Author Topic: Just swapped for golf ball cannon (Read 2067 times)

one thumb short · « **on:** August 28, 2012, 08:08:56 AM »

Hi I just swapped for a golf ball cannon.The barrel is 24inches long ,bore is 1.687 .I am wondering if the bore needes to be in larged ,golf balls are 1.687.Barrel material is 4130 chromely ,I am also wondering about the vent hole.the fuse is .100 thousandsants the hole looks .125 thousants.Should it be bigger?It has a cap on the end of the breech with a chamber for the powder.He made it that way for easy cleaning.Looks well built any ideas ?.I do not have pictures of it yet,will try to get a hold of Cannoneer he said he would help me post pics before.It was built in 2008 and the guy I got it from has shoot it with pirodex 1f and 2f smaller loads than black powder.It's base is aluminum plate with a flat steel frame to lay downon the ground.I plan on making a naval carriage for it .I am going to my gun club meeting tonite to see where they are going to tell me to shoot it at the range and my bronze cannon .Should be alot of fire and smoke as I am using 1f black powder Well thanks for all the help on my cannons.One thunb short

buzz36 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2012, 04:51:59 PM »

golf balls are 1.68 for PGA play or so the PGA told me
but i have notice some as big as 1.72 mine is 1.71 and i find 1.68 balls work great butthe larger balls i should enlarge mine to 1.73 to 1.75 to allow for proper windage
how big around is your barrel at the breech?
please post some pics we want you safe and happy

Double D · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2012, 05:51:26 PM »

Again the info you need about projectile size will be found in the reference sticky.

There is a lot of useful information on the stickies that we have collected over the years we have had this board..

Computing bore size:
To compute the proper bore diameter for a given object to be used as a cannon projectile:

Measure the diameter of your perspective projectile. Divide diameter by 39. Multiply the result by 40.

Bore Size of commonly used items for cannon projectiles:

A guide to common can sizes Can sizes

A bowling ball gun with proper windage would need a minimum bore of 8.815 inch.
The circumference of a ball shall not be more than 27.002 inches nor less than 26.704 inches. 27.002 xi .31831 = 8.595 maximum diameter of a bowling . (8.595/39)x40= 8.815 inches http://www.topendsports.com/sport/tenpin/balls.htm

The Pressure tank need to make the expansion chamber for a bowling ball mortar for is the 300 CF, DOT 3AA2400 made by Taylor Wharton. http://www.taylorwharton.com/assets/base/doc/products/cylinders/TW1102_StandardHighPressure.pdf

A golf ball gun with proper windage would need a minimum bore of 1.723 inch.
The diameter of a golf ball is 1.68 inch. . (1.68/39)x40=1.723
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/beginner/balltypes.html

A popcan mortar with proper windage needs a bore of 2.667.
A Diet Coke can is 2.6 inches in diameter. (2.6/39)x40=2.667

Dimensions and weight of cannon ball sinkers.
http://www.barlowstackle.com/Do-It-Cannon-Ball-Sinker-Molds-P303.aspx

Dimensions of Pool Balls
All balls must be composed of cast phenolic resin plastic and measure 2 ¼ (+.005) inches [5.715 cm (+ .127 mm)] in diameter and weigh 5 ½ to 6 oz [156 to 170 gms]. http://wpa-pool.com/index.asp?content=rules_spec A pool ball cannon or mortar should be (2.255/39) 40 = 2.313 inch bore.

Dimension of a Tennis ball.
...the acceptable range for ball diameter (2.575 inches to 2.700 inches respectively for a Type 2 ball). The accuracy of calibration is 1/-0.005 inches. http://www.itftennis.com/technical/research/lab/balls/size.asp

measurement conversions
Convert: http://www.joshmadison.com/software/convert/ handy little free ware program to convert all sorts of units of measurement

one thumb short · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2012, 06:41:12 PM »

buzz Dia of barrel is 2.50 at breech,the cap dia is 3inches with a powder chamber in it which measures 1.42 x1.42 .,bore is 1.68 ,theowner said he ran into golf balls 1.70 but used the 1.68.looks like I need to bore it a little bigger to 1.72 for the balls I plan on using.The reason I posted this is to make sure I am going to be safe shooting it.You guys are the best.
I took pictures tonite but do not know how to send I am going to get a hold of Cannoner to help me out.Thanks one thumb short

buzz36 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 29, 2012, 01:56:57 PM »

Dimensions and weight of cannon ball sinkers.
http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=1572&CATID=59
DD this link is dead

GGaskill · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2012, 02:57:18 PM »

Is this what you were looking for? Do-It Cannon Ball Sinker Molds

Double D · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2012, 05:54:27 PM »

Looks like George fixed it! Thanks George.

buzz36 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2012, 04:54:28 AM »

thanks much

one thumb short · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2012, 05:03:17 AM »

Hi Boy am I confused,what is the windage that has to do with muzzle dia.and ball dia..I know about Kentucy windage.
Buzz thanks for the info on gb dia.I am only going to shoot 1.687 gballs.Artillary77 makes a mold gb at 1.687 gb mold for lead,the sinker mold is listed at 1.70 ,I have seen other maker of gb cannonspost 1.69 dia. my bore is really 1.687 that is .003 of and inch difference.My question is what dia ball do I use for my barrel .I did the calculation from the list and it showed 1.72.My barrel is not a bronze ,brass but chromoly 4130 steel.I talked to the guy who I got the cannon from and he has shoot it 100 times with regular gballs and no problem because of the design and materials like some of the others for sale.Yes I want to be safe ,and I know some are going to disagree ,that is why I put it on the form to get different opinions to weigh if I truly need to open up my bore or it's ok to shoot as is.Artillery77 is a member of this and you keep saying to use sponsers ,his mold is 1.687 the sinker mold is 1.70 by a non sponser.I plan on shooting golf balls because they are cheap that is why they made these cannons,cheap shooting.
Well now you know what I am looking for,I think GGaskill is going to help me post pics of the cannon and that might change a few minds about how strong my cannon is 4130 chromoly is over 95,000 lbs strenght.Thanks for all the input I am still a newbie to cannons but have shot all my life just turned 69 so I have been around the block before.I really like this forum all the good guys on it and the info they provide.
One thumb short

one thumb short · « **Reply #9 on:** August 30, 2012, 05:13:32 AM »

Hi again ,It has been a long time since I have cast balls .I plann to cast them for my bronze cannon .How much shrinkage occurres .if the mold is 1.687 what is the final size going to measure.Is there a scale on shrinkage for that on this forum or does some one know the shrinkage rate?one thumb short

Double D · « **Reply #10 on:** August 30, 2012, 05:56:13 AM »

Quote from: one thumb short on August 30, 2012, 05:13:32 AM

Hi again ,It has been a long time since I have cast balls .I plann to cast them for my bronze cannon .How much shrinkage occurres .if the mold is 1.687 what is the final size going to measure.Is there a scale on shrinkage for that on this forum or does some one know the shrinkage rate?one thumb short

I do hope you are not thinking of shooting cast lead golf balls. They will be excessively heavy and result in higher pressure and more violent recoil.

The amount of shrinkage will depend on the alloy of the lead.

I would not recommend a lead ball in a cannon bore over 1 inch. If you do use lead you need to handle them very delicately to avoid deformation. You absolutely need to have ball gauge for lead. In my experience, you should gauge the ball just before you load it in the bore. The lead ball should go straight from gauge into the bore--if it passes gauging.

In a bronze barrel, I would look to casting zinc. You can buy zinc golf balls from Rotometals. I have an open group by set up in the Cannon Classifieds, http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,219140.0.html

I don't think I would use the steel balls in a bronze barrel.

GGaskill · « **Reply #11 on:** August 30, 2012, 01:15:19 PM »

The common understanding of windage in the shooting sports is a sight adjustment to correct for wind effects on the flight of the projectile. However, in smoothbore artillery, it also refers to an intentional enlargement of the bore to compensate for the fouling of black powder in the loading process. It started out as a substantial enlargement to allow the use of the loading ladle to remove shot from the bore. By the later 18th century, it had reduced to 1 part in 25 (4%) and by the end of the muzzleloading era, it was 1 part in 40 (2.5%) but it still allowed some of the pressure to escape around the shot instead of propelling the shot.

In the recreational artillery field, it is considered a safety factor to prevent excess pressure.

one thumb short · « **Reply #12 on:** August 30, 2012, 03:08:18 PM »

GGaskill Thought so but I am new to cannons ,that is why I joined this forum so I can learn.Thanks for telling me the definition in this world of cannon lingo.I just sent a pm to find out what coins are the guy sounds like he lives in Southern Calif where I live and if I can find out for sure what he is looking for I might be able to make them.
I do not think the guy I got my gb cannon used black powder,he used Pyrodex which is cleaner and not as much residue.It is 4yrs old and has a 100 gb run thru it and looks brand new down the bore.I am going to finish up the Pyrodex and then switch to black power.Being in So. Ca. many shops do not carry bp because of regs.I bought mine online,because I love the smell of black powder in the morning.
one thumb short Thanks GGaskill

Double D · « **Reply #13 on:** August 30, 2012, 03:18:02 PM »

Pyrodex is not cleaner, it is far more corrosive and especially in the copper alloys, than blackpowder. I would avoid it at all cost in such guns.

You can mail order black powder from a number sources. See the list in the cannon links sticky

The coin he is looking for is a quoin, pronounced like coin except with a Q. It is wedge shaped device use to adjust elevation. I have attach drawing of a quion for a 8 inch Siege howitzer.

buzz36 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 31, 2012, 06:17:26 AM »

I agree with DD on pyrodex although it works and shoots simular to BP
Ive used to use it in my muzzleloading guns/cannons and ever since i switched i never go back
when i biult my first GB cannon i made the bore 1.69 but since opened that up to 1.72 and have had no problems loading or shooting all day long
i do prefer GB over lead or zink for many reason one its easier on my carriage and price but i do suffer some in accuarcy

Double D · « **Reply #15 on:** August 31, 2012, 06:52:23 AM »

Quote from: buzz36 on August 31, 2012, 06:17:26 AM

I agree with DD on pyrodex although it works and shoots simular to BP
Ive used to use it in my muzzleloading guns/cannons and ever since i switched i never go back
when i biult my first GB cannon i made the bore 1.69 but since opened that up to 1.72 and have had no problems loading or shooting all day long
i do prefer GB over lead or zink for many reason one its easier on my carriage and price but i do suffer some in accuarcy

I have never been able to get Pyrodex to work withut a patch.

Do under stand about greater recoil with steel and zinc in small guns and lead is even worse.

one thumb short · « **Reply #16 on:** August 31, 2012, 11:23:52 AM »

Thanks for all the posts .I plan on shooting golf balls in my golf ball cannon.I plan on shooting my bronze for noise but I would like to shoot lead or zinc as I have the equiptment to melt and cast balls.The guy who built it in 1952 shoot it and I would like to do it to.I want to be safe but I think it has to do with the size of the ball.The bronze barrel is 1.025,I have a ball mill I was going to make my mold ,it is .975 is that enought clearance?Thanks for all the help.one thumb short

Double D · « **Reply #17 on:** August 31, 2012, 01:23:11 PM »

Quote from: one thumb short on August 31, 2012, 11:23:52 AM

Thanks for all the posts .I plan on shooting golf balls in my golf ball cannon.I plan on shooting my bronze for noise but I would like to shoot lead or zinc as I have the equiptment to melt and cast balls.The guy who built it in 1952 shoot it and I would like to do it to.I want to be safe but I think it has to do with the size of the ball.The bronze barrel is 1.025,I have a ball mill I was going to make my mold ,it is .975 is that enought clearance?Thanks for all the help.one thumb short

Even though it has now been deemed offensive and insensitive (Common phrases could be offensive) I will still use the term rule of thumb.

The rule of thumb for basic windage is 1/40th of bore diameter. 1.025 / 40 = 0.025625. So basic rule of thumb calls for a projectile that is 0.025625 smaller or 0.999375 or just 1.0.

Victor3 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2012, 08:59:17 PM »

Quote from: one thumb short on August 31, 2012, 11:23:52 AM

Thanks for all the posts .I plan on shooting golf balls in my golf ball cannon.I plan on shooting my bronze for noise but I would like to shoot lead or zinc as I have the equiptment to melt and cast balls.The guy who built it in 1952 shoot it and I would like to do it to.I want to be safe but I think it has to do with the size of the ball.The bronze barrel is 1.025,I have a ball mill I was going to make my mold ,it is .975 is that enought clearance?Thanks for all the help.one thumb short

At 1.025" bore you're in luck; you can buy some cheapo 1" steel balls (IIRC Enco sells them) or cut slugs from 1" bar stock.

I made the mould for my 1" cannon using a .975" ball end mill, but with your 1.025" one I doubt you'd notice a whole lot of difference in accuracy (unless you want to shoot paper targets).

one thumb short · « **Reply #19 on:** September 02, 2012, 05:17:22 PM »

Victor 3 I think I will shoot golf balls to see how it shoots .But am also going to build my mold at .975,I can make another with an 1 inch ball mill.thanks for the interest,I had help posting pics of it on a newerpost if you would like to see it.I will shoot paper target remembe I live in Cal.and not a whole lot of places to shoot.I will take it and my bronze cannon to my gun range where Ican shoot it.Thanks One thumb short

GGaskill · « **Reply #20 on:** September 02, 2012, 07:48:45 PM »

Even though it has now been deemed offensive and insensitive (Common phrases could be offensive) I will still use the term rule of thumb.

Probably only those wishing to be offended knew anything of the supposed background of these phrases. Since when did one have a Constitutional Right to go through life without being offended?

BoomLover · « **Reply #21 on:** September 02, 2012, 09:00:45 PM »

Exactly, George! Nice looking GB Cannon, one thumb short!

one thumb short · « **Reply #22 on:** September 03, 2012, 01:33:50 PM »

Hi I keep getting confused on this sight.What happened to wiping the bore after each shot to get rid of embers and debri before the next shot.That should take care of residue to cause buildup.My cannon is smaller than original full size .One is a 1inch bore ,the other is 1.687 gb cannon and should be easy to clean be fore next shot.I would rather cleanmy cannon and be SAFE before next shot as I am the crew.Thanks for all the comments,but it seems like there are rules for full size cannons and smaller and some confusion in mixing the rules.Thanks one thunb short

flagman1776 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 03, 2012, 02:38:37 PM »

pne thumb short,
As far as I'm concerned, I & every unit I serve with does a full drill appropriate to the piece. Just because it's smaller scale does not change the drill. We make proper sized cannon tools for our chambers, substitute non-combustable aluminum foil for cloth cartridges. We swab to remove as much residue as possible & extinguish sparks... ever mindful it's not an exact science. But we strive diligently, never the less. This not the same as a final gun cleaning but it suffices for mid string.
Now, we all know in combat, gun crews skipped steps to fire more rounds at the enemy who were also shooting at them... either way there would be causalties & it was worth the risk. We are not under fire & have ZERO tollerance for casualties.

Double D · « **Reply #24 on:** September 03, 2012, 02:58:52 PM »

Quote from: one thumb short on September 03, 2012, 01:33:50 PM

Hi I keep getting confused on this sight.What happened to wiping the bore after each shot to get rid of embers and debri before the next shot.That should take care of residue to cause buildup.My cannon is smaller than original full size .One is a 1inch bore ,the other is 1.687 gb cannon and should be easy to clean be fore next shot.I would rather cleanmy cannon and be SAFE before next shot as I am the crew.Thanks for all the comments,but it seems like there are rules for full size cannons and smaller and some confusion in mixing the rules.Thanks one thunb short

I think you are confusing the reason for a condition and practice.

No one is saying don't follow the safety rules and skip swabbing.

We are explaining the concept of windage as used by original guns and the reason for it. The last thing you want is to hang a ball in barrel of a cannon when the enemy is mounting a bayonet charge at you. Nor are you going wait 3 minutes before loading

In sport shooting we don't have the stress of combat and can practice safe techniques.

The 1/40th rule of thumb was a practice in the era.

one thumb short · « **Reply #25 on:** September 04, 2012, 08:02:48 AM »

flaggman and DD I want ZERO errors also as I want to be able to shoot my cannons for as long as I am around .Thanks for the input as I plan to use all rules of shooting cannon as a one man crew.I also like all the members as they aeem to be very good guys and helpful. Thanks again
One thumb short