Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars and More Dynamite Devices

by William Gurstelle

Book Overview

This bestselling DIY handbook now features new and expanded projects, enabling ordinary folks to construct 16 awesome ballistic devices in their garage or basement workshops using inexpensive... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556523750
• ISBN13: 9781556523755
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Length: 169 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.0" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

Didn't work

The experiments didn't turn out. Then we YouTubed them and found better ways that did work. But don't waste your time on this book. Good for ideas, but poor results. Also had lots of typos and the formatting was inconsistent between chapters.

Superb teaching tool

By doing these projects with one's children one can teach them engineering, mechanical, planning and fabrication skills as well as how to see through a project that may take a few days instead of 15 minutes. Their interest in the projects will be maintained by the fascinating science as well as the impressive results.

Things that go "Boom" in the Night

What a wonderful boys book--boys from 9 to 90 will get a bang out of these projects. The author presents enough safety information to be reasonable, and mixes in scientific explanations, a bit of math, and interesting anectdotes that take us back into the history of ballistics. But most of all, he presents details plans and parts lists (including sources for hard to find parts) to build things that shoot up into the air, things that go "BOOM," and other cool stuff like fire kites.Many of the projects described here are also well documented on the internet. But most internet postings have little to say about safety, science, or history. Using this book as a starting point, and the internet as a resource to expand the ideas, could lead one to develop a truly interesting ballistic arsenal indeed!!Before we had homeland security to worry about, this might have been a good source book for a science fair. Now, it just might be a great way to spend a lifetime behind bars. But, if you're in touch with your inner Goddard, von Braun, or just love the idea of a tennis ball mortar ... then this is the book for you!

KaBOOM!!!

This is a great resource book for pyromaniacs who want to expand their horizons.The highlight of this book is the chapter on the venerated potato cannon (a.k.a. spud gun). The author presents a simple yet effective design and gives detailed instructions on how to construct it. I have seen a number of designs on the web, and I prefer this for it parsimonious design. I have "launched" a number of spuds with this cannon, and am perfectly pleased with its operation.Other projects include back porch rocketry (the paper match rocket, the hydro pump rocket, and the pneumatic missile), the Cincinnati fire kite, the Greek fire and the catapult, the tennis ball mortar, the flinger, Pnewton's petard, the dry cleaning bag balloon, the carbide cannon, and the ballistic pendulum.The book is clearly written and illustrated (with drawings and black and white photographis). It contains a number of history vignettes along with some illustrations of ancient weapons. The remaining chapter includes some ideas for further study.While I highly recommend this book, please note that some of these projects (most notably the potato gun) are illegal in some states. In that case, this book would be for "reference" only.

a great ?boy?s? book for boys of any age and either gender

-- a great "boy's" book for boys of any age and either gender. The author complements his assortment of projects that throw things (like potatoes or tennis balls) with touches of physics and history. It is well written so that it is entertaining even if you don't intend to actually build the projects. The directions and drawings are clear so that the steps of construction for the various devices are clear. Great entertainment!

Fantastic read, fun science, great projects

I loved this book. Whether you build these gadgets or not (and they are great gadgets, including the Potato Cannon, the Cincinnati Fire Kite, and the Hydro Pump Rocket), you will love the book. The author is funny and engaging, and he sprinkles entertaining bits of science and history into each chapter. I decided to build a few of the toys, and found that the instructions are excellent, clear, and simple, with great photos and diagrams.