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Suggestions on plugging a 4” hdpe mortar


MrBOOMbastic

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Having trouble making successful plugs for my 4hdpe pipe. Tried same method Ive used on 2( wooden plugs slightly to big so I have to hammer them in) but they keep end up about 6 under ground after firing Ive also tried screwing it in after and on the last one I made the plug even a little bigger and heated the end of the pipe before hammering it in and still the same result. Each plug is 6 long. Any suggestions?
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Drill holes in the pipe and countersink them. Use nails or screws through the holes to hold the plug on place. Alternatively drill the holes, fit the nails then pour polyester resin to a fair depth, add heat dried sharp sand to bulk out the resin.

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ANd put a good base on it. Epoxy it down and draw it in with a screw.

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I don't know how big your shells are but I have 4" ID HDPE pipes that I use to fire up to 15" long multibreaks. They are heavy shells that I formerly assumed would require steel.

 

The wooden plugs are at least 4" long (I later went with 5"), with the grain running parallel with the length of the pipe, made up of softwood 2" thick stock glued up. From Midwest Wood Specialties, or something like that. They fit fairly tightly but are not impossible to remove once whacked in. The plugs are held in with a minimum of three bolts(I believe they were 3/8" diameter x 5 1/2" long) that go all the way through the pipe, from one side to the other. I poured in a thin layer of epoxy, maybe 1/8-1/4" thick, on top of the plug.

 

I've used them mostly for 3 or 4-break shells. Sometimes for 5-breaks. Haven't popped a plug... yet.

Edited by robbo
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Nothing sticks to HDPE and it expands under pressure. the only way to keep a plug in is to pin it in. Push a wood plug in then fix it with screws, or put nails in pre-drilled holes and pour resin in.

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Thanks everyone.. went with two 1/2 bolts and worked like a charm.. I am lifting some heavy shells too, 13 3 breaks 1250 grams with a little over 2.5 ounces of lift. Tested a pretty cool rising affect too which I really liked .. just the strobe part of a strobe rocket so I got the helicopter sound as it went up.
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Also if anyone is interested in making there own plugs I cut circles using a table saw.. really easy to cut virtually any size needed.. check out this link

 

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Also if anyone is interested in making there own plugs I cut circles using a table saw.. really easy to cut virtually any size needed.. check out this link

That’s pretty slick.

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