Pre-made cannon barrels?

[ozark57]

At work, we just scraped several large machines. On one, there were four columns 53" long with solid steel "plugs" threaded into each end with a lock-nut for adj. The bore is just over 3", the OD is around 5". Unless I am mistaken, I have some pre-made cannon barrels.
Does anyone sell a 3" ball? Is the barrel too short for this bore diameter? I figured I would slide a collar over the barrel with holes 180 degees out for trunions and weld it all up.
Seems simple, am I missing anything?

 

[RonT]

The company that I retired from made one seamless product in 3" O.D.,1" I.D., 4140. more that one cannon barrel came out of the machine room midnight shift. :wink:
We made some larger O.D. sizes but not with that ratio.
Your 3" bore would eat more powder than i would be willing to part with....on a regular basis. Be fun though.
R

 

[RonT]

Just for the record, even though we had the technology and machins to do the job, I bought this barrel from Kansas Cannon a few years ago.
19" long, 1" bore. I made the carriage from a pic of an original 1841 6 pounder that was fished out of the Gulf.
And no, it's not clip fed...
R

 

[ozark57]

I want to make a really big boom. My liberal neighbers are going to be soooo impressed!!!!! :blah:

 

[sundog]

Ho,Ho,Ho yep they are gonna love ya !

 

[ozark57]

RonT, Do you shoot it? Looks like 1" ball bearings would be good. Is the Rope to hold it back in recoil?

 

[RonT]

This one has yet to be shot. I haven't considered 1" ballbearings, am leaning more toward a 1" "cannonball" fishing sinkler mold (Jann's Netcraft)and shoot fortified plaster balls. I built this on a whim thinking that I might someday build a scale gun deck to go with.
There is a fair sized Civil War shows in nearby Mansfield Ohia in May each year, lotsa' displays and historically correct data to pick from.
OTOH, I did have another 1" bore cannon that I shot on a regular basis at rendezvous. Ate waaaaay to much powder... :grin:
Yes, rope is for recoil....action/reaction... :shocked2:
R

 

[TheDoubleD]

At work, we just scraped several large machines. On one, there were four columns 53" long with solid steel "plugs" threaded into each end with a lock-nut for adj. The bore is just over 3", the OD is around 5". Unless I am mistaken, I have some pre-made cannon barrels.
Does anyone sell a 3" ball? Is the barrel too short for this bore diameter? I figured I would slide a collar over the barrel with holes 180 degees out for trunions and weld it all up.
Seems simple, am I missing anything?

Barrel is to thin walled to meet safety standards.

 

[ozark57]

This is concern and one of the reasons for my post. Do you know what standards are and what bbl. material they are based upon? What is the maximum PSI that can be generated according to standards? The material I have is ASI 4140 pre-heat treated to 28-32rc. This has a yield of 132,000 psi.( mild steel has a yield of 65,000 psi.) You have raised a valid concern and I need to investigate before buiding one of these up.

 

[TheDoubleD]

Yes you can find the standards listed on the N-SSA website. Here is a link to their rules.
http://www.n-ssa.org/NATIONAL/RULES/Rules0109.pdf

Be patient this is a large PDF file and may take a minute to load.

You will need to scroll down to section 10 on cannons to find the standards.

 

[ozark57]

DD This a lot of help. I think I will be OK as I should be able to hold pressures well under 20,000 psi. I am going to drill a vent hole and do a proof test before I put a lot of money or work into the project.
Anyone know who makes a 3" ball?

 

[RonT]

I betcha' got Osage Oranges (Hedge Apples)there. Those would be a hoot to shoot at some inantimate object....just sayin'.
R

 

[ozark57]

How'd you know? They grow along the Mckissik creek 125 yards in front of my house. Best natural targets the good Lord ever devised! Not good for anything else, but my .36 kentucky blows em up pretty good. Wonder if about an ounce or so of fg would turn one of appropriate size into a cannon ball?

 

[RonT]

We used an empty 35mm film container for my old 1"er. Don't recall that we weighed the load at the time, but was homemade with grains ~BB size (.177)....don't wanna' know now.... :shocked2:
A guy named John Cunningham (RIP)from PA. made the powder.
R

 

[TheDoubleD]

DD This a lot of help. I think I will be OK as I should be able to hold pressures well under 20,000 psi. I am going to drill a vent hole and do a proof test before I put a lot of money or work into the project.
Anyone know who makes a 3" ball?

Do you know how to compute a proper proof load for this gun!

 

[ozark57]

What I've done before is double the powder charge and double the projectile weight. I do this in a creek bed with a long fuse. I tie the bbl down to an angle iron frame wih chains. After,if the bbl survives, it's magnaflux and construct suitable carrige.
Any other thoughts will be conidered and appreciated.

 

[TheDoubleD]

Unless you have pressure information what you are doing is just a wish and a guess.

There is really no need to proof a properly made design. It proves nothing.

Proof pressure in cartridge guns is only 1.25 times working pressure.

In the US gun designs are proofed and the arm proof tested is retained for reference and never shot.

"Proof testings" like you describe can weaken or damage the gun.

If you make your gun to the N-SSA standards and and use their maximum load recommendations you should have no worries.

 

[ozark57]

I looked at NSSA standards,but it seems to be specific to cast bbl. with steel liners. I am using seamless 4140 tubing. I've done simular before, although on smaller scale. I can sacrafice one of these as I have 4.

 

[TheDoubleD]

Yes that is correct,the liner standards are minumum standards for use in steel, iron or bronze castings and original barrels that fail inspection. Your entire gun as long as it meets all the other standards exceeds minumum standards for a liner. You cannon is a shaped liner so to speak.

It also says all reproduction barrels must have one caliber thick walls.

 

[ThreeToedWolf]

Just for the record, even though we had the technology and machins to do the job, I bought this barrel from Kansas Cannon a few years ago.
19" long, 1" bore. I made the carriage from a pic of an original 1841 6 pounder that was fished out of the Gulf.
And no, it's not clip fed...
R

I just went to Kansas Cannon works to look around. It seems all of their cannons are(Exact words on the site) "intended for signal use only; not intended to fire projectiles"

Since they do state this, would adding the pressure of firing a heavy projectile actually be safe?

Just curious



Bob