Fuse and or vent size

[jeffrey]

Hello I work in a bronze foundry.And makeing a 26 inch long  4inch wide 1 inch bore. Need to know how what size should my fuse hole be   :?  Thank you for your time and your help if you can      jeff

[GGaskill]

I drill mine #29 but you should buy some fuse before drilling your touch holes so you can drill a hole it will fit through.

[dominick]

I use a 9/64" drill bit. It allows an 1/8" fuse to slide in loose, but not to large  as to allow a stray spark to drop in the opening.

[Cat Whisperer]

Hello I work in a bronze foundry.And makeing a 26 inch long  4inch wide 1 inch bore. Need to know how what size should my fuse hole be   :?  Thank you for your time and your help if you can      jeff

jeffrey -

WELCOME to the board!   Have we got questions for you!

I use a crude rule of thumb that I've never seen, but I base it only on my experience - 1-1/2 times the diameter of the fuse.  That allows the fuse to blow clear when fired.  I've seen fuse embers GLOWING some 2 minutes after firing because they didn't get clear.  That would have been embarassing to say the least to have missed it.  Some people like it closer fit than that.


Foundery eh?  You could build up quite a side business for your company!

[kappullen]

Jeffrey,

I'm in the process of making a pattern for a swivel gun/garrison gun.
It's a two piece wood pattern.

It will have a lug that can be drilled/tapped for a broom handle, or turned into a ball.

Do you do lost foam casting.
I plan to make the swivel from foam as I have a foam burning machine.
Cap squares could also be foam castings.

It's going to be about 26" long 3.5 dia at the breach, and weigh 60/70 pounds.
Do you have any idea of a cost in Navy Bronze M, orG?

If this message is against regulations on this forum, please disreguard!

Thanks

Kap

[Cat Whisperer]

Jeffrey,

....

If this message is against regulations on this forum, please disreguard!

....

Kap

Discussion of theory, capabilities, design are OK.

Items of business or commerical nature would be unfair to our sponsors or host.

I (and many others) are obviously VERY interested in either or both.  Put the commercial aspects into email, posting in the classifieds or such.

Thanks,

[Powder keg]

Please mention anything foundry related!!!! And pictures also. The area I live has very few foundries, and all my learning is from books and the school of hard knocks. I'm going to start building a propper furnace soon. If anyone wants me to post my progress let me know. I'll start a new thread. I'm making it for a #22 crucible. I should be able to melt 50 or 60 pounds of brass :lol:

[jeffrey]

We only work in the lost wax casting.My small cannon well weigh 98 pounds ,we can only do about a 200 pound cast so it is all small.Working on using a core rod, but mite get it machined out Just a long as the core rod is not going to move and is very stable :roll: .That is my problem now but are going to pour it like the old civil war way ,bowl and pour it right down the mouth,and hope for no blow out with the bronze pressure inside the sand casting mold.Well try to get step by step pictures out to all if you all would like to see them  Thanks again  jeff   bye

[GGaskill]

You might check out the One of my half scale mountain howitzers thread.  We discuss casting a half scale mountain howitzer in silicon bronze with a lot of pictures.  One of the four castings I made was done as a lost wax investment casting with the wax made in a fiberglass mould taken from the sand casting pattern.  It was an indirect pour, which I recommend as I had a fatally flawed casting of a half scale Coehorn mortar when I did a direct down the muzzle pour.

The four I did were all poured solid with the intent of drilling the bore, rather than using a core.  Since you guys are professionals in the field, you have a better experience base from which to make decisions, but you don't want any porosity in the bore if at all possible.