My First cannon...

[MikeR C]

Other than the "bamboo wrapped with mechanics wire, loaded with homemade powder, and fired out of a bunker of fire brick cannons", the photos below (I hope) show the first "real" cannon I made.
It was made in high school on a 9" Southbend out of brass. It is aprox .190 bore, .64 at the breech, and aprox 4" long. The trunnions are press fit into pockets, the rings over the trunnions are contoured to the barrel, then whole mess was soft soldered together. It was originally bored to shoot some lead shot that Pop had, he also supplied the iron wire for the bamboo cannons although he didn't know about it at the time. The shot is long gone and I fire blanks out of it now on the 4th.
The carraige came off a toy cannon and is metal.

Note I have included the "required" powder can...





I believe it is also "required" to show fire and smoke...




Thank you for perusing my post,
MikeR C

[Double D]

Welcome Mike glad to have ya!!   Smoke and fire as well as powder can not required, just strongly encouraged.

Nice looking gun you got there!!!  How long you had it, must be a while since to build such a thing in school now would be a heineous crime.

.190 is BBB shot size.  Look around for shotgun shells for BBB shot.  Might even be somebody here who has some to send you!

[GGaskill]

Could also use 3/16" bearing balls if available.

[lance]

welcome to the board, thanks for the neat pics. i like all cannons from the biggest to the smallest, the smallest i think are the most special. reminds me of being a kid again, who am i kidding, i'll always be a kid...........

[MikeR C]

Thanks for the welcome.
I turned that barrel in about 1970, Metal shop teacher even approved the project. As I remember he did suggest that I not proof it at school however. I use to shoot shot in it but it fouls so fast that I just fire it on the 4th for old time sake. I have a little bigger one just like it, I'll post some pics later on.
Lance is right, I am still a kid!

Thanks
MikeR C

[lance]

the bigger cannons make me feel like a bigger kid.........

[Double D]

I use to shoot shot in it but it fouls so fast that I just fire it on the 4th for old time sake.

Fouing between shoots hun, well we some folks he that can teach you how to make worms and swabs and such.  But .190 might be a challenge. Someone will do it.

I think you gun fits the large nano class!

[lance]

you could make a fouling tool for that small of a bore out of a coat hanger, or some other suitable piece of metal. heat it red hot, beat it flat, grind or file to fit your bore....... a few turns and you can shake the fouling out. then your back to shooting. for example, if the bore is three and a half inches deep, then the flat edge should be the same lenght. plus the end should have a good straight edge, to scrap the bottom of the bore at the same time.

[Rickk]

Pipe cleaners work in the .19 nanocannon I made for my son

[m223]

Mike, welcome to forum, 1970 guess  your cannon and I have the same year of birth. Glad you didn't get hurt With your bamboo wire cannon. My first cannon was also made in high school  circa 1986. I wish I new what I was doing and I wish my welding instructor would of new something about cannons, because what I made was more akin to giant bomb than a cannon. 3" sewer pipe  3' long , 1 1/2 lbs of smokeless shotgun powder , 1/4 plate welded to one end, bunch of wadding packed extra tight, empty propane cylinder for projectile, and lets not forget the black cat fire cracker fuse. So there we are 6 young idiots getting ready to lite the fuse to our fate. lit the fuse ran like hell only 40' away turned to see this thing go. and go it did, into oblivion. How in the hell it didn't take any of us with it is something only God Knows. At least we had sense enough to take it to a creek bottom 1/2 a mile from the nearest house. A kid I knew lived about a mile away and he said it sounded like some one threw bricks at all the windows. There was absolutely nothing left of this thing, not one piece. All that metal had to go somewhere we were all very fortunate not to be killed, there was no joy in this, no bragging about it. It scared me away from cannons for over 20 years. So I applaud your high school project It looks great I even like the carriage , which by now I'm sure is an antique. For those of you making , buying or firing your first cannon make sure it is safe. Glad to still be here.    Tracy