How to Make Baffles in a Tennis Ball Mortar

A tennis ball mortar is made of three potato chip canisters duct-taped together. It needs baffles to fire properly. When you drop a tennis ball into the mortar, the ball drops only as far as the bottom of the top canister. Baffles -- small holes cut in the bottom of the top two canisters -- focus the force of the gas that is ignited in the bottom canister onto the center of the tennis ball and blast it out of the mortar tube. Cut baffles properly to get the most out of your tennis ball mortar.

Things You'll Need

• 2 potato chip canisters
• Marker
• Pointed scissors

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Draw a 1 1/2-inch-diameter circle in the center of the bottom of a potato chip canister.

   • 2

     Punch through the center of the bottom of the can with the tips of a pair of pointed scissors.

   • 3

     Make small snips with the scissors to make a spiral from the hole you punched. Carefully increase the size of the spiral until you have cut out the circle you drew in the bottom of the can. This is the first baffle. Repeat the process on the second can to make the second baffle.