Author Topic: Nano-mortar (Read 41136 times)

Terry C. · « **Reply #150 on:** March 09, 2008, 05:00:34 PM »

Thanks Lance. I think 'nicest' might be a bit of a stretch, considering some of the workmanship being displayed lately. But I am pleased with the way it turned out.

More smoke & fire!

I've found a new ammo. The plastic AirSoft pellets are the same size as my #4 buckshot, and can be fired in the yard with relative safety.

I was losing light quickly, but I did manage to get off a couple of shots with the 6mm plastic pellet, patched with a 3/4" square Outers cleaning patch saturated with Bore Butter. This is the same patch I used on the buckshot pellet, it slides into the bore easily. Just tight enough to keep the ball/pellet in place in spite of my ham-fisted handling.

Because of the light weight of the plastic pellet, I bumped the charge up to four grains of FFFg.

When I have more time I'm going to try some target shooting with the AirSoft pellets. I was a little skeered to shoot the big lead pellets at my little Beeman pellet trap.

Click on the pictures to play the videos:

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #151 on:** March 09, 2008, 05:12:15 PM »

Lance, Don't say anything about holding a plate at 3 feet until you see our shooting. This ain't no Daisy air rifle you know. THEY were fairly accurate!

Victor3, A .22 cal Parrott sounds pretty good. Lots easier to get the rifling in your cannon that way! Building a special head small enough to do .22 cal. would not be fun. The smaller the parts are, the harder they are to handle which makes them harder to manufacture. Your desert education project sounds like fun. Hope they learn a lot! I just bet you get 100% attention. Most teachers can't claim anything close to that.

Terry C. Very, very nice. Good looking gonne. That bluing really did the trick and we both are impressed with the internal threaded tiller locking feature. We might have to borrow that for a full-size gonne we are planning for a future build. We might take you up on that capture the pic method; our camera, (co. camera) software will not load all the way. You can probably expect a PM in a few. Thanks.

Regards,

Tracy and Mike
NICE VIDEOS, Terry. She speaks!!

Victor3 · « **Reply #152 on:** March 10, 2008, 01:50:56 AM »

Terry C. said....

"Sounds good, if you can pull it off. I was approached with a similar idea by a student not long ago. The school officials' response to the idea was downright threatening.

It seems that our school board considers any organized gathering of students anywhere the same as school grounds and that if I brought any of my 'devices' (even without powder or fuse) anywhere near them I would be treated the same as if I'd brought a loaded gun onto campus.

What a world we live in..."

Thanks much for that info, Terry.

Although my Son is homeschooled and my Wife and I comprise the School Board of our own private school of one student, we had not even considered what our Son's academy officials might think concerning such a project. One never knows unless they ask, and we did not think to do so. We just thought it would be a unique and fun project.

Many science projects are done in our group with model rockets, compressed air and volatile chemicals, but I've not seen any using any kind of guns. Might not be "P.C." as far as the academy is concerned.

We did our tests earlier today, and the project has been very educational for our Son. We will inquire before proceeding with the presentation though. You may have saved us from making a mistake.

Thanks again,

Victor

Terry C. · « **Reply #153 on:** March 12, 2008, 03:52:32 PM »

Quote from: seacoastartillery on March 09, 2008, 05:12:15 PM

That bluing really did the trick and we both are impressed with the internal threaded tiller locking feature. We might have to borrow that for a full-size gonne we are planning for a future build.

Actually, it was Victor's gonne that inspired the idea. After I saw his threaded tiller I thought "I wish I'd done something like that!" I had to go back and re-examine my design and figure out how to thread the tiller onto the gonne with no threads cut into the socket.

Firing my micro-gonne was a somewhat time-consuming procedure because I had to weigh out each charge individually. The smallest scoop in my Lee kit throws 4.8 grains of FFFg and overfills the chamber, which has a capacity of 2.5 grains.

I've loaded the gonne with charges close to what the Lee scoop would throw when shooting the plastic AirSoft pellets, which weigh only 1.69 grains, but when shooting the lead pellets (19.63 grains) I want to keep the charge within the confines of the chamber.

Weighing and handling the minuscule charges was a pain. What I needed was an easy to handle volume measure with the same internal dimensions as my chamber. I finished my work a little early today, so armed with a chunk of scrap aluminum and a little too much time on my hands, I came up with this:

The entire measure is machined from a single piece of aluminum. The dimensions are incidental, other than the powder cavity everything as eyeballed. The overall length of the measure is 3.054". The handle is .547" in diameter. The handle was roughed up with some medium emery cloth while still in the lathe, to give it a more positive grip. No other finish work was done, although I may buff it out with some 0000 wool now that it's been tested.

The cavity mimics the dimensions of the gonne's powder chamber, so theoretically a full measure should exactly fill the chamber.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #154 on:** March 13, 2008, 12:58:37 AM »

Nice touch!

So do you actually get greater accuracy using it?

Victor3 · « **Reply #155 on:** March 13, 2008, 02:56:10 AM »

Terry,

When I saw your method of attaching the tiller, I also said "Why didn't I think of that?" I already had about 1/4" of tapped hole length left behind the breech plug. I could have dispensed with the tapping at the rear if I'd thought about it. I think either way is better than using a crosspin or screw.

The other day when I did live-fire testing, I was using a 22 Long Rifle case for a scoop (Full to the top with FFFFG). I think this is just about right for mine. I was able to hit a soda can 2 of 6 shots at about 5 yards, and it gave a satisfying pop with a bit of recoil.

It's no BB gun - could easily dispatch a rabbit with a well placed shot. I might try hunting with it if I can become proficient at hitting a target.

I'm going to put together a little 'possible bag' with shot, capped 22 cases full of powder, pre-cut fuse and some cotton pipe cleaners for spit-swabbing the bore in the field.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #156 on:** March 13, 2008, 08:58:02 AM »

Mike and I really like the internal threads, either design, ( Victor's or Terry's) is fine, rather than a cross-pin or rivet or screw, (least desirable). There's definitely a "gonne" in our future build schedule. As far as the accuracy of these pint-size guns goes, we will drag the old Daisy BB gun out this weekend and have a shoot off at 15 feet with the tiny Rodman gun. We are learning a lot from you guys and we don't mind admitting that at all. After looking at all the mess we had on a large piece of cardboard when we test-fired our little seacoast gun, we definitely will take Victor3's lead and make a "possibles" bag for shooting these diminutive guns. We like Terry C.'s powder scoop and will include one similar to it in the bag. Any thoughts about building a miniature "Budge Barrel" and teeny-tiny flannel-bag charges were dismissed when we could not find a source of leather of a thickness suitable for the barrel's rain and spark cover.
We believe that Rickk mentioned Q-tip swabs worked well for cleaning these small tubes between shots early in this thread. Anyway, they do! Although we prefer the term "sponging the bore", now at least those who prefer"swabbing" can say, "Now I will sponge the bore with a swab", and be accurate in their description!!

Thanks guys, we are ALWAYS learning thanks to you all.

Mike and Tracy

KABAR2 · « **Reply #157 on:** March 13, 2008, 11:09:41 AM »

Quote from: seacoastartillery on March 13, 2008, 08:58:02 AM

Any thoughts about building a miniature "Budge Barrel" and teeny-tiny flannel-bag charges were dismissed when we could not find a source of leather of a thickness suitable for the barrel's rain and spark cover.

Mike and Tracy

Mike & Tracy,

I have the answer for the leather issue, the gentleman who created many of the tall ship models for the Mariners museum down here in Ol' Virginia had the same problem.....
scale leather for various items used on shipboard....... His answer was to tan his own leather......... mice provided the source for his scale leather!

(Just don't tell PETA! ) if there is a will there's a way.

Allen <><

accuratemike · « **Reply #158 on:** March 14, 2008, 02:52:55 AM »

Hmmm....the moleskin stuff for feet? (Is this stuff really mole hide?) I'm not sure if mole hide is substantially thicker than that of mice. Never did ask my cat, he would have known. Good hunting, MIKE

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #159 on:** March 14, 2008, 09:49:17 AM »

Thanks for those suggestions, guys, but our present schedule doesn't allow for this much fun-work and the only rodent experience I've had was with feeding them to those rattlesnakes and copperheads my friend and I used to collect around Kingston, NY 35 years ago. I don't know anything about moleskin except that it is a synthetic product, thank goodness! I think a powder measure and a little container of some sort for the powder will finish up the 'possibles bag' contents along with ear swabs for miniature sponging operations and ramming and also some bits of kleenex for over-shot wadding(very, very little, just enough to hold the BB in place).

Be careful how you handle these little guns. They are just like pistols and much easier to point in the wrong direction. You guys know what mothers say about BB guns, don't you!!!

Regards,

Tracy and Mike

lance · « **Reply #160 on:** March 14, 2008, 03:09:54 PM »

I sure hope i don't have to make little tools and powder measurers and wads and things to stuff in a little possibles bag for the #12 shot size Pico-Gonne!

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #161 on:** March 16, 2008, 03:19:37 PM »

It's snowing and sleeting so we have a pretty good excuse for not getting out for the Nano-Rodman versus BB gun Shootoff. We were not idle, however, and managed to make or find everthing for the "possibles bag" except the bag. We are really looking forward to a nice sunny day; I haven't shot that Daisy in years and years and this shootoff is the perfect reason for dragging it out once again. A picture below shows our possibles spread out.

I don't think any of us would want to work with tools quite that small, Lance. But, of course, we expect you to. Get busy; we expect them to be finished by Tuesday!

Only kidding!! Your gonne is so cute, you have the miniature cuteness factor amply covered.

Regards,

Tracy and Mike

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #162 on:** March 16, 2008, 03:45:41 PM »

Quote from: KABAR2 on March 13, 2008, 11:09:41 AM

...... His answer was to tan his own leather......... mice provided the source for his scale leather!
...
Allen <><[/color]

It can be done. This little guy woke me up a a quarter 'til four one cold January morning - prime pelt!

lance · « **Reply #163 on:** March 16, 2008, 04:00:08 PM »

I'm looking forward to the SEACOAST Rodman VS BB gun shootoff !!!! Not sure if i'm looking forward to the next lunch with Tim,the mouse meat was fed to the cats right?

lance · « **Reply #164 on:** March 16, 2008, 04:17:44 PM »

Just now i've been going back through this Very Fun Topic, and i noticed that i among others, have won some of Double D's Prized KEWPIE DOLLS!!! Thank you Double D!!! P.S. I like my wooden mortar alot better than my Pico-Gonne, easier to load and more fun to shoot.

Terry C. · « **Reply #165 on:** March 17, 2008, 01:40:59 PM »

Lance, if you hadn't mentioned the Kewpie, I never would have noticed.

"Ahem, I'd like to thank the Academy..." Oops, wrong award!

T&M, I've identified most of your kit. I'm not sure what the two items on the left are. I'm assuming one of them contains powder.

Is the Tee-shaped object a measure?

Speaking of measures, I never posted a pic of the brass measure I made for the Pullen micro-mortar. I haven't shot the little mortar in quite some time so the measure has been hidden away, almost forgotten. I dug it out when I started experimenting with the micro-gonne and the plastic AirSoft pellets.

Here it is, all shined up, next to the new aluminum measure for the micro-gonne. Made of brass scraps, it throws a 3.5 grain charge of FFFg.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #166 on:** March 17, 2008, 04:12:27 PM »

Hope to get out there later this week to shoot the nano-cannon and the BB gun, snow or no-snow. Thanks for the Kewpie, Douglas! Just made a little measure which throws 3.0 grains of FFFg BP with a brass scoop and a mahogany handle. Also, a little 1 oz. powder container made from a WD-40 aerosol can cap and a turned mahogany lid. The other item is a Kleenex tissue folded and rolled and held by a piece of small dia. pipe cleaner for vent cleaning.

Remind me NEVER to wake up Tim with an early morning phone call !!!

The picture below is the first one in a new thread which we will call the "Ironclad Tests of 2008". Genuine boiler plate, one inch thick will be used as the target for the experimental 1/6th scale Brooke Rifle bolts which are made from S7 tool steel hardened to 53 to 57 Rc on the "C" scale. Mike machined little 12L14 leadloy steel sabots which are bolted to the bottom to expand into the rifling. The connection to the nano-Rodman is the outing which will see BOTH fired. ANY excuse to go shooting!

Regards, Tracy and Mike

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #167 on:** March 18, 2008, 01:17:40 AM »

Quote from: lance on March 16, 2008, 04:00:08 PM

I'm looking forward to the SEACOAST Rodman VS BB gun shootoff !!!! Not sure if i'm looking forward to the next lunch with Tim,the mouse meat was fed to the cats right?

The mouse pictured was from 1975. But I do have a Have-A-Heart trap for mice - THEY get fed to the cats - one of which acts like a "ball bearing mouse trap" and he DOESN'T share.

T/M - call any time - but if you call after midnight wait until I start sounding coherent and then ask the question. If you're of the female persuasion, and my wife answers, and she ask who you are or what it's about, DON'T tell her it's none of her business!

MikeR C · « **Reply #168 on:** March 23, 2008, 06:17:26 PM »

So, I want to play this game too. I saw Cat Whisperer's post:
"I would like to have a swivel gun in fire-cracker caliber for back poarch and bar-b-que party entertainment. "
And I decided I wanted a swivel gun that I could shoot firecrackers off the porch too. (It helps that they are legal here). So I looked around and found this swivel gun:

So I made a set of drawings, and this is how far I've come:

I still have to mount the trunions and make the "key". It has a 5/16 bore in order to shoot firecrackers and it is all cut from 1144 stressproof so I figure it should hold together with a 10 grain charge

Thanks
MikeR C

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #169 on:** March 24, 2008, 12:48:18 AM »

SHAZAM !

You don't KNOW how jealous I am!

Of course, you'll need to send it to one of the moderators of this board for proof testing and life-time testing!

Breechloading too.

I've found that just a pinch of 3F will get a BlackCat out about 30 + feet with a bore that's 2" deep and just large enough to slide the firecracker in it. I use the same fuse cut from the firecracker too - that means a really small fuse hole.

Double D · « **Reply #170 on:** March 24, 2008, 03:28:35 AM »

Quote from: Cat Whisperer on March 24, 2008, 12:48:18 AM

Of course, you'll need to send it to one of the moderators of this board for proof testing and life-time testing!

Tim is absolutely correct about this. But since he is gainfully employed and doesn't have time and I am retired and have the time...I'll send you my address.

Max Caliber · « **Reply #171 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:16:10 AM »

MikeR C, Very fine work indeed.

Fluxion · « **Reply #172 on:** March 24, 2008, 07:40:52 AM »

MikeR C, That is Awesome! You wouldn't mind if I copied you would you? That would be a fine next project.

MikeR C · « **Reply #173 on:** March 24, 2008, 08:59:47 AM »

Thank you gentlemen,
It's been a lot of fun. I plan on putting a yoke on it with some kind of steel base so it is free standing. I also want some kind of quadrant with pins so I can set the elevation.

Fluxion,
If you are not in a big hurry to get started, I plan on posting the drawings. I have hesitated on posting drawings with dimensions 'cause I've seen what happens when a dim is in the wrong place

However, I'm not a draftsman so you will just have to take it as it comes and snicker behind my back.

I am going to rechuck the reciever tonight and re-cut the top opening so it is a bit easier to drop in the chamber. When that is done I will update the drawings "as built" and post them.

Thank you again,
MikeR C

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #174 on:** March 24, 2008, 09:27:52 AM »

MikeR C, Very, very, very, very nice!! You have made, what is most likely, the best looking fire-cracker cannon in existence! We have just two questions: How will you attach the tube to the breech? Press fit, shrink fit, push fit with tapered pin, or something completely different? What is the overall length? Can't wait to see it finished.

Don't send it to either of these moderators.........you'll never get it back!! Instead, send it to us; we will do complete firing tests and as time permits we will build a scale HMS Mary Rose to give it a deserving platform from which to blast imaginary French or Spanish enemies!! AND, we will eventually send it back too!

What a great gun,

Mike and Tracy

Fluxion · « **Reply #175 on:** March 24, 2008, 10:44:56 AM »

I'm not in too much of a hurry, I have two other mortars to finish before I can start anything else. Dimensioned drawings would be fantastic!

MikeR C · « **Reply #176 on:** March 24, 2008, 10:48:47 AM »

Well, I figure I'm sticking my neck waaay out here, but, I have cut some shallow grooves in the barrel where it goes into the breech and I'm planning on soft soldering it. BUT, I will then drill thru the sides of the breech into the barrel and use the 5/16 steel (probably drill rod) trunnions as "pins". I really don't expect it to come apart.
In the other firecracker cannons I have I use between a 1/2 and one full .22 rimfire cartridge full of powder (FFFFg) and it shoots a firecracker 30 to 50 feet. I expect a similar loading for this one.

I would like to give it to the moderators, but in the interest of safety I think I will shoot it for twenty or thirty years to make sure it is safe to fire

I'm not sure what the overall length is, I'm at work (supposed to be working anyway) and I will have to wait till I get home to measure it. When I get the yoke and stand on I will post another pic with the "required" powder can.

Thx
Mike

lance · « **Reply #177 on:** March 24, 2008, 02:49:08 PM »

MikeRC, That is Super Cool !!!! That will be a great one for the calendar!

dan610324 · « **Reply #178 on:** March 27, 2008, 02:48:50 PM »

just an theoretical question ,

lets say I would build an cannon with an 1 mm bore ,
how large can the touch hole be without loosing to much power that way ??

GGaskill · « **Reply #179 on:** March 27, 2008, 05:03:37 PM »

A 0.5 mm hole would have one quarter the area that a 1 mm bore would have. I would consider that a minimum relationship. On the other hand, you're not going to do much damage to anything with a 1 mm bore piece, anyway.