Author Topic: Bowling ball cannon, questions, look at my pics and plan review? (Read 2441 times)

Battlewagon · « **on:** June 18, 2012, 10:50:16 AM »

Hey guys, newb here. Shooter and hunter, new to cannon/mortar fun, don't want to kill anyone or myself. Read a bunch of threads here, wanted to run some specs and pics by you all before I finish and hopefully fire this weekend.

Barrell: gas cylinder, DOT 2265, fits a BB with about 1/8" clearance. Cut to 39" top to crown, planning on internal powder chamber so effective barrell length will be about 30"

Is this too long? would some relief slits holes near the end (approx preferred 18"?) be a good idea?

I'm also welding the trunnions (sch. 80) approx 12" from the bottom to the cylinder, they will be heavily gussetted but is there concerns with welding them to the barrell?

Powder chamber: 4140 steel approx 6.5" in diameter and 5.5" long. I plan on a 2"x2" chamber. I plan to bevel the back edge and mount it inside the cylinder. Then welding a piece of heavy all-thread to the back of the chamber and running it through the rear valve hole, then securing it with a large washer and nut (is thi standard practice?)

How big of a hole do I drill for the fuse/ignition?

What should I use for a fuse sleeve?

Any diagrams or resources for using shotgun primers and a slap hammer to ignite?

My carriage is fabricated from some hydraulic press parts and .120 wall 1.75" round tube bent in my JD2 Model 3. Angle will be adjusted and maintained by a bottle jack welded/mounted to back of barrell and carriage.

Pics are from rough mock-up and are only tacked together. My goal is a safe 100-300 yard shooter, big noise and flame, and not orphan my children.

All input is appreciated, thanks!

Battlewagon · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2012, 10:56:10 AM »

oh and another question: when firing closer to horizontal, how do you keep the powder in the chamber?

armorer77 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2012, 11:01:48 AM »

Standard fuse hole is .136" to .140" If you are going though the barrel wall and then the chamber you will need a vent liner . Ed

armorer77 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2012, 11:03:34 AM »

Pre bagged powder charges .

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2012, 07:20:42 PM »

That's an real interesting looking rear sight? Nice!

KABAR2 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2012, 05:48:54 AM »

He is using a sight designed for the M16a1 when using the M203 grenade launcher.... it would be interesting to see his cannon set up and firing.....

Double D · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2012, 06:27:56 AM »

Standard over the counter cannon fuse is 1/8". Yes, you can buy smaller but if the local gunshop has fuse it most likely will be the 1/8" stuff.

Some preach use smaller vent to prevent excessive low of pressure. The loss of pressure with the smaller/smallest of cannons my be a relevant issue. If your cannon is .50 caliber or larger, the loss of pressure with the larger vent is insignificant, in my experience.

What I have experienced with the smaller vents is they foul more and are more difficult clear and clean.

One of the arguments for the smaller vent is that it looks better...that to me is an invalid argument.

Make your vent .177 especially in this larger cannon. You will be able to use the straw quills in that size. Friction primers require an even slightly larger vent. That would be an even better way to fire this bowling ball gun.

Battlewagon · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2012, 10:02:00 AM »

thank you all for your feedback, I will take note and use the advice.

what about attaching the powder chamber to a bolt/all-thread to thread through the neck in the back of the cylinder?

is milling a .5" deep hole in the back to recess and weld it in the best route? it's 5.5" thick so with a 2" deep chamber I will still have 3" of wall thickness.

any pics of what others have done would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!!!!!!

Battlewagon · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2012, 10:04:00 AM »

and what about welding the trunnions to the barrell, I have a Millermatic 175 mig, do I need to pre-heat it?

worry about deforming the cylinder, I will go slow and jump back and forth regardless.

GGaskill · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2012, 11:16:32 AM »

I am not a fan of MIG welding heavy material (nor am I a MIG welder); you need good penetration when welding trunnions to tube and I don't usually see that from MIG welds.

I would also stay away from welding 4140 unless you can preheat the joint.

smokemjoe · « **Reply #10 on:** June 20, 2012, 05:45:01 AM »

What is a Dot2265 tank. The only tank I found that worked is Dot AA- 2400 ,OD 9 - 9/32, walls .265, orange colored tank. argone tank. Bowling Balls 8.563. I use a stainlees vent liner the is screwed into the 6 in. powder chamber, that is welded inside the tube. My powder chamber is 3 in. deep and 2 in wide. made from 1018. Hope this helps.Joe

flagman1776 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 20, 2012, 06:53:53 AM »

DOT 3A or 3AA gives the metal specs for the steel tank.

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2012, 03:59:36 PM »

A bowling ball gun with proper windage would need a minimum bore of 8.815 inch.
Circumference of a bowling ball. The circumference of a ball shall not be more than 27.002 inches nor less than 26.704 inches. (8.595/39)x40= 8.815 inches http://www.topendsports.com/sport/tenpin/balls.htm

The Pressure tank need to make the expansion chamber for a bowling ball mortar for is the 300 CF, DOT 3AA2400 made by Taylor Wharton. http://www.taylorwharton.com/assets/base/doc/products/cylinders/TW1102_StandardHighPressure.pdf

ID of the 3A2265 should be 8.50" per the chart above.

Something to keep in mind the standards above for a bowling ball is maximum number. Some bowling balls may be smaller, but none should be larger.

smokemjoe · « **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2012, 04:58:13 PM »

DD: Looks like I got the ball dem. messed but this 9 trips odf chemo and one today I am not thinking to good, Joe

Battlewagon · « **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2012, 05:08:05 PM »

Quote from: Double D on June 20, 2012, 03:59:36 PM

A bowling ball gun with proper windage would need a minimum bore of 8.815 inch.
Circumference of a bowling ball. The circumference of a ball shall not be more than 27.002 inches nor less than 26.704 inches. (8.595/39)x40= 8.815 inches http://www.topendsports.com/sport/tenpin/balls.htm

The Pressure tank need to make the expansion chamber for a bowling ball mortar for is the 300 CF, DOT 3AA2400 made by Taylor Wharton. http://www.taylorwharton.com/assets/base/doc/products/cylinders/TW1102_StandardHighPressure.pdf

ID of the 3A2265 should be 8.50" per the chart above.

Something to keep in mind the standards above for a bowling ball is maximum number. Some bowling balls may be smaller, but none should be larger.

hmmm, you seem to be right. my diameter is 8.5" and the 6# balls I test fitted have fit fine with about 1/8 to 1/16th of clearance. I'm guessing I'll come across some balls that are bigger.

Is there an issue with running balls that are a "perfect fit" as in having little clearance of the sidewalls?

Double D · « **Reply #15 on:** June 20, 2012, 05:10:14 PM »

Joe, you got the right tank and that is important.

If you get a too small tank and too large bowling ball you are going to have to learn how to extract a ball.

armorer77 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 21, 2012, 07:55:12 AM »

I got the wrong tank . Turning down a bowling ball is a pain . Ed

GGaskill · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2012, 08:58:41 AM »

Turning down a bowling ball is a pain.

It certainly is!

Double D · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2012, 04:50:41 PM »

Quote from: armorer77 on June 21, 2012, 07:55:12 AM

I got the wrong tank . Turning down a bowling ball is a pain . Ed

Roflmao---laughing with you of course not at you!

KABAR2 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 22, 2012, 08:13:42 AM »

Quote from: armorer77 on June 21, 2012, 07:55:12 AM

I got the wrong tank . Turning down a bowling ball is a pain . Ed

Ummmm....... You are going to polish that when your done.....

armorer77 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 22, 2012, 11:23:55 AM »

Ahhhh, NO .

smokemjoe · « **Reply #21 on:** June 22, 2012, 04:05:43 PM »

Were a face mask, If you end up with lung cancer like me, your wished you took care of them, Now any smells I cant take.

keith44 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 23, 2012, 05:06:55 AM »

Quote from: smokemjoe on June 22, 2012, 04:05:43 PM

Were a face mask, If you end up with lung cancer like me, your wished you took care of them, Now any smells I cant take.

or emphysema...

Don't take unnecessary chances.

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #23 on:** June 23, 2012, 07:55:17 AM »

Hey Ed (Armorer77),

I really like the looks of your radius cutter. I have a couple of Holdridge's but I am not impressed with them... don't consider them much better than just using the compound with a few custom attachments... I really like the slide for tuning the size of the radius. What is the make and model of it and I assume from your mold making it can do internals as well...?? I see the Stuttgart so assume Germany..?? Could you maybe give us a pic of the whole thing? ...or do I need to go over to "Practical Machinist" for that?

GOW/George

armorer77 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 23, 2012, 08:00:21 AM »

GOW , I don't have any good shots of it at home . I will get some monday . Ed

dominick · « **Reply #25 on:** June 23, 2012, 03:55:18 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill on June 19, 2012, 11:16:32 AM

I am not a fan of MIG welding heavy material (nor am I a MIG welder); you need good penetration when welding trunnions to tube and I don't usually see that from MIG welds.

I would also stay away from welding 4140 unless you can preheat the joint.

I agree with that. A stick weld, DC with reverse polarity will give you much better penetration than a mig. With any mig welder, the electric current flows from the work piece into the wire and the welder. With DC reverse, the current flow from the welder into the work piece, hence better penetration. A cross-section of the weld bead will be a more pronounced 'v" than the flattened oval shape cross-section of the mig. A good welding rod to use is E7018. Good rod for low carbon alloy steels such as 1026. Definitely stay away from welding 4140. It can be welded but with material such as 1018 readily available and not expensive, go with it.

I don't even own a mig welder any more. (they're bubble gum machines if you ask me)

If you have one and you want better penetration, try flux core wire. You have to reverse the polarity for it and it will give you a much hotter weld. Dom

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #26 on:** June 23, 2012, 04:40:44 PM »

I have some cardboard tubing that will give me the correct diameter projo (cast in concrete) to put a cylinder of concrete into a more commonly available ID tank. Pix someday.

Battlewagon · « **Reply #27 on:** June 26, 2012, 04:28:59 PM »

I won't post pics of my MIG welds because they are not pretty with this heavy of steel, but I pre-heated them and made sure I got good penetration.

I overbuilt the powderchamber and used the correct 2400 cylinder so I felt safe firing it this past weekend. I started with .5 OZ and worked my way up to 2.5, we got about 400 yards . All I can say is "WOW" that was fun, here are some vids, I'll post some detailed pics after I get a chance to dial it in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liETwLPDjKU&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcTSPTLMbp0&feature=relmfu

Thank you all, you've been a critical part in me feeling safe while firing this thing.

Double D · « **Reply #28 on:** June 27, 2012, 09:39:54 AM »

Quote from: Battlewagon on June 20, 2012, 05:08:05 PM

Is there an issue with running balls that are a "perfect fit" as in having little clearance of the sidewalls?

Perfect fit? What does that mean? Dead clean bore might work. What if you don't meticulously clean the bore between shot and the ball goes in the muzzle but doesn't go all the way to seat against the powder chamber and gets hung up on the fouling.

My guess if you got this mythical perfect fit bowling ball to seat on the powder chamber, when it fired it would compress the ball a bit and make the ball act as an obstruction. Probably nothing would happen, then something spectacular could happen also.

You need windage in thse things for a reason.

Battlewagon · « **Reply #29 on:** June 27, 2012, 11:05:23 AM »

got the right cylinder, no longer an issue. thanks for the reply, sorry if my terminolgy is off.