Expert: Pat March - 4/25/2007

Question
My son has to do a project involving launching ping pong balls through some sort of cylinder for a distance of six feet into a raised container.  Can you help us????
Thanks,
Lb Howe

Answer
I think air pressure would be a good way to do this. Shop for mailing tubes that will closely fit the balls. Make a wooden stopper for one end of the tube. Fit a short metal tube through the stopper. Brass tubes in various sizes are available at hobby shops. Connect a rubber tube to the brass tube and a tire pump to the rubber tube. I suspect the tire pump may not adequately power the ball, so you may need to use an air tank instead. A used butane torch tank should work. Fill it to 100psi or so at a gas station.