Author Topic: Another Zulu imposter (Read 3607 times)

Zulu · « **on:** November 28, 2009, 08:31:22 AM »

For some time now I have wanted to put one of my creations in the yard. My wooden guns can't take the weather so they live inside. I have seen plenty of cannon yard art and most of it is really bad so I wanted to make something durable and realistic looking.
A friend made a fibreglass mold for me of a full scale 1841 six pounder. It is for casting concrete guns. I made this one with 4 bags of ready mix with gravel in it. The gravel was a mistake. I got a pretty rough finish. Next time I'll use portland and sand. The carriage is made of rough fir and coated with a product called Sikkens Stain. It takes the weather nicely.
Enjoy the pics. Keep in mind that it is only yard art, in my back yard, and I'm not showing it to school children as a real copy. So don't be too rough on me.
Zulu

Zulu · « **Reply #1 on:** November 28, 2009, 08:34:36 AM »

It has a 3" pvc bore.

RocklockI · « **Reply #2 on:** November 28, 2009, 09:54:02 AM »

Awsome as usuall ! Zulu .

Double D · « **Reply #3 on:** November 28, 2009, 09:58:36 AM »

Looks to me that casting cannons is becoming a trend on this board!

KABAR2 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 28, 2009, 10:36:33 AM »

Oh the things that could be done with that mold!

subdjoe · « **Reply #5 on:** November 28, 2009, 11:02:39 AM »

Quote from: KABAR2 on November 28, 2009, 10:36:33 AM

Oh the things that could be done with that mold!

Table legs?

RocklockI · « **Reply #6 on:** November 28, 2009, 11:10:18 AM »

With the ability to cast that , you could proly make Grave Markers ! Make some cash that would cool as heck !

Vets would love them !

Gary

EL Caz 66 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 28, 2009, 11:48:22 AM »

WOW!!

Outstanding!!

Maybe a nice Bronze British Mortar Next?

Zulu · « **Reply #8 on:** November 28, 2009, 11:54:57 AM »

It takes Rocklock days to engineer a pour. I poured this in two hours.
Kabar, what would you use the mold for?
Zulu

KABAR2 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2009, 12:35:36 PM »

There are methods other than lost wax for casting I think if properly protected the mold could be filled with a lite expanding foam,

the foam cannon dipped in a slurry could then be used as a mold to cast cannon, I have never tried lost foam casting but it does have industrial applications.

some of your wood cannon could be the basis for the wood forms for sand casting also.

Soot · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2009, 12:37:26 PM »

Quote from: Zulu on November 28, 2009, 11:54:57 AM

what would you use the mold for?

You could use one of your finished wooden guns as a casting core.
http://www.artillerysociety.co.uk/Pattern.html

Zulu · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2009, 12:39:28 PM »

Real casting is out of my league. Artwork is what I do. Maybe I could partner with someone.
Zulu

Zulu · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2009, 12:53:07 PM »

Soot,
Great pictures! These guys did a great job!.
Thanks,
Zulu

Zulu · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2009, 12:55:04 PM »

Wow!

Another Kewpie!

Thanks!

rmagill · « **Reply #14 on:** November 28, 2009, 04:39:30 PM »

Personally I'd love to have a pair of concrete cannons for the gate on our driveway, that's impressive

subdjoe · « **Reply #15 on:** November 28, 2009, 04:45:18 PM »

I just had an EEEEVVVIILL thought - paint them with a nice brass coloured paint, take your time to make it look like brass or bronze. Then laugh when someone steals them and tries to sell them as scrap.

RocklockI · « **Reply #16 on:** November 28, 2009, 04:49:58 PM »

Quote from: rmagill on November 28, 2009, 04:39:30 PM

Personally I'd love to have a pair of concrete cannons for the gate on our driveway, that's impressive

Or as High Class mailbox posts . go ahead fool run my mailbox over !

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #17 on:** November 28, 2009, 05:24:24 PM »

Zulu, You've made another fine creation. If you earn anymore of DD's kewpies,you're gonna have to have another shelf to hold 'em all.

Zulu · « **Reply #18 on:** November 29, 2009, 02:51:09 AM »

Thanks Everybody,
Actually, I had some trouble with the barrel. This is the second one I have cast. The first one I did with 1 part Portland and two parts sand. I mixed it pretty wet and poured it into the forms vertically. At the end of the pour, as the cement started to set up, the water rose and the cement shrank. I had to keep adding mix and removing water to keep the form full. The end product was a pretty good finish but weak concrete in the top 10" or so. It has cracked but still looks pretty good. It sits on my front porch on a similiar carriage but made out of treated 2 X 4's.
This time I mixed ready mix with gravel. I mixed it a little less wet. The finish is pretty rough despite my "rodding" the form and tapping on it with a mallet. It looks like a "recovered" gun.
The next time, "if my wife allows another one", will be 1 part Portland and 1 part sand. I'll have to mix it wet to get the smooth finish and just deal with rising water and shrinkage by adding more cement.
Any ideas on how to deal with the top 10" of this pour? The mold was made without a "sprue" so the top of the mold is the muzzel of the gun.
Zulu

RocklockI · « **Reply #19 on:** November 29, 2009, 03:03:46 AM »

Add a pouring bell and keep it full as the gun dried ....would be my guess ?

Gary

Double D · « **Reply #20 on:** November 29, 2009, 04:57:13 AM »

As Gary says a pouring bell or sprue...but you will need some way to cut it off.

Soot · « **Reply #21 on:** November 29, 2009, 06:20:32 AM »

If you wax the mold, then coat it with gelcoat and a layer of fiberglass. Let it harden then assemble the mold and make the pour. Then it would have a smooth finish like the mold with a mold line that would need to be " fixed" but the finish would be perfect.

Zulu · « **Reply #22 on:** November 29, 2009, 10:01:25 AM »

Soot,
If I used gel coat and fiberglass why would I have to fill it with cement? Couldn't I fill it with something light? Expanding foam??? Something else? Then I would have a barrel that doesn't weigh 300 lbs.
Zulu

dan610324 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 29, 2009, 10:37:08 AM »

there must be some kind of expanding foam that can be painted , if so you could use it directly in your mold .
probably just need an release priming coat first
but would it be fun to have barrels at just 10 lbs each ??

one of my friends made garden statues and fountains from concrete , but they used some kind of coke instead of sand to make them lighter

with a not so wet mix and a real vibrator it would probably be easier to get a good result
but this is totally out of my knowledge so its just a guess

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #24 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:33:55 PM »

Zulu, you might want to check out what they do at 'Great Guns' to make their replicas out of fiberglass. Imagine a 10" Rodman Gun that two people can lift!!

http://www.nvo.com/cannons

A picture of their 10" Rodman Gun after painting.

Soot · « **Reply #25 on:** November 29, 2009, 01:17:09 PM »

I thought of using A/B foam, but thought the heave concrete would make a good theft deterrent.
Using foam would make them light enough to be easily shipped and therefor sold. Exactly what I'd be doing if I had that mold.
I would also use a piece of pvc pipe across the trunnions and end the bore there with a tee fitting to hopefully slow down someone from drilling a vent and trying to shoot it.

Zulu · « **Reply #26 on:** November 30, 2009, 03:15:14 AM »

Does anyone think there is a market for these fake cannon? As cool as they are I haven't found anyone willing to buy one. I even set up in a gun show once. Seven booths, a U-haul trailer, and $410 later, had no buyers although everyone liked them a lot.
The wooden guns are artwork and I have a lot of time in them plus they have to be kept inside. The concrete gun and ships carriage does not take so long and can be kept outside.
I'm an artist, not a salesman. Maybe that's my problem.
Zulu

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #27 on:** November 30, 2009, 05:50:17 AM »

There is somebody that sells fiberglass cannons on Fleabay and he is asking big money for them. I tried to find him just now, but had no luck. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

RocklockI · « **Reply #28 on:** November 30, 2009, 06:38:01 AM »

Loyalist arms and repairs ,has large fiberglass ones ...
Gary

Double D · « **Reply #29 on:** November 30, 2009, 08:06:19 AM »

Quote from: Zulu on November 30, 2009, 03:15:14 AM

Does anyone think there is a market for these fake cannon? As cool as they are I haven't found anyone willing to buy one. I even set up in a gun show once. Seven booths, a U-haul trailer, and $410 later, had no buyers although everyone liked them a lot.
The wooden guns are artwork and I have a lot of time in them plus they have to be kept inside. The concrete gun and ships carriage does not take so long and can be kept outside.
I'm an artist, not a salesman. Maybe that's my problem.
Zulu

Wrong customers! Gun guys want the real deal. Try interior Decorators, landscapers and architects. I use to shoot coyotes and send the hides to a Taxidermist in Humble. He would do full body mounts and sell them to those people. One of my Montana Coyotes is in a bank lobby in Dallas.