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Offline seacoastartillery

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Bronze and Iron
« on: January 13, 2013, 11:00:34 AM »
     Mike and I had the unique pleasure of accompanying Gary Lorenz, (Rocklock1) out to our favorite prairie range in June of 2010 to shoot a couple golf ball mortars.  The purpose of this thread, however is to call your attention to the artistry of the bronze mortar.  This is by far -one of my favorites and now that Gary is thinking of making a few of various types, I thought I would re-introduce some of you to his considerable skills in designing bronze cannons.  There are several photos so you can see the important details on his creations.

     The steel mortar on a white oak bed is Seacoast's Mallet's Mortar Jr. which we made in 2008.  We shot steel, Fox balls that day.

The movie clip is for your amusement, however, because this is NOT a pyrotechnics board we WILL NOT be discussing that AT ALL.

Tracy & Mike











Seacoast Artillery assists Gary in boring his tubes and drilling vents.




A Video Clip   Click on image to play.

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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 RocklockI

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2013, 01:12:33 PM »
Thank you seacoast guys.  I know ive been talking quite a bit about doing this but I have been slow to get going.  Youse guys know how much fun we had that day and in my backyard too. Well I,m going now.  The dining table has six Smee mortar waxes laid out, two Morkos and two VOC guns.  I will get these cast up in the near future and offer them to anyone who is interested.  I have to find the pics for them and post to this thread, better yet I will take new ones after the casting is done.
 
Bye the bye Smee was Captain Hook's gunner.  Rember this.....SMEE!  Fire the Cannon!!!
Pronounced 'Schmee'.  Bore sizes are firecracker for Smee, .50 for the VOC and .50 for the Morko.
 
Gary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline RocklockI

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2013, 01:20:35 PM »
Thank you seacoast guys.  I know ive been talking quite a bit about doing this but I have been slow to get going.  Youse guys know how much fun we had that day and in my backyard too. Well I,m going now.  The dining table has six Smee mortar waxes laid out, two Morkos and two VOC guns.  I will get these cast up in the near future and offer them to anyone who is interested.  I have to find the pics for them and post to this thread, better yet I will take new ones after the casting is done.
 
Bye the bye Smee was Captain Hook's gunner.  Rember this.....SMEE!  Fire the Cannon!!!
Pronounced 'Schmee'.  Bore sizes are firecracker for Smee, .50 for the VOC and .50 for the Morko.
 
Gary
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"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline RocklockI

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2013, 02:19:02 PM »
I have enjoyed your company tonight and I will thank you for the two shamless plugs . Unfortunatly the last two posts are not mine Gary's they are a result of Mr Tracys imagination .
 
But the jist of what he said is acurate . It's just that he wants to be me . oh well .
 
Gary (The real one)
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"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline Zulu

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2013, 04:03:50 PM »
Quote from: RocklockI on January 13, 2013, 02:19:02 PM
I have enjoyed your company tonight and I will thank you for the two shamless plugs . Unfortunatly the last two posts are not mine Gary's they are a result of Mr Tracys imagination .
 
But the jist of what he said is acurate . It's just that he wants to be me . oh well .
 
Gary (The real one)

To the real Gary,
Did you share your password? ???
How do we know you are real?
You are sounding pretty suspicious to me. ::)
Zulu
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Zulu's website
www.jmelledge.com

Offline RocklockI

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2013, 11:34:58 AM »
Here is the VOC insurance gun

 
This is Morko with the origanal

 
Photo bucket is not cooperating so I can't show Smee ???  He's a little firecracker gun on a wooden sled.

Gary (the real one ..big head) ;D
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"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline KABAR2

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2013, 03:14:17 PM »

Now if we can only talk T & M into making their mortar a group buy project like the little Krupp's .........
I know I'd buy one!  ;D
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Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2013, 06:55:50 PM »
      Allen, that baseplate which is heat shrunk to the tube keeps us from doing what you ask.  Originally it was a 10 or 12 thousand pound casting with all the undulating curves popular in designs back in those days 1852 to 1857.  We made that only to prove that it could be made by exact machining and PLENTY of filing.  That part was a capitol 'B' to make.  Without a CNC Milling machine or investment cast steel, forget it!
 
      Besides we are talking about Rocklock1's Bronze cannons in this thread.  I did manage to find pics of the first SMEE made and also a really cool howitzer too.  A few pics of Gary's backyard Bronze Foundry are repeated for the edification of the new members.  He carefully sculpts his waxes these days and sends them to a professional Bronze Foundry and then sends the castings to Seacoast for precision boring and venting.
 
 Enjoy the photos,
 
 Tracy and Mike
 
 
 
 
 
 Copper wire makes a 99.9% pure copper and pure, refined tin is added to make bronze 90/10.
 
 
 
 
 With a little cleanup and polishing all pink, copper colored and other colored cannon tubes look like this.
 
 
 
 
 Some crucible holders.
 
 
 
 
 This is the SMEE just after the investment can with it inside is dropped into cold water.
 
 
 
 
 The firecracker bored (5/16") SMEE almost 80% cleaned, but BEFORE any polishing.
 
 
 
 
 My favorite Howitzer with lots of detail on display.
 
 
 
 
 A trunnion 'Face' what is a trunnion face!  Fanciful sure.  But very cool, indeed.
 
 
 
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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 WindElevation

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Re: Bronze and Iron
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2013, 10:35:05 PM »
Some very nice pieces, really like the face on the trunnion!
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