Fun with Projectiles

I'm allergic to potatoes. I know, weird. But that doesn't mean I don't love the idea of shooting one at high speeds out of a homemade plastic tube into the back of someone's head. Fortunately, Bill Gurstelle—PopSci pal and author of such DIY classics as Backyard Ballistics—has a new book that's bound to make your summer a lot more fun, and scare the crap out of your neighbors: Whoosh Boom Splat: The Garage Warrior's Guide to Building Projectile Shooters. From Bill's site:

With Whoosh Boom Splat, you can build:
* The Jam Jar Jet – the simple pulse jet engine that roars
* The Elastic Zip Cannon – a membrane-powered shooter that packs a wallop
* The Mechanical Toe – a bungee-powered kicking machine
* The Vortex Launcher – a projectile shooter that uses air bullets for ammunition
* The Clothespin Snap Shooter – the PG-17 version of a clothespin gun that fires fiery projectiles
* The Architronito – the steam-powered cannon conceived by Leonardo da Vinci

Check out his hilarious commercial below. —Mike Haney