Author Topic: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.  (Read 1597 times)

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Offline Blaster

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Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« on: April 21, 2007, 11:53:41 AM »
Can anyone tell me the recommended charge of Fg they themselves have been using to fire off a concrete filled soda/beer can from one of Powder Kegs mortars???  I bought one over a year ago and don't recall just how much Fg it'll require for about a "mid range" type shot.  Not going for distance, just some nice reasonable distance.  I know, due to potential liability issues, perhaps no one will want to respond but I'm just attempting to determine a decent charge without putting anyone on the "spot".  Anyone??  Thanks!!
Blaster (Bob in So. CO)
Graduate of West Point (West Point, Iowa that is)

Offline GGaskill

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2007, 01:12:06 PM »
I would start with 200 grains of Fg and adjust for range.  Too much powder will destroy the cans.
GG
“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”
--Winston Churchill

Offline Dictator

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2007, 02:20:41 PM »
Hi again Blaster Bob,
 if you fill them w/ concrete they will go much farther. Cans of pop will only rupture. You can use somewhat smaller charges of f or ffg (75-150 grns) if you use a hollow tennis ball as it upsets & plugs the bore and it lands soft. I have used 150-350 grns for the concrete filled guys varying the range.
Joe


Offline Blaster

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2007, 05:18:27 AM »
THANKS GGaskill and Dictator Joe.  Looks like I'll start around 175 grains of Fg and go from there.  Wish I could figure out how work my Sony Digital camera to get an action shot like the fire coming out of the mortar bbl. upon firing.   Have never figured out just how to accomplish this. 
Graduate of West Point (West Point, Iowa that is)

Offline Tropico

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2007, 10:18:30 AM »
Blaster I would say 200 gr is a pretty punchy load.  I do not know about your powder chamber ., however Mine is 1" bore X 2" depth.  with that amount of GOEX a beer can of Ice will disintegrate. I started filling the chamber at 3/4 full and use concrete.  With this amount of Goex and a concrete filled beer can we are able to fire a can successfully each time.  Also it help me to use a funnel that actually reaches into the sub chamber.


http://www.tropico.ph/cannons/100_2639.MOV Here is a link to my mortar firing 200 gr with concrete. I consider my max load.

Offline EL Caz 66

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2007, 11:16:41 AM »
Sweet Pop Mortar Trop!! cool video. Can you show us some pop cans being tossed?

Offline radio2

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2007, 06:03:24 PM »
This is a video of my soda can mortar shooting cans filled with cement and a max charge of 350 grains FF, I got about 375 yards from it, shot 100 grains of FF for a shorter distance witch I could watch the can in flight!
http://video.google.com/videouploadfinished?docid=-620273940313242126&cid=d059bf314042494a

Offline Tropico

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2007, 05:22:40 PM »

Quote
Sweet Pop Mortar Trop!! cool video. Can you show us some pop cans being tossed?

EL Cazador 66 .,hopefully later this spring or early summer...., we are currently looking for a new area to fire the mortar.

Offline no guns here

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2007, 10:57:01 PM »
Ami I crazy or isn't there something about not using plastic and BP?  Doesn't it generate static electricity?  I know they say to ground your gas cans at the pump when you fill them so that you discharge the static before filling.  Don't beat me up too badly if I'm crazy...


ngh
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Offline Rickk

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2007, 12:58:37 AM »

Yes, you can ignite gasoline with static. I am guessing that DOT approved gas cans have carbon particles impregnated in the plastic, otherwise grounding the can would not drain the charge off any part not connected to ground. The vapors (not the liquid), which have very little density per cubic volume are easily ignited. The spark plug in your car does that well. In the older days (pre-fuel ignition) you could "flood your car" and get the plugs all wet with condensed gas and it won't start until the gas evaporates from the plug electrodes..

There have been a number of experiments done with BP and static electricity. There are some pictures on the net of something way more intense... an arc from a high voltage neon lamp transformer into a pile of BP. The carbon in the BP makes it fairly conductive, so the charge passes thru without producing significant heat, and the BP does not ignite. Sure, if you hit it with a lightning bolt it will light, (it will melt rock in fact) but static isn't something to worry much about with BP.

One of the more dangerous things about plastic and static is that it can hold powder grains on the static surface, making it difficult to move the BP reliably. In a plastic powder measure there can be issues with charges getting hung up, and then the next charge gets more than it should. That can happen with not only BP, but smokeless as well.

Fortunately, BP (and smokeless for that matter) quickly cover plastic surfaces with a residue that is conductive. Once this happens the static issue goes away. If you buy a brand new plastic powder measure, or funnel, and want to break it in quicker, wash it with soapy water. Dump the soapy water but do not rinse it, just let it dry. The soap residue is "hydroscopic"... it absorbs minute amounts of water from the air. As it does this, the soapy film becomes "conductive". We are not talking highly conductive... you won't be able to measure it with an ordinary volt-ohm meter. It becomes conductive in terms of many megohms per square, which can be measured with proper equipment.

I design high voltage, low current devices for a living (night vision goggles primarily).  I have measured surface leakage due to residue like this zillions of times trying to figure out why something doesn't work right. The conductivity of a slightly dirty hydroscopic film won't conduct enough current to light a light bulb or anything like that, but it will drain away static charge in short order.

Ever get dust all over the screen of your tv set? Static charge attracts dust. Wash the screen with soapy water and then let a light film of it dry on there. It will drain the static off the screen and keep the dust away.

Offline Preacher_of_Boom

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2007, 03:15:15 AM »
I believe this is the link to which Rickk referred-->  http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html

Which prompts me to go  :o
US Army--Field Artillery

Offline Rickk

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #11 on: April 24, 2007, 09:06:14 AM »
That was one of them. The experiment has been done more than once. I recall another one specifically that used a neon light transformer with what I recall was significant output current capability. The results were boring... nothing happened.

Offline Tropico

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2007, 08:15:13 PM »
We tried to  get some video of Wes' Bronze Coehorn tossing a can., the camera just cant get it...., but we learned a few things.  We know that 150gr (not much) is actually pretty neat. we were able to see the projo easily get about 100 high and  50 yards out !  ., that was fun !!!
 
 

Offline Double D

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2007, 09:15:34 PM »
but we learned a few things.  We know that 150gr (not much) is actually pretty neat. we were able to see the projo easily get about 100 high and  50 yards out !  ., that was fun !!!

Toldya so!!!

Offline Tropico

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Re: Powder Kegs Soda/beer can mortar.
« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2007, 09:19:06 AM »
Quote
Toldya so!!!

Yea ya did.., and also I forgot to mention with some of these where to find black  powder threads......, lightening  up  your load a bit., not only allows you to see the projo., but it also makes your powder last longer., I am really happy with  this mortar its very economical to fire ., far more bang for the buck than most of my other cannons.

If anyone doesn't have a cannon and wants one., dollar for dollar.,  for a first timer...., I say get a sub-chamber'd  mortar  ;D ......................, and  NO ! .., you cant  have mine .  ;D