Author Topic: How to blow up a cannon (Read 9923 times)

armorer77 · « **Reply #30 on:** September 07, 2009, 03:43:11 AM »

I was using the vernier calipers , I could only measure right in front of the shamber reinforcing band , the variations were almost nonexistant . Here is the final shot . 1000 grs of 4F w/ 4 1 1lb. lead balls . The chamber holds about 300 grs. of 1 F . The balls all landed in my field 100 yds away , at least the ones that cleared the swamp .

KABAR2 · « **Reply #31 on:** September 07, 2009, 04:09:52 AM »

Well that video is scientific proof that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction!

Have you thought of changing the mounting method? Perhaps a sliding mount like a fortress or seacoast gun to take up some

of the recoil?

armorer77 · « **Reply #32 on:** September 07, 2009, 04:27:01 AM »

The mount is a couple pieces of 4x6 that I had laying around , also I am not planning to put anywhere near that amount of powder in my tubes again . Armorer

KABAR2 · « **Reply #33 on:** September 07, 2009, 04:42:57 AM »

Well if anyone had any doubt in your ability to build a strong enough cannon
this should put it to rest, 4 pounds of lead with a very fine grain BP and it
is still in one piece.

dan610324 · « **Reply #34 on:** September 07, 2009, 05:32:18 AM »

oooohhh holy macaroni
but its still in one piece

I guess that ends the idea to blow it up

if you not are going to build a stand of railroad tracks

just one small comment on your use of cement bricks ( or what they are called in english )
if it had blown apart those thin walled cement bricks would have been a very very small protection from flying pieces, ok now it didnt

such bricks are made of just sand and little cement , so you cant compare it with concrete

so I will strongly recomend people to either use something better then such bricks or have a very long fuse that you can hide very far away from the test barrel

but its still an very valueable info , and I guess it was a fun test to do

armorer77 · « **Reply #35 on:** September 07, 2009, 05:54:50 AM »

Having very nearly on the recieving end of such fragments before , don't ask , old story , very embarrassing , I can say that those blocks would have provided enough deflection to make sure everything went well over my OP . Armorer

RocklockI · « **Reply #36 on:** September 07, 2009, 06:00:54 AM »

goods news armorer77 !

the cannon accedent thread has introduced steam as and added hazard .........

a kids toy water balloon in the bottom charge maybe one on top of the charge with clay on top .

thats sounds scary

RocklockI · « **Reply #37 on:** September 07, 2009, 06:25:42 AM »

brain is on fire here ! must keep up .....what about a fuel air bomb on the muzzle end to create a backpresurre of high pressure ?

damn this is a great thread ! think out of the box AND write it down ........

i witnessed this one .....one could say i even helped ? which is true but noone imagined a fuel airbombage and it's extreme detonation thankfully it was small .

like one of those oxegen acsetling(sp) balloon bombs ........only more .....and thinking about it ,now , well it could have been stepped up ..........god only wants to know how much . it was vicious loud to the point of stunning us ......uuhhh whadya say

the funny part was i had no clue at all what was going to happen i'm sure the other kids didnt either .

i do have an old photo somewhere of the stupidity . love this thread !

you dont have a platonium target handy do you ? humm IF you were to put the target in the breech an....

wait shoot your enriched uranium bullet (you do have one ?) into the pluto..........TRACY help me out here ! was this with U235 4 f or what ?

armorer77 · « **Reply #38 on:** September 07, 2009, 06:51:57 AM »

That sounds like a lot of fun , but I am fresh out of plutonium . Maybe I could check the drug store ? Armorer

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #39 on:** September 07, 2009, 07:03:35 AM »

I wonder what Magnaflux would tell us?

It costs. I'd be willing to pitch in towards doing it.

armorer77 · « **Reply #40 on:** September 07, 2009, 07:24:26 AM »

I will look around tomorrow for a testing facility . I am also curious about the internal stress patterns . Needless to say this tube is no longer in active service . Armorer

Victor3 · « **Reply #41 on:** September 07, 2009, 08:50:39 PM »

"I was using the vernier calipers , I could only measure right in front of the shamber reinforcing band , the variations were almost nonexistant ."

With my fuzzy eyes, if someone hands me verniers to measure something, about the best I can come up with is, "the part is somewhat larger than 2" + three big sticks + one little stick." (I've been spoiled by digital measuring tools)

In my opinion, Magnaflux (MPI) or fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI) is unlikely to show anything considering 1018 material, the barrel's construction, and the fact that you measured no distortion at the breech. You're not likely to have experienced surface cracking, and that's what MPI/FPI would detect (apart from inclusions/voids in the original material surface).

Armorer77 - It was very generous of you to sacrafice your barrel for the test, and we thank you...

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #42 on:** September 07, 2009, 11:09:34 PM »

A lot of energy that could have been used to blow up the cannon went into hurling it backward. A fixed mount would probably help if you wanted to try again.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #43 on:** September 08, 2009, 12:12:08 AM »

Quote from: gulfcoastblackpowder on September 07, 2009, 11:09:34 PM

A lot of energy that could have been used to blow up the cannon went into hurling it backward. A fixed mount would probably help if you wanted to try again.

You may be right although I think he may end up tearing up one or both of the trunnion caps before destruction is accomplished.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #44 on:** September 08, 2009, 12:48:07 AM »

I agree with Allen; if the cannon's mount were sturdy enough to hold the barrel stationary, it would further test the strength of the method of tunnion attachment, but I don't think it would significantly alter the internal pressures that the bore endured.

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #45 on:** September 08, 2009, 10:39:18 AM »

Touché, though IMO destruction of trunnions = destruction of cannon.

subdjoe · « **Reply #46 on:** September 08, 2009, 02:06:28 PM »

Quote from: armorer77 on September 07, 2009, 06:51:57 AM

That sounds like a lot of fun , but I am fresh out of plutonium . Maybe I could check the drug store ? Armorer

I think you can get an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator at Wal-Mart or Western Auto. Ace Hardware might have them in the garden section for gopher control

Or you could go to Red Dot or Clays.
(THAT LAST IS MEANT AS A JOKE ONLY - EVEN IF TRYING FOR A DESTRUCTIVE TEST I WOULD NOT SERIOUSLY RECCOMEND SMOKELESS POWDER )

armorer77 · « **Reply #47 on:** September 11, 2009, 03:32:31 PM »

I probably jumped the gun by going directly to the final shot . Here is one of the intermiediate shots . Armorer77

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #48 on:** September 11, 2009, 05:10:50 PM »

It would appear the gun was jumped in just about every shot.

GGaskill · « **Reply #49 on:** September 11, 2009, 05:37:12 PM »

It would appear the gun was jumped in just about every shot.

I would expect that with the long lever arm that the post is giving the recoil force.

armorer77 · « **Reply #50 on:** September 12, 2009, 06:41:53 AM »

I have decided to get this barrel sandblasted and dipped , this will reveal any external cracks . Armorer77

Cannoneer · « **Reply #51 on:** September 12, 2009, 10:33:55 AM »

Armorer77,

Any way you care to slice the pie, you've proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the ordnance that you make is absolutely safe to use with recommended loadings.

armorer77 · « **Reply #52 on:** September 16, 2009, 11:39:41 AM »

This story would seem to have one more chapter , I got the test barrel back from the sand blaster today and found a small crack on one of the trunnion welds . At this time I can't honestly say if this is from firing or failure to feed the wire fast enough , I weld these with stainless with the TIG process . So I will be making one more shot this Saturday . The mount has been rebuilt , and reinforced . This shot will be the max again , 1000 grs. 4F with 4 1 lb. balls , 5 if they will fit . I will be adding about 200 lbs of lead ingots to the base . No matter what happens this will be the last shot in this test . Photos will be posted that evening . Armorer77

KABAR2 · « **Reply #53 on:** September 16, 2009, 11:49:42 AM »

Armorer77

May I suggest adding sand bags to your revetment around and over the gun,

this would limit the blast area and keep you and the camera safe.

Allen <><

armorer77 · « **Reply #54 on:** September 16, 2009, 11:53:51 AM »

Don't have any sandbags , but I am going to a triple row of blocks . Armorer77

RocklockI · « **Reply #55 on:** September 16, 2009, 05:09:35 PM »

A77 i'm rootin for you ! no kidding ! i hope you get that thing blown up ! i really do !

1000grs of 4f .........4 balls ......that must be ear splitting !

after it (test) is over what are the plans for the tube ? hopefully not just junked ......?

gracefully retired on a display to your ablity to make killer stong cannons ?

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #56 on:** September 17, 2009, 01:07:22 AM »

I think it's going to be bronzed.

cannonmn · « **Reply #57 on:** September 17, 2009, 02:09:15 AM »

You might consider bisecting it with a bandsaw, right down the middle. We do that here with modern projectiles and things to make interesting paperweights.

armorer77 · « **Reply #58 on:** September 17, 2009, 10:55:34 AM »

I am thinking about a tasteful display in my shop Titled " Never Again " Armorer77

ratpatrol · « **Reply #59 on:** September 17, 2009, 07:57:43 PM »

If you realy want to blow it up, put a air space between powder and ball,that will let the bp to build up pressure before the balls start to move. I't call short seating the ball.

Description of extremely dangerous and potentially deadly loading practice deleted by moderator. Leave that stuff for the You tube crowd.--DD

Ps. I have never tried the "short seating trick" Just been told to make shour the ball is on the powder if you like your gun.