Author Topic: Hello, Folks! (Read 3007 times)

One Bullet Dan · « **on:** May 06, 2011, 06:35:52 AM »

New guy on the forum here. I`ve been an avid shooter, caster, and reloader since I was eighteen, but I`ve always longed for something crew serviced. Marriage, work, a kid, and life seemed to take prescience (which it should), but now that I`ve been retired for going on six years, I figured it`s time to stop dreaming and start scratching that itch!

I`ve bought a set of prints for a #2 prairie carriage, a few specialty tools, and am lucky enough to have a friend with white oak trees and a sawmill. Working for 31 years with my hands in wood and steel, with new systems coming out every other month, has made me a quick learner, so black smithing and wheelwrighting hasn`t scared me off (yet).

I`ve also purchased a set of plans for a 12 pound Mountain Howitzer from a company called www.buckstix.com. I was wondering if anyone had seen the site and your opinions of it. The barrel looks to be sound, but I`d love to have some practical advice on it from folks like you that have built your own.

Thanks for letting a new guy bend your ears and for having a great site!

A soon-to-be red leg,
Dan

dan610324 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2011, 06:46:15 AM »

I cant use the link , it doesnt exist

Double D · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2011, 06:49:35 AM »

My opinion of Buckstix and his site is very low....you can do better.....for a long time I had all links to his site blocked...

dan610324 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2011, 07:32:49 AM »

oooohhh it was that site

I remember it now

Soot · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2011, 07:40:13 AM »

I think his howitzer plans are sound, and if they aren't they can be adjusted.
He does some things with cannons that may be considered unethical, or just crazy.

subdjoe · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2011, 07:56:47 AM »

Quote from: Soot on May 06, 2011, 07:40:13 AM

I think his howitzer plans are sound, and if they aren't they can be adjusted.
He does some things with cannons that may be considered unethical, or just crazy.

Yeah, not sane like shooting bowling balls. Or 5 gallon buckets filled with concrete.

One Bullet Dan · « **Reply #6 on:** May 06, 2011, 08:17:19 AM »

Quote from: dan610324 on May 06, 2011, 06:46:15 AM

I cant use the link , it doesnt exist

Sorry, I guess my dyslexia kicked in. I fixed it, but it sounds like I shouldn`t have....

RocklockI · « **Reply #7 on:** May 06, 2011, 09:46:38 AM »

Welcome One Bullet Dan !

Is this your first cannon ? Do you have a crew ? That is a big bite alright ,go for it !

Gary

GGaskill · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2011, 10:51:14 AM »

I've never seen Buckstix's cannon plans but you can get original plans from Antique Ordnance Publishers. No's 25, 65, 66, 67 and 68 are for the various forms of the Mountain Howitzer.

Rayfan87 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2011, 11:24:06 AM »

I looked at the site to see how he made that howitzer, there was alot of welding inside the barrel. He had a large tube, a seperate powder chamber that was welded in, the back was welded on, the cascabel was made from a trailer hitch welded into the back plate. From the sounds of things, the only thing that looked right was the trunions.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2011, 01:05:52 PM »

O.B.Dan --

WELCOME to the board! You'll find open and well reasoned discussion here of all aspects of cannon making and using. Work through the porcess of turning the dream into reality one step at a time - we all learn from it.

rustychips · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2011, 04:14:56 PM »

After doing a lot of reading on this forum about the use of true seamless tubing verses d.o.m. tubing I wondered about buckstix's method of assembling his barrel, if a welded seam is bad because of micro porosity then his welded chamber has a lot of room for products of combustion to creep into and start corroding steel, I would think it would take a while corrode enough metal to make it unsafe but eventually it could. As for his web site I thought it was very interesting and had some good ideas on fabricating various things, I have to admit his site is where I got my plans for my 1/4 scale howitzer and carriage.

David
West Central Indiana

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2011, 04:24:00 PM »

Quote from: rustychips on May 06, 2011, 04:14:56 PM

After doing a lot of reading on this forum about the use of true seamless tubing verses d.o.m. tubing I wondered about buckstix's method of assembling his barrel, if a welded seam is bad because of micro porosity then his welded chamber has a lot of room for products of combustion to creep into and start corroding steel, I would think it would take a while corrode enough metal to make it unsafe but eventually it could.

David
West Central Indiana

Exacatly!!!

And we won't even start on the problems of weld hardening....

And ask yourself if he makes these mistakles what else has he skipped...

One Bullet Dan · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2011, 06:56:44 PM »

Thanks for the welcome, guys. I`m building the carriage and limber first, so, if Publisher`s Clearing House makes me a lucky winner, I`ll pop the major bucks for a bronze tube. Otherwise, I guess I`ll give his barrel a try. Maybe I`ll get the neighbor to shoot it first, as I never liked the guy anyways.

As far as a crew goes, I guess it`ll be my daughter and the Old Hen. I`ve shot along side of both for years, so safety isn`t an issue. I won`t be barking out orders like an old Gunny would, because they`d tie me to the barrel!

Once I get the carriage underway, I`ll post a few pics if I can figure out how.

Thanks again for the welcome.

Double D · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2011, 07:05:28 PM »

Okay, let me say it this way, Buckstix's barrel and especially the breechplug does not meet established safety standards for muzzle loading cannons. I suggest you review the N-SSA safety standards before you start building and modified the plans to meet those safety standards

One Bullet Dan · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2011, 09:28:40 PM »

If the breach plug was shrunk fit before welding, would that make everything kosher? I believe the wall thickness of the barrel is is greater than the minim standards. Please bear with me; I`d rather ask a few "dumb" questions than waste money on materials or funerals.

subdjoe · « **Reply #16 on:** May 06, 2011, 11:01:56 PM »

Quote from: One Bullet Dan on May 06, 2011, 09:28:40 PM

If the breach plug was shrunk fit before welding, would that make everything kosher? I believe the wall thickness of the barrel is is greater than the minim standards. Please bear with me; I`d rather ask a few "dumb" questions than waste money on materials or funerals.

When it comes to safe design there are no dumb questions.

(as long as you are being serious)

dan610324 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2011, 12:55:22 AM »

that model of howie can never be considered safe with modern safety rules if you scale down the original
surrounding the charge the wall thickness should be MINIMUM the same as the diameter of the powder chamber
in the muzzle area should the wall thickness be minimum half the chamber diameter

this rules are for cannons ,
but that part about the powder chamber wall thickness is also VERY VERY important on both mortars and howitzers .

as they have both a high and a low pressure part of the barrel the low pressure part can be slightly thinner

SO THAT BARREL DOES NOT FOLLOW THE MINIMUM STANDARDS

but if you would change the diameter of the powder chamber slightly that it will be inside of the one diameter rule
I guess it would be ok if the chamber is shrink fit and welded .
but the shrink fit must be done of someone who really know what he is doing , thats an extremely difficult process if you not have done it before and know what you are doing .
its extremely small tolerances and absolutely no room for any error here .

AND AS SUBDJOE SAID : WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY THERE IS NO STUPID QUESTIONS , JUST SMART ONES .

just keep em comming , the more questions you got ansvered the more prepared you will be for a safe build .

brokenpole · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2011, 03:06:45 AM »

Quote from: One Bullet Dan on May 06, 2011, 06:56:44 PM

Thanks for the welcome, guys. I`m building the carriage and limber first, so, if Publisher`s Clearing House makes me a lucky winner, I`ll pop the major bucks for a bronze tube. Otherwise, I guess I`ll give his barrel a try. Maybe I`ll get the neighbor to shoot it first, as I never liked the guy anyways.

As far as a crew goes, I guess it`ll be my daughter and the Old Hen. I`ve shot along side of both for years, so safety isn`t an issue. I won`t be barking out orders like an old Gunny would, because they`d tie me to the barrel!

Once I get the carriage underway, I`ll post a few pics if I can figure out how.

Thanks again for the welcome.

OBD,

One thing you will learn if you stay on this forum is that all of us try to err on the side of safety. Believe me when I say that one screw up is all it takes. I do not have the back ground working with metal and wood that others, like yourself, have. I am not real good with tools and using my hands, we all have our strengths.

When I read your post quoted above about not barking orders to your daughter and "the old hen" (I could never get away with that one

) they had better get used to you, or whoever is in charge of the piece, barking orders at them. There is almost a choreography that takes place when loading and shooting a big gun. I live in Vicksburg, Mississippi and the wife and I were part of the team that serviced a 12 pound Napolean. Although the order of fire is setup to be done without anyone barking orders that was never done at the military park here. Even though the crews could handle it. They shoot that thing in front of an audience and realize that all it takes is one mistake and people would be eating shrapnel for lunch.

While you build that carriage keep reading. Learn and do things right. No one will try and discourage you here and that is not my intent either. But it is your wife and daughter we are talking about. Do it right and do it by the book.

Just my humble opinion.

keith44 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 07, 2011, 06:22:48 AM »

Quote from: brokenpole on May 07, 2011, 03:06:45 AM

They shoot that thing in front of an audience and realize that all it takes is one mistake and people would be eating shrapnel for lunch.
But it is your wife and daughter we are talking about. Do it right and do it by the book.

+1

July 4th celebrations I bring my "model" or caliber scale out for the kids in the family (young and old) I set them into position, and let everyone ooh and ahh over them then set up my boundry. No one within 15 feet during live fire. When the powder and fuse goes back up the boundry is relaxed again. Everyone knows what I expect, cause I tell em. Safety lecture before the show, but we still have kids from the neighborhood come out and put up with it. Just for the show.

So yes Safety FIRST please.

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2011, 06:57:47 PM »

FOR wheels you might get a copy of Wheelrighting - A Modern Introduction by Bruce and Joyce Morrison... I personally believe the preimer wheelright is Bill Twigg of Moscow Carriage Company. (He did a lot of the work in the Morrison's book). If you go out there he will train you along with the building of your wheels for a fee. I've built wheels and bought wheels and there are more ways to do it wrong that right.

Good luck

You might also go to customwagons.com. They sell cannon wheels in all sizes and more cheaply than most. I have two pair of theirs in 30" and 42". They're not Twigg quality but they'll do if you're not too picky

Also if you need drawings Don Lutz is your guy at Port Huron Publishing

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #21 on:** May 07, 2011, 07:09:11 PM »

Oops...
Don Lutz is:

Antique Ordnance Publishers

and not Port Huron... he IS in Port Huron, Michigan

GGaskill · « **Reply #22 on:** May 07, 2011, 07:39:53 PM »

Antique Ordnance Publishers catalog page.

Double D · « **Reply #23 on:** May 07, 2011, 07:55:56 PM »

AOP is listed on our link list as is Custom wagons. Have been for years.

That Morrison book looks interesting http://www.wheelwrighting.ca/

Here is Moscow Carriage http://www.palouse.net/mcctwigg/wheelequ.htm

I added them to the link list.

We have some real problem finding cannon wheels under 24 inches. What is need is some one who will build Scale wheels.

Zulu · « **Reply #24 on:** May 08, 2011, 08:18:35 AM »

I looked at the Moscow Carriage site. He gives one week lessons on building wheels. I sure would like to do that. Idaho is a long way away from Houston.

My wife says go for it.

It would be an expensive trip. $:-\$
I sure would like to know how to do wheels properly.

Zulu

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #25 on:** May 08, 2011, 09:35:04 AM »

Moscow Carriage sells a book about making wheels. Might be cheaper than attending the class.
Only $46.00 - http://www.palouse.net/mcctwigg/classads.htm

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #26 on:** May 08, 2011, 10:08:45 AM »

Zulu,
One whole chapter in the Morrison book was done by Twigg as he worked with a fellow from California doing a pair of #2 ordnance wheels (Twigg also did numerous addendums and inserts throughout the book). If you are seriously considering taking Twiggs course, review that chapter first and it will let you see what was done and how for that fellow.

Zulu · « **Reply #27 on:** May 08, 2011, 01:46:47 PM »

Does anyone here have the Morrison book?
Zulu

Double D · « **Reply #28 on:** May 08, 2011, 02:07:50 PM »

Quote from: Zulu on May 08, 2011, 08:18:35 AM

I looked at the Moscow Carriage site. He gives one week lessons on building wheels. I sure would like to do that. Idaho is a long way away from Houston.
My wife says go for it.
It would be an expensive trip. $:-\$
I sure would like to know how to do wheels properly.
Zulu

Lets see, expensive trip, wife says do it...I think you better pay attention to her....git to idaho!

Bet you could do the whole trip under a $1000 if you flew.

Zulu · « **Reply #29 on:** May 08, 2011, 02:14:31 PM »

Quote from: Double D on May 08, 2011, 02:07:50 PM

Quote from: Zulu on May 08, 2011, 08:18:35 AM
I looked at the Moscow Carriage site. He gives one week lessons on building wheels. I sure would like to do that. Idaho is a long way away from Houston.
My wife says go for it.
It would be an expensive trip. $:-\$
I sure would like to know how to do wheels properly.
Zulu

Lets see, expensive trip, wife says do it...I think you better pay attention to her....git to idaho!

Bet you could do the whole trip under a $1000 if you flew.

Round trip air.
Rental car for a week.
Motel for a week.
Food for a week.
Fee for wheel lessons.
Out of work for two years now.
I don't know. $:-\$
Zulu