I am getting ready to go to a re-enactment... I haven't had a chance to connect with my blacksmith to make a new mount for a swivel cannon (1 of 3 I own, just like it sounds, a small cannon mounted on a swivel yoke). The mount that came with it was just not working out. I can't even exhibit it unless I grind the spike on the mount round, to stick in the stump. So I clamp it in the vise & attack it with the grinder... actually, I'm doing cut & try... grinding it more round and then trying a round collar on it. Yeah, sparks are flying some but I've seen far more & I was just doing a light pass at a time. No, I didn't clean the bench off. Just the area where my vise was on the corner.So I look up & I see a major glow. As a re-enactor, flint lock shooter, I know it only takes one spark to make fire. Well, I had a whole wadd of fine steel wool, had caught a spark & was glowing brightly... some smoke & flame. I drop it on the concrete floor, step on it & it goes out... Dear wifee comes over & says something about not setting the house on fire. I keep my foot on the steel wool. I'm thinking that her late first husband used to tune up snowmibiles (2 cycle kind) in the basement but decide I'd best STFU.

Ever notice when any husband does something that wasn't intended, like this, his wife always happens by ? Must be a marriage kind of thing. Happens here. I can go all day long with nothing happening, then when something happens, she walks in. And mine ALWAYS has a comment.

as does mine.. and she's generally a smartass :)God love her!

I hope your foot was not trying to catch fire while you were speaking to her.

Thanks guys! The active fire was out before she came over from the other part of the basement. I stood on it to conceal the evidence!I'd forgotten how much steel wool would burn... It's been a lotta years (pre-smog) since a buddy got his Chevy inspected by shoving wads of steel wool up the straight pipes with a broom handle to quiet it down. A short distance down the road he put the pedal to the medal & the steel wool came out in balls of fire. Lucky nothing else caught! Several more hours of grinding (no more fires) to make the cannon mount accept a collar to hold the 2 halves together. There's got to be a better way when we remake it. Do the steel suppliers offer half round? That would be the thing to do, even if it it had to be welded to the blacksmithed part. The yoke binds but at least I can display it this weekend.

I have seen half round bar stock but it was a long time ago.

Any pictures of the build that you can share ?Seen someone building a hold unit from ground up on the TV, but they had backing of someone with money and theirs were finished fast. Loads of equipment for them to use.

I'm just going to throw up a few pictures of my various working cannons. (Not counting the various paperweight cannons that I've been gifted.)

I was working on the yoke for the Crown Point Swivel... I have a modern SS collar with an allen bolt just to hold the 2 halves together for now. Unfortunately the yokes have a misalignment problem. Still a work in progress. Half scale replical of a 1756 swivel cannon recovered from Lake George, NY near Crown Point Fort (Just North of Fort Ticonderoga) It features interchangeable chambers (one under the gun) which were preloaded for fast use. More info: http://www.qaronline.org/rcorner/Report_No_122_-_QAR_breechblocks.pdf Desite their rapid rate of fire, these blacksmith made pieces fell from favor... their tendancy to blow apart might have something to do with it. The replica is welded from seamless tubing and the chambers bored from solid stock. .75 bore (same as a Brown Bess Musket)

I have another later style cannon building with interchangeable chambers... in golf ball caliber...

My favorite brass swivel cannon. 1.25" bore Swivel cannons Don't need carriages, just a block of wood will do...

A working model brass "Napoleon" type, Civil War era. .50 cal. Too pretty to pass up. Now I have to get a carriage for it.

Quite some time ago... I began making a piece of scrap brass propeller shafting into a miniature mortar. I took it as far as I could on my lathe. A friend in California with more skill & better equipment offered to finish the machining & welding. Since it came back, I've only gotten as far as laminating the blocks of wood together for the base. bore is 1.25"d, reduced chamber is 5/8"d X 1.25

Please note that one could theoretically put a projectile in these and go target shooting... I only use them for firing blanks at re-enactments, demostrations & the 4th of July. Blanks are potentially dangerous and must be handles following strict guidelines.

I don't think much of the people on TV who mess with cannons. One TV crew blew a full sized cannon ball off the Sheriff's range & through someone's minivan & house. Lucky no one was killed.

If you want to learn about cannons: http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/board,88.0.html

Russell

So much has changed...

I sold the table top Napoleon barrel... scale cannon wheels are beyond my expertise & cost more than the barrel to have built.

My previous bronze cannon sold almost instantly...

because I upgraded to a bigger bronze cannon... with 1.75" bore (golf ball)

http://s122.photobucket.com/user/fleeting_cat/media/MVI_1949.mp4.html 600 grains of cannon black powder... proved to be just a starting load. I'm firing much more now. This is going to be more costly!!

I'm keeping the 3/4" bore half scale replica of the Crown Point (NY) breech loader... It's cheap & fun to shoot by comparison. Just 100 grain charges!

but am in the process of purchasing the full scale gun in 1.5" bore.

The (SOLD) swivel cannon (REAR) with another project cannon... a steel breach loader... later period... in 1.75"

I would take it to a local machine shop Russ, they could set you right up.

Actually machine shops are not receptive to building cannons unless they are into them themselves. Black powder... REAL black powder... is an explosive. Perhaps they are afraid if the liability or uncertain of the legal issues. I see news stories on a regular basis of people blowing themselves or others up with cannon.

The last cannon was "built" by a machinist who is into cannons but not authentic reproductions. Instead of contacting me, he just invented a different un-authentic way of doing it. As a re-enactor, doing public demonstrations... I can't use something that doesn't look right. So I had to cut it apart.

I can't turn a long cannon barrel but I have my own Southbend lathe & eventually I'll gather what I need to make it right.

My SIL just retired from Electric Boat, so I can get any welding done.

My buddy is a blacksmith, so we have that part covered too.

- - - Updated - - -

I was organizing photos & came upon these from 4th of July 2011.

Firing salutes over the pond... previous 18" bronze swivel. (Now under new management)

Data; 1.25" bore, charge 300 grns Goex cannon

Fire in the hole!

A bit of recoil.

Rockin cannon!

Smoke & fire! Mount in the air on this one too.

Really glad the gun did not go in the pond!

This 18" bronze swivel cannon (1.25 bore) sold very quickly... I traded up to a 24" bronze swivel cannon with 1.75" bore...

Yeah I could see where they wouldn't want to build an entire cannon.....thought you were just looking for a specific piece....really neat looking stuff there Russ.

The older you get, the bigger the rounds..

Another cannon purchased. You can see the twin on Henry Hudson's replica 'Half Moon'. I own one of 3 made. http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ofwsopdab&v=001vumIjKLl6-9kMuaX_6IR2mos1_ArLeNtGZZxEzd2kmqHvC8vyBBsUxfaRzKmYV5ttuQg26vyPn7Hd201GT6GFsqYYBRoA1JTRPWrAfovENyBJz3JDSrtdsAbN9IauDRSor_ZHnSvz6zJDyZkFUPezcBksjONtWCw1n5jZcmzn6k7po9ViGWdM-aFYFiLB4y0rQRdTSNItKpukmhAy7TU1gAtL4eEjwf7MtyRjsCWp0BX9NXR78n7Hyd9hdQZM5COGiDL3dPxiZY%3D Picture below #3. Another "mug gun" 1.5" bore. Load yet to be determined. Starting testing at 750 grains of black powder.