be considered. Google Flame Retardant Confetti for other distributors. Be safe and avoid a public disaster at all costs. For a one time show, a rental is a valid option and will pass most fire and safety regulations when set up properly. The expense and clean-up of testing a home brew setup may make a rental a valid option.

http://www.theatrefx.com/store/commerce ... t=confetti

http://www.aclassactfx.com/

Disclaimer, I have no connections to any of the above suppliers. I pulled them up with a Google search. I have not used their services at any time.

[clemsonguy1125]

Add a safety pop off, so if kids over pressureize it it just vents the excess

[urgle the danish cow]

technician the lights are very high above and in front of the stage so that wont be a problem

clemsonguy that is a good idea. i would like some suggestions of chamber size and barrel length