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Author Topic: Copper plumbing pipe?  (Read 590 times)

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Offline jamesbeat

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Copper plumbing pipe?
« on: September 21, 2011, 04:41:55 PM »
No, don't worry, I don't intend to attempt to make a cannon barrel out of plumbing pipe, well not directly anyway.

Ever notice how copper pipe tends to accumulate?
Maybe it's just me, but I always seem to have some laying around.

Is it worth deliberately accumulating a stash of pipe in case the opportunity to cast a cannon ever arises in the distant future?
What kind of purity is this stuff?
Is there any reason why one couldn't simply add an appropriate  amount of tin and get bronze suitable for casting a cannon?
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He reached out and stroked shiny barrel. "Manuel, once there was a man who held a political make-work job like so many here in this Directorate, shining brass cannon around a courthouse."

   "Why would courthouse have cannon?"

   "Never mind. He did this for years. It fed him and let him save a bit, but he was not getting ahead in the world. So one day he quit his job, drew out his savings, bought a brass cannon--and went into business for himself."

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: Copper plumbing pipe?
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2011, 04:51:02 PM »
    Use electrical wire. 

        Tracy
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Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin'-cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets - 'Tss! 'Tss!

From the poem  Screw-Guns  by Rudyard Kipling

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Copper plumbing pipe?
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2011, 05:16:46 PM »
I have a hundred or so pounds of 'ingots' (blocks of copper for fixture parts) that SOMEDAY I'll consider melting down.

BUT the copper tubing becomes 1" lengths filled with excess silicone potting compound and becomes the bullets for my hand gonne.

Hold the copper 'till the price is high and trade for something you need.

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Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline jamesbeat

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Re: Copper plumbing pipe?
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2011, 05:21:13 PM »
Yes, I know electrical wire is pretty pure (I also tend to hoard that too :)) but is copper pipe worth stockpiling for this purpose  also?
I'm guessing that it must be quite strictly regulated because it is in contact with drinking water, but is it alloyed with anything that would render it unsuitable for making a good cannon bronze?

Talking of stockpiling metals, I used to own a couple of stores, and I used to sell body jewelry.
Whenever I got a ball with a stripped thread, or a piece of jewelry was returned by a customer, I took it home and melted it with a torch.
Sometimes, a customer would get us to change their jewelry, and tell us to just throw the old one away. If it was gold, I'd autoclave it and melt it into my lump.

I ended up with quite a sizeable lump of gold, and used it as an ornament and conversation piece.
When I move here to the States, I sold most of my stuff, including the lump of gold.
I didn't really think it would be worth much, especially as it was melted by an amateur with a blowtorch, but I got over $1500 for it!
I nearly fell over when the lady told me the price.

Wouldn't it be nice to gradually collect copper objects and one day make a cannon out of them?
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He reached out and stroked shiny barrel. "Manuel, once there was a man who held a political make-work job like so many here in this Directorate, shining brass cannon around a courthouse."

   "Why would courthouse have cannon?"

   "Never mind. He did this for years. It fed him and let him save a bit, but he was not getting ahead in the world. So one day he quit his job, drew out his savings, bought a brass cannon--and went into business for himself."

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Offline GGaskill

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Re: Copper plumbing pipe?
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2011, 05:48:05 PM »
It kind of depends on whether you ever expect to have a foundry where you can melt and pour your own objects.  My half scale bronze mountain howitzers weighed about 90 pounds as poured (with sprues and heads, etc., still attached.)  Do you have the space to accumulate 90 pounds (or more) of copper pipe and wire while you are waiting to build your foundry?   8)

From copper.org:
Copper pipe is almost pure copper manufactured to the requirements of ASTM B 42 - Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Pipe, Standard Sizes. It may be manufactured from any of five (5) copper alloys (C10200, C10300, C10800, C12000, C12200) that all conform to the chemical composition requirements of alloys containing a minimum of 99.9% Copper (Cu) and a maximum of 0.04% Phosphorous (P).

Actually, if you read that web page, there are quite a few copper "pipe" standards listed.

And, if you look around at copper.org, you can find the specifications for the copper alloys mentioned above.
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“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 jamesbeat

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Re: Copper plumbing pipe?
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2011, 06:28:15 PM »
I do intend to have a foundry one day, it's one of those things (like a lathe and a milling machine) that I've always wanted, and intend to get one of these days.
That's probably in the distant future, but keeping a growing stockpile of copper would make me feel like I was working towards it :D

I don't think I'd ever try anything as ambitious as a 90lb casting, but a small gb bore spanish mortar would be nice.
I figure I have 30-35 years to retirement, so maybe I'll have collected enough by then :)
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He reached out and stroked shiny barrel. "Manuel, once there was a man who held a political make-work job like so many here in this Directorate, shining brass cannon around a courthouse."

   "Why would courthouse have cannon?"

   "Never mind. He did this for years. It fed him and let him save a bit, but he was not getting ahead in the world. So one day he quit his job, drew out his savings, bought a brass cannon--and went into business for himself."

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Offline RocklockI

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Re: Copper plumbing pipe?
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2011, 06:50:59 PM »
Copper pipe is refered to as Red Bronze and (IIRC) is NOT suitable for casting .
Bronze water fittings however  have been used I have a cannon made of it . It blew up due to a massive over load .
 
Looking at the fracture it was only a matter of time , as it was very pourus ,it had been cast as a "project in a casting class" .
 
I have only used electrical copper (99.99) and Tin from Roto metals to make bronze .
The founderies all seem to use "Everdur"
Gary
 
 
 
 
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Offline IvarForkbeard

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Re: Copper plumbing pipe?
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2011, 07:48:49 PM »
Any one looking to get into foundry work as a hobby can do worse than to go to this page for burner designs. I have used a smaller version of Ron's "Mondo" burner for over fifteen years in my gas forges and they are truly a wonderful atmospheric burner.
http://ronreil.abana.org/design1.shtml#Mongo
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Former US Navy, living in West Michigan
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