Author Topic: Bowling Ball Mortar Video (Read 2330 times)

Powder keg · « **on:** November 13, 2005, 10:10:47 AM »

Here is a video of a bowling ball shoot I did a month ago or so. The squack you here at the begining is the holes whisteling. Notice the dust ring that was kicked up from the cussion wave.

http://myweb.cableone.net/wesleyp9/videos/MVC-001W.MPG

intoodeep · « **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2005, 11:58:37 AM »

Wes,

Cool video. The whistle from the holes are

. Also, is that "CannonMakers" voice in the back ground?

Thanks for posting it.

Powder keg · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2005, 12:07:26 PM »

Hi Glad you like the video. Yes that was Cannonmakers voice. Later,

Powder keg · « **Reply #3 on:** November 13, 2005, 12:38:02 PM »

Here are a couple of the impact craters left. They are about 8" to 10" deep. The whistling sounds almost like geese. It starts out loud then as the ball slows down gets quieter and then gets louder and louder the closer to the ground the ball gets. Makes a cool thump when it hits also. We were shooting about out 350 yards at about a 65 degree angle.

Powder keg · « **Reply #4 on:** November 13, 2005, 01:25:38 PM »

Here is a cool still I got at another shoot. This is such a cool toy :grin:

intoodeep · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2005, 03:25:47 PM »

Wes,

Your new avatar photo looks Great. In the last photo (also your card) are you shooting over water? If, so I bet the splash is worth it.

Powder keg · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2005, 03:29:26 PM »

It splashes about 40' high. Plus last time I was there I think I hit a duck :shock:

Powder keg · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2005, 05:28:11 PM »

Here is a picture showing some recoil. Notice the wheels are off the ground! This mortar weighs around 400 pounds!

GGaskill · « **Reply #8 on:** November 13, 2005, 06:53:42 PM »

Hope you have a federal duck stamp. (-:

This was on a skeet range (and later in the evening):

Medbill · « **Reply #9 on:** November 14, 2005, 02:34:24 PM »

WOW that is way cool!!!!!

Dictator · « **Reply #10 on:** November 15, 2005, 10:47:29 AM »

alright, I'm envious :agree:

Blaster · « **Reply #11 on:** November 15, 2005, 02:09:49 PM »

Quote from: Dictator

alright, I'm envious :agree:

Awright Dictator (Joe) how is your BB mortar coming along? Do you think it'll be ready for the next Casper, WY shoot, next June?? Blaster (Bob in So. CO)

Dictator · « **Reply #12 on:** November 16, 2005, 03:30:49 AM »

hey Blaster Bob,

It's a work in progress this winter. I'd love to have it shooting for Casper. As it gets futher down the line, I'll put up some pics :-)

darkgael · « **Reply #13 on:** November 16, 2005, 03:45:18 PM »

OK, I'll ask. Being a new guy at this site, I'm not familiar with loadings for the big things. How much BP does it take to throw a bowling ball that far?
Pete

jeeper1 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 16, 2005, 05:58:29 PM »

Not as much as you might think.

Blaster · « **Reply #15 on:** November 17, 2005, 05:37:26 AM »

We are well aware that it doesn't take much, but just HOW much??

GGaskill · « **Reply #16 on:** November 17, 2005, 08:38:21 AM »

Depends on barrel length and other things, but 6 oz of cannon grade will throw a 16 pounder 500 yards.

Powder keg · « **Reply #17 on:** November 24, 2005, 10:01:52 AM »

I had a chance to weigh my charge and it is 5 OZ. I started measuring 2 tablespoons at a time and worked up to 10 tablespoons. This charge keeps the ball in sight and throws it about 350 yards. Later,

GGaskill · « **Reply #18 on:** March 24, 2006, 07:20:46 PM »

Here is a one minute video (5.5 meg) of a bowling ball shot. Turn up the sound to hear the whistling. This is from 1996; no digital pix back then.

jeeper1 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 24, 2006, 08:49:54 PM »

I had to download realplayer 10 to see the video. Interesting. Lots of smoke.

bloomautomatic · « **Reply #20 on:** March 27, 2006, 06:11:41 AM »

I'm very interested in building a bowling ball mortar. What do you suggest as a minimum wall thickness? I want something that keeps them in sight. I'd be happy with a 200yd range.

Vince

GGaskill · « **Reply #21 on:** March 27, 2006, 10:12:58 AM »

The one in my video is made from a high pressure gas cylinder (6000 or 10000 psi, can't remember which) and it has about 3/4" walls. I consider it more than satisfactorily strong for the purpose. We do, however, evacuate the immediate area when firing it.

Since bowling balls are not a standard size (from the perspective of tubing diameters), you will need a large lathe to increase the bore to about 8 5/8" so the balls will fit.

Assuming (a big assumption) that you could limit the mortar to being fired with a powder charge appropriate for a range of 200 yards (not much powder, by the way), I would be satisfied using 8" ID, 1" wall seamless tubing bored out to fit. You would have a wall thickness of 11/16" which should be adequate. The problem is dealing with someone who wants longer range, either while you have it or after you have gotten rid of it.

Double D · « **Reply #22 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:14:20 PM »

Considering the 8.25 inch tube is nothing more than an expansion chamber ball projector with 10 inch OD you could have a powder chamber in your breech plug 3.33 inch in diameter. A chamber that big will hold a substantial amount of powder.

On the other hand if you wanted to restrict the amount of powder just make the powder chamber smaller.

bloomautomatic · « **Reply #23 on:** March 28, 2006, 12:17:59 AM »

I had heard that you can use an oxygen cylinder for them, but I was unsure if there was a difference in cylinder thicknesses and how to determine what cylinder is what thickness before I start sawing on it - or paying money for it in the first place!

I have access to about 4 lathes, but none of them have that kind of capacity.

I recently cut open a 10lb CO2 fire extinguisher and found the walls were much thinner than I'd expected. Should make a nice windchime gong.

Vince

GGaskill · « **Reply #24 on:** March 28, 2006, 05:02:06 AM »

The common compressed gas cylinders rated for 2000-2800 psi are only about 1/4" thick which is too thin for my comfort.

You can easily tell the difference between thin and thick ones by trying to lift them. The thin ones you can lift; the thick ones you can't.

GGaskill · « **Reply #25 on:** April 15, 2006, 09:37:17 PM »

My video taking friend found another video of our bowling ball mortar exploits and pulled a couple of frames out for viewing. See below.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #26 on:** April 16, 2006, 02:55:03 AM »

George -

That first one would make a great post card!

1/4" or a little better is the thickness (at thinnest point) of a 5,000psi rated O2 cylinder. With a well designed powder chamber that should be plenty - that's been the working principle since Coehorn implemented it in 1700-something.