Air launcher

[Kram]

This is a tool I need /want for tree work - my throwing is not that good and I dont get enough suitable jobs to stay practised, even a good thrower can take an age to do it. This should be significantly quicker.

Notch make one called the Air Powered Tree Access, APTA, and it looks like this

Possibly a 3d printed handle, a pair of zip ties, and the rest looks like 1.5" or 2" plumbing pipe fittings? I believe its used with upto 90-100psi. Four hundred dollars!

I might get the ready made option of a tyre bead blaster. The larger tank should let it work just as well at lower pressures 40-50 psi.

The question is, if I order one of these, is it likely to take a BSP or NPT thread, and where to buy a length of that - which will become the launching barrel.
Item to be launched, is a 14oz throw bag.

 

[julianf]

I built something once to teach kids trajectory.

It was a failure on many levels, however, it shot the projectile well. In fact too well, which was half of its failure point.

I'm not sure what you need to shoot, but, in this case it was a squash ball, and, iirc, some wide bore copper plumbing pipe.

It was an odd size squash ball (I know nothing of squash - I just found it) which was a really nice fit in the copper tube. Tight but would still move

A bit of wd40 helped it move.


This is where it got dubious -

For the air chamber, I used soil pipe with solvent weld ends. For the trigger a ball valve - which was quick enough if you flicked it in a committed way.

The soil pipe pressure chamber was clearly a bad idea. I don't think soil pipe has any pressure rating at all so I looked at some similar pipe and limited my enthusiasm with the charge pressure accordingly.

The thing worked though. Too well. I measured the muzzle velocity with some light gates, and use the projectile speed and weight to calculate the ft/lbs (or whatever they're called - it was years ago).

It worked out about the same as a little browning pistol. I wasn't going to bother getting a fire arms licence, so that was the end of that.


Again, I don't know what you are shooting (edit, because I didn't read your post properly!), but mine didnt use anything that I didn't just have laying about. The main "bonus" I got was finding a squash ball that fitted so well into the copper tube that was to hand. I think a good fit /seal is the key.

 

[Agroshield]

As above, the size of the projectile will deremine the diameter of the barrel.

Standard black iron pipe has a seam on the inside, which could be a consideration.

JTM Plumbing have everything you need:

https://www.plumbingsuperstore.co.uk/brand/jtm.html

Cut and threaded to length in everything from 1/2" to 2".

Being a tire blaster instead of a tyre blaster, it may use NPT

Although being 9 litres not 2 gallons it could be ISO pipe threads (same as BSP).

How they spell litre - liter or litre - might be the deciding factor.

Adaptors from NPT to BSP are available on eBay.

 

[Bobtail4x4]

our local lads use a catpult,

 

[Dapph2]

In BT we used a 16 ounce Werringtom pene hammer with light cord tied to the head and taped to the shaft in two places the last being at the bottom of the shaft . Sling it up like a German potato grenade masher underhand slightly to the side from your out stretched straight arm standing one leg to the front of the other by about 24 inches . I found it quite easy and accurate to get 40 foot up a tree but you may have to use your airgun with bean bag if there are breakables in the area.

PS
I've got a scrap Dyson pistol vacuum cleaner V6 if you want a light alu tube about 26 inches long to play with

 

[wyn]

That could stray into the realms of being a firearm with a 6125 grain projectile coming out of a barrel.

 

[gaz1]

air powered spud gun

fire extinguisher and 2" pvc pipe will do

 

[Kram]

It is possibly a grey area but they do sell them over here,

DTX Shoulder Shot Throw Weight Launcher - Honey Brothers

DTX Shoulder Shot Throw Weight Launcher, a versatile product designed specifically for energy companies, rescue operations, and arborists

honeybros.com

And oddly it appears legal to buy and use a dummy launcher (gun dog training) which fires 6mm blank bullets. Too much noise with that idea.


I believe the legal limit is something like 12ft/lbs. We need the weight for it to get back down the tree with the added friction of the string.
Launching a 14oz weight nearly vertical, about 25 meters up, takes some power.

29ft/second does not seem that fast?

our local lads use a catpult,

Theres a lot of energy in the elastic, you wouldnt want it to snap back at you!
Seems more dangerous to me, but might try it.

In BT we used a 16 ounce Werringtom pene hammer with light cord tied to the head and taped to the shaft in two places the last being at the bottom of the shaft . Sling it up like a German potato grenade masher underhand when standing one leg to the front of the other by about 24 inches .

Works for a 4m telegraph pole, not for a 22 meter tree.

 

[sako243]

Bow and arrow with fishing line tied to a heavier gauge rope? Possibly don't need the fishing wire but the lighter the painter is the less weight you'd need to bring it back down the tree.

 

[Dapph2]

It is possibly a grey area but they do sell them over here,

DTX Shoulder Shot Throw Weight Launcher - Honey Brothers

DTX Shoulder Shot Throw Weight Launcher, a versatile product designed specifically for energy companies, rescue operations, and arborists

honeybros.com

And oddly it appears legal to buy and use a dummy launcher (gun dog training) which fires 6mm blank bullets. Too much noise with that idea.


I believe the legal limit is something like 12ft/lbs. We need the weight for it to get back down the tree with the added friction of the string.
Launching a 14oz weight nearly vertical, about 25 meters up, takes some power.

View attachment 522771
29ft/second does not seem that fast?


Theres a lot of energy in the elastic, you wouldnt want it to snap back at you!
Seems more dangerous to me, but might try it.



Works for a 4m telegraph pole, not for a 22 meter tree.

And 45 -50 foot poles in towns & cities

re your package
Would a six inch tube of machine sewn nylon filled with a mix of sand and unused cat litter make a soft tube fireable weight ?

 

[Dapph2]

Bow and arrow with fishing line tied to a heavier gauge rope? Possibly don't need the fishing wire but the lighter the painter is the less weight you'd need to bring it back down the tree.

Plaited 8 core Dacron 300 lb breaking strain shark fishing line would work so long as you use a blinded arrow tip . My Dacron line is about as thick as this line I .

 

[voipio]

I remember something similar being used to launch string, or maybe it was fishing line, across a Scottish loch, which was then used to haul a long wire antenna over. The "projectile" was a standard tennis ball, and the distance was some 40 metres.

 

[Cobbler]

In BT we used a 16 ounce Werringtom pene hammer with light cord tied to the head and taped to the shaft in two places the last being at the bottom of the shaft . Sling it up like a German potato grenade masher underhand slightly to the side from your out stretched straight arm standing one leg to the front of the other by about 24 inches . I found it quite easy and accurate to get 40 foot up a tree but you may have to use your airgun with bean bag if there are breakables in the area.

Going back a while, on BT a wire had to be got across the river Severn, too far to throw. Someone was an archer, so he fired an arrow over attached to a fishing line. I remember it being in the staff paper at the time.

 

[Dapph2]

Going back a while, on BT a wire had to be got across the river Severn, too far to throw. Someone was an archer, so he fired an arrow over attached to a fishing line. I remember it being in the staff paper at the time.

The high voltage power line crews frequently use a long bow and blind arrow with a Dacron line to cross motorways etc when the netting grid is put up and again when the cables are drawn over .

 

[MetalMonkey]

our local lads use a catpult,

I was going to suggest a bow or something like that.

 

[Dozzer]

Use a line throwing catapult, cheaper, lest fuss and not limited to one try or carrying a compressed air supply.
Easy yo make your self?

 

[Agroshield]

To charge it, perhaps a Fakita tyre inflator (not the full-on compressor in 8ob's thread).

You could use ABS pipe for the barrel as that is smooth bore and solvent weld to BSP adaptors are easy.

Consider a 4-way tee on the charging port so you can have a gauge and a pressure relief valve as well as the Schraeder valve.

 

[addjunkie]

Laser Line Pull line String Cable Installation Shooter | eBay UK

LaserLine Cable Pull Line Gun. 2: Now that you have your pull line in place, simply attach your cable or another pull line if needed, and pull your cables across. LaserLine Gun Kit Includes 2 x 1200 Ft Spool Line.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[knighty]

I've got some 65mm (I think) thick wall nylon tube going spare if you want some?

Bought it to extend a vacuum line for one of my machines, it was a bloody fortune but the left over is no use to me

it's nice and smooth on the inside, tho I've no idea how much a valve etc. will be

 

[Anguz]

trouble with plastic is it goes brittle....i may have made (long since gone) one that launched golf balls.. didnt find them many times