David, That is a worthy question and one I asked myself before engaging in making this. I used schedule 40 PVC pipe and it has a significant pressure rating. There are other pipes with a higher rating and some (can't recall the name) sold cheaply that has a cell foam core. They are light-weight and they are not for pressure applications.
Schedule 40 is rated at 450 PSI. Schedule 80 630 PSI. https://www.commercial-industrial-supply.c om/resource-center/schedule-40-vs-schedule -80/ or: https://tinyurl.com/y2x5g9lk I have never pumped my pressure tank to more than 70 PSI to get over the tallest trees and that 70 pounds runs the line out to the end of the large open face spinning reel attached to the barrel propelling a foot long PVC spud that definitely finds its way downward through the leaves and branches more easily than a tennis ball will. If... the tennis ball launchers will also propel a heavier PVC spud, I'd use that in them as the difference in ease once it's shot is remarkable. But as to the fear of explosion, knowing the PSI and using the pressure guage in the hand pump relieved my concerns. YMMV. 73, Gary KA1J > The one thing that scares me with the tennis ball launcher is the risk > of the plastic air reservoir exploding - probably not a problem with > new pipe but as the pipe ages I would expect the pipe to become > brittle and that brittleness may not be easy to detect until it is > pressurised. > > The sling-shots do have the problem of the rubber tubes perishing - > but a visual check will easily detect this. > > David G4FTC > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
