What happens when you have a spare piezo ingniter from a lighter, a film can, a bit of alcohol-heavy breath spray, and a bit of imagination?

Blast those scurvy dogs with a small black plastic film cannon!

Using nothing but pretty much everyday materials, you too can make a nifty cannon that shoots a common black plastic film canister over 20 feet. Or, you can buy a kit and/or parts from SciTech.

The piezo igniter can be found in any “electronic” cheap lighter. When you take it out, it looks similar to what is shown on the site. Other than that, it’s a very easy amount of work to design the cannon. I’m not sure how loud the “boom” is when it’s ignited, but it might make for a fun desk toy at work, assuming they don’t mind controlled blasts of alcohol aimed over the cube walls.

SciTech also sells some other interesting things like high-powered magnets, a metal alloy that melts in hot water, and other interesting goodies. The link at the top to SciToys has educational explanations and other stuff. Check it out!