Materials:
- A. Paper towel tube
- B. Utility lighter
- C. Hair spray (aerosol)
- D. Duct tape
- E. Ping-pong ball
- F. Knife
- Use a short piece of duct tape to seal one end of an empty paper towel tube.
- Cut a hole in the duct tape just large enough for the tip of the utility lighter to fit through.
- Release a quick spurt of hair spray into the open end of the tube. You will have to experiment to find the best amount — there must be enough oxygen in the tube for combustion. Only aerosol hair sprays will work (the type in a metal canister).
- Insert the ping-pong ball 1/3 of the way into the tube and then insert the tip of the lighter through the duct tape.
- Spark the lighter. The piezo igniter will ignite the propellants and the resulting pressure will quickly accelerate the ball out of the tube.
