Author Topic: Refinishing an old mini-cannon? (Read 2279 times)

carmy53 · « **on:** July 11, 2011, 01:32:34 PM »

A friend gave me an old Dikar .45 cannon. He sandblasted it to get all the rust off. I'm wondering what I should do to protect the barrel now. I'm assuming that nickel plating or brass plating would cost more than the cannon is worth. Same goes for powder coating. Should I paint it or is there something else I'm not thinking of?

KABAR2 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2011, 01:41:32 PM »

Paint is fine or if you know someone who can parkerize it that would work too, it depends what your prefrences are.

GGaskill · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2011, 01:44:58 PM »

It appears to be brass or bronze if that is a current (post-blast) picture. I would clean it to remove the fingerprint oils,
handle it with a stick down the bore, and spray it with a clear coat.

carmy53 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2011, 01:59:53 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill on July 11, 2011, 01:44:58 PM

It appears to be brass or bronze if that is a current (post-blast) picture. I would clean it to remove the fingerprint oils,
handle it with a stick down the bore, and spray it with a clear coat.

No, I think it is iron(a magnet sticks to it). I wondered myself why it looked gray. I was expecting a semi-shiny finish after the sandblasting. The picture is post-blast and those fingerprints weren't on it until I handled it to take the picture. They don't wipe off. How should I remove them? And what kind of clear coat did you mean?

GGaskill · « **Reply #4 on:** July 11, 2011, 02:22:00 PM »

I would try washing it with some detergent, maybe Simple Green or something similar. If that doesn't work, back to
the blaster and don't touch it without gloves or the bore stick. Any kind of spray clear coat should be adequate;
Krylon, etc.

keith44 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 11, 2011, 02:33:56 PM »

sand paper will take the surface flash rust off, you can just keep it oiled and shoot it "in the white". Or polyurethane clear (rustoleum or krylon) I used Krylon on my kit barrel apply primer first then black.

DaveSB · « **Reply #6 on:** July 11, 2011, 02:36:54 PM »

Brake parts cleaner will take off the oily finger prints. You should do that before paint anyway. The cheap brake parts cleaner leaves a film, so get something good like valvoline. I paint metal parts every day, it's what I do.

Mike H. · « **Reply #7 on:** July 11, 2011, 02:48:38 PM »

A lot of them were nickel plated from the factory. You may have some nickel left on it if it was originally nickeled. Use real fine glass bead abrasive.

carmy53 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2011, 03:37:49 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill on July 11, 2011, 02:22:00 PM

I would try washing it with some detergent, maybe Simple Green or something similar. If that doesn't work, back to
the blaster and don't touch it without gloves or the bore stick. Any kind of spray clear coat should be adequate;
Krylon, etc.

It seemed really weird washing iron in water but detergent did take the fingerprints off. Still got to decide how to finish it.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2011, 08:45:41 PM »

carmy53,
That barrel is made of steel, probably something like the European equivalent of 4140, and the cascabel is actually a threaded breech plug. Put a tooth pick down the vent and look down the rifled bore with a bright light, and you'll see that there's a small reduced powder chamber.

GGaskill · « **Reply #10 on:** July 11, 2011, 10:21:20 PM »

If you want to paint the barrel so it looks like bronze, I would recommend you give RustOleum 7275 Burnished Brass, the ninth one (second from the right) in the color chips, a look. That's what I use for that purpose.

carmy53 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 12, 2011, 01:21:41 AM »

Quote from: GGaskill on July 11, 2011, 10:21:20 PM

If you want to paint the barrel so it looks like bronze, I would recommend you give RustOleum 7275 Burnished Brass, the ninth one (second from the right) in the color chips, a look. That's what I use for that purpose.

Looks nice but I'm thinking I'd like a black finish.

dominick · « **Reply #12 on:** July 12, 2011, 02:27:40 AM »

I use Colorplace flat black spray enamel, sells at Walmart. I tried several paints and found it be the hardest after it cures, which takes about a week. In my opinion, it beats Rustoleum and Krylon for hardness.

rmagill · « **Reply #13 on:** July 12, 2011, 05:53:33 AM »

I have one that is blued, one that is polished and clear coated and several others that probably should be painted but I never got around to it. Most of them are in the condition I bought them in. For the bigger guns I personally like Hammerite paint but I doubt it would look right on something that small.
Bob

keith44 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 12, 2011, 06:06:33 AM »

Some pics of mine black with red carriage

First is shot of barrel primered, then with black Krylon, then the completed cannon, the last is the kit dry fitted, and "in the white"

carmy53 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 12, 2011, 09:01:46 AM »

I may have found a place that will powdercoat mine in black for a reasonable price. I should find out for sure tomorrow.

carmy53 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 12, 2011, 02:23:42 PM »

Quote from: Cannoneer on July 11, 2011, 08:45:41 PM

carmy53,
That barrel is made of steel, probably something like the European equivalent of 4140, and the cascabel is actually a threaded breech plug. Put a tooth pick down the vent and look down the rifled bore with a bright light, and you'll see that there's a small reduced powder chamber.

Cannoneer, I tried unscrewing the cascabel/threaded breech plug and couldn't get it off. I don't want to force it. Where they all made that way?
This is semi-important to me because Massachusetts laws regarding cannons differ between breech loaded and muzzle loaded cannons so it would be to my advantage to be able to argue that the cannon is a breech loader.

rmagill · « **Reply #17 on:** July 12, 2011, 03:56:06 PM »

None of the little .45 and .50 cal ones that I have have threaded breech plugs. I have a larger .69 cal one that definitely is though. The only place I know any rules about is
Oregon, but here muzzleloading gives you more leeway than breechloading. You dont have to worry about the destructive device arguement if you cant load or fire a fixed shell.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #18 on:** July 12, 2011, 08:11:47 PM »

Quote from: carmy53 on July 12, 2011, 02:23:42 PM

Cannoneer, I tried unscrewing the cascabel/threaded breech plug and couldn't get it off. I don't want to force it. Where they all made that way?
This is semi-important to me because Massachusetts laws regarding cannons differ between breech loaded and muzzle loaded cannons so it would be to my advantage to be able to argue that the cannon is a breech loader.

Carmy53,
It's not a breech loader, it' a muzzleloading miniature cannon, and that's the way it was intened to be used, the breech plug is just the way it was constructed. I've never even tried to remove the breech on mine, it didn't seem necessary, and I didn't want to risk marring it up, so don't force anything, leave it be.

rmagill,
I can't tell you anything about the .50 calibers, but I've got three of these Spanish made cannon that were originally sold by CVA: A smoothbore .69 caliber Napoleon field gun, a .58 caliber rifled mountain howitzer, and this .45 caliber rifled "Old Ironsides," and as far as I know they're all made this way. You know about the Napoleon that has squared sides on the plug to put a wrench on, I take the plug off everytime I clean it, the mt. howitzer's plug is a little harder to see, it's actually the cascabel knob itself, I use a piece of leather or rubber to protect the knob from the plier's jaws when unscrewing it. I just got done examining my .45 barrel with a jewelers loupe under bright light at my work desk, and that whole breech piece (base ring, breech face, cascabel neck and knob) starting at the front of the base ring is (as far as I can tell) a separate piece of steel not integral with the tube. Now as I said to carmy53, I've never attempted to remove it before, so I don't know if I'd swear to it in a court of law, but I'm pretty sure that it is a breech plug.

rmagill · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2011, 09:41:24 AM »

Cannoneer
I see what you are talking about and it might not be the first time I was ever wrong. I really dont thnk I'd try to take mine apart but it would be interesting to know if you could. Like I said before the .69 Napoleon is obvious with flats on the side but I've never taken it apart either, might be a good future project.

carmy53 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 15, 2011, 12:55:42 PM »

I just got my mini cannon back from the powdercoater and I'm so happy with the result I thought I would post a before and after picture.

DaveSB · « **Reply #21 on:** July 15, 2011, 01:39:37 PM »

Oooo... nice

keith44 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 15, 2011, 05:48:12 PM »

nice, and durable too

Rickk · « **Reply #23 on:** July 20, 2011, 11:15:11 AM »

That looks like a CVA old ironsides 45 cal?

I browned mine with what was left over in a browning kit that I used on a percussion rifle.

carmy53 · « **Reply #24 on:** July 20, 2011, 12:16:06 PM »

Quote from: Rickk on July 20, 2011, 11:15:11 AM

That looks like a CVA old ironsides 45 cal?

It's a Dakar .45 cal

Rickk · « **Reply #25 on:** July 20, 2011, 05:48:42 PM »

not sure... does anyone know if they are the same?

My CVA cannon says "SPAIN" on the underside of the barrel.

carmy53 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 20, 2011, 06:44:22 PM »

Quote from: Rickk on July 20, 2011, 05:48:42 PM

not sure... does anyone know if they are the same?

My CVA cannon says "SPAIN" on the underside of the barrel.

My cannon says DAKAR SPAIN on the top of the barrel.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #27 on:** July 20, 2011, 09:12:48 PM »

Quote from: Rickk on July 20, 2011, 05:48:42 PM

not sure... does anyone know if they are the same?

My CVA cannon says "SPAIN" on the underside of the barrel.

They are the same guns, Rickk.

projector · « **Reply #28 on:** July 21, 2011, 10:23:12 AM »

I have one, nickel plated (little surface rust on top) and has "Spain" stamped on the bottom. It has a darker wood carriage with lighter wood wheels...I may build a new carriage for.