Author Topic: South Bend Replicas (lots of pics!) (Read 1737 times)

DaveSB · « **on:** August 04, 2011, 06:54:46 AM »

Just as many of you are, since I started building cannons, I've become addicted to it. Durring a research period I came across this wonderful forum and have been on here nearly every day since in whatever free time I can pull together. I've done a ton of reading and have really come to appreciate who you guys are and this forum. In my reading, I have come to find out that a cannoneer/cannon maker called 'South Bend Replicas' is local to me. I've been in contact with Jim the last few weeks to try and mesh our schedules to take a 'tour' of his shop. Well, today is the day!!! I'll be there after work tonight and will be taking lots of pictures to show you guys. I'm very excited and hope to have the pics up tonight on this thread.

DaveSB · « **Reply #1 on:** August 04, 2011, 05:03:28 PM »

few pics

DaveSB · « **Reply #2 on:** August 04, 2011, 05:05:49 PM »

DaveSB · « **Reply #3 on:** August 04, 2011, 05:07:55 PM »

even more

DaveSB · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2011, 05:09:46 PM »

DaveSB · « **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2011, 05:11:26 PM »

and then some

Double D · « **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2011, 06:01:08 PM »

Is there a story that goes with the last broken one?

How many did you bring home?

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #7 on:** August 04, 2011, 09:05:29 PM »

Great pictures! Sure would be nice to have one of those line guns; they launch soda cans gracefully.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #8 on:** August 04, 2011, 09:50:23 PM »

DaveSB, Thanks for posting all those great pics! Looks like one heck of a tour. I always wondered what their shop looked like. I own 3 cannons and 1 mortar made by SBR and I have enjoyed their quality and reliability since 1972. Did Jim mention anything about that 10" Seacoast Mortar M1841 shown in your second photo of Reply #3? The lifting lug is on the other side, most likely. I believe they weigh more than 5,000 Lbs. and that they made one for Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River, south of Savannah, Georgia in the 80s.

The original 10" had an active bit of service there. I was reading Durham's, Fort McAllister recently and was surprised to find out that it shook the walls of the magazine and the Bomb Proofs so violently that they had to drag it almost 100 yards SSE of the fort to a special, solitary emplacement. From here it bombarded the Federal ironclads during the naval attacks of 1863 and Capt. Martin commanding this battery hit several Federal Monitors including the Monitor Nahant upon their decks with shells which he observed had no effect. He had the gun's shells unloaded and sand put in, hoping to make them heavy enough to penetrate the 1" deck armor. There were no Union Navy reports of being "Holed", and reports of frantic repair activity as river water rushed in below decks, so I guess his sand loads did not find a target, after all.

Tracy

carmy53 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 05, 2011, 12:30:03 AM »

Any idea why the cannon on the metal carraige (fourth pic down in second set) looks like it is sitting around the shop gathering dust?

DaveSB · « **Reply #10 on:** August 05, 2011, 05:53:42 AM »

Quote from: carmy53 on August 05, 2011, 12:30:03 AM

Any idea why the cannon on the metal carraige (fourth pic down in second set) looks like it is sitting around the shop gathering dust?

The grinding, sanding and cutting of cast iron puts fine dust everywhere. That may have only been a month old as dirty as that stuff is.

Quote from: seacoastartillery on August 04, 2011, 09:50:23 PM

DaveSB, Thanks for posting all those great pics! Looks like one heck of a tour. I always wondered what their shop looked like. I own 3 cannons and 1 mortar made by SBR and I have enjoyed their quality and reliability since 1972. Did Jim mention anything about that 10" Seacoast Mortar M1841 shown in your second photo of Reply #3? The lifting lug is on the other side, most likely. I believe they weigh more than 5,000 Lbs. and that they made one for Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River, south of Savannah, Georgia in the 80s.

Tracy

The lifting lug was on the other side, the one in the pic is a wooden replica. I can't remember if he said the real one weighed 8 tons or 8k pounds. Very interesting piece, I almost didn't notice it. There was a lot to take in at SBR, cannons and mortars everywhere!!

Quote from: Double D on August 04, 2011, 06:01:08 PM

Is there a story that goes with the last broken one?

How many did you bring home?

I have a catalog now to get an idea on pricing, I think I'll be saving up for one!! I walked away with a catalog, pricing guide, book on lyle guns and a copy of 'The Artilleryman' magazine. I still haven't finished reading my hard back 'Round Shot and Rammers'.. I think I'll have my evenings tied up for a while, hahahaha.
As far as the last pic, a guy loaded it with pistol grade smokeless and wet/damp wadding.

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #11 on:** August 05, 2011, 05:54:27 AM »

A few of them appear to be collecting dust. Would be nice to find them a good home!

A few of them appear to be bronze. I know they finished a few barrels in a bronze paint, as seen on their website, but I didn't know they cast in bronze, and these appear to be as cast. Is it just the lighting playing a trick on my eyes?

DaveSB · « **Reply #12 on:** August 05, 2011, 05:57:18 AM »

Quote from: gulfcoastblackpowder on August 05, 2011, 05:54:27 AM

A few of them appear to be collecting dust. Would be nice to find them a good home!

A few of them appear to be bronze. I know they finished a few barrels in a bronze paint, as seen on their website, but I didn't know they cast in bronze, and these appear to be as cast. Is it just the lighting playing a trick on my eyes?

They are bronze. His catalog shows that many of his guns are available in cast or bronze, however I only spotted a few bonze tubes there.

DaveSB · « **Reply #13 on:** August 05, 2011, 06:17:20 AM »

pics of his shop, I love the sign on the front door.

DaveSB · « **Reply #14 on:** August 05, 2011, 06:23:11 AM »

A picture of his tube and sleeve. Also pictures of some cheaply made cannons by other manufacturers. Casting imperfections, bad bores, bad sleeves, double drilled vent holes, etc.

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #15 on:** August 05, 2011, 11:14:35 AM »

After taking a closer look at their website, I saw where some of their barrels are available in bronze or iron, and do remember seeing that in the past, but their b&w pictures make it hard to see any in the rest of the site (I'm not sure if any of the ones pictured on there are bronze anyway). Thanks for posting the cutaways. Did they have a record of the sources of these barrels?

Next cannon I buy, I'd really like a bronze howitzer. I don't think I can afford it right now, though, but they've certainly got a few I'd be interested in!

KABAR2 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2011, 11:28:32 AM »

I have a feeling the Lyle guns in the fourth group of photo's belonged to the previous owner and were used for the 1812 overtures

DaveSB · « **Reply #17 on:** August 05, 2011, 02:00:41 PM »

They have a ton of nice things. I wanted everything!! As in my previous post, "save up" is a key word. Why do I always have such expensive hobbies?! Hahahahahaha.

The Lyle guns were very neat, perfect size and adjustable. Again, I wanted everything!! Good thing Jim is a nice guy, I'm pretty sure I drooled over everything.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2011, 09:26:51 AM »

Dave,
A little while back I had occasion to talk with the late Mr. Barnett more than a few times by phone. On a couple of these occasions he'd call Jim in, to ask some questions about the progress being made on a barrel that I'd ordered; and it was during these conversations that I formed a mental image of the shop (I wasn't that far off). Thanks for posting the photos.

Zulu · « **Reply #19 on:** August 06, 2011, 09:47:11 AM »

Quote from: Cannoneer on August 06, 2011, 09:26:51 AM

Dave,
A little while back I had occasion to talk with the late Mr. Barnett more than a few times by phone. On a couple of these occasions he'd call Jim in, to ask some questions about the progress being made on a barrel that I'd ordered; and it was during these conversations that I formed a mental image of the shop (I wasn't that far off). Thanks for posting the photos.

I toured the Cannon Limited shop back in 1998. It looked the same. Cool stuff everywhere!

I went there to order an Ordnance Rifle and changed my mind when I saw a Parrott barrel he had just finished.
Lots of stuff coming out of a small shop.
Zulu

DaveSB · « **Reply #20 on:** August 08, 2011, 03:32:34 PM »

I'm gonna make a sign and stand outside SBR that reads "will work for cannons" hahaha