Author Topic: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Project Completed  (Read 13034 times)

Offline davec2

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Preparations for firing
« Reply #100 on: July 01, 2024, 02:27:01 AM »
Jeff.....thank you.....still some things I didn't change that perhaps I should have.....but I am pleased thus far.

Bob.....while I didn't have a full orchestra, I did have a neighborhood audience a couple of years ago who loudly vocalized the part of the 1812 overture just before the first cannon firing at the top of their lungs......they paused for a second and then I punctuated their musical lead in with this........




I will post some of the firing preparations here in a bit.....
"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."
Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1780

Offline Daryl

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Done !!! (....well.....almost.....)
« Reply #101 on: July 01, 2024, 02:32:50 AM »
Dave- a little suggestion if I may;
When you fire that piece off on your front yard, perhaps having a full orchestra playing The 1812 Overture would be fitting to accompany it 😁

While I agree that accompanying that overture would be cool, Dave would have to build a lot more cannons, 4 or 5?
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline davec2

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Preparations for firing
« Reply #102 on: July 01, 2024, 02:35:12 AM »
Daryl,

I'm working on the two brass swivel guns and have two other barrels completed....just a couple more and a good reloading crew and we could do it !!!
"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."
Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1780

Offline davec2

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Preparations for firing
« Reply #103 on: July 01, 2024, 03:34:52 AM »
Preparations for firing.......

PVC former for aluminum powder bags.....



Formed powder bag.....





Weighed 5 1/2 oz blank charge.....



Charge secured in a cardboard powder case until use......




Charges, priming horn, linstock, and vent pricker ready for use......



I do have friction primers but they are several years old and I have a question about reliability.  A primed vent touched with the linstock is "sure fire" !! (Although I use a few grains of smokeless powder in the vent pan as it catches light much quicker than black with the linstock.)


« Last Edit: July 01, 2024, 03:50:42 AM by davec2 »
"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."
Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1780

Offline Daryl

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Preparations for firing
« Reply #104 on: July 01, 2024, 04:53:44 PM »
Now those are quite high on the cool factor. :o
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline davec2

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Project Completed
« Reply #105 on: July 07, 2024, 11:25:16 PM »
Well, as luck would have it I had a partial emergency arise on the 4th and missed the chance to fire the complete gun that evening.....will make another run at it on New Year's Eve... ;)

Nonetheless, here are photos of the now completed rebuild project.....prolonge, loading implements, stop chain, hand spikes, etc., etc.  All the final details are done and I can check this off the list pf projects that I have wanted to complete for a long time.  Hope everyone had a great 4th of July !!!

















"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."
Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1780

Offline BrianS

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Project Completed
« Reply #106 on: July 08, 2024, 05:22:05 PM »
Very nice, Dave.  Now.... how about a football game, just for old times sake?

Offline davec2

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Project Completed
« Reply #107 on: July 08, 2024, 07:01:22 PM »
BrianS,

Thanks for the note....I hope all is well with you.  If I took the gun to a high school football game today as I did when you and I were at Chaminade, I would end up on the evening news with stories about SWAT teams and Bomb Squads and video of me being hauled off in handcuffs.....in today's Southern California, it wouldn't go well.... :(  As you know, if you want to flash mob a store and rob it blind, or burn it down, or riot on a school campus....no problem here in So Cal.  No reason for the police to respond since the DA's office won't prosecute anyway.....but fire a blank charge out of a cannon for everyone's enjoyment at a football game ?...They would haul me off in a heartbeat and prosecute to the full extent of the law....and then make up something else to prosecute me on.... :o :-\

 But....just for old time's sake.....here is a photo of the cannon firing in those better days fifty four years ago when you and I were in high school.  This was at the Chaminade Chatsworth campus in October of 1970......



All the best !
"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."
Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1780

Online taterbug

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Project Completed
« Reply #108 on: July 09, 2024, 06:34:39 AM »
ohhh, c'mon Dave.  Put a pintle hitch on your truck and wheel that baby down main street.  At a nice, slow parade pace, of course. 

I want to watch the OJ style police chase on the nightly (non)news! :o

Offline JTR

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Re: Full Scale Cannon Re-build - Project Completed
« Reply #109 on: July 09, 2024, 06:14:56 PM »
Oh yaaa, love that picture in reply 100!
Wish I had something like that to light off around here!
John
John Robbins