Author Topic: Reaming and polishing a bore (Read 2302 times)

little seacoast · « **on:** February 09, 2010, 03:19:58 AM »

Hi, I recently purchased a 1" bore cannon tube that seems to have an issue with bore diameter. The bore has several "tight" spots or constrictions and is quite
rough with numerous deep scratches from rough boring. The barrel can not be returned. How do I go about reaming a uniform bore size, say 1.04" and polishing the bore? I do NOT have much in the way of metal working equipment.
Any help appreciated. LS

Double D · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2010, 03:43:16 AM »

Why can't it be returned? A reputable cannon maker should stand behind his work.

It sounds like the barrel was just drilled and not reamed.

How did you determine there were tight spots?

It can be reamed in the lathe if it can be held in a chuck a steady rest. Some provision will have to be made to protect the outside finish from those devices.

If the tight spots are really just rough spots or burrs you can use a brake hone to smooth things up. If you have true tight spots the hone can open them up a bit but but the bore still won't be true.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2010, 04:07:31 AM »

Is this a cast tube? and if so what material iron or bronze?

if there are constrictions it sounds like a core cast bore which

means you need to have a liner installed.

little seacoast · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2010, 06:54:32 AM »

The barrel made by Kansas Cannon Works was purchased on EBay under a no return sale. I knew this when I bought it so I can't very well bitch about it.
The barrel was drilled not cast, my measuring guages show a constriction at 3~4" and again where the trunnion pockets were drilled. It may well not have been reamed, certainly not polished. A ball of known dimension will hang in the bore at these spots, can be driven past, and passes freely through the rest of the bore.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2010, 07:48:43 AM »

Little seacoast,
Some years ago I was very tempted to buy a cannon from this maker; they seem to have a "good outside finish," and the prices on eBay were (and still are) very reasonable. I want to make this clear; I never bought anything from this maker, so I can't form a judgement from any hands on experience with his products, but I can make these factual statements. On two separate occasions I contacted this maker through eBay about different guns he had up for auction, and on both occasions my question to him was: What kind of steel is the barrel made from? His answers to these questions in both instances was that he didn't know, he just picked up the size of steel he needed at the yard where he bought his stock. This in my opinion was not a good sign, and this coupled with the fact that he describes the method he uses to attach the trunnions as: "Trunnions set in milled pockets in barrel and J.B. Welded (epoxied) in place," was enough to make me decide not to buy. Now that you mention that the bore is very rough on your gun, I feel even more confident that I made the right decision.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2010, 08:41:58 AM »

If this "drilled" barrel is constricted at the point that the trunnions are attached

I am thinking he made the barrel walls thin enough at that point to move metal outward

with the fact that the trunnions are epoxied into the tube I think you have a unsafe situation

here, if you bore the constriction out most likely you will cut into the trunnion pocket which

means that some point you may end up loosening or blowing out a trunnion.

RocklockI · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2010, 10:36:45 AM »

Some of these JB welded guns say they are only to be used for blanks . Not sure about this fellow .

grymster · « **Reply #7 on:** February 09, 2010, 11:05:52 AM »

Quote

The barrel was drilled not cast, my measuring guages show a constriction at 3~4" and again where the trunnion pockets were drilled. It may well not have been reamed, certainly not polished. A ball of known dimension will hang in the bore at these spots, can be driven past, and passes freely through the rest of the bore.

So, I'm curious. After the ball is driven past the constrictions, how do you get it back out?

little seacoast · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2010, 11:32:11 AM »

A little FFFF trickled into the fuse hole and a long fuse.

RocklockI · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2010, 01:46:14 PM »

I just checked the Kansas Cannon Works , They clearly state that these guns are for SALUTE ONLY .

Brother I'd take him at his word . If the maker tell you straight up dont do this .....you might not want to do it ?

Good luck , Gary

I'd find a proper 'shooting cannon , and definatly leave this in the 'listening to or 'lookin at catagory .

Kinda like the rock candy in true grit ...Oh its not for eatin it's for lookin at ....

Double D · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2010, 01:51:40 PM »

A hard lesson, but you will find you are way ahead by buying from our sponsors, they are reputable and under stand how to porperly build a cannon.

You should put the Kansas Cannon works cannon up for sale on ebay as salute cannon and recoup as much of you lose as possible. and then buy from our sponsors.

The sponsors guns may be a little more money, but now you know why.

little seacoast · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2010, 03:40:22 PM »

I think you are both right, althoughalmost everyone advertises that way for liability reasons I guess. So, Anybody in the market for a spiffy "salute" cannon?

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2010, 04:31:04 PM »

Quote from: RocklockI on February 09, 2010, 01:46:14 PM

I just checked the Kansas Cannon Works , They clearly state that these guns are for SALUTE ONLY .

In order to sell on FleaBay a cannon isn't supposed to fire a projo and should only be used as a salute gun. Your add will be yanked if you say it can fire a ball. Sounds like buyer beware. Just my 3 cents worth.

a4beltfed2000 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2010, 05:01:49 PM »

NOT TO BE TAKEN AS IMPUT BUT SERIOUS QUESTION REGARDING MATTER NOT TO BE USED AS A IDEA!

that all being said, could one put a heavy liner inside barrel and still make it safe to fire. That is if its a 1 inch bore could it be relined to say 50 cal using something like a 4130/4140 DOM tube with a welded in breech plug in the DOM tube?

MODS- if this isn't a good question to ask please feel free to pull.....

Double D · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2010, 05:08:33 PM »

It's a very good question!

Yes it could be lined and shot.

The issue still remains what to do about the trunnions. They are made of mystery metal. It might be weldable and it might not be.

Anyone who believes they are escaping liability by saying salute gun only is delusional.

Soot · « **Reply #15 on:** February 09, 2010, 05:41:50 PM »

I think I would stay away from DOM tubing and get seamless.
Dom is a welded tube. Distributors often call DOM seamless because there is no apparent seam, but manufactures never do.
Look up the ANSI specs to see what you are buying. Here.

Victor3 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2010, 01:09:26 AM »

I've seen auctions for these barrels for a while now. IIRC, the breech is ~3" OD, right?

If it were mine and I decided to keep it, I'd melt out the epoxy and remove the trunnions. Then measure and calculate the distance between the bottom of the trunnion pockets and bore. If it's at least 1/4", I wouldn't sweat it being unsafe considering the modern steel it's made from. The minimum material between the bottom of the trunnion pocket/bore is only a small area across the center of the pocket; the rest is progressively thicker away from center. The pockets are far enough up from the chamber to where pressure shouldn't be an issue.

If you have sufficient thickness, you could make (or have made) larger diameter trunnions and press fit them in as long as the pockets are deep enough to hold them solidly.

I use .975" balls in my 1" cannon. It's got a slight (~.005") restriction where I welded the trunnion ring on.

little seacoast · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2010, 03:11:19 AM »

I might just let it sit where it is, I've got less than 200.00 in it and the wife doesn't mind it sitting there.

dominick · « **Reply #18 on:** February 10, 2010, 03:44:06 AM »

If you have a 4-1/2" or 7" angle grinder, you can fabricate a bore sander to remove the roughness from a drilled bore. My 1" bore sander is made from a length of 5/8" round with a 5/8" nut welded to the end for threading onto the grinder. The other end is split wide enough for cloth backed sand paper. Wrap the sandpaper around the rod in a counter-clockwise direction until it is a tight fit in the bore.

Rickk · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2010, 02:47:59 PM »

just a thought, but if you are going to think about putting a liner in it, instead of messing with a 50 caliber smoothbore, maybe JB WELD a 50 caliber rifled barrel down there. Used ones can often be had for cheap. You would probably still have to re-fabricate a breech plug and install a liner to get thru the epoxied area, but you would have to do that with a smooth steel tube as as well.

Rick