Author Topic: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos  (Read 16041 times)

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Offline seacoastartillery

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     Finally we have a few pics of some progress on this project, and if you are new to this subject, you can get caught up by looking at the link below which has a bunch of history and design stuff.  Briefly, this thread will describe our efforts to construct a 2/5 scale Paixhans Monster Mortar used by the French and Belgians against the Dutch at the Battle of Antwerp in 1832.  We will be bringing this beast to the Montana Model Cannon Shoot in August.  Despite weighing over 1,000 Lbs. and accompanied by more than 1,500 Lbs. of ammunition, this large French mortar complies with all shoot rules, and is not a full size, but rather, a scale gun.  The bed should be finally complete by next Wednesday and we will post construction photos at that time.

                                http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,162341.0.html


My son helps us out by hauling the heavy 20 foot beams to the cross cut saw and here he removes the water jug neck to open it for concrete filling.  He is a great help and we appreciate it!




The 20 ton press helps us remove the 2.5 degree kink in these foundatioin anchors that we are using for an experimental sabotted round.




A circle cutting jig is made up for cutting the sabbots from Baltic Birch plywood.  They are 10.660" Dia., same size as the Water Jug O.D.  The functional bore is 11.000", so you can see we are allowing PLENTY of Windage!




Here I bend some rabbit fence into a concrete reinforcing configuration.  My fingers were very black and sore after doing this for 10 rounds.




This shows the 5/16" low carbon rod that Mike and I bent into a 180 pound projectile lifting loop.




My version of a sabotted mortar round;  Mike thinks the hole that the bolt goes through will let propellant gasses in between the concrete and the jug plastic with the result of a blown plastic skin.  Has he never heard of Epoxy Glue??  We will see what happens in Montana.





Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin'-cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets - 'Tss! 'Tss!

From the poem  Screw-Guns  by Rudyard Kipling

Offline KABAR2

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2009, 11:54:33 PM »
I would not want to be in the impact zone!  :o

Recovery is going to be a pain............

 ;D I'm guessing your not taking the little car this time........

I hope someone videos this adventure.

Allen <><
Mr president I do not cling to either my gun or my Bible.... my gun is holstered on my side so I may carry my Bible and quote from it!

Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline cannonmn

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2009, 12:56:41 AM »
I put an air-operated hydraulic jack on the same kind of 20T press, makes it a lot more fun to use, and a whole lot faster too.  The footprint of the base of the air jack is larger than that of the manual, so an added 1/2 in. steel plate under it gives the requried support.

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2009, 12:57:34 AM »
Cool technique.

I'm thiinking of using something similar (using concrete column form - cardboard tube) for an almost bowling ball mortar size 02 cylinder.

I LIKE the reinforcements.

Can we assume that the foundation anchors were cheaper than all-thread?

Have you done research into what mix of concrete is more resistant to impact?  Type N?  Type M?  Type P?  (mortar types)

Ahhh HAH!   I knew the real world supported our profession!  MORTAR MIX!   ;D



Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline Rickk

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2009, 02:28:31 AM »
Can I suggest fiber reinforced concrete? It is stronger than regular concrete, but more importantly it does not shrink as much when it sets up, so there will be less separation between the concrete and the jug.

Also, epoxy probably will not stick well to the type of plastic that water jugs are made of. Urethane glue will stick better (aka- Gorilla glue). Of course it is messy as anything to work with. Only seconds ago I was scraping some off of my glasses with an exacto knife, residue from a project last night.

If you pour the concrete while the urethane glue is still a bit tacky, two things will happen. Thing #1 is that the glass fibers in the fiber reinforced concrete will imbed themselves in the urethane, making for a really good bond. Thing #2 is that the moisture in the concrete will then quickly cure the glue, as it cures by absorbing water.

Rick

Offline cannonmn

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2009, 12:59:14 PM »
Use screw gun and drive numerous wood or sheet metal screws with large flat heads into empty plastic jug from the outside, ensuring they are flush with surface.  This will bind the jug closely to the filler when it hardens. 

Quote
   Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
 

Check inside yer keyboard, I rekun there's a frog stuck in there somewheres.

Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2009, 01:33:38 PM »
     Today we mixed and shoveled concrete.  We used up just over 1,300 Lbs., a little less than we figured, but Mike's front walk needs some repair, so.....   My son helped us hump all those bags of 5,000 pound test mix to Mike's backyard, our large artillery building yard.  And, Gary showed up just in time to grab a shovel when the rented cement mixer quit.  It turned about two revolutions and then gave up amid some loud clicking noises.  Sounded like broken gears.  And after Mike and I spent some time building a really nice platform for it too!!  Oh well, back to basics.  11 rounds were completed. 9 regular, 1 sabotted and 1 three-quarter size with a ballistic nose, we will call it a high velocity Navy projectile.

     Speaking of which, John, thanks for your suggestion of an air operated hydraulic jack.  We just might do that.  All that cranking for just a little movement is a pain.

     Allen,   We hope to leave the Obama, Pelosi and Read car at home and drive the GMC Suburban on at least one last trip.  We want to save it for travel in 2010 and beyond, after the current administration's gas taxes have been enacted.  Yes, a video would be nice.  Hope it happens.

     Tim,   I spotted those foundation anchors at Lowes and though they would be just the right size, 5/8-11 thread and cheaper than all-thread too at $2.29 each.  Yes I did lots of research on concrete and went with the 5,000 pound test type for extra strength.  The aggregate is just small enough to pass through the reinforcing mesh.  With two months to cure, we don't anticipate any integrity failures.  We will keep the top damp for about two weeks and under a tarp after that. 

     Rickk,   We tried to find some fiber, Rick, but could not find any locally.  We used your Gorilla Glue, however, and avoided getting it stuck to our glasses!  WOW, it sure does react when the water surrounds it!  Don't think there will be any gas pressure going into the jug from behind the sabot.  Good suggestions, thanks.

     The C.C.P.P.R.s (Concrete Core Prairie Penetrating Rounds) are complete and are helping to anchor Mike's backyard down in case a twister swoops in.  We just saw a small one about 1/3 formed right overhead, but it dissipated after 10 minutes.  Warnings on the TV every day now in the afternoon.  Dorothy, where are you; is this Oklahoma?   Pics below.

Regards, and thanks Gary, for all of your help!  You have perfect timing.  No wonder you are near impossible to beat when you have a rocklock in hand!

Mike and Tracy


The happy workers Gary and Mike  and the Kid assemble munitions on the back 40 of the Broomfield Cannon Manufactory.




Gary and the Kid are justifiably proud after finishing the first of 11 "Tremor Inducing Rounds" for the Monster Mortar.




Tracy cleans and finishes the Ballistic Nose of each round and thoroughly cleans the concrete off of each lifting loop and cleans the Bourlette Bands as well.  No "Hangin-up" half way down for these mortar rounds.  Yes, that was loads of fun with the 81mm mortar rounds as I recall!


Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin'-cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets - 'Tss! 'Tss!

From the poem  Screw-Guns  by Rudyard Kipling

Offline RocklockI

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2009, 02:45:17 PM »
no it's not oklahoma ,......it isn't kansas either..... ;) toto kived in kansas .....i'm pretty sure dorothy did too .  :D
"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline Victor3

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2009, 01:12:27 AM »
 You should fill one with candy and shoot it with a drag chute attached for the kiddies. Much more fun than a pinata.

 Better yet, stuff it with small primates. Then it would be "more fun than a (mortar) barrel of monkeys!"
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Sherlock Holmes

Offline KABAR2

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2009, 01:36:01 AM »
  stuff it with small primates. Then it would be "more fun than a (mortar) barrel of monkeys!"

Now you don't want to do that you'll have some nude chick from PETA  :o show up protesting

the launching of small primates...............unfortunately I have to pass the PETA HQ everyday on

the way to work (barf)  we have our own acronym for them: People embarrassing Tidewater area.

Besides squirrels are more plentiful and would be great to launch!  ;D
 


Mr president I do not cling to either my gun or my Bible.... my gun is holstered on my side so I may carry my Bible and quote from it!

Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2009, 05:44:58 AM »
...
Besides squirrels are more plentiful and would be great to launch!  ;D
...


Rocket J. Squirrel ?    ;D
Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline Ex 49'er

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2009, 05:58:49 AM »
Rocky the Flying Squirrel!!!!!!! Where's Bullwinkle? Be hard to find a mortar to launch a moose.    ;D
When you're walking on eggs; don't hop!!

Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2009, 06:44:23 AM »
     First of all, as much as we would love to see a few naked women from PETA show up at the Shoot, no living creatures will ever be launched from the Paixhans Monster Mortar!  We might possibly entertain the idea of mortar shell candy delivery vehicle with drag chute, but no Primates please.

     The emails are full of questions like, Why a big French Mortar?  Why not an American mortar?  Even some of our more informed members are chiding us:  
Quote
   Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
 

Check inside yer keyboard, I rekun there's a frog stuck in there somewheres.

     Well here is the definitive and complete answer, while staying away from Politics, completely.  As much as we truly appreciate our main ally in recent past worldwide military ops, the U.K.'s armed forces and forever wish them well, we must not forget, that when the chips were down, it was the French who really pulled our chestnuts from the fire.  George Washington, with his, for the most part, army of rag-tag volunteers (militia) and much smaller core of experienced military men, Continentals, came far closer to losing our Revolutionary War than many Americans believe.  No matter how snooty the French sometimes get, we will ALWAYS be grateful for their crucial military help when we reeeeeally needed it.  After all, without that substantial and essential French help so many years ago, we would probably all be speaking the King's english today!  And what about food??
    
     We would all be eating breakfast consisting of fried bacon and eggs ( O.K. !), beans (beans, for breakfast?), fried tomatoes (maybe not), fried bread (Huh?), marmalade on toast (no), Black Pudding, a thick sausage made of blood and fat (no way, no how!).  Or, if you are in a hurry, another popular breakfast in England is the Kipper, a type of salted, smoked herring that is then grilled or fried and you can wash all that salt down with a big mug o’ Tea!  I believe the serving of Coffee is illegal in England; you must learn to drink tea for breakfast, lunch and at Teatime (everything stops at 4:00 P.M. for a spot o’ tea).  How about a scone eaten with Devonshire clotted cream?  How about a steak and kidney pie for lunch?

     So, now you know why we chose the Paihans Monster Mortar and you can be very sure that we will be building more of our interesting rifled and smoothbore guns designed and produced by Americans.  Maybe even a British Screw Gun after we retire in about 2 + years.  It is definitely one of the most fascinating rifled mountain guns ever made.  

Regards,

Tracy and Mike


Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin'-cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets - 'Tss! 'Tss!

From the poem  Screw-Guns  by Rudyard Kipling

Offline cannonmn

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2009, 10:26:44 AM »
The real reason you want to get the frogs out of yer keyboard is that they go oui oui.

Offline cannonmn

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #14 on: June 10, 2009, 07:28:25 PM »
Nuthin' personal, guys, I just like makin' fun o' frogs.

I better be keerful these days though with all the PETF offices around.

Offline KABAR2

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #15 on: June 10, 2009, 11:58:26 PM »
M & T I'm sure for the most part the ribbing you taking about the French mortar

is hopefully good natured, your right, they helped our country win it's independence

now if they could only help us win it back from the present administration.......

you would probably get the same ribbing if you produced a leather gun from Sweden

the jokes would probably go..... are you getting your parts from Ikea? (Groan  ::) )

The idea of building a screw gun is intriguing, I keep looking at the breech loader that

IMA has for 35,000.00 the problem with it is proportions  the barrel just does not look

right on it's small carriage, it is one ugly cannon!

I have no doubt you both have invested a lot of time & money into this project and view

this as more a scientific/engineering experiment & still having fun to boot!  So I for one

salute the French for building such a colossal mortar & the both of you for recreating it in scale
.
Mr president I do not cling to either my gun or my Bible.... my gun is holstered on my side so I may carry my Bible and quote from it!

Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline Victor3

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #16 on: June 11, 2009, 01:19:24 AM »
"...no living creatures will ever be launched from the Paixhans Monster Mortar!"

 Not even Dr. Miguelito Quixote Loveless, just for laughs?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Loveless

 Where's the barrel anyways? We wanna see it.
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Sherlock Holmes

Offline cannonmn

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #17 on: June 11, 2009, 07:42:37 AM »
Quote
Where's the barrel anyways? We wanna see it.

What I'd do there is dig a cylindrical hole in the ground at a 45 degree angle, then insert a plugged-off pipe the right size, and start with smaller charges of powder.  Ignite charge electrically or with quickmatch.

That's pretty much what some of the WWI gas-cylinder-launching mortars were, they just threw a metal cylinder full of liquified gas (chlorine in particular) that they knew from experiment would break open on impact, but stay intact on launch.  Strangely, there are very few photos of those very crude mortars, but I saw a few a long time ago.

Offline KABAR2

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #18 on: June 11, 2009, 08:43:01 AM »
Quote
Where's the barrel anyways? We wanna see it.

What I'd do there is dig a cylindrical hole in the ground at a 45 degree angle, then insert a plugged-off pipe the right size, and start with smaller charges of powder.  Ignite charge electrically or with quickmatch.

That's pretty much what some of the WWI gas-cylinder-launching mortars were, they just threw a metal cylinder full of liquified gas (chlorine in particular) that they knew from experiment would break open on impact, but stay intact on launch.  Strangely, there are very few photos of those very crude mortars, but I saw a few a long time ago.

The Chemical corp. continued using them and had them in inventory during WWII the launcher was little changed from 1917,

I have a manual somewhere from the 1930's showing their use.
Mr president I do not cling to either my gun or my Bible.... my gun is holstered on my side so I may carry my Bible and quote from it!

Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #19 on: June 11, 2009, 09:08:47 AM »
     John,   We know it's nothing personal, and, after about 30 years each in the inspection business, you develop a very, very tough hide or quit.  We never quit anything in our lives.  Sometime succeeding, sometimes failing, but never ever quitting.  I laughed hard at the Oui, Oui..........that's quite good!



M & T I'm sure for the most part the ribbing you taking about the French mortar

is hopefully good natured, your right, they helped our country win it's independence

now if they could only help us win it back from the present administration.......

I have no doubt you both have invested a lot of time & money into this project and view

this as more a scientific/engineering experiment & still having fun to boot!  So I for one

salute the French for building such a colossal mortar & the both of you for recreating it in scale
.

     Allen,   You are very astute in your observations.  ALL of the ribbing has been good natured and it is definitely an engineering project and a totally unfamiliar building project.  We have far more respect for those fellows who build full scale guns now!  IT ain't easy!!  Thanks for the salute; we sure appreciate your comments.

Victor,   The tube will appear in this thread when it's complete, no idea when, but only that it will be sooner rather than later, probably before the second week in July. 

Gary,   I have it on good authority;  Dorothy and Toto lived in Kansas, not Oklahoma.  I stand corrected.  We are doing more concrete work next week, what do you say?  He, he, he.  Sorry, bad joke.  ;) ;)

Headed to the scrap yard right now for shell hoist anchoring steel,

Tracy and Mike



Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin'-cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets - 'Tss! 'Tss!

From the poem  Screw-Guns  by Rudyard Kipling

Offline RocklockI

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #20 on: June 11, 2009, 11:46:09 AM »
oh boy ,......is that 1/3 scale Hover figgin damn ready to pour ...all ready .... maybe we could use a cement mixer next time .... an electric one that works .....instead of the mere peons  that we be .

we all apreiciate the last mixer , it was a nice jesture . but you know that go round and round thinngage just sat there .......doing nothing but humming ...on the stand that took two hours or so to build that will be usefull agian if you could possibly see your kindnessness way to supply a mixer that not only hummms but goes round and round ....too  ;D  U know like a mixer might do . :o   

on that stand that took two hours to build with deck screws and sweat , big timbers . and one unmentioned broken foot ....    poor mike  :( a part of the crane ...the big part fell smack on his foot .
sometimes your partner getting a ding is funny ....this was not funny . he was injured .   

and delayed the whole thing by aleast 20 mins . :D carry on . 

i honestly had a great time  . and am up for the next twenty five rounds . ;D
"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline GGaskill

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #21 on: June 11, 2009, 12:05:13 PM »
This thing is going to make bowling balls look like tennis balls.    ;D
GG
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #22 on: June 11, 2009, 01:50:31 PM »
This thing is going to make bowling balls look like tennis balls.    ;D

Hmmmm.  Big Bore.

What caliber are oil drums?   ;D
Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #23 on: June 11, 2009, 02:00:41 PM »
About two feet, I think.

Actually, from a drum seller on the internet, they are 22 1/2" dia x 34 3/4".  Now 55 gallons is 7.35 cu ft which if filled with concrete at 142 lbs/ft3 would weigh about 1044 lbs!!  And 55 gallons is probably a little less than max capacity to allow for expansion of the liquid without bursting of the drum.
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.”
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Offline KABAR2

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #24 on: June 11, 2009, 03:34:37 PM »
M & T are you going to have these shipped out to DD's

by 18 wheeler ahead of time so they can be staged at the event?

Be careful building too many of these..... all that weight could shift the earth's axis!  ::)  ;D
Mr president I do not cling to either my gun or my Bible.... my gun is holstered on my side so I may carry my Bible and quote from it!

Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #25 on: June 11, 2009, 05:26:05 PM »
   
This thing is going to make bowling balls look like tennis balls.    ;D

     George,  We both are sure that this will be IT as far as the big cannon builds go for us.  Everything we have in our shop is geared to producing smaller scale guns and way too much effort is expended in attempting to overcome that situation.  One simple example is this:  we have purchased 3 new LARGE wood drill bits and 5 different sizes and length extensions in the last month, one of which is 28" long.  Finally, we cannot wait to see your BB mortar; that is certainly the size we should have made!  One cool thing about our mortar rounds though, you can balance your trailer very effectively by shifting their positions around till you get whatever tongue weight you are supposed to have.  For our's it's 400 to 500 Lbs.

     Tim,   At 1,044 lbs. for each projectile, I don't think we will be building an oil drum mortar.  Big Bore indeed.  Incidently,  that weight is very close to what the original 24" Paixhans mortar shell weighed, about 1,030 Lbs.  Rodman's huge Columbiad, the 20" smoothbore has some cast iron shot beside it at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, NY.  They weigh more at 1,080 Lbs., despite being smaller in diameter.  They are cored shot with a wall thickness of about 7.5" instead of the 2.0" to 2.5" of the French shell.

     Gary and Allen,   We are not thinking of any more large production batches, just an occasional, special, experimental round or two.  The only thing that will shift the earth's axis, is Mike's hollering if another mortar part falls on his foot.  I did it once 30 years ago when he helped me shoot my 1/2 scale, U.S. Land Service 1797, 8" Mortar up at the 10th mountain Division winter training area just north of Leadville, CO called Camp Hale.  While dragging the heavy mortar on it's cast iron bed to the Infantry, Ski Troops firing range at the valley's south end, it hit a tuft of tough, high altitude grass and took a jump right onto Mike's foot.  At 275 Lbs. it hurt his toes quite a bit.  And while he was lifting the 100 Lb. shell hoist crane arm 2 days ago, it took a lurch and nailed the arch of his foot!  Poor Mike.

Regards,

Mike and Tracy



This is a view of the small arms range where Bob Dole and many other ski troops of the 10th Mountain Division trained in 1943 and 44.  We found lots of spent .30-06 brass lying around, all dated 1942, 43, and 44.  Found a 60mm mortar fin assy too.  Lots of mortar fragment gouges on a duece and a half frame at about 200 yards and a very shot-up and blown-up late 20s or early 30s car body at about 150, that little rusty metal patch you can see just to left of center about 2/3 of the way to the fir tree edge. 




As for the size of a 55 gallon drum, the ski troops swiss-cheesed this 55 gallon, 1942 fuel drum.  We added a 4" mortar ball hole in 1979.  The tube was at 60 degrees and the ball entered the drum's side and exited through the reinforced rim on the far side at the drum's top.




The ball came out here and continued through 1,000 yards of it's trajectory until it struck a rock out-cropping on the mountain behind the range at about 10,000 feet elevation.  We fired from about 9,400 feet above sea level.

Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin'-cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets - 'Tss! 'Tss!

From the poem  Screw-Guns  by Rudyard Kipling

Offline Ex 49'er

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #26 on: June 11, 2009, 09:07:50 PM »
Shucks!!!! If you want a large mortar, just find an old missle silo. Pack it full of powder, drop in something for a projo and set it off.  ;D ;D
When you're walking on eggs; don't hop!!

Offline Victor3

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #27 on: June 12, 2009, 01:06:46 AM »
Shucks!!!! If you want a large mortar, just find an old missle silo. Pack it full of powder, drop in something for a projo and set it off.  ;D ;D

 They're available. Here's a nice one...

http://www.missilebases.com/adironback

 The airstrip would make a nice mortar bowling alley lane. Could use oil drums for pins.

 Looks like a great piece of property for cannon shooting.
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Sherlock Holmes

Offline dan610324

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #28 on: June 12, 2009, 02:11:03 AM »
thats neat , but there is just a small problem .
money money money  :'(
Dan Pettersson
a swedish cannon maniac
interested in early bronze guns

better safe than sorry

Offline Double D

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Re: Fabrication du Mortier de Monstre de Paixhans avec des Photos
« Reply #29 on: June 12, 2009, 03:15:07 AM »
Shucks!!!! If you want a large mortar, just find an old missle silo. Pack it full of powder, drop in something for a projo and set it off.  ;D ;D

Ah, don't even think about it, we have those around here. We don't even want to think about one going off.    ;D