WWA Info Exchange

For Woodworkers By Woodworkers
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:36 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Concrete Cannon #11
PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2012 2:38 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:48 pm
Posts: 1146
Location: Cypress, TX
This is the 11th concrete cannon I made. It is going to it's new home in Canada.
Full scale 1841 six pounder. Barrel weighs about 225 lbs.
These have been my most popular item. They can go outside while my wooden barrels can't and they are much less expensive because they take much less time to make.
They are availible on my website at www.jmelledge.com
Barrels are availible without the carriage if you want to make your own.
Barrel #12 just came out of the mold 3 days ago.
They are actually fun to make. :D
Zulu

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2012 11:14 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Sat May 13, 2000 12:01 am
Posts: 382
Location: Silver City NM USA July
I'll bet that would be spectacular if you put a charge in it!! :lol: :roll:

_________________
Uncle Fixit


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 9:25 am 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:35 pm
Posts: 3620
Location: Hutchinson Ks
Just a question or two.
Do you put any coloring in the concrete mix before pouring or do you just paint the outside after it is set?

Is that a steel pipe in the bore? I can understand that it would make it stronger but, will it ever loosen up due to temp and humidity changes?

Never the less it looks great and if you hadn't told us that it was concrete, I wouldn't have ever guessed.

Rog

_________________
Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 5:25 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:48 pm
Posts: 1146
Location: Cypress, TX
Roger,
No coloring. One part Portland and two parts sand. Paint is Rustoleum flat black.
The pipe in the bore goes full length and is 3" PVC.
It has two pieces of #3 rebar full length and one piece of #3 side to side in the trunnions. That piece runs through the bore.

Frank,
As I'm sure you know, a powder charge in this barrel would blow you up! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 7:44 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 19, 1999 12:01 am
Posts: 1733
Location: Crivitz, WI
And of course, the beer is just for scale, right?? :roll: :roll:

_________________
Sean

Countin' flowers on the wall,
that don't bother me at all,
smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo,
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do.

Second recipient of the D'oh Award. 4-13-08


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 9:39 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 9:37 pm
Posts: 5398
Location: Tucson, AZ
Sean McNulty wrote:
And of course, the beer is just for scale, right?? :roll: :roll:



A beer or two always adds perspective to my pieces :)

Very nice cannon Zulu... holy smokes I can only imagine what those things sell for, but they look GREAT

Lawrence


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 9:58 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:48 pm
Posts: 1146
Location: Cypress, TX
Lawrence,
They are only $1200. :shock:
Zulu


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 10:26 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 9:37 pm
Posts: 5398
Location: Tucson, AZ
Zulu wrote:
Lawrence,
They are only $1200. :shock:
Zulu


plus shipping ;)

Lawrence

ps- that seems cheap... very cheap

Lawrence


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2012 8:50 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:01 am
Posts: 67
Location: Atlanta,GA
Darn it!

My wife won't let me put one in the yard :cry:

Richard


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 10, 2012 9:22 am 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 12:01 am
Posts: 4950
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Hey Zulu,

Great work on the cannon, and the carriage!

I was wondering if anyone has ever asked you to make a wooden pattern for a real iron or bronze casting? You would have to account for the shrinkage, of course. That idea brought up a few more questions.

Were bronze and iron cannon ever cast from the same patterns? If so, wouldn't they need to modify the carriages to account in the differences in shrinkage? I'm assuming that the projectiles would also need to be sized differently. Given that cannon were cast by a great number of foundries, how much standardization (or tolerance) was there in a six pounder? After all, didn't Napoleon establish the metric system?

Also, how was the bore cast on an iron or bronze gun? Was it a sand core? Was it crude cast and then reamed? Were the guns ever sleaved?

You have me intrigued.

Tom

_________________
"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 10, 2012 9:29 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:48 pm
Posts: 1146
Location: Cypress, TX
tms,
I can't answer the shrinkage issue.
I can answer the bore question.
All cannons were cast solid and bored after the fact. There was a huge problem trying to cast the bore in place. They had a very hard time getting it centered.
Here is a pic of an earlier attempt at boring. It is a spoof, but even then, they did bore guns.
This would help standardize shot.
I have never made a pattern even though I have discussed it with some folks.
Zulu

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 57 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group