Author Topic: Cleaning (Read 1553 times)

clum sum · « **on:** June 12, 2011, 04:34:27 PM »

I have been told many times how much fun it is to shoot a cannon. So after many months I got to shoot, or is that choot, my carronaid .It was a learning experince for me, it will be more fun as I learn all the diffrent way of doing things. No one and I mean no one told me how much a pain it was to clean. Lets hear the many and easy ways to clean these #&(**)!$% things. As soon as I can get the Grandson to show me how I will post pics.

Zulu · « **Reply #1 on:** June 12, 2011, 05:08:33 PM »

clum sum,
What is the bore? If it is big enough, put the hose down it and scrub it out with your sponge. When it is dry, oil it with motor oil.
If it is small, clean it like you would a muzzle loader. Hot water and soap. Then oil it.
It really should be pretty easy.
Zulu

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #2 on:** June 12, 2011, 05:26:04 PM »

I've stopped at the car wash before!

Double D · « **Reply #3 on:** June 12, 2011, 06:09:38 PM »

Garden hose ands swab here also.

Dry it and oil with Automatic transmission fluid.

subdjoe · « **Reply #4 on:** June 12, 2011, 06:17:40 PM »

Quote from: Cat Whisperer on June 12, 2011, 05:26:04 PM

I've stopped at the car wash before!

That almost always draws a crowd.

I wipe down the outside with hot soapy water. For the bore I have a round toilet brush screwed onto a long piece of closet doweling. I flush the bore with water, then dip that brush into soapy water, scrub the hell out of the bore. Brush the vent with a nylon brush (.22 cal). Flush with water. Drain. Have my wife stop the vent, flood the bore, run a clean sponge down to force water out the vent. Repeat till clear. Run the screw all the way up, and put a block on it so the tube drains. Then, depending on how ambitious I am, I either oil it down or do the paint touch up, let that dry and then oil it.

It really isn't that much of a pain to do. If I'm not doing any painting it takes maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Heck, takes longer to clean a 1911.

keith44 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 12, 2011, 06:47:40 PM »

takes me longer to clean my flintlock rifle than any of my mini cannons. If you have a mini-cannon (something under 1" bore) get some shotgun (or if small enough rifle) bore mops, and a basic cleaning rod that the mops fit. Pre-rinse with garden hose, mop the bore with boiling hot (or as close as you can get it) soapy water, follow with equally hot clear water (with or with out water solulable oil added) dry the bore and oil while warm. Compressed air helps dry the vent (vent should have cleaning and rinsing sloution "blowing out" with each stroke of the bore mop).

What did you do to make it harder than needed??

bluelake · « **Reply #6 on:** June 12, 2011, 07:10:53 PM »

I clean out my muzzleloaders with what some have called 3-2-1 (off another muzzleloading board), which has a simple recipe:

3 parts alcohol, 2 parts hydrogen peroxide and 1 part Murphy's Oil Soap. It works quite well.

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #7 on:** June 12, 2011, 07:43:09 PM »

Jeepers... I've seen some shooters going to almost as much trouble between shots.

RocklockI · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2011, 09:19:37 PM »

Zulu is right ! Just hose it off with prejudice, let her dry in the sun .....OR use boiling hot water and lots of it to heat the steel so that it evaporates the water .

Motor oil is good stuff .

For whatever lame reason my wife dosn't think it smells as good as I do ....go figure

Gary

brokenpole · « **Reply #9 on:** June 13, 2011, 01:36:11 AM »

Quote from: keith44 on June 12, 2011, 06:47:40 PM

takes me longer to clean my flintlock rifle than any of my mini cannons. If you have a mini-cannon (something under 1" bore) get some shotgun (or if small enough rifle) bore mops, and a basic cleaning rod that the mops fit. Pre-rinse with garden hose, mop the bore with boiling hot (or as close as you can get it) soapy water, follow with equally hot clear water (with or with out water solulable oil added) dry the bore and oil while warm. Compressed air helps dry the vent (vent should have cleaning and rinsing sloution "blowing out" with each stroke of the bore mop).

What did you do to make it harder than needed??

I think I just came up with another use for the wife's blow dryer

I'll let ya know how that turns out.

bp

Double D · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2011, 04:18:20 AM »

Quote from: bluelake on June 12, 2011, 07:10:53 PM

I clean out my muzzleloaders with what some have called 3-2-1 (off another muzzleloading board), which has a simple recipe:

3 parts alcohol, 2 parts hydrogen peroxide and 1 part Murphy's Oil Soap. It works quite well.

You would be better served leaving the hydrogen peroxide out, it creates oxygen and promotes rusting...

KABAR2 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2011, 05:42:22 AM »

Dish washer works great for the smaller ones............

jeeper1 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 13, 2011, 09:34:10 AM »

Quote

Dish washer works great for the smaller ones............

Do you have to bribe her?

Rayfan87 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 13, 2011, 11:59:45 AM »

Careful there jeeper

gonna get me in trouble with my girl, she wanted to see what this site is so I picked an innocent looking thread about cleaning the guns and now I'm in the dog house.

bluelake · « **Reply #14 on:** June 13, 2011, 02:05:14 PM »

Quote from: Double D on June 13, 2011, 04:18:20 AM

Quote from: bluelake on June 12, 2011, 07:10:53 PM
I clean out my muzzleloaders with what some have called 3-2-1 (off another muzzleloading board), which has a simple recipe:

3 parts alcohol, 2 parts hydrogen peroxide and 1 part Murphy's Oil Soap. It works quite well.

You would be better served leaving the hydrogen peroxide out, it creates oxygen and promotes rusting...

Everything is oiled afterwards--no problems.

subdjoe · « **Reply #15 on:** June 13, 2011, 03:29:05 PM »

Quote from: Rayfan87 on June 13, 2011, 11:59:45 AM

Careful there jeeper gonna get me in trouble with my girl, she wanted to see what this site is so I picked an innocent looking thread about cleaning the guns and now I'm in the dog house.

Assure her that none of us ever would seriously consider putting gun parts in an automatic dish washer. Or that teaballs make good holders for small parts in a dishwasher.

It can be too darned hard to scrub out that black film before the wife gets home.

Rayfan87 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 13, 2011, 04:16:38 PM »

Thats not quite the way she took that one.

dittles · « **Reply #17 on:** June 13, 2011, 04:35:12 PM »

I have black powder rifles so I clean my Golf Ball Mortar and G.B. Parrot the same way as I clean my rifles. Hot water with dish soap then rinse them off with water that has been brought to a boil. I then grease them down with T.C. Bore Butter. So my question would be is motor oil better to use than the Bore Butter? Bore Butter has a nice smell!

subdjoe · « **Reply #18 on:** June 13, 2011, 04:46:11 PM »

Quote from: dittles on June 13, 2011, 04:35:12 PM

I have black powder rifles so I clean my Golf Ball Mortar and G.B. Parrot the same way as I clean my rifles. Hot water with dish soap then rinse them off with water that has been brought to a boil. I then grease them down with T.C. Bore Butter. So my question would be is motor oil better to use than the Bore Butter? Bore Butter has a nice smell!

Simple -

Bore Butter - ~$6/5 oz.

Motor Oil - ~$4/32 oz.

I know some people who save the oil when they change oil and use that. Which effectively makes the cost zero.

Double D · « **Reply #19 on:** June 13, 2011, 06:57:27 PM »

You can do better than motor oil.

When I shoot my black powder Martini Henry rifles's I clean the bore with patches soaked in Antifreeze. I also use antifreeze and water to wet my cannon swabs when shooting. Antifreeze also contains rust inhibitors.

After cleaning the rifles bores I oil the bore and gun with automatic transmission fluid. ATF contains anti rust and corrosion inhibitors and and is a Super penetrator.

When I get my cannon home I use the garden hose to clean of everything the wipe all the metal down with ATF.

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #20 on:** June 13, 2011, 08:27:40 PM »

I like using window wash with ammonia. After everything is dry it is wiped down with an oily rag inside and out.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 14, 2011, 05:04:15 AM »

Quote from: jeeper1 on June 13, 2011, 09:34:10 AM

Quote
Dish washer works great for the smaller ones............

Do you have to bribe her?

Well the trick was do a load of dishes late at night and get up and put them away before she gets up.....
this way she really appreciated you helping out with the chores........ Carol never knew....... I think........

And years ago when I was re-enacting the American Revolution after 2 or 3 days of camping I would come home pull the barrel out of the musket and hit the shower.... we both were clean in short order.....

MR.GADGET · « **Reply #22 on:** June 14, 2011, 07:40:50 AM »

I put mine out on the deck after we got back, dish soap, hose, and wash away.....

Have done the car wash on the 1919 in the past, sure clears out and gives you the pick of what one you want.

subdjoe · « **Reply #23 on:** June 14, 2011, 07:43:01 AM »

Quote from: KABAR2 on June 14, 2011, 05:04:15 AM

And years ago when I was re-enacting the American Revolution after 2 or 3 days of camping I would come home pull the barrel out of the musket and hit the shower.... we both were clean in short order.....[/b] [/color]

My wife gave me a really strange look the first time I did that.

MR.GADGET · « **Reply #24 on:** June 14, 2011, 07:45:59 AM »

I wash my guns in the sink all the time, the problem it the first time I did the 1919 I broke the sink, now I just do parts and small arms.....

edit, she will even help....

clum sum · « **Reply #25 on:** June 14, 2011, 03:00:19 PM »

Thanks everyone this makes life much easier.

Double D · « **Reply #26 on:** June 14, 2011, 03:34:41 PM »

Many good ideas, no "only one right way". Try them and see what works for you.

subdjoe · « **Reply #27 on:** June 14, 2011, 04:59:39 PM »

Quote from: clum sum on June 14, 2011, 03:00:19 PM

Thanks everyone this makes life much easier.

I'd still like to know what you did that made it such a PITA for you.

keith44 · « **Reply #28 on:** June 14, 2011, 06:21:17 PM »

Quote from: subdjoe on June 14, 2011, 04:59:39 PM

Quote from: clum sum on June 14, 2011, 03:00:19 PM
Thanks everyone this makes life much easier.

I'd still like to know what you did that made it such a PITA for you.

So would I, not to pick on you

but rather to see if there is anything I might be doing that could be easier.

subdjoe · « **Reply #29 on:** June 14, 2011, 06:24:25 PM »

Quote from: keith44 on June 14, 2011, 06:21:17 PM

Quote from: subdjoe on June 14, 2011, 04:59:39 PM
Quote from: clum sum on June 14, 2011, 03:00:19 PM
Thanks everyone this makes life much easier.

I'd still like to know what you did that made it such a PITA for you.

Heck, I want to pick on him and subject him to ridicule and humiliation!

So would I, not to pick on you but rather to see if there is anything I might be doing that could be easier.