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Offline Scota

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Foundry experiences
« on: July 08, 2005, 08:19:28 AM »
I have an "in" with a local art foundry.  They can cast brass and bronze objects of hundreds of pounds.  They charge by the pound.  I was thinking of making a wood pattern for a shipboard cannon, maybe 4', on my lathe.  I could add decorative works as appications on the wood pattern.  trunnions would be cast with the barrel.  Then make a green sand mould.  Get it cast.  Drill the bore on my lathe and sleeve with a seamless steel liner.  I have a lathe large enough to do the job.  Was thinking of a soda can, or juice can size bore.  Are golf balls worth messing with, or do they just shed the outer covering?   Any experiences with bronze as a gun barrel material?  Off my rocker or sound like a plan?

Epoxy the liner or solder?  Make a flat end drill bit to make the flat end of the liner bear on metal?
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Offline GGaskill

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« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2005, 08:32:55 AM »
You might read down through http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=58644" target="_blank">this thread for some discussion of casting bronze artillery.
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GG
“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 Cat Whisperer

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« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2005, 02:38:24 PM »
This is the longest thread, but covers a period of time from idea through finished product on the choice of materials and the machining aspects:

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=13760&highlight=

Enjoy.
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Offline Double D

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« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2005, 05:23:10 PM »
If you are going to go to all the time an expense of building a gun like you outline, don't build it to shoot golf or tennis balls.  Make it shoot cast balls.

You can make you own mould, have a mould made or buy pre cast balls. For about $170 I had a mould mad and bought enough zinc to cast me  7 3/4.  Ten balls from Cannon LTD would have cost me $170 plus 60Lbs of freight.

To buy balls seem expensive, but remember you are going to go down range and pick the balls up and shoot them again and again. Those cast zinc balls are pretty durable.

You can also shot things like cement filled cans and pvc.  I know some here recommend cast cement balls.  I don't.  Cement is abrasive and can damage you bore. I also had them shatter on firing.

As far as you liner goes I suggest you get a copy of THE MORE COMPLETE CANNONEER  By M.C. Switlik with selected excerpts from other artillery manuals All you questions about a liner and its installation  will be found there.

Look on our sticky at the top of the board for suppliers of pre cast balls.
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