Making a tennis ball cannon is an easy way to entertain your kids for hours on end. It is also a fun way to make and handle your own artillery.
The best way to make a tennis ball cannon is to start with a small sized ball. This can be a standard-sized tennis serve or volley ball.
Then, add weight and structure to it! A few inches of sand can help reinforce the shape of the serve or volley ball. A couple sheets of paper can help reinforce the shape of the cannon itself.
And lastly, build some support! A sturdy table or ground can help support the growth of your cannon. Make sure it does not collapse under its own strength, as this would break it down.
Finally,rella-ify! When firing your cannon, make sure you are not shooting yourself in the foot by hitting hard shots just before or after less intense shots.
Contents:
Find a tube
Creating your tennis ball cannon is mostly about finding the right size tube. You can do this blindfolded, although it is probably more complicated than you think.
When choosing the size of tube you have, make sure you have enough space in your hands and cannon to hold it. A small cannon may require a medium sized tube, and a large one may need a small one.
Most commercially made tennis balls are between a regulation size 7 and an oversized 16. If you have a smaller ball, look for a 7-inch model; if you have an oversized ball, check out an 18-inch model!
Once you have your size, make sure to put your gear on correctly! Using too-small of a gear or using too big of a gear can lead to trouble with accuracy or failure. Have trouble shooting your ball out the top? You may be following these tips wrong.
Cut the tube to the right length
When you roll your tennis ball, you create a vacuum that draws air into the ball. This causes the ball to rise in the tube and fire when fired.
You also have to calculate how long the cannon will need to be before another shot is needed.
The length of the cannon means how far your shot must travel before landing. A shorter cannon will require a longer time between shots to fill up again.
Insert the tennis ball into the tube
Now it is time to insert the cannon. You will need a small amount of string to connect the cannon to the tube.
Like any gun, you need to know how to load and fire your ball!
To load, simply wrap the end of the string around one of the handles on the tube and pull until it is secure. Then just pull back on the other end of the string and release.
To fire, make sure you are still holding onto one end of the string and that it is still wet. Then pull with enough force to cause a ball to jump out.
Use glue to secure the ball in place
A very important part of making a tennis ball cannon is preventing the ball from moving around. To do this, you need to use glue to secure the ball in place.
This means you will have to buy two kinds of glue: one that does not melt when exposed to heat and one that does. You can purchase one of each type of glue at hobby shops or hobby stores.
Then, use something to prevent the ball from rolling away: a sheet of hardboard or some similar material. Both materials melt when hot, so make sure to avoid those that are coolable or ones that may possibly melt if wet.
Put gas in the tank
When you’re ready to fire your tennis ball, it’s time to put gas in the tank. You do this by placing a paperclip or pencil tip inside the cannon.
Once you do, you can load a tennis ball, set it aside, and then pull the trigger. This action fires your ball into the air and down onto your target!
You can change between indoor and outdoor targets via an electronic display unit. This is useful when you have a group of kids playing with you or you want to challenge yourself more.
It takes a little practice to get the hang of it, but once you do, it is very fun! You can make many different types of cannons including a hopper, vertical, and parabolic ones.
Aim at target(s)
When shooting your tennis ball cannon, you need to know where the target(s) is(s) (and they aren’t!). A good way to do this is by lining up the tennis ball with the target(s).
Then, you need to move the tennis ball so that it is pointing at the new target. This is when you pull the trigger and release your finger.
Once this happens, you have fired your first shot! You can now go ahead and try moving onto the next step.
Push launch button
When the cannon is ready to fire, you push the launch button. This action creates a vacuum that pulls the air from the canister of pellets away.
Then, you pull back on the trigger to fire your ball!
You can also hold down the launch button to repeatedly fire your ball until you get the angle and distance you want.
Bullet point stressor: When you launch your ball, it takes about a second for the launching mechanism to kick in. This second is called firing time. If you are trying to shoot at a really fast rate, this time can be an issue.
Bullet point relaxant: When you fire your cannon, there is a brief moment where nothing happens. This is called non- firing time or dead time.
Load more balls into tank
When the first ball is fired, it may take a few seconds for another ball to be loaded into the tank. This is because the first ball must be placed in a slot in the cannon and then pulled back out.
In order for another ball to be loaded into the cannon, you must pull a tab located on one of the balls. This tab can be difficult to pull at first, so make sure you practice using it before a tournament!
Tennis balls are fairly small, so some machines can only hold a few at a time. If you want more, purchase an extra machine! You can also buy smaller machines that are easier to manuever with your feet.