Build your own black powder cannon?
-
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:00 pm
Build your own black powder cannon?
The price of material might be prohibitive, but I was thinking of a 12 ounce can I.D. diameter cannon made with seamless steel tubing. Perhaps a tube inside a tube like a Dahlgren gun? Probably have to hone for a fit.
- HTRN
- Posts: 12401
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:05 am
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
The term your looking for is "DOM" or Drawn over Mandrel
One of the things I keep an eye out for in scrap yards is decent lengths of heavy wall(1 inch plus) DOM tube. a buddy of mine scored a nice chunk of one with a 1" bore awhile ago.
Personally, I think if you want something beyond the cutesy toy stage, Dixie gun works 2/3rd scale tube is probably the best bang for your buck, but you then have to finish the casting, and then build a carriage.
One of the things I keep an eye out for in scrap yards is decent lengths of heavy wall(1 inch plus) DOM tube. a buddy of mine scored a nice chunk of one with a 1" bore awhile ago.
Personally, I think if you want something beyond the cutesy toy stage, Dixie gun works 2/3rd scale tube is probably the best bang for your buck, but you then have to finish the casting, and then build a carriage.
HTRN, I would tell you that you are an evil fucker, but you probably get that a lot ~ Netpackrat
Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
- blackeagle603
- Posts: 9774
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:13 am
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
In high school a buddy turned a popcan mortar from a 5" piece of steel round stock. His dad was a gunsmith, had a lathe, figured it was a good exercise in learning to use a boring set up. Big fun lighting that off, expensive fun, but lots of fun.
"The Guncounter: More fun than a barrel of tattooed knife-fighting chain-smoking monkey butlers with drinking problems and excessive gambling debts!"
"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic;" Justice Story
"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic;" Justice Story
- McClarkus
- Posts: 802
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2009 10:50 pm
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
Ah, Yup. The small one is home made. It has a 4 ft barrel with a bore of 1.75". Then there are three more successively larger tubes inside each other. I was told they froze one and heated the other then smashed them together inside each other. Then there was a lot of threading and welding that took place. Its a smoothbore so it's kinda like throwing knuckeballs but it is a lot of fun to shoot. We use 500 grs of blk powder per shot and we cast our own balls so it not too bad. Life's a blast!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
One secret to life. Step #1 - Find something you enjoy doing. Step #2 - Find someone foolish enough to pay you to do it.
-
- Posts: 6149
- Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 9:17 am
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
Anyone wanting a working cannon always strikes me as a fine thing.
Once I sign the papers on Camp Snoopy, (multiple acres well outside any city limits) I'm doing a full-size Napoleon 12 pdr., from scratch if need be.
The fact that the property in question sits inside and amongst several hundred mature oak trees bodes well for the woodshop to be able to turn out a proper carriage and caisson.
And then I'll be ordering iron shotputs in bulk.
A fractional-scale one with a bore diameter in common soupcan size might be a good warm-up.
If that gets boring after awhile, I know a couple of local guys with experience fabricating both .308 and .45-70 Gatling Guns I want to have a chat with.
The Tank Project will have to wait until my plan for Powerball Millionairehood comes to fruition. But I figure a single field piece should be within the realm of doability.
And it will give me a excuse for a stable and a few horses, which are currently just about free for the asking, and mainly a question of space, feed, and vet bills hereabouts.
Once I sign the papers on Camp Snoopy, (multiple acres well outside any city limits) I'm doing a full-size Napoleon 12 pdr., from scratch if need be.
The fact that the property in question sits inside and amongst several hundred mature oak trees bodes well for the woodshop to be able to turn out a proper carriage and caisson.
And then I'll be ordering iron shotputs in bulk.
A fractional-scale one with a bore diameter in common soupcan size might be a good warm-up.
If that gets boring after awhile, I know a couple of local guys with experience fabricating both .308 and .45-70 Gatling Guns I want to have a chat with.
The Tank Project will have to wait until my plan for Powerball Millionairehood comes to fruition. But I figure a single field piece should be within the realm of doability.
And it will give me a excuse for a stable and a few horses, which are currently just about free for the asking, and mainly a question of space, feed, and vet bills hereabouts.
"There are four types of homicide: felonious, accidental, justifiable, and praiseworthy." -Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
-
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:00 pm
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
I've been racking my brain about a medium length story which involves a history prof getting involved in re-enacting at Civil War events.
He acquires a light field piece, horses, and get's a crew trained up to operate it.
[spoiler]The local police get into a situation that has goblins barricaded and the gun crew rolls up and proceeds to blow holes until the door collapses. The goblins decide they don't want any more solid shot and surrender.[/spoiler]
IIRC the story was in the old "Saturday Evening Post magazine."
My Google Fu is disgustingly weak these days.
He acquires a light field piece, horses, and get's a crew trained up to operate it.
[spoiler]The local police get into a situation that has goblins barricaded and the gun crew rolls up and proceeds to blow holes until the door collapses. The goblins decide they don't want any more solid shot and surrender.[/spoiler]
IIRC the story was in the old "Saturday Evening Post magazine."
My Google Fu is disgustingly weak these days.
- SoupOrMan
- Posts: 5687
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:58 am
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
Huh. I was just thinking of building a reusable Faustpatronen tube for launching 2-liter bottles via a small FFg charge. That's just fancy there.
Remember, folks, you can't spell "douche" without "Che."
“PET PARENTS?” You’re not a “pet parent.” You’re a pet owner. Unless you’ve committed an unnatural act that succeeded in spite of biology. - Glenn Reynolds
“PET PARENTS?” You’re not a “pet parent.” You’re a pet owner. Unless you’ve committed an unnatural act that succeeded in spite of biology. - Glenn Reynolds
-
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:00 pm
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
Let's see discarding sabot projectiles, canister, shrapnel projectiles, HEAT, HESH, paint, incendiary, flash bangs, smoke, illumination, and etc.
- Termite
- Posts: 9003
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:32 am
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
Does it have to be muzzleloading, as long as it uses blackpowder? I'm thinking a single shot cannon using paper powder bags with swing-open breech, using large magnum rifle primers for ignition, is doable for someone(me) with access to a serious machine shop.........
"Life is a bitch. Shit happens. Adapt, improvise, and overcome. Acknowledge it, and move on."
- McClarkus
- Posts: 802
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2009 10:50 pm
Re: Build your own black powder cannon?
Holy crap, a 12 pounder!. Guys next to us shoot a 5 and a 6 pounder every year and those things really go BOOM. They use a 1/2 lb of single F per shot with the bigger one so that's kinda like a money shot huh? They own a brake joint so they have lotsa lead.Aesop wrote:Anyone wanting a working cannon always strikes me as a fine thing.
Once I sign the papers on Camp Snoopy, (multiple acres well outside any city limits) I'm doing a full-size Napoleon 12 pdr., from scratch if need be.
The fact that the property in question sits inside and amongst several hundred mature oak trees bodes well for the woodshop to be able to turn out a proper carriage and caisson.
And then I'll be ordering iron shotputs in bulk.
A fractional-scale one with a bore diameter in common soupcan size might be a good warm-up.
If that gets boring after awhile, I know a couple of local guys with experience fabricating both .308 and .45-70 Gatling Guns I want to have a chat with.
The Tank Project will have to wait until my plan for Powerball Millionairehood comes to fruition. But I figure a single field piece should be within the realm of doability.
And it will give me a excuse for a stable and a few horses, which are currently just about free for the asking, and mainly a question of space, feed, and vet bills hereabouts.
One secret to life. Step #1 - Find something you enjoy doing. Step #2 - Find someone foolish enough to pay you to do it.