Author Topic: signal/salute BP cannon (Read 1608 times)

oakhollow · « **on:** December 10, 2009, 03:46:59 PM »

Newbie has have a very nice (IMHO) signal/salute BP cannon that has been gathering dust/ tarnish and I would like to get info about. A Mr. Frank Fuegeman of Maryland in the mid-1980s gave one to me as a gift. Told me it was made as a steamboat regatta salute canon. -He was a master machinist with a huge lathe in his garage and who was a steam power enthusiast from his childhood in Germany. I have some photos of the cannon. How to post them here?

Soot · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:21:41 PM »

Click Here for pic posting instructions.

irishman · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:40:08 PM »

Oakhollow,

Welcome to the Board! You have found THE place to learn and yearn about 'black powder mortar and cannon.

Michael

oakhollow · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:44:15 PM »

Signal Cannon

RocklockI · « **Reply #4 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:56:51 PM »

so it looks like a 10 gage breechloader .

is the vent fuctional ?

welcome aboard

Gary

oakhollow · « **Reply #5 on:** December 10, 2009, 05:30:40 PM »

Well if vent means the thing that screws off the back, then it does screw off

Double D · « **Reply #6 on:** December 10, 2009, 05:52:41 PM »

Vent is the hole for the fuse.

oakhollow · « **Reply #7 on:** December 10, 2009, 05:59:01 PM »

The vent fuse hole is open and does work and everything else far as I know.

RocklockI · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2009, 06:52:06 PM »

Hang onto it !

Double D · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2009, 07:18:25 PM »

One thing you might want to do is preserve and protect the lovely patination your gun has. Clean it good with hot soapy water and an old tooth brush to remove the dirt and loose oxidation Dry throughly. Then wax the barrel with Johnson paste wax.

Do not polish the brass at all, that will destroy the charactor you gun has. Leave it as it is!.

RocklockI · « **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2009, 07:53:10 PM »

I'd like to see a pic of the breech open . Is there a trip spring loaded mechensum for lanyard ? Or is it a clean out plug ,and with the vent clear is it a muzzle loader ?

Gary

carronader · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2009, 09:58:54 PM »

Get the camera out Oakhollow............more pics.........dimensions..........etc. etc. Welcome to the forum.

oakhollow · « **Reply #12 on:** December 11, 2009, 07:24:46 AM »

It measures about 7 1/2" long, 3 1/2 wide and 4 1/2 tall. Weight about 2 1/4 lb.
Thanks for the advice and let me know if there's a better way to post these images.

RocklockI · « **Reply #13 on:** December 11, 2009, 07:29:08 AM »

So ,to me it looks like the castabel is a clean out plug ?

It's cute what is the bore size ? soory if I missed it in the thread somewhere .

Gary

oakhollow · « **Reply #14 on:** December 11, 2009, 07:33:02 AM »

Remember, I'm pretty much clueless. The bore diameter looks to be about 1.2 cm.

Double D · « **Reply #15 on:** December 11, 2009, 07:45:35 AM »

To post pictures from My hosted pictures just click on theline of code call BBcode or IMG code. Copy that line and paste in the reply window.

Posting uncoded links is fine. But if you post more than one or two most people will just ignore them as it takes to much clicking or pasting to see the pictures.

Do you know if this was metric made or inch made. Mathmatically the two can be converted, but they don't interchange. 1.2 cm mathmatically is 0.4724409 but was that gun built as an inch caliber? Given the gentlleman you said built it, most likely it is metric.

oakhollow · « **Reply #16 on:** December 11, 2009, 07:53:03 AM »

Hole looks like exactly a half inch, so I'm guessing it's English measure. The maker has passed on, so I'm at the mercy of anyone who can offer insight.

RocklockI · « **Reply #17 on:** December 11, 2009, 08:32:29 AM »

If I was you I'd take it apart CARFULLY and put some small engraving who ,when ,where the thing came from . Its not that old....?

I cant believe that he would make it then not mark it

? That thing could be around could for 200 years or so .

Then Cannonmn's decendents

will be on here posting 'What is this thing? Why is it here ?
Why didnt that maker mark it !!!' The carriage looks well made too , I'm sure your German freind did not make junk ! Gotta love those Germans ....,

Gary

oakhollow · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:21:20 PM »

Double D, about cleaning this contraption, what about the mahogany? Scrub it like the rest?

Double D · « **Reply #19 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:34:06 PM »

As long as the wood is finished and not raw wood soap and water should be fine. After drying you can use theppaste wax on it also.

Gary has a good idea marking the gun with the makers name memorializing him. We often have cannons here and always wonder who made it.

I keep think about shooting these guns with projectiles, so the issue of is the bore metric or inch would be relavant. As a blank gun it is far less relevant.

oakhollow · « **Reply #20 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:50:58 PM »

On the memorializing, is it necessary to take it apart or could be engraved on the bottom wood? Mr. Fuegeman said the cannon would do either, but that it was made as a salute cannon for steamboat gatherings specifically. I was either not paying attention or just don't remember him saying anything about caliber. Sometime I think somebody said it looked like 50. Does that sound right?

RocklockI · « **Reply #21 on:** December 11, 2009, 01:07:53 PM »

I would think in this case the bottom of the wood would be ok brass plate screwed and glued ,but very carefully with small brass flatheads .

Normaly ....I'd say tube as that is always the main interest ,bit I dont think at that small scale they would be seperated .

Thats a nice start on your new hobby,

Gary

Double D · « **Reply #22 on:** December 11, 2009, 01:32:32 PM »

If you should decide to shot it you will need to get a good measurement of the bore. A dial calliper will be adaquete to start.

oakhollow · « **Reply #23 on:** December 11, 2009, 01:45:26 PM »

Got no real use for either using it to shoot or even for its intended use as a big bang maker. Our dogs can't stand the 4th or Jan 1 here in SC without meds! My interest is in preserving it and finding a valuation.

GGaskill · « **Reply #24 on:** December 11, 2009, 02:01:17 PM »

Its value in dollars can only be established by selling it. The best number is going to come from some means of showing it to the most potential buyers. Since the maker has no following, I would be surprised if it brought high dollars.

Double D · « **Reply #25 on:** December 11, 2009, 02:32:11 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill on December 11, 2009, 02:01:17 PM

Its value in dollars can only be established by selling it. The best number is going to come from some means of showing it to the most potential buyers. Since the maker has no following, I would be surprised if it brought high dollars.

Let me rephrase what George said. The maker has no following in our circles, or at least no has spoke up. It could be in the area of his specialty he was very well known. This gun might have a marginally higher value in that market but, I doubt.

If you are thinking of selling it you could set a price on it and list in our cannon classifieds.

Leave the dogs home and take the cannon to the range and shoot it!

oakhollow · « **Reply #26 on:** December 11, 2009, 02:40:28 PM »

You guys rock!

RocklockI · « **Reply #27 on:** December 11, 2009, 02:45:47 PM »

Ok , let me rephrase

what George and DD said but nicer

.

This gun will mean far more to you as it was a gift from a respected man you knew ....a life trail sorta ,believe me there are not many free cannons (see Seacoast

).

If you tag it and keep it in the family ,cause it wont have any more value to it then than now relativly speaking .

So tag it with a brass plate and put it in your will .

Gary

BTW have you peeked undernieth the barrel ? it could have been marked .

Oh YEA ! BY ALL MEANS SHOOT THAT BABY !!!!!!!!!!!! you'll never sell it then

oakhollow · « **Reply #28 on:** December 11, 2009, 03:01:21 PM »

Well, where does one buy black powder? And what's the dose?

Double D · « **Reply #29 on:** December 11, 2009, 03:12:01 PM »

Quote from: RocklockI on December 11, 2009, 02:45:47 PM

Ok , let me rephrase what George and DD said but nicer .

This gun will mean far more to you as it was a gift from a respected man you knew ....a life trail sorta ,believe me there are not many free cannons (see Seacoast ).

If you tag it and keep it in the family ,cause it wont have any more value to it then than now relativly speaking .

So tag it with a brass plate and put it in your will .

Gary

BTW have you peeked undernieth the barrel ? it could have been marked .

Oh YEA ! BY ALL MEANS SHOOT THAT BABY !!!!!!!!!!!! you'll never sell it then

Well that's exactly what George and I said...wasn't it George...say YEP!, George