6" diameter Cannon in progress

[338sniper]

So, I've seen a few threads about mortars and cannons lately and thought I'd share.


My father, an amazing tool and die maker, is in the process of building a couple cannons. Years ago (he was probably in his 20's) he built a golf ball cannon. Well, bigger is always better, right? So he has started on a 6" diameter by 36" long piece of solid steel round bar. With a half liter water bottle in mind he started his newest creation. He has started by drilling out a 1' hole 33" deep and worked his way up to a 2 9/16" bore size (the same diameter as the water bottle). He has completely drilled out the bore 33" deep to 2 9/16. He is just getting started on turning the outside (final design is undetermined) so I thought I would share some of the progress with you guys. He also is doing some a little smaller with 4" diameter steel and I believe a 2" bore size. These videos are of the 6" diameter.

THOUGHTS, SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS, FEEDBACK????

Still need to come up with carriage of some sorts to mount it on, maybe there is someone out there that knows someone to help?



BORE:

View My Video



STARTING TO TURN THE OUTSIDE:

View My Video

 

[freekforge]

You usually want the walls at the breech to be the same thickness as the bore diameter so 6" OD would have a max 2" bore. Unless you chamber it like a mortar or howitzer in which case the chamber would have 1 caliber thick walls and the actual barrel could have thinner walls. Im not sure if the extra .5625 is enough to cause any problems but it is something to consider. I do know one thing for sure though...I want that lathe! lol Keep us updated

 

[TJ Kackowski]

Still need to come up with carriage of some sorts to mount it on, maybe there is someone out there that knows someone to help?

You need to spend some time with IndyGunworks to discuss cannon accessories ... here's a link to his thread ... I'm sure he has lots and lots of tips on how to finish out your cannon.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...gunsmithing-building-black-powder-cannon.html

 

[UNCLE HARLEY]

Unless he has researched the metalurgy & physics of FIRING a cannon that size, you better say goodby to Dad. This is NOT a place for experimentation. His 1st shot could be his last.

 

[IndyGunworks]

You usually want the walls at the breech to be the same thickness as the bore diameter so 6" OD would have a max 2" bore. Unless you chamber it like a mortar or howitzer in which case the chamber would have 1 caliber thick walls and the actual barrel could have thinner walls. Im not sure if the extra .5625 is enough to cause any problems but it is something to consider. I do know one thing for sure though...I want that lathe! lol Keep us updated

Unless he has researched the metalurgy & physics of FIRING a cannon that size, you better say goodby to Dad. This is NOT a place for experimentation. His 1st shot could be his last.

Both of these guys are very very correct. If you don't know what he is turning it out of I would have him stop the project immediately. They type of steel very much DOES matter. The one caliber wall thickness is a MIN standard, not just a rule of thumb and most recommend 1.5 caliber thickneses. By having a 6 inch piece with a 2.5 inch bore he is not following standard safety protocals. ESP If he is still going to turn the outside as well.

That being said, the thickness rule is fore the breech/chamber area. So if he hasn't already drilled it to deep he can put a reduced size chamber in and still meet the safety factor. If its already to deep, then he can finish boring it out the rest of the way and sweatfit and weld a breech plug in place w/ a reduced size powder chamber. All this is assuming proper metalergy.

If I may, I will recommend you go browse the stickies over here for the min safety standards. This is the place I am getting all of the advice I will ever need for my cannon build, and I believe freekforge is over there as well.

Blackpowder Mortar and Cannon Sponsored by Seacoast Artillery

 

[Caleb]

Unless he has researched the metalurgy & physics of FIRING a cannon that size, you better say goodby to Dad. This is NOT a place for experimentation. His 1st shot could be his last.

x2

 

[Huntrdan]

I built one about 20 years ago and have shot a little bit of everything out of it. Packed damp grass is the safest as is doesn't allow much pressure to build up and it doesn't catch on fire. But it will produce a lot of noise. I started with a 7 inch diameter by 42 inch long piece of cold rolled tubing with a 3 inch hole in it. I chamfered the bore on what was to be the breech end and made a plug that I pressed into it and then laid 3 beads of weld in the chamfer. I turned out a set of trunnions and drilled some pilots into the sides of the barrel after it was turned to the profile that I wanted. I welded these on as well and just dressed the welds down with various grinding and filing tools. I proofed the barrel with 2 lbs of powder. It cut a nice ditch in the ground but didn't blow up. I then proceeded to build a carriage out of white oak. The only part that I didn't make was the wheel hubs. I used some off of an old wagon running gear. I hand shaved the spokes. I got to where I could shave out a finished spoke in less than 30 minutes. I started out trying to work the steel parts in a coal fired forge but didn't have enough knowledge at the time to get that job done so I used acetylene. Too easy! The whole thing weighs about 500 lbs. I don't paint wood so it is stained and varnished which really isn't authentic but appealing to me. I have a 3 inch ball mold but the bore is just enough undersize that the balls I make don't fit it. I have turned wooden balls and bullets and fired them. Not really enough weight there.

If you want good information on buying cannon barrels do a search on South Bend Replicas. I think Paulson Brothers is still in the business of building carriages. They make a variety of models for what ever time period you are interested in. They have reproduced most of the cannons that we see at historical monuments because from what I have read most of the originals were melted down during WW II.

If there are any english teachers reading this you will just have to forgive the errors. Best I can do.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Happen to have any pictures of said cannon? Sounds fascinating and well built.

 

[ghuns]

I worked with a guy who built an exact replica of the first 6-pounder(I think) that the Union Army used that had a rifled barrel. Down to the white oak spoked wheels. It took up half his garage, but damn did it go bang.

 

[Huntrdan]

Everything I have got is 35 mm. I did post a video on here about a year ago. Your pictures look much like mine did. I spent every spare minute I had working on it once I got started.

 

[Huntrdan]

That would be the Parrot rifle. Truly simple way they had of making the projectile go bang when it hit something. Everthing else depended on a timed fuse and enough flame blowing around the ball to light it.

 

[ghuns]

That would be the Parrot rifle.

Thanks. That's it. He had a piece of seamless tubing for the barrel, then sweated, bolted and welded the breech end onto it. When he was done, it looked like one piece. Poured concrete into a mold for bullets and turned up wood sabots to take the rifling. 50 gallon drums at 300 yards, filled with water, never had a chance.

 

[Huntrdan]

The Parrot rifle used elongated shells. They did away with the sabot's and balls.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Everything I have got is 35 mm. I did post a video on here about a year ago. Your pictures look much like mine did. I spent every spare minute I had working on it once I got started.

If you have a parrot rifle and it looks like mine something is way way wrong. the barrels shouldn't look alike, and the parrot rifle would never have been mounted on a split trail carriage like the one I am building. It would have had a single stem in the middle w/ two cheeks, not two solid trails coming off the axle like mine.

 

[Huntrdan]

No. Sorry. Didn't mean that at all. Your construction process reminded me of my own. With the card board template and all. Mine is not Parrot rifle. I was referring to ghuns post. I do have a single trail with 2 cheeks. It most closely resembles a Confederate 6 pounder. Unfortunately I developed an interest in cannon history about half way thru construction.. So the barrel profile isn't really modeled after a particular piece. I will try to find a way to post pictures.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I was sort of the same way but developed the interest in history before it was to late. I just wanted a cannon at the beginning and didn't care what it looked like as long as it went bang. I selected the revolutionary war timeframe because its the most interesting, allowed me to get a manageable barrel that would still be considered "full size" w/out being a mountain howitzer, and the method of construction was more along my expertise... I was fairly wrong though as a mountain howitzer would be easier to build than this thing, but being a blue hat in appleseed I hope to take it to one some day and make a lot of people smile.

 

[Huntrdan]

Blue hat***, Indygunworks???? I am huntrdan in Appelseed. An orange hat. Have our paths crossed?

So it is a Verbruggen barrel !! I used to work with a guy that had a Verbruggen that he bought from SBR.

 

[Huntrdan]

http://www.dandtbarlow.com/dan/cannon.wmv

Try this.

 

[338sniper]

I went to the one web site and the rule of thumb dealing with wall thickness to bore size refers to CAST cannons. Black powder is low pressure. My dad made his golf ball cannon out of 4" steel and it has a 1 3/4" bore, that's only about a one inch wall. Do any of you have specific reference of specs using modern solid steel not cast using a liner. Here's a copy of what the website said, where does it say it applies to solid steel(not cast/lined) barrels.






All reproduction barrels manufactured after March 1, 1986 must have pictures of the liner and breech plug before and after welding. No reproduction barrel shall be approved after March 1, 1986, that does not have one caliber’s thickness of metal surrounding the bore at the breech unless approved by Artillery Ordnance Officer. (See figure 10.2 for example.) Liner may be affixed by casting barrel around the liner or by other approved methods such as bonding with high strength adhesives. The method of locking the liner in the barrel shall be approved by the Artillery Ordnance Officer. The gun and its crew must pass the inspection specified in Section 18. A gun crew shall consist of a minimum of four members of the organization. Effective 1 February 1996, all artillery pieces must be originals or full-size, exact replicas to be approved.

 

[338sniper]

Let's consider a 3" 50 cannon, most of the chamber for it is in the barrel and it ( the barrel part of the chamber in front of the breech ) is not 9" in diameter and I guarantee that it operates at several times the pressure of the black powder cannons.