basic pop up

that is what i have seen people use as a cylinder for trash can pop ups

.375in X .375in X Pi = .441 sq in.

.441 X 60 PSI (air pressure)= 26 pounds of force....

With that little cylinder you can move 26 pounds. So It is a very usable cylinder! I would only use it to about half of this to be reliable and repeatable in timing. As long as you prop is light you could do some really cool stuff with it. You could also use this with a pivot arm so some type to increase your motion distance. This will reduce your weight capacity though...
If you want to do a trash can make the lid tilt up instead of going straight up...