For those who didn't manage to get the ignition. If you have >70% alcohol and you're sure you have the spark, it has to be the temperature of the mixture. I was having problems with ignition when the temperature was below 20 Celsius. What you can do is you can use a hairdryer to warm the bottle. Then it works every time. Good luck! Btw.@NightHawkInLight awesome idea!
Good and workable idea. Temp is critical. However, remember that the as the hand held hair dryer runs it has continuous sparking inside the electric motor. The alcohol vapor can waft to the mouth of the plastic bottle. If too near the spark, it can ignite and you'll be holding a flame thrower bottle. In a similar experiment - to my surprise - I had an alcohol vapor flame shooting off the bottle. (I was sure the vapor was not close/concentrated enough - I was wrong.) The result was exciting but quite unsettling.
Thanks a lot 🙏😢😭😭😭.... I was trying in chilled Cold night ..And I Have made this project for my siblings school's Project , I was testing in Night and I was too much worried about this 😢 . Thanks a lot
I tried this experiment and it worked great! What I also found is that after swinging the fuel drops out you should give it a quick blow into the mouth of the bottle. I compared that launch to ones where I didn't blow into it and the one where I blew into it flew significantly farther. I recommend giving it a quick blow before each launch. I found out that if you leave even small amounts of alcohol in the bottle, it will sometimes drip onto the launcher and set it on fire after launch. But anyways, Thank you for the amazing project! The kids in the neighborhood love it!
Both use electricity, but they're quite different. In a lighter, a spring loaded striker hits a piezoelectric crystal, creating a high voltage spark. In the Panzerschreck, the striker drives a magnet through copper windings, exactly like a mini electric generator.
Mine didn't go very far like in the video. It was a little disappointing. But then I changed bottles and it was really cool! The first bottle was wide at the top (Pepsi bottle), whereas the other was more narrow and fit more snuggly on the pipe (Sprite bottle). It makes quite a bit of difference.
I'd just like to say that it's really cool that you're actually replying to most of the comments here. It's pretty rare to see youtubers that do that nowadays.
I made these and tried using a couple different fuels: 95% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, Denaturated Alcohol, Ethanol, Methanol, Gasoline, and Nitro RC Fuel and the Nitro RC Fuel and Ethanol seem to be the most powerful and easiest to use. When using gasoline, you need to use a very small amount of gasoline and you need to blow into the bottle a lot in order to achieve an air-fuel ratio that will burn because if you don't, the mixture will be too rich to ignite. Gasoline also produces a very bright flame compared to the others, and also produces black smoke and soot inside the bottle. Next I might try oxyacetylene!
Thanks for this video. A few notes: You can get 99% rubbing alcohol now which might work better for sparking if you are having any issues. Most grill igniters will NOT WORK since they only have 1 probe. They assume you set up that probe right next to a metal gas port to make the spark. As such, you need to have a TWO CHANNEL one, and use one wire from each. I used the 3 channel brinkmann igniter, capped the third one, and used the wires from channels 1 and 2 to spark to each other. They even have nice terminators at the end. You discard the probe thingees themselves. I also recommend NOT using a piezoelectric since you have to push really hard on the button to make the internal hammer hit the quartz crystal. A 1xAA is much nicer, on a relatively flimsy launcher.
What you have here used to be referred to as a spigot mortar, because the "barrel" is INSIDE the projectile rather than ENCLOSING it During WW Two, they were used in anti-submarine warfare. They were better than depth charges, as they wouldn't go off unless they hit something. A ship would be fitted with racks of up to 20 mortars, slightly splayed out so that, when fired, the bombs would form a spread out pattern, making it more likely they'd hit a submerged sub
This was for my daughters science project. If you are getting a good spark, I believe it is most likely is a fuel problem. Like others, we were using 91% alcohol from the grocery store. After trying for half an hour we only got it to fire 2 times in 70F degree weather. The spark also had all but disappeared after half an hour trying. I tried burning the 91% alcohol in an alcohol stove and it would not light, I think it may be watered down. I let it dry out (30 min), the spark was better, so we made sure we had a good spark across about an 1/8 inch (3mm) gap. We switched to Everclear 95% grain alcohol, which is what I use in my alcohol stove. The rocket fired in 1-3 clicks every time.
Awesome! Just built one and it works great. I didn't expect it to be so loud but that only adds to the excitement. Now to see what else I can launch with it. Thanks for the great video.
We built a smaller version of this launcher and had a lot of fun learning about rockets! We posted a video sharing the experience on our channel. We enjoy watching your videos, thanks!
Made this fun project. Some things I learned. I found that "not less than 99%" alcohol gave me 100% function. The igniter has more than enough spark. I made one with a kind of stun gun igniter, and it didn't help with any lower content alcohol. Need to be sure NO liquid alcohol is in the bottle. I almost burnt one up when the liquid kept on burning in the launcher. Found out, by mistake, it sometimes fires twice, after first firing, without adding more alcohol. Stuck the bottle on after firing, and wanted to check for spark. BANG!!! it went off. Always point it in a safe direction, and don't do it indoors. Because it's so loud, I only fire it at the shooting range. Has anyone fired it at night???? Is there any flame????
This is like the can and soda can launchers you could also use tennis balls in when I was a kid, only this seems safer to use. Now I'm going to have to make one of these. Thanks.
I've made this for a class I'm teaching on rockets and I cannot get the rocket to launch consistently. It is ~ 40-45 deg out so I moved from rubbing alcohol to hairspray but I still cannot get the rocket to launch consistently. It seems like my spark is very dim once I put the bottle on the launcher. When I remove the bottle the spark seems very strong. Thoughts? Help please as my last class is this week and I'd hate for the 1st graders not to get a launch in. Thanks.
+Donny Bui Hey sorry for the delay in my reply, I don't know how I didn't see this comment earlier. It could be that your alcohol is a bit too cold. Try keeping it indoors before taking it out to fire the rockets. The higher the concentration of alcohol the better. 91% is the most common and works well. The dim spark may be from overfueling, which would mean you need to give the bottles an extra shake or two before putting them on the launcher so they get more fresh air mixed with the alcohol.
+NightHawkInLight I just made this and was having the same issue. It worked perfectly when the alcohol was kept inside. But when loading it in 35 degree weather it didn't work worth squat. Also it was raining; would that have any affect? I'm pretty sure everything was dry. I was definitely getting a spark. Really looking forward to getting this to work better because it was really cool. And I was trying it with 70%; I bought 91% but only got to see it once.
Thanks for the advice unfortunately the kids did not all get to see it work. I'm going to try it again during the Spring and hopefully I'll have documentation on the results for future classes.
Wouldn't it make more sense to ignite the mixture near the opening? Because I'm sure a lot of unburned fuel gets pushed out of the bottle before it ignites. You could make a comparison
In the rocket aspect, yes. But the pipe extending deep into the bottle actually makes it fire off more like a cannon in the first instant of ignition, which gives a huge extra boost in initial speed.
This could probably be done a lot more simply. Just tape a pushbutton-igniting propane torch to one end of a 1/2" pipe, put the neck of the 2l bottle on the other end as shown, wiggle the smaller bottle on the other end also as shown, then flow mixed air/propane into the bottle from the torch for several seconds and pull the trigger. A way to vent air from the bottle as propane/air mix flows in may or may not be necessary.
...and this caused me to imagine a super soaker of sorts with a nice little injector atomizing alcohol as you pump action and that igniter on the trigger. Chk chk... BOOM. 😂 In tomorrow's news...burglars swayed with alcohol induced super soaker and 16oz Coke bottles.
My son and I just made this! Awsome cheap fun! We could not get the rubbing alcohol with high enough alcohol content. We settled on a small blue propane torch and filled the pop bottle for 15 seconds. This worked great!
About 50 years ago we made tennis ball canons out of pop cans. Of course the cans were way different back then in design and these ones had the zip tope or shall I say pull tab tops. 4 or 5 cans cleanly cut then a rough cut and to trap the ball and then on the other end of that a untouched top with the pull tab whole and a two can chamber. Add a small hole in the center of the bottom four ignition and fuel addition. My first one was taped together with a number of layers of electrical tape and was fueled by gasoline. Squirt a little gasoline in the butt end and then start shaking the apparatus around to get some air into it. Drop a tennis ball in the top and it slid down very nicely until it hit the jagged part. Lighte it off and boom that puppy would send tennis balls a hundred yards. I improved on it by using much much better tape plus a whole heck of a lot more including covering the whole surface and then used a spray can of starting fluid a.k.a. ether for the fuel. You could either shoot a tennis ball or just make one super loud boom. Kind of like the old carbide canons. I had a lot of fun with it in college.
A mate made one of these - very similar, anyway, and used spray deodorant, believe it or not. Just a squirt into the missile and then jammed it on. Ka-blammo!
This is a great way to have fun with the kids at family functions, barbecues, etc.. Give out prizes to the kids for whoever's rocket goes the farthest and similar games.
I made this almost exactly as shown, but haven't had a successful launch yet. I do have a spark every time I test it where I can see the spark (inside). I have tried 70% alcohol and 95%. Any advice on how to get it going?
If you're getting spark but the rocket is not firing it means your fuel to air ratio is incorrect for proper combustion. If you have too much fuel vapor in the bottle the spark will be a bright neon blue. If so, take the bottle off and shake it a few more times as if you were swinging out extra liquid, that will mix more air in and get rid of excess fuel. If the spark looks the same color as it is when the bottle is off you probably don't have enough fuel and you should shake the liquid alcohol around more before draining it.
NightHawkInLight This is what someone on Reddit (maybe you) told me yesterday. So today I spent a lot more time shaking it out and introducing oxygen various ways. Nothing worked. Also because I am not that knowledgeable about piezoelectricity, does it matter that the wire that the spark jumps to is not attached to anything? Because I had a spark I assumed it wouldn't matter, but at this point I am considering all options. Thanks for the response (and so fast too).
Glenn Kachmar Yes that was me that replied on Reddit. The wire that the spark is jumping to should be attached to the second terminal on the igniter. In any case, between tests are you letting the bottles air out all the old fuel? If you just keep adding more while there's already some in there it will be over fueled for sure. If you take a match to the back of a bottle that you have failed to fire does it ignite the fuel inside and burn with a 'woosh'? If not then it's not properly fueled. If it does ignite and burn very quickly it is properly fueled and you can then know that it's your spark gap that needs adjustment, not the fuel. Wear cotton gloves to protect you if you try this, not synthetic, because synthetic gloves will melt to your skin if they catch fire.
NightHawkInLight Now that I think about it, another reason I didn't attach it was that there seemed to be anywhere to attach it to. A guy in a BBQ dept. gave me the igniter and it just had a stub like end next to a thick wire with ceramic insulation cylinder around part of it. It didn't seem to be a circuit and it made a spark so I thought I don't need to make it a circuit. It was mostly guesswork as you can imagine. Sorry to keep peppering you with questions, but will I get a stronger spark if I remake it making sure that it is a circuit?
Does the bottle need to be tight on the tube? I have tried many times to get this to work and it doesn't. Since the igniter is working properly, the only flaw I could possibly think of that would be preventing the launch of the bottle is the tightness of it on the PVC pipe. Any suggestions?
+NightHawkInLight I tried it for a cousin's high school science fair. It worked like a charm. He used turpentine oil instead. Kaboom! He was actually kicked out of his group for being an underdog among them. But with your awesome tutorial, he came a celebrity in his school. Such a rad feeling. Next time we are going for Quantum Levitation.
I built it and it isn't working! I had one lucky shot, but for the life of me I can't get it to ignite again. I'm using 91%, my spark is nice and big, and I'm using the technique you showed us... Any ideas?
NightHawkInLight Thanks for getting back so soon! I never fixed the problem, but I've been using propane instead and haven't had any problems. Keep the videos coming!
Question about the piezoelectric ignitor: Hardware store wanted $15 for one, so I decided to get a cheap butane style lighter and take it apart for the ignitor inside. Do you think this will work or will it generate too small of a spark? Also, does the wire length affect how much of a spark you get at the tips of the wires? Could you make the wires about 10' long and still get a good enough spark out of it or are there losses to the resistance of the wire?
The smaller igniters are weaker but they can still work with a smaller spark gap. There is significant loss caused by longer wire, but you can try making them as long as you want and just cut them down if it doesn't work. You probably won't have much luck with both longer wires and the weaker igniter.
Have you attempted to implement this on a field? Was wondering if there are any waiver complications, restrictions on fields for doing something like this.
in 2013 i improved on the idea. 2l bottle, metered propane, and water. ignition with a home made stun gun. more power, very consistent. then i went a few steps further and made a way to add more power without changing the fuel/propellant/volume. how i did that can be seen in some of my videos ;) one is propelled with beer.
When I was a kid, we used to make tennis ball canons. They were tin beer and coke cans, 3 with the bottoms and tops cut off and one at the bottom with top and bottom still on it, all taped together. The bottom can had a small hole about an inch from the bottom. The hard part was carburating the lighter fluid and air just right. Kids assume that the more lighter fluid, the bigger the boom. That's not the case. And I figured out by accident the best way to carburate it. Just a squirt down the top, then one good swing holding the bottom with the top outwards, them shoving the tennis ball in right after swinging it. Light it at the bottom hole. DO NOT USE GASOLINE. USE ZIPPO LIGHTER FLUID ONLY. DO NOT POINT IT AT ANYONE.
Too anyone having problems firing this, and you're doing everything right, please read this. Your problem is going to be the fuel, as it should be at least 90%. More, make sure when fueling to use a ver very small amount of rubbing alcohol in the bottle (less than 1 cm in height). Make sure there is no liquid left in the bottle. The most important thing, is the temperature. The General rule of thumb is if you can go outside with jeans and a t shirt on and feel fine (like no problems) then it is warm enough to fire. Anything less and it most likely won't fire. I hope this helps
Thank you for sharing! I made a handheld version of this using just 1/2 inch PVC pipe, an elbow, and a couple PVC caps. I'm still having trouble getting this to fire, but I wonder if it's because of the bottles I'm using. I was trying small drinking bottles, but found out that the bottles were not airtight, so I'm wondering if the vapor is possibly leaking out. I'll try using 2 liter bottles as demonstrated in the video, and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!
I'm not using 2 liter bottles, they're 12oz. Still small. If you're having trouble firing it's almost certainly because you're using too much or too little fuel.
NightHawkInLight I've tried a couple of different sizes now, and still can't seem to get it to fire. I tried using a lighter, and was surprised with how much thrust shot out at my hand. I'll try different things, though, and hopefully I'll get it to work.
NightHawkInLight That's what I was thinking. I think I'm using too much wire, because the spark seems fairly week, but still looks the same as the one in the video. I'll try to fix the spark gap and lose a little bit of wire, and hopefully that'll help.
NightHawkInLight Alright, so I still can't get this to fire. I've messed with the spark gap and fuel ratio, and tried different bottles as well. I even tried hairspray (which was mentioned in the comments, NOT a safe idea by the way). I tried it with hairspray while the bottle was on the tube, and no fire. Tried it by just getting a spark by the opening, and the entire bottle turned into a giant fireball. So maybe it is the fuel ratio? Maybe I'm not getting enough oxygen still?
Sir, I am trying to find the bbq ignition you used for this project. Was this a weber bbq igniter? I have decided to use the bbq ignition instead of alcohol or anything like that. If possible, could you send a link? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for answering.
One curious thing I had happen-I launched a bottle horizontally across the yard as a test, with a chain link fence as backstop. When I picked up the bottle, it had a ton of dirt in it! I think this is because the gases cooled and contracted around the same time the bottle bounced off the ground, so it sucked in dirt. This makes me wonder if it also pulls in enough oxygen again for the next launch.
These work awesome and loud. the first few times I couldn't get it to work with the alcohol because it was too cold so I put the gas from a lighter in the bottle instead. Later after it warmed up the alcohol worked amazingly.
Yeah you can wire them in series with one igniter, but the spark might get too weak to ignite the fuel if you make it jump multiple gaps. Only one way to find out.
+ThatOtherGuy you could also take a 1x4x7 and cut 3 holes to place the 3 igniters so they can all be on one remote and then place another piece on top of those so it would be one click for 3 in 1, sorry if this is hard to understand
Hey nighthawk had a question. What about a bbq lighter ? Will it give the same kind of ignition for this project. I have a couple of old ones laying around. Grate video by the way ..
Wat a cool video. Clear step bij step explanation. You made it easy to make it just by following your instructions. Do you think it is possible to use methylated spirit / industrial alcohol instead of rubbing alcohol?
Yes, various alcohols will work fine if 90+% concentration. You may want to look at my newer propane bottle rocket launchers as they are more reliable in cold weather where alcohol does not evaporate so easily.
soooo.... 1/2 inch pipe is way too small for this. best I could find is 3/4 inch sanded down. am I just missing something? looks like your pipe is no modifications and a tight fit for 2L bottles.
Hey, I was planning on building a shoulder-mounted version of this, and I wanted to make multiple rockets for faster reloading. I was wondering if I could shake up the alcohol inside the bottle, get rid of the rest of the liquid, and put a cap on, if it would work if I took the cap off when I needed to reload. I wondering if the alcohol gases would stay in the bottle if the cap is put back on. Please reply. Thanks!
Reminds me of the Tennis Ball Cannons we played with back in the day... three or four cans taped together, tops and bottoms removed for the cannon barrel, with the bottom can keeping it's bottom, and lots of large vent holes in the top to keep the tennis ball from sliding into the fire chamber... small ignition and fuel hole in the bottom of the bottom can.. squirt a bit of fuel, shake it to aerate, load a not-too-furry tennis ball, and put a Bic lighter to the fuel hole.. BOOM!!! The cannon literally takes minutes to make.
What percent alcohol are you using? when using isopropyl alcohol as a fuel, I find 70% works well, 50% does not burn well, and 90% buns too fast, but this might all be different for this particular application.
Fill a large balloon with propane, sellotape a LONG bit of paper to it set light to it then run away,works best at night but keep a good distance away because nobody looks good without eyebrows...or a face.
I am having an issue getting this to launch. I think it may be a an issue with my wiring or my seals. I used 0.5" pipe for the barrel and some water bottles that are 1.5L should I stick to the 2L? In wiring I used the 20g to 16g wires because that's all I had available, my first time wiring would that decrease my combustion power?
Thanks for your prompt reply. Yes I am getting a spark. I will have to do some trial and error for the mixture in that case.I am using 91% alcohol now, but I will also be using 70%. My cousin using this project for his science fair and wants to do some comparison between the two along with different bottles. What is the ratio of alcohol to volume that you were using? Thanks for your help ! :)
NightHawkInLight I ended up getting it to work. It was a 15ml alcohol to 1.5L bottle. It was working fine during the day. Once he got his rocket designed and built it got dark and wouldnt light any more. I am guessing the alcohol doesnt ignite at about 50-60 F ambient temp. Told him to try during the day when his parents have the time.
luvmyTM1911 That's something i didn't consider might effect things until you mentioned it. Lower temperatures would cause alcohol to evaporate less readily and make it hard to get the right fuel to air mixture.
NightHawkInLight Yeah that was the only variable in the experiment, so I figured it was just the cold affecting the fumes. We ended up using some hairspray just to get some launches before they went home. It was actually way more powerful. We could actually see the ignition fire as the bottle flew through the air. We wanted to test the stability of the rockets so he knows what to change for his next builds. Thank you for this video. This sparked the idea to get him interested in rockets. We were going to do the traditional water rockets, but took to much time, which I dont have as a student myself. This was a quick simple experiment that was able to get him interested in the subject. Thank you once more, you have great videos and I watch them when ever I can. Keep up the good work.
very good presentation, clear and thorough and interesting to watch , I will try this for the kids, I see people throwing out barbeques all the time...will certainly grab an igniter or 2 next time
I took this idea and minimized it into a a small pistol design, it's a ton of fun to use, and extremely loud (and slightly scary having an explosion go off a few inches from my hand)
Can i use any HV source? Like my flyback transformer? So flyback transformer + power transistor + atmega/attiny + ir receiver = cheap remote controlled rocket launcher?
Try deodorant spray or propane, don't have to worry about atomizing a liquid fuel as with alcohol. But alcohol has higher energy density, so there's that advantage. BTW Hawk, did you happen to get this idea from Spudfiles?
For those who didn't manage to get the ignition. If you have >70% alcohol and you're sure you have the spark, it has to be the temperature of the mixture. I was having problems with ignition when the temperature was below 20 Celsius. What you can do is you can use a hairdryer to warm the bottle. Then it works every time. Good luck!
Btw.@NightHawkInLight awesome idea!
Good and workable idea. Temp is critical. However, remember that the as the hand held hair dryer runs it has continuous sparking inside the electric motor. The alcohol vapor can waft to the mouth of the plastic bottle. If too near the spark, it can ignite and you'll be holding a flame thrower bottle. In a similar experiment - to my surprise - I had an alcohol vapor flame shooting off the bottle. (I was sure the vapor was not close/concentrated enough - I was wrong.) The result was exciting but quite unsettling.
Heh Polacy są wszędzie :D
Thanks a lot 🙏😢😭😭😭.... I was trying in chilled Cold night ..And I Have made this project for my siblings school's Project , I was testing in Night and I was too much worried about this 😢 . Thanks a lot
I tried this experiment and it worked great! What I also found is that after swinging the fuel drops out you should give it a quick blow into the mouth of the bottle. I compared that launch to ones where I didn't blow into it and the one where I blew into it flew significantly farther. I recommend giving it a quick blow before each launch. I found out that if you leave even small amounts of alcohol in the bottle, it will sometimes drip onto the launcher and set it on fire after launch. But anyways, Thank you for the amazing project! The kids in the neighborhood love it!
@Landon Li Menards
Hey continuing off of his question, what is the product called
@@anthonyendack3138 Just a standard grill igniter
Ironically the technology used in the Barbecue lighters is the same as was used in the German Panzershrek. The circle is now complete.
wait wat
Thank you for your knowledge
Lol
Wait wat
Both use electricity, but they're quite different. In a lighter, a spring loaded striker hits a piezoelectric crystal, creating a high voltage spark. In the Panzerschreck, the striker drives a magnet through copper windings, exactly like a mini electric generator.
I can definitely see this being a blast at backyard events
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Grant Thompson - "The King of Random" crap... that you king?
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The King of Random 3 year ago you commented this
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Sweet! Digging this.
Household Hacker
Hi
rip
Mine didn't go very far like in the video. It was a little disappointing. But then I changed bottles and it was really cool! The first bottle was wide at the top (Pepsi bottle), whereas the other was more narrow and fit more snuggly on the pipe (Sprite bottle). It makes quite a bit of difference.
The more alcohol vapor, the better
I'd just like to say that it's really cool that you're actually replying to most of the comments here. It's pretty rare to see youtubers that do that nowadays.
I try my best.
That's AWESOME!
I made these and tried using a couple different fuels: 95% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, Denaturated Alcohol, Ethanol, Methanol, Gasoline, and Nitro RC Fuel and the Nitro RC Fuel and Ethanol seem to be the most powerful and easiest to use. When using gasoline, you need to use a very small amount of gasoline and you need to blow into the bottle a lot in order to achieve an air-fuel ratio that will burn because if you don't, the mixture will be too rich to ignite. Gasoline also produces a very bright flame compared to the others, and also produces black smoke and soot inside the bottle. Next I might try oxyacetylene!
Thanks for this video. A few notes: You can get 99% rubbing alcohol now which might work better for sparking if you are having any issues.
Most grill igniters will NOT WORK since they only have 1 probe. They assume you set up that probe right next to a metal gas port to make the spark. As such, you need to have a TWO CHANNEL one, and use one wire from each.
I used the 3 channel brinkmann igniter, capped the third one, and used the wires from channels 1 and 2 to spark to each other. They even have nice terminators at the end. You discard the probe thingees themselves.
I also recommend NOT using a piezoelectric since you have to push really hard on the button to make the internal hammer hit the quartz crystal. A 1xAA is much nicer, on a relatively flimsy launcher.
Very cool project!
Lot of uses for those piezo igniters.
What you have here used to be referred to as a spigot mortar, because the "barrel" is INSIDE the projectile rather than ENCLOSING it
During WW Two, they were used in anti-submarine warfare. They were better than depth charges, as they wouldn't go off unless they hit something.
A ship would be fitted with racks of up to 20 mortars, slightly splayed out so that, when fired, the bombs would form a spread out pattern, making it more likely they'd hit a submerged sub
This was for my daughters science project. If you are getting a good spark, I believe it is most likely is a fuel problem. Like others, we were using 91% alcohol from the grocery store. After trying for half an hour we only got it to fire 2 times in 70F degree weather. The spark also had all but disappeared after half an hour trying. I tried burning the 91% alcohol in an alcohol stove and it would not light, I think it may be watered down. I let it dry out (30 min), the spark was better, so we made sure we had a good spark across about an 1/8 inch (3mm) gap. We switched to Everclear 95% grain alcohol, which is what I use in my alcohol stove. The rocket fired in 1-3 clicks every time.
Awesome! Just built one and it works great. I didn't expect it to be so loud but that only adds to the excitement. Now to see what else I can launch with it. Thanks for the great video.
instructions unclear- i dont have a house anymore, assumed uranium would work as fuel. But in all seriousness, awesome project!!
Nice! Take that zombies!
Instructions unclear started world war 3 in my neighborhood
why
ClashCardsTCG do not attempt this at home
This comment did not age wel
We built a smaller version of this launcher and had a lot of fun learning about rockets! We posted a video sharing the experience on our channel. We enjoy watching your videos, thanks!
Made this fun project. Some things I learned.
I found that "not less than 99%" alcohol gave me 100% function.
The igniter has more than enough spark.
I made one with a kind of stun gun igniter, and it didn't help with any lower content alcohol.
Need to be sure NO liquid alcohol is in the bottle. I almost burnt one up when the liquid kept on burning in the launcher.
Found out, by mistake, it sometimes fires twice, after first firing, without adding more alcohol.
Stuck the bottle on after firing, and wanted to check for spark. BANG!!! it went off.
Always point it in a safe direction, and don't do it indoors.
Because it's so loud, I only fire it at the shooting range.
Has anyone fired it at night????
Is there any flame????
Great video! I'm going to have to try this one out.
Ey
This is like the can and soda can launchers you could also use tennis balls in when I was a kid, only this seems safer to use. Now I'm going to have to make one of these. Thanks.
I've made this for a class I'm teaching on rockets and I cannot get the rocket to launch consistently. It is ~ 40-45 deg out so I moved from rubbing alcohol to hairspray but I still cannot get the rocket to launch consistently. It seems like my spark is very dim once I put the bottle on the launcher. When I remove the bottle the spark seems very strong. Thoughts? Help please as my last class is this week and I'd hate for the 1st graders not to get a launch in. Thanks.
+Donny Bui Hey sorry for the delay in my reply, I don't know how I didn't see this comment earlier. It could be that your alcohol is a bit too cold. Try keeping it indoors before taking it out to fire the rockets. The higher the concentration of alcohol the better. 91% is the most common and works well. The dim spark may be from overfueling, which would mean you need to give the bottles an extra shake or two before putting them on the launcher so they get more fresh air mixed with the alcohol.
+Donny Bui
Try denatured alcohol.
+NightHawkInLight I just made this and was having the same issue. It worked perfectly when the alcohol was kept inside. But when loading it in 35 degree weather it didn't work worth squat. Also it was raining; would that have any affect? I'm pretty sure everything was dry. I was definitely getting a spark. Really looking forward to getting this to work better because it was really cool. And I was trying it with 70%; I bought 91% but only got to see it once.
+NightHawkInLight what if i used a piezoelectric igniter (the small one) would it works
Thanks for the advice unfortunately the kids did not all get to see it work. I'm going to try it again during the Spring and hopefully I'll have documentation on the results for future classes.
Wouldn't it make more sense to ignite the mixture near the opening? Because I'm sure a lot of unburned fuel gets pushed out of the bottle before it ignites. You could make a comparison
In the rocket aspect, yes. But the pipe extending deep into the bottle actually makes it fire off more like a cannon in the first instant of ignition, which gives a huge extra boost in initial speed.
Fantastic job on this vid. We are completely honored to be associated with NightHawkinLight.
-Abe & The SonicDad Crew
SonicDadDotCom yahhh sonicdad
Sonic dad
I tried this at home and it isn't working. What might I be doing wrong?
This could probably be done a lot more simply. Just tape a pushbutton-igniting propane torch to one end of a 1/2" pipe, put the neck of the 2l bottle on the other end as shown, wiggle the smaller bottle on the other end also as shown, then flow mixed air/propane into the bottle from the torch for several seconds and pull the trigger. A way to vent air from the bottle as propane/air mix flows in may or may not be necessary.
Artimus Protensor I think NightHawkInLight did that in another video.
General: Incoming.
Cornel: incoming What.
General: Bottles.
Cornel: Bottles?
General: Yes Mutha Fuckin Bottles.
I know what we are doing in homeschool next week! I can't freakin' wait!!!!!!!!!!!!
...and this caused me to imagine a super soaker of sorts with a nice little injector atomizing alcohol as you pump action and that igniter on the trigger. Chk chk... BOOM.
😂 In tomorrow's news...burglars swayed with alcohol induced super soaker and 16oz Coke bottles.
My son and I just made this! Awsome cheap fun! We could not get the rubbing alcohol with high enough alcohol content. We settled on a small blue propane torch and filled the pop bottle for 15 seconds. This worked great!
Made a shoulder-fired variety that fires 20 oz bottles and had the coos called. Good times 😂👌✌️
About 50 years ago we made tennis ball canons out of pop cans. Of course the cans were way different back then in design and these ones had the zip tope or shall I say pull tab tops. 4 or 5 cans cleanly cut then a rough cut and to trap the ball and then on the other end of that a untouched top with the pull tab whole and a two can chamber. Add a small hole in the center of the bottom four ignition and fuel addition. My first one was taped together with a number of layers of electrical tape and was fueled by gasoline. Squirt a little gasoline in the butt end and then start shaking the apparatus around to get some air into it. Drop a tennis ball in the top and it slid down very nicely until it hit the jagged part. Lighte it off and boom that puppy would send tennis balls a hundred yards. I improved on it by using much much better tape plus a whole heck of a lot more including covering the whole surface and then used a spray can of starting fluid a.k.a. ether for the fuel. You could either shoot a tennis ball or just make one super loud boom. Kind of like the old carbide canons. I had a lot of fun with it in college.
Can you use starter fluid or gasoline in the same way?
A mate made one of these - very similar, anyway, and used spray deodorant, believe it or not. Just a squirt into the missile and then jammed it on. Ka-blammo!
This is a great way to have fun with the kids at family functions, barbecues, etc..
Give out prizes to the kids for whoever's rocket goes the farthest and similar games.
I made this almost exactly as shown, but haven't had a successful launch yet. I do have a spark every time I test it where I can see the spark (inside). I have tried 70% alcohol and 95%. Any advice on how to get it going?
If you're getting spark but the rocket is not firing it means your fuel to air ratio is incorrect for proper combustion. If you have too much fuel vapor in the bottle the spark will be a bright neon blue. If so, take the bottle off and shake it a few more times as if you were swinging out extra liquid, that will mix more air in and get rid of excess fuel. If the spark looks the same color as it is when the bottle is off you probably don't have enough fuel and you should shake the liquid alcohol around more before draining it.
NightHawkInLight This is what someone on Reddit (maybe you) told me yesterday. So today I spent a lot more time shaking it out and introducing oxygen various ways. Nothing worked. Also because I am not that knowledgeable about piezoelectricity, does it matter that the wire that the spark jumps to is not attached to anything? Because I had a spark I assumed it wouldn't matter, but at this point I am considering all options. Thanks for the response (and so fast too).
Glenn Kachmar Yes that was me that replied on Reddit. The wire that the spark is jumping to should be attached to the second terminal on the igniter. In any case, between tests are you letting the bottles air out all the old fuel? If you just keep adding more while there's already some in there it will be over fueled for sure. If you take a match to the back of a bottle that you have failed to fire does it ignite the fuel inside and burn with a 'woosh'? If not then it's not properly fueled. If it does ignite and burn very quickly it is properly fueled and you can then know that it's your spark gap that needs adjustment, not the fuel. Wear cotton gloves to protect you if you try this, not synthetic, because synthetic gloves will melt to your skin if they catch fire.
NightHawkInLight Now that I think about it, another reason I didn't attach it was that there seemed to be anywhere to attach it to. A guy in a BBQ dept. gave me the igniter and it just had a stub like end next to a thick wire with ceramic insulation cylinder around part of it. It didn't seem to be a circuit and it made a spark so I thought I don't need to make it a circuit. It was mostly guesswork as you can imagine. Sorry to keep peppering you with questions, but will I get a stronger spark if I remake it making sure that it is a circuit?
Glenn Kachmar If there is a spark occurring across the gap as is shown at 2:00 in my video then it's as it should be.
Love it! I’m going to show my daughter this.
I have many new versions of this project if you search for bottle launcher on my channel
I used propane and that worked really well
that is really cool
Nice! How did it go?
Does the bottle need to be tight on the tube? I have tried many times to get this to work and it doesn't. Since the igniter is working properly, the only flaw I could possibly think of that would be preventing the launch of the bottle is the tightness of it on the PVC pipe. Any suggestions?
+Elijah Sech Yes it needs to be fairly tight and the alcohol needs to be at least 90%
+NightHawkInLight I tried it for a cousin's high school science fair. It worked like a charm. He used turpentine oil instead. Kaboom! He was actually kicked out of his group for being an underdog among them. But with your awesome tutorial, he came a celebrity in his school. Such a rad feeling. Next time we are going for Quantum Levitation.
Who else modded this, so it could be a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.
im planning to.
@@One_Soldier64127 It is not hard at all, very simple, and dangerous as hell, but fun as hell.
@@Chevelled hell yeah imma build it next time
@@One_Soldier64127 Perfect anti child device
@@Chevelled i AM the child (11y/o)
It isn't firing. The gun is made correct and the spark is there, just when we add the alcohol infused bottle, it doesn't fire. What am I doing wrong?
See this video: ruclips.net/video/UKS2DNl_AgI/видео.html
I built it and it isn't working! I had one lucky shot, but for the life of me I can't get it to ignite again. I'm using 91%, my spark is nice and big, and I'm using the technique you showed us... Any ideas?
+J ClarKent The alcohol could be too cold to evaporate properly.
NightHawkInLight Thanks for getting back so soon! I never fixed the problem, but I've been using propane instead and haven't had any problems. Keep the videos coming!
Question about the piezoelectric ignitor:
Hardware store wanted $15 for one, so I decided to get a cheap butane style lighter and take it apart for the ignitor inside. Do you think this will work or will it generate too small of a spark? Also, does the wire length affect how much of a spark you get at the tips of the wires? Could you make the wires about 10' long and still get a good enough spark out of it or are there losses to the resistance of the wire?
The smaller igniters are weaker but they can still work with a smaller spark gap. There is significant loss caused by longer wire, but you can try making them as long as you want and just cut them down if it doesn't work. You probably won't have much luck with both longer wires and the weaker igniter.
guys instead of rubbing alcohol i used nuclear fission help.
with what
Euan C It could quite replace that. 😁
Girlyman I used Nuclear Fusion and caused a second Tunguska
Euan C hahaha, may i suggest antimatter for more efficiency? :-)
Guys my nuclear fusion looks kinda weird and glowy
What kind of soldering gun is that? It looks, interesting
An undercover look into North Korea's missile program.
Doophys 600RR well now I'm sure they won't be invading anyone anytime soon
Doophys 600RR you sir, have made my day!
Have you attempted to implement this on a field? Was wondering if there are any waiver complications, restrictions on fields for doing something like this.
in 2013 i improved on the idea. 2l bottle, metered propane, and water. ignition with a home made stun gun. more power, very consistent. then i went a few steps further and made a way to add more power without changing the fuel/propellant/volume. how i did that can be seen in some of my videos ;) one is propelled with beer.
When I was a kid, we used to make tennis ball canons. They were tin beer and coke cans, 3 with the bottoms and tops cut off and one at the bottom with top and bottom still on it, all taped together. The bottom can had a small hole about an inch from the bottom. The hard part was carburating the lighter fluid and air just right. Kids assume that the more lighter fluid, the bigger the boom. That's not the case. And I figured out by accident the best way to carburate it. Just a squirt down the top, then one good swing holding the bottom with the top outwards, them shoving the tennis ball in right after swinging it. Light it at the bottom hole. DO NOT USE GASOLINE. USE ZIPPO LIGHTER FLUID ONLY. DO NOT POINT IT AT ANYONE.
dose it work in protest of anti-Tyrant
Made the launcher this past weekend. Kids love it! Thank you!
Supersoda cannon!!
YAY its kipkay
Too anyone having problems firing this, and you're doing everything right, please read this. Your problem is going to be the fuel, as it should be at least 90%. More, make sure when fueling to use a ver very small amount of rubbing alcohol in the bottle (less than 1 cm in height). Make sure there is no liquid left in the bottle. The most important thing, is the temperature. The General rule of thumb is if you can go outside with jeans and a t shirt on and feel fine (like no problems) then it is warm enough to fire. Anything less and it most likely won't fire. I hope this helps
ty. ill heat my alcohol over open fire
I see you used Faygo bottles.
have you experimented with fins on the rocket like you did on the other rocket project? thanks, this looks like fun.
cool but not "a couple hundred feet"
Design a rocket out of the bottle and you’ll get that couple hundred feet.
How much did it cost for both this and the casing.
An excuse to buy more faygo!
Can I have a link to were to put that igniters?
Thank you for sharing! I made a handheld version of this using just 1/2 inch PVC pipe, an elbow, and a couple PVC caps. I'm still having trouble getting this to fire, but I wonder if it's because of the bottles I'm using. I was trying small drinking bottles, but found out that the bottles were not airtight, so I'm wondering if the vapor is possibly leaking out. I'll try using 2 liter bottles as demonstrated in the video, and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!
I'm not using 2 liter bottles, they're 12oz. Still small. If you're having trouble firing it's almost certainly because you're using too much or too little fuel.
NightHawkInLight I've tried a couple of different sizes now, and still can't seem to get it to fire. I tried using a lighter, and was surprised with how much thrust shot out at my hand. I'll try different things, though, and hopefully I'll get it to work.
***** It may be your spark gap that needs adjustment in that case.
NightHawkInLight That's what I was thinking. I think I'm using too much wire, because the spark seems fairly week, but still looks the same as the one in the video. I'll try to fix the spark gap and lose a little bit of wire, and hopefully that'll help.
NightHawkInLight Alright, so I still can't get this to fire. I've messed with the spark gap and fuel ratio, and tried different bottles as well. I even tried hairspray (which was mentioned in the comments, NOT a safe idea by the way). I tried it with hairspray while the bottle was on the tube, and no fire. Tried it by just getting a spark by the opening, and the entire bottle turned into a giant fireball. So maybe it is the fuel ratio? Maybe I'm not getting enough oxygen still?
Sir, I am trying to find the bbq ignition you used for this project. Was this a weber bbq igniter? I have decided to use the bbq ignition instead of alcohol or anything like that. If possible, could you send a link? I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for answering.
One curious thing I had happen-I launched a bottle horizontally across the yard as a test, with a chain link fence as backstop. When I picked up the bottle, it had a ton of dirt in it! I think this is because the gases cooled and contracted around the same time the bottle bounced off the ground, so it sucked in dirt. This makes me wonder if it also pulls in enough oxygen again for the next launch.
These work awesome and loud. the first few times I couldn't get it to work with the alcohol because it was too cold so I put the gas from a lighter in the bottle instead. Later after it warmed up the alcohol worked amazingly.
Could there be a way to connect the wires together into one trigger so that they could all be fired off from one click?
Yeah you can wire them in series with one igniter, but the spark might get too weak to ignite the fuel if you make it jump multiple gaps. Only one way to find out.
It would be quite a let down if the spark did get too weak, huh. Thanks for the quick reply!
+ThatOtherGuy you could also take a 1x4x7 and cut 3 holes to place the 3 igniters so they can all be on one remote and then place another piece on top of those so it would be one click for 3 in 1, sorry if this is hard to understand
Playing with bottle rockets is always cool!
Awesome! I can't wait to try this!
It's for a class activity. Will try it on my own first. Hope the administration approves.
So, what happens if you stay some small rests (tiny puddles) of rubbing alcohol inside? Does it turn into a sort of fire arrow?
Hey nighthawk had a question. What about a bbq lighter ? Will it give the same kind of ignition for this project. I have a couple of old ones laying around. Grate video by the way ..
is this possible using a lighter igniter?
I would assume
@@somebody3271 oh finally you answerr, i was about to give up on making it
@@One_Soldier64127 ok
Wat a cool video. Clear step bij step explanation. You made it easy to make it just by following your instructions. Do you think it is possible to use methylated spirit / industrial alcohol instead of rubbing alcohol?
Yes, various alcohols will work fine if 90+% concentration. You may want to look at my newer propane bottle rocket launchers as they are more reliable in cold weather where alcohol does not evaporate so easily.
soooo.... 1/2 inch pipe is way too small for this. best I could find is 3/4 inch sanded down.
am I just missing something? looks like your pipe is no modifications and a tight fit for 2L bottles.
TopGunner4411 1/2" I.D. on the PVC, which makes the O.D. around 7/8".
TopGunner4411 ***** has it right. 1/2" Sch40 PVC has an outer diameter that matches bottles.
How important is the airtight seal? If you'd just use a flame would it still launch?
I'm sure this could be my science project this year!
NightHawkInLight any chance for making airconditioning out of old fridge parts or anything else?
All the best, thaaaanks!
Interesting idea, it really wouldn't take much.
what is the concentration of isopropyl alcohol used?
can u suggest any other compound which gives better thrust by firing?
Cool. Looks like a fun backyard project
will there be a problem if the pvc and the bottle have a gap on the opening or does it need to be fit
That's bad ass! Definitely gonna do this with the kids
Can you shoulder mount this? If so does it have the chance to explode and hurt you?
Thank you
yes u can... look at crazy russian hacker "potato gun" video
Thank you
+Caleb Robson ur welcome also for more ideas look at grant thompson's "bottle rocket" video
Hey, I was planning on building a shoulder-mounted version of this, and I wanted to make multiple rockets for faster reloading. I was wondering if I could shake up the alcohol inside the bottle, get rid of the rest of the liquid, and put a cap on, if it would work if I took the cap off when I needed to reload. I wondering if the alcohol gases would stay in the bottle if the cap is put back on. Please reply. Thanks!
Did you ever manage to do it
How big of a bottle are you using because it looks way smaller then the piece of the bottle used as shield?
Successfully test fired mine last night. It looks AWESOME when fired in the dark.
Reminds me of the Tennis Ball Cannons we played with back in the day... three or four cans taped together, tops and bottoms removed for the cannon barrel, with the bottom can keeping it's bottom, and lots of large vent holes in the top to keep the tennis ball from sliding into the fire chamber... small ignition and fuel hole in the bottom of the bottom can.. squirt a bit of fuel, shake it to aerate, load a not-too-furry tennis ball, and put a Bic lighter to the fuel hole.. BOOM!!! The cannon literally takes minutes to make.
What bottles did you use for this? The ones I have are all either too small or big. And what size fitting?
What percent alcohol are you using? when using isopropyl alcohol as a fuel, I find 70% works well, 50% does not burn well, and 90% buns too fast, but this might all be different for this particular application.
do i need to seperate the two wires on the igniter or can i use the igniter tip?
If your igniter comes with a spark plug like tip you may be able to use it as is.
hi,
Can you put gas in it instead of alcohol?
no
why? its flamable too.
DONT DO THAT!!!!! One. The vapor is combustible and will explode the bottle.Two. Fire. Fire everywhere.
you can use propane
Fill a large balloon with propane, sellotape a LONG bit of paper to it set light to it then run away,works best at night but keep a good distance away because nobody looks good without eyebrows...or a face.
Like the music, and the rockets obviously :)
Can use an ignighter from barbeque lighter such as the one used for lighting grills?
I am having an issue getting this to launch. I think it may be a an issue with my wiring or my seals. I used 0.5" pipe for the barrel and some water bottles that are 1.5L should I stick to the 2L? In wiring I used the 20g to 16g wires because that's all I had available, my first time wiring would that decrease my combustion power?
Are you getting a spark? If so, the problem is more than likely that you're using too much or too little fuel.
Thanks for your prompt reply. Yes I am getting a spark. I will have to do some trial and error for the mixture in that case.I am using 91% alcohol now, but I will also be using 70%. My cousin using this project for his science fair and wants to do some comparison between the two along with different bottles. What is the ratio of alcohol to volume that you were using?
Thanks for your help ! :)
NightHawkInLight I ended up getting it to work. It was a 15ml alcohol to 1.5L bottle. It was working fine during the day. Once he got his rocket designed and built it got dark and wouldnt light any more. I am guessing the alcohol doesnt ignite at about 50-60 F ambient temp. Told him to try during the day when his parents have the time.
luvmyTM1911 That's something i didn't consider might effect things until you mentioned it. Lower temperatures would cause alcohol to evaporate less readily and make it hard to get the right fuel to air mixture.
NightHawkInLight Yeah that was the only variable in the experiment, so I figured it was just the cold affecting the fumes. We ended up using some hairspray just to get some launches before they went home. It was actually way more powerful. We could actually see the ignition fire as the bottle flew through the air. We wanted to test the stability of the rockets so he knows what to change for his next builds.
Thank you for this video. This sparked the idea to get him interested in rockets. We were going to do the traditional water rockets, but took to much time, which I dont have as a student myself. This was a quick simple experiment that was able to get him interested in the subject. Thank you once more, you have great videos and I watch them when ever I can. Keep up the good work.
i hope you see this. i just wanna ask what wire did you use? like the one i used keeps moving away and gets tangled...
very good presentation, clear and thorough and interesting to watch , I will try this for the kids, I see people throwing out barbeques all the time...will certainly grab an igniter or 2 next time
Works great
I used a broomstick and a regular water bottle to launch it
Works beautifully
When you come to think of it, this is really a projectile, not a rocket. but this is great fun though. Could be an awesome dad-son weekend project.
I took this idea and minimized it into a a small pistol design, it's a ton of fun to use, and extremely loud (and slightly scary having an explosion go off a few inches from my hand)
I have so much DIY weapon knowledge now that I can make grenades, blowguns, throwing knives and tonnes of armour pieces.
can you tell this project advantage and disadvantage
also; would you beable to make this shoulder-mounted? like a rocket launcher?
Can i use any HV source? Like my flyback transformer?
So flyback transformer + power transistor + atmega/attiny + ir receiver = cheap remote controlled rocket launcher?
Anything that makes a spark, so long as it's safe.
You don't even need to use a spark. Some nichrome wire glowing red hot will ignite the fuel.
Always solder the connections. Yes, you can twist them together, but the question is will they work when you need them most?
Tinning the ends of the wire where the spark jumps will help in longevity as well.
Try deodorant spray or propane, don't have to worry about atomizing a liquid fuel as with alcohol. But alcohol has higher energy density, so there's that advantage.
BTW Hawk, did you happen to get this idea from Spudfiles?