What happens when you mix backyard engineering with a centuries-old idea for launching things into space? You get a giant homemade cannon!

In this video, maker Michael Rechtin sets out to build a small-scale version of the space cannon concept, inspired by the Cold War–era Project HARP, which once fired massive projectiles over 100 miles into the atmosphere. Instead of a 180-foot barrel, though, this version is basically a very serious potato cannon made from PVC pipes, valves, and a mountain of screws.

The result is an 8-foot barrel air cannon capable of launching 3D-printed rocket-shaped projectiles hundreds of feet into the air. After a few trial launches, the builder manages to fire one projectile to over 800 feet high, and even straps a tiny camera inside to capture the ride. Check it out!