Homemade Super Soakers

Why Homemades?

You may ask why people build homemades. Well, the simple reason is that we want more (or if we need a good science project idea). More power, more range, more possibilities. Homemades are customizable, allowing them to exceed factory safety standards (although I can assure you, unless you have an incredible lack of common sense, they are perfectly safe) and achieve higher ranges that any soaker on the market, past, present, and anything in the near future has achieved. Now saying that, you're going to ask "How powerful? What kind of range are we talking about here?". As far as homemade builders are concerned, the possibilities are endless (although at a certain point it becomes extremely dangerous to experiment any further. Know your boundaries). Most current homemades can achieve ranges of 50-60 feet. To give you an idea, the current super soakers can shoot about 30 feet. I'm talking 60. Power. Ok, so if you think the soaker you've got now is good (I'm assuming you don't have any of the old CPS cannons), take that and multiply it by something between oh... 20 to 50 (ok so with the Flash Flood it's about 5). Unscrew the nozzle on a homemade and get ready.

Now you're all going to say that I'm crazy and that this is very dangerous and people shouldn't do this stuff and blah blah blah, but think about it. This is not anywhere NEAR airsofting, let alone paintballing. An airsoft gun can get maybe 120 feet on average? This is water, that goes 60. Water. Not pellets that can take out your eye. The velocity is barely any more that the super soakers your used to. There's just more output, creating less air resistance.

The main reason that the range is so much farther and the output is so much more is that PVC pipe can support the pressure needed to launch larger amounts of water, and when you get larger amounts, you don't get as much breakup in the stream, letting the water go WAY farther. What many people don't realize is the only thing limiting range is air resistance (well, and gravity). If you use the same amount of pressure in an ordinary super soaker on a nerf dart, it can go well over 60 feet, because there is MUCH less air resistance on the dart. Same with a larger stream. Less air resistance.

By all means, homemades are not the easiest thing to do, but they are not hard. If you know what you're doing, the only problem will be figuring out how to use the PVC cement. If you have had any experience with any mechanics, this should be pretty easy. As for you non-technical people, it could be a problem. But, if you are willing to take a few hours out of your weekend, and are prepared to do a few hours of research beforehand, you should consider building one, whether you want power and range, or you are just experimenting.