The Ancient Petard..... What is it? What purpose? Building a Fortress Door.

[seacoastartillery]

     We think that the two photos added here are important enough to be added to the end of this thread on Petards.  We very, very rarely add more to the bottom of a previous Seacoast posting, but these photos, we believe advance the story enough to justify that action.  First there is the Medieval door, Petard target drawing, which is to be the pattern for the tree-branch style iron door hinges to be made soon.  Then there is a photo of a 24 pounder being fired in Fort Phoenix which guarded Fairhaven and New Bedford, Massachusetts since Revolutionary times.  This recently discovered photo of cannon fire is attributed to:  http://fort-phoenix.blogspot.com/2010/02/historical-encampments.html

     What this cannon fire photo makes us wonder about is the benefit of firing the Petard during the brief period of gloaming just before darkness.  This twilight period is brief, but the soft reflected light coming from the earth's atmosphere provides a unique backlight to such a shot.  The entire purpose of this Petard Experiment is to simply see if one actually works to break the timber locking bar behind the Medieval Doors.  The factors against a twilight firing of our petard would be the increased difficulty in providing for the safety of the gun crew.  We will probably nix this idea due to safety concerns.  Safety factors trump all others, but it's too bad, because the photography could have been startling.

T&M

I finished this pattern last night and soon it will be cut out to become the Medieval Door Hinge Pattern. 




Twilight Cannon Fire at Fort Phoenix which guards Fairhaven and New Bedford, Massachusetts.

[GGaskill]

Do you not know anyone with a water jet or plasma cutter with the optical tracer?  Either would be very appropriate for this kind of work.

[seacoastartillery]

    George,   We got a couple bids for water jet cutting on the cosmetic shroud that was used on the Big French Monster Mortar we built in 2009.  We thought maybe we could save some money over a punch press operation on those 80 pressure relief holes, (.50"dia.) we had in the design on the lower, forward side near the base plate. This was a precaution in case the silicon rubber goup filled joint leaked a little gas upon discharge of a 2 pound BP charge.  They were way too expensive, almost twice what our fabricator had bid on punching that big hole pattern. 
 
      Also, we have discussed water jet cutting quite a bit with Dominick who told us that each time he was tempted to use this time saving method and outsource this work, he found that he could do it cheaper by doing the work himself.
 
      Besides, after screwing 4 pieces of stock together near the pattern cut lines, the waste steel can be fairly quickly separated from the hinge pattern with a good quality 3/8" Bi-Metal blade in our 35 year old bandsaw.  Two bundles done this way can be cut out in two hours and you can then have your 8 parts ready for the filing bench.  Die grinding and filing could take up to two full days, but you would have to do this anyway, even after water-jet cutting.  Did you know that you can use a Sure-Form wood rasp to make short work of heavy steel removal on low carbon steel?  I once saw one of my gunsmithing school instructors make an entire black powder octagon barrel with one with only 2 blade changes!!  Hard to believe, but true.  One hour draw filing with conventional files finished it up, except for polishing!
 
 Tracy and Mike
 

[Victor3]

   
      Also, we have discussed water jet cutting quite a bit with Dominick who told us that each time he was tempted to use this time saving method and outsource this work, he found that he could do it cheaper by doing the work himself.
 

 Dom could prolly do it cheaper because he can flame cut with an oxy-acet torch nicely. A lot more work and time involved to do similar things on a band saw...

[seacoastartillery]

      Victor, you are right about this, but we don't have any such equipment, so we will use what we have, a 35 year old, 14", Rockwell Delta, bandsaw and some darn good German, Bi-Metal blades.

     We can get back to work on important "work stuff" now that we are back from the NRA's Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico.  We went down there with our shooting buddies, Gary and Bruce.  We all had a great time and were very impressed with the facilities!  We found some cannons down there as well, which makes the following photos legit.  Spare time work on the Petard target doors will resume tomorrow.  Here is some good news for those of you who are interested in rifled liners or "sleeves" for small bore smoothbore cannon.  Having decided that the planned shop expansion is way too expensive, we will get back to work on the 7" Brooke we are building on speculation and should finish it in about 6 weeks.  Then the 1.000" Rifled Liner and following that the 1.750" Rifled liner.  For you Krupp Gun lovers there should be work started on those by late October with Dec., Jan., or Feb. deliveries.
 
 Tracy
 
 
 The entrance is 15 miles south of Raton, NM.
 
 
 
 
 The four of us stayed in this log cabin for $14 per person per night.  There were four sets of bunk beds, 3 in a common room and one in a separate room.  Shower facilities, etc were shared.  A heater was provided, as was a mattress, sheets, etc., but not AC.
 
 
 
 
 Across the street was the 1,000 Yard High Power Range with 100 positions.  Click on the photo and count them yourself.
 
 
 
 
 Directly across the street was the nicest of the "Founders Cabins" donated to the Whittington Center by Brownells.  It has four, double occupancy rooms, each with bath facilities for 150 per night.  Also a nice kitchen, great room with leather furniture, heat and AC and a wide screen TV.
 
 
 
 
 The headquarters building has a very interesting Museum of the Old West donated by Brownells and also a reading room with 4 different types of signal guns.  There are no markings to help with I.D.  3/4" bore, six inches long, ML.
 
 
 
 
 The muzzle.
 
 
 
 
 I probably lost some of my hearing to this type as a counselor at YMCA Camps, a 10 Gauge Winchester BL.
 
 
 
 
 This one was very nice with it's nicely turned tube about 1.25" in Dia. and about 8" long.
 
 
 
 
 An interesting BL with unique striker assy.
 
 
 
 
 10 Gauge bore. 
 
 
 
 
 And in the lobby, a Western cannon, the 12 Pdr. Mountain Howitzer. 
 
 
 
 
 Mike prepares to try his skill on the 500 Yard Silhouettes with his favorite battle rifle, a SMLE No. I, Mk. III. 
 
 
 
 
 I push eight 30-06 rounds into Mike's M-1 Garand which I borrowed.  Coincidentally, I just found a really nice one for myself yesterday, after looking for almost 10 years!!
 
 
 
 
 I'm going for the full size "White Buffalo" at 1,137 yards.  According to Mike, I tickled it's tail and parted it's head hair and shot between it's legs, but failed to hit that monster.  It was a heck of a lot of fun trying though!  Gary and Bruce did very well with Bruce's, French MAS 49-56 conversion to 7.62mm NATO. 
 
 
 

[KABAR2]

Boy has the NRA Whittington center changed! my last vist was 1981 the only "building" was the caretakers trailer! and the olny cannon on the property was a small cast iron one on a Navy carriage with a 1" bore owned by the care taker..... Glad to see they have really developed it!

[seacoastartillery]

     You have that right, Allen, the place has changed big time since 1983 when my fiance and I were there a few months before our wedding.  I remember that trailer at the entrance and the just completed Police Combat Pistol Range.  we popped off a few rounds that afternoon, she with her .22 cal. Smith, Model 63 and me with my L-Frame  .357 Mag. Smith, Model 686 which was brand new at that time.  We wondered what it would look like when completed and now we know.  On this most recent trip, we found out that cannons are definitely welcome, in fact if we come over on a weekday, we can expect to get a range for ourselves in which we could call a cease fire and drive down to the 300 or 500 yards targets to change them and then drive back to the firing line.  Can't beat that!!

Tracy

[RocklockI]

I believe the split trail cannon is a South Bend "Continental".
 
I decided to go with the 2.25" cohorn mortar instead but I sure did like the Continental !
Tracy is correct that IS a wonderfull range .
 
Also there is an 1841 in Raton ,we didnt stop because "one of us" said we don't need those two extra colman fuel bottles when we packed . Of course the bottle in Bruces heater crapped out on the first night . For those who are curious  Raton stores close at 5:30 if you show up at 5:31 YOU/WE are SOL . We made due with the supplied heater ,not sure what it's output was, but we'd done better with a candle  .....a small one  .
 
All in all we have to go back because Tracy was nearly in tears wanting to see the displayed cannon he was a sight .
 
We said "No Tracy ,bad Tracy, down Tracy WE must find fuel first .." as it turned out we did not see the cannon and we did not find feul either! 
And because I loved the place ,deer wandering around elk too heards of them !
If you go there expecting to shoot long range sillohette, DO NOT bring a .22 centerfire as they are not allowed ..... no clue why but there it is .
 
Great trip
Gary