How to Make a Bottle Launcher
Collect the materials and building supplies., Drill a hole into one of the 1/2" PVC caps using your 9/16" drill bit., Pull the valve through the drilled hole so it is air-tight., Place the top of the empty, capless soda bottle in the top of the 1/2...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Collect the materials and building supplies.
Go to the hardware store and buy the materials you will need, listed below.
You will also need a collection of tools, such as a hammer, electric drill, drill bits, a bike pump, and a hacksaw/PVC cutters, but most people will already have the equipment.
You should buy: .453 rim hole tubeless tire valve (auto parts store) PVC cement 1/8" steel rod 24" long 2-liter soda bottle 6' of 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC pipe (all the following parts are Schedule 40 PVC) 1 1/4" x 1/2" Bushing 1 1/4" Coupling 1 1/4" x 1" Bushing 2 1/2" elbows 4 1/2" caps 3 1/2" t's -
Step 2: Drill a hole into one of the 1/2" PVC caps using your 9/16" drill bit.
Start with a thin, small pilot hole, then drill the big one.
This hole needs to contain your valve, so if you're not using a .453" tube then you need a drill bit that will fit the valve snugly. , You want the top of the valve (where you add air) to be sticking out of the top of the PVC cap.
The "seat" of the valve should fit right in the cap. , Note the wide plastic lip right where the screw top meets the bottle.
You'll be using your steel rod to pin this lip down, keeping the bottle in place as it gains power.
You can then pull the steel rod out of the bushing to let the rocket release.
This lip must be at least a 1/4" below the top of the bushing. , You want the ends of the steel rod to fit on the side of the bushing, as you will thread them through the bushing.
Bend the 10" piece directly in half
-- it should be perfect. , Use the bottle to make your height lines.
Then use a sharpie to draw two horizontal lines on the top of the bushing to guide your drill.
Remember
-- you need to rod to cover the lip of the bottle and keep it in place.
The rod acts a bit like a pull tab, holding the bottle down until you pull it out.
The bend of the rod should be out to the side, with the ends inside the bushing.
Start with a 3/32" bit to start the holes, then a 5/32" drill bit to cut them to size.
Use your rod to poke through the holes and get out any hanging bits. , The smaller bushing needs to be thinned out on the inside so that the other bushing can slide right through.
To do this, take a sharp knife and carve away the inside of the bushing so the whole thin is the same width. , This is the final piece of your launch mechanism. , Using PVC cement, glue the bushing to the 1/2" pipe, making it so the bottom of the bushing is right at the mark you made.
There should be 10" of pipe remaining.
The little stub will point out.
The 1-1/4" bushing end should point to the larger end of the pipe. , Make sure you glue a nice, airtight joint everywhere you can. , Slide the coupling onto the longer end of the PVC rod, then fit it into the back of the bushing.
Make sure you glue it on well, so the joint is airtight. , Make sure that the holes you cut are still visible above the coupling.
By now, if you went from one end to the other, you would have:
Elbow joint Smaller bushing PVC coupling Launch pad bushing 1/2 PVC pipe. -
Step 3: Pull the valve through the drilled hole so it is air-tight.
-
Step 4: Place the top of the empty
-
Step 5: capless soda bottle in the top of the 1/2 x 1" bushing.
-
Step 6: Cut the steel rod into a 10" piece
-
Step 7: then bend your steel rod into a U shape roughly 1/3 inch wide.
-
Step 8: Press the two ends of the rod into the side of the bushing
-
Step 9: mark where they touch the meet the bottle cap
-
Step 10: then drill two holes to thread the steel rod into the bushing.
-
Step 11: Take the 1/2" x 1/4" bushing and carve out the stopper with a sharp knife or a Dremel tool.
-
Step 12: Cut a piece of 1/2" pipe to 12" long
-
Step 13: then make a mark 2" from one of the ends.
-
Step 14: Glue the 1/2" x 1/4" bushing (the one you carved out) so that it ends right at your 2" mark.
-
Step 15: Glue and elbow onto the small "stub" pointing out from your bushing.
-
Step 16: Glue the big PVC coupling to the other end of the bushing
-
Step 17: the one already glued to the PVC rod.
-
Step 18: Glue the bushing with the launch pad holes drilled into the other end of this coupling.
Detailed Guide
Go to the hardware store and buy the materials you will need, listed below.
You will also need a collection of tools, such as a hammer, electric drill, drill bits, a bike pump, and a hacksaw/PVC cutters, but most people will already have the equipment.
You should buy: .453 rim hole tubeless tire valve (auto parts store) PVC cement 1/8" steel rod 24" long 2-liter soda bottle 6' of 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC pipe (all the following parts are Schedule 40 PVC) 1 1/4" x 1/2" Bushing 1 1/4" Coupling 1 1/4" x 1" Bushing 2 1/2" elbows 4 1/2" caps 3 1/2" t's
Start with a thin, small pilot hole, then drill the big one.
This hole needs to contain your valve, so if you're not using a .453" tube then you need a drill bit that will fit the valve snugly. , You want the top of the valve (where you add air) to be sticking out of the top of the PVC cap.
The "seat" of the valve should fit right in the cap. , Note the wide plastic lip right where the screw top meets the bottle.
You'll be using your steel rod to pin this lip down, keeping the bottle in place as it gains power.
You can then pull the steel rod out of the bushing to let the rocket release.
This lip must be at least a 1/4" below the top of the bushing. , You want the ends of the steel rod to fit on the side of the bushing, as you will thread them through the bushing.
Bend the 10" piece directly in half
-- it should be perfect. , Use the bottle to make your height lines.
Then use a sharpie to draw two horizontal lines on the top of the bushing to guide your drill.
Remember
-- you need to rod to cover the lip of the bottle and keep it in place.
The rod acts a bit like a pull tab, holding the bottle down until you pull it out.
The bend of the rod should be out to the side, with the ends inside the bushing.
Start with a 3/32" bit to start the holes, then a 5/32" drill bit to cut them to size.
Use your rod to poke through the holes and get out any hanging bits. , The smaller bushing needs to be thinned out on the inside so that the other bushing can slide right through.
To do this, take a sharp knife and carve away the inside of the bushing so the whole thin is the same width. , This is the final piece of your launch mechanism. , Using PVC cement, glue the bushing to the 1/2" pipe, making it so the bottom of the bushing is right at the mark you made.
There should be 10" of pipe remaining.
The little stub will point out.
The 1-1/4" bushing end should point to the larger end of the pipe. , Make sure you glue a nice, airtight joint everywhere you can. , Slide the coupling onto the longer end of the PVC rod, then fit it into the back of the bushing.
Make sure you glue it on well, so the joint is airtight. , Make sure that the holes you cut are still visible above the coupling.
By now, if you went from one end to the other, you would have:
Elbow joint Smaller bushing PVC coupling Launch pad bushing 1/2 PVC pipe.
About the Author
Teresa Torres
Teresa Torres has dedicated 4 years to mastering lifestyle and practical guides. As a content creator, Teresa focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: