anybody know anything about casting a small cannon?

[Dragonboy]

Folks I was asked IF I could cast a small cannon from brass. By small I mean just big enough to shoot a golfball useing black power and a fuse. I envision casting a solid peice of brass in to a vauge cannon shape and then machining the bore. Any Ideas on what all I need to research to get started and do this with the least amount of oppertunities to have massive pain and or loss of life and limb? Including the mandatory tools to pull this off, cause it really intrigues me.
Thanks Joshua
aka dragonboy

[julian]

Before experimenting with metal and explosives (not the greatest combination in the world) I would attempt a simple potato gun. Me and my friends used to make these, and if done right they are quite powerful. Brass is also not a very hard metal and would probably either break or bend after it was shot. Again, a cannon is a weapon of war, and is meant to kill, so I wouldnt underestimate it's power!

So I would try a potato gun, they consist of only PVC pipe and hairspray. It'll still send a tater straight through plywood

Julian

[bipolarandy]

Julian, i think the man wants a cannon, not a potato gun.

I dont see any reason why you Couldn't cast a small brass cannon. It certainly would be strong enough to handle a golf ball. As long as you used Black powder, and not modern smokeless powder!
The first ever cannons and hand held guns were cast out of brass or bronze.

Now as far as the actual casting part goes, here are some links that may help
http://inaba.nims.go.jp/movie/CAST/cast.html
http://www.emainc.com/radnor/found.htm

-Andrei

[Ten Hammers]

Far be it from me to be too careful at times. Black powder is an explosive. Modern powder is an accelerant. If you are not familiar with either, experimenting with them can be disasterous. Someone asks you to "cast a cannon " when what they want is a toy, which is fine. Someone gets killed ( dead or even maimed badly) with a project like this and someone will be held responsable . The breech area of a device like this would be the weak point. There are distinct RULES for cannon crew firing. If you go to an event (re-enactment, CWSA shoot etc) and you observe cannon fire you will notice that the cannon TEAM has a LEADER and he/she will verbally give commands for the cannon to be fired. Static electricity can be a problem. I have fun ( more than most some days). Not knowing the strengths of either brass or bornze that you wish to cast (which by itself can be dangerous but that can be overcome) could put you in a bad spot. Lindsey books have lotta stuff like this info you seek. Please be advised to tread softly on this project. I have fired cannon, mortar and black powder firearms. The technology alone (foundry work) should be studied well first and then proceed to find the strengths of materials needed (different alloys of brass/bronze). The black powder thing alone should be researched through some local folks wherever you are. Your chosing of these folks will be your responsability. If this sounds like I'm serious, I am. The Good Lord has allowed me to reach 52 years by making a lot of mistakes. I wish you well and I hope you have fun.

Crazy old fat guy with the pliers. :wink:

[rthibeau]

Then there's the question of why shoot anything out of it, much less a golf ball? If they want an uncommon noise maker, a cast or machined cannon can be had from several different materials. Only when you plug up the end of the barrel with an obstruction (cannonball, wadding, whatever) do you run the risk of excessive pressure building up that will overwhelm the strength of the cannon's metal. A golf ball sized projectile will require a good sized cannon for hand made. The smaller the projectile, the smaller the cannon can safely be. I've turned out small cannons on a lathe out of mild steel, drilling the fuse hole and bore on the lathe as well. Building the carriage and the rest from redwood. They work great, but were never intended nor have they actually launched a projectile. A half inch bore cannon, 50 grains of FFg black powder tamped in - no wadding - makes a pretty loud report. And no long down range worry about hurting someone. :D

[GobblerForge]

I've had a litle experience with a cannon machined out of steel that was bored for a golf ball. With a resonable charge, the golf ball will go a mile or more. Be carefull. This aint no toy. It will kill. As for the brass, I would say no. Yes they made brass cannon. But many cannoneer died learning.
Gobbler

[sandpile]

DRAGONBOY-- I thought this had been knocked around across the street and you decided, You knew it was too dangerous, and did not want to do it anyway. You just wanted someone elses opinon??

What did you do, change your mind again??

Chuck

[Nolano]

In my humble opinion, if you are going to make a cannon, make it steel. The old hand cannons killed far too many men by going off unexpectedly. I would make the walls of such a device at least 1/2 an inch, at the thinnest part. Hopefully an inch at least, at the thickest point. I would start with steel probably 3 inches in diameter, and bore out the hole, then taper it down.

[primtechsmith]

Why not just use a golf ball? Drill a hole fill it up with sand, silicone the hole. Paint the thing black. And keep on keeping on.

Peyton

[ThomasPowers]

rthibeau---I've always said the difference between a cannon and a pipe bomb is whether the projectile come out the muzzle!

When I had mine built I had a choice of cannon ball molds, one was slightly over the bore size, the other was under by a greater ammount. now they do force fit lead balls in muzzleloading rifles at times but I hold by my first statement and went loose---it's a smoothbore anyway and scrap leather wadding is quite sufficient for messing around.

Thomas