Author Topic: Anvil Shooting on CBS news tonite (Read 2725 times)

cannonmn · « **on:** November 02, 2009, 12:40:18 PM »

CBS news is running a spot on blackpowder anvil shooting in a few minutes, not sure when. Maybe you West Coasters will read this in time to see it.

Evil Dog · « **Reply #1 on:** November 02, 2009, 01:00:02 PM »

Did that at a blackpowder rondezvous outside of Las Vegas a few years back. Amazing just how high a 120 pound anvil will fly !!!

cannonmn · « **Reply #2 on:** November 02, 2009, 01:01:20 PM »

The spot is right at the end of the CBS Evening News, a guy in Missouri is obsessed with anvils, collects 'em, makes miniatures, and shoots big ones base-to-base. He uses one pound of what looked lik FG grade, but I can't be sure. One anvil shot is shown in the segment, and a brief history of the practice is given.

Zulu · « **Reply #3 on:** November 02, 2009, 01:48:09 PM »

I saw it!. One pound of powder!. Hard to beleive.
Zulu

RocklockI · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2009, 02:42:32 PM »

Yep ! he shot an anvil ! up in the air and back down .......

Ya cleatus ,,,, ummmummm , I wasa thinkin , ummmhummmm , maybe we shoulda get papas old anvils ...ummmuhmmm , weall taake da big one and shoot the smaller one into the air , uuummuhmmmm , Shazam Bammm ! up shell go ,ummmuhhmmmm , and then just at the top sheall will on back down , uummmuhhmmm.

But clem ,why we wanna do it ? , ummmuhmmm

I'm gonna have to find my self an anvil

Gary

jeeper1 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 02, 2009, 03:00:50 PM »

That anvil sure made a nice hole in the ground.

Zulu · « **Reply #6 on:** November 03, 2009, 12:17:45 PM »

I have a 312 lb anvil and a 105 lb. Hmmmmm!
Zulu

little seacoast · « **Reply #7 on:** November 03, 2009, 12:47:17 PM »

Anvil shooting is a time honored tradition in East Tennessee. The Museum of
Appalachia holds anvil shoots on special occasions for those unfotunate enough not to own their own. You really want to be sure your site is very firm and level the bottom anvil carefully. A shovel is also recommended for anvil retrieval.

cannonmn · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2009, 02:17:40 PM »

Most of you probably already know this but we use 2 lbs. of FFFG in a special launcher to get our 110 lb. anvil up to 500 feet. Don't try this at home, it does take a special launcher to hold up to 2 lbs. of FFFG. Our launcher is a Navy 8 inch gun forged steel breechblock. We've welded a half-inch-thick steel plate onto the bottom of the anvil to protect it from the blast.

Hmmm, doesn't seem like we have the you-tube screen option anymore. An improvement I guess?

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cannonmn#p/u/115/KeNP4i47oeU

subdjoe · « **Reply #9 on:** November 03, 2009, 03:24:35 PM »

Well that suck big brown horse apples! Don't you love "improvements?"

Nice video, thanks.

The Hermit · « **Reply #10 on:** November 03, 2009, 05:14:56 PM »

I saw that on tv, made me back up into the kitchen. I would love to see that in person. It looked like he had some kind of seal between the anvils. heck, I'd even donate the black powder.

The Hermit

cannonmn · « **Reply #11 on:** November 04, 2009, 01:41:08 AM »

Quote

It looked like he had some kind of seal between the anvils.

Maybe he copied what we "invented." We put a snake of play-doh around the "muzzle" before setting the anvil on top of it. This probably gets us a few more yards of altitude, not really sure, the gasket material is so cheap we really don't care.

It comes in many colors also-if you are putting on a demo you can tell the audience "red works best" or something-10% of them will write that down.

Maybe some day I'll try the denser plumber's putty and see if it does any better. You've got to be careful about anything that's going to be shot out horizontally however, that it won't remain intact and hit anyone-the play doh pretty much vaporizes or something, we never see any intact residue around after a shot. We keep quite a distance between any humans and the launcher when it is firing-I like at least 50 yards when possible.

One thing you have to watch out for is the possibility of low-flying aircraft getting in the way, since the anvil would certaily bring it down if there was a collision.

Quote

I'd even donate the black powder.

We'll keep the magazine open for ya. Are you anywhere near Virginia?

Graybeard · « **Reply #12 on:** November 04, 2009, 02:46:56 AM »

Not all of the mods have been added back yet since the software upgrade. It really was necessary to do the upgrade but has created a lot of extra work for Matt to restore all the mods that were in place before it. He is kinda sick at the moment so it might take a few days before they are all put back. Since he likes to post U-tube vids himself I'm sure he'll get around to it.

artillerybuff · « **Reply #13 on:** November 04, 2009, 04:33:41 AM »

Quote from: cannonmn on November 03, 2009, 02:17:40 PM

Most of you probably already know this but we use 2 lbs. of FFFG in a special launcher to get our 110 lb. anvil up to 500 feet. Don't try this at home, it does take a special launcher to hold up to 2 lbs. of FFFG. Our launcher is a Navy 8 inch gun forged steel breechblock. We've welded a half-inch-thick steel plate onto the bottom of the anvil to protect it from the blast.

Hmmm, doesn't seem like we have the you-tube screen option anymore. An improvement I guess?

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cannonmn#p/u/115/KeNP4i47oeU

WOW!! One of the coolest videos I have ever seen, and the sound was incredible!

Anthony Variz

Evil Dog · « **Reply #14 on:** November 04, 2009, 05:48:40 AM »

You ought to see it in person !!! They did it twice a few years back at one of the blackpowder rondezvous events outside of Las Vegas. Really impressive.

The Hermit · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2009, 12:45:22 PM »

Cannonmn, My main cabin is in Yankee country, by the Canadian border. BUT, I have friends in Monterey VA, by the Jackson river area, and they "allow" me to visit occasionally, if I promise to behave. Perhaps they will invite me down again next summer. (I'm sure their neighbors forgot the last incident by now). If my heath improves, seeing an anvil shoot is on my "to do before I croak list". You guys have all the fun.

The Hermit

sparkgap · « **Reply #16 on:** November 08, 2009, 11:08:44 AM »

And here is a better youtube video.

Bob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhQ4dE_RGnQ

dan610324 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 09, 2009, 09:12:18 AM »

but it wasnt that long air time

subdjoe · « **Reply #18 on:** November 09, 2009, 03:40:57 PM »

This sport has to have some aspect of "Hmmmm....I wonderrr....Here, Phred, hold my beer while I try somethin." in its beginnings.

cannonmn · « **Reply #19 on:** November 10, 2009, 07:16:38 PM »

I got this comment on one of my you-tube anvil videos-thoght it was worth sharing:

Quote

I can see it now... the captain of an invading force says to a lieutenant- "What in the hell are they shooting at us?" L- "Anvils sir!" C- "Anvils?" L-"Yes sir, Anvils, like Acme anvils from the Wile E. Coyote cartoons sir!" C- "Good god, we've invaded the Warner Brothers Studios grounds..." -Captain palm slaps his forehead -

The Hermit · « **Reply #20 on:** November 11, 2009, 06:00:56 PM »

"Ya no, any sport wear ya gotta be conserned about hittin low flyn aeroplanes" is ok in my book.
I wondered into this forum area out of curiosity, but am getting a serious urge to blow something up or burn some black powder. I'm beginning to think its contagious in here.

The Hermit

BoomLover · « **Reply #21 on:** November 11, 2009, 06:58:30 PM »

Hermit, you are so right! It is very contagious, but it's too late, you have already been bitten by the "bug"! We all know the symptoms, as we have all experienced it, too! It will start with "just one", then, "maybe one more", something different from the first one, say a cannon first, then a mortar...pretty soon your measuring powder, weighing the difference between lead, zinc, or steel projectiles, going for the best effects with your camera, going for targets with greater accuracy....yep, we all been there, and done that! BoomLover

The Hermit · « **Reply #22 on:** November 12, 2009, 04:14:50 PM »

Anybody know where I can buy an Anvil?

The Hermit

cannonmn · « **Reply #23 on:** November 12, 2009, 04:18:28 PM »

Harbor Freight sold me my 110 lb. Russian cast-steel anvil. I wasn't very expensive as such things go.

Don't use an antique anvil, often they were made of different sections joined together and can come apart when abused as is done in anvil shooting.

The Hermit · « **Reply #24 on:** November 13, 2009, 05:34:22 PM »

Cool, thanks. Got the local airport on my monitor now too.

The Hermit

RocklockI · « **Reply #25 on:** November 13, 2009, 06:29:13 PM »

Hermit ,believe me when I say ....and I know your plate is full , but the bad news is you are going to lose a hobby ,carreer , wife , something ....(it has happened ) ,lets go with hobby

.

Yes I know

and so do most folks on the board ,,,,,You are hooked and SO Probably we will show you the handshake in the morning after our meeting

.

As a pilot , I can assure you that flying into an anvil will scracth the paint job good ......and leave a mark ...it wont buff out .....too good .

So lets not do that anymore .....(Southpark , "Anvil shooting into airplanes is baaaad unnkay ?")
....Mr Mackey

If you look around someone may just give you your first one

for free !

Gary

Victor3 · « **Reply #26 on:** November 13, 2009, 11:49:25 PM »

Quote from: cannonmn on November 12, 2009, 04:18:28 PM

Don't use an antique anvil, often they were made of different sections joined together and can come apart when abused as is done in anvil shooting.

Also, I wouldn't use just any ol' modern one. Many imported anvils are hollow-base cast iron that "aren't worth the powder to blow them up."

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #27 on:** November 14, 2009, 05:36:10 AM »

Quote from: Victor3 on November 13, 2009, 11:49:25 PM

Quote from: cannonmn on November 12, 2009, 04:18:28 PM
Don't use an antique anvil, often they were made of different sections joined together and can come apart when abused as is done in anvil shooting.
Also, I wouldn't use just any ol' modern one. Many imported anvils are hollow-base cast iron that "aren't worth the powder to blow them up."

Imported hollow-base cast iron anvils could be bombs waiting to be blown apart rather than up in the air.

The Hermit · « **Reply #28 on:** November 14, 2009, 03:07:38 PM »

Thanks for the tips. I've got some friends looking for an older used one. Also, while I was at a farm up north, I spotted a home made small cannon on wheels with about an inch bore. It sits in the guys kitchen, pointing at the door. (neat huh?)It looks like it has a threaded plug in one end. Owner said his dad made it. I might be able to buy or borrow it. If I do, I'm sure I'll have lots of questions. Thanks to all who have helped.

The Hermit