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Author Topic: Yokes for Swivel Guns?  (Read 1131 times)

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Offline CrufflerSteve

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« on: March 11, 2005, 01:08:24 PM »
I just wondered if anybody knows an easy way to fabricate one or a good source for them.  Hern Iron has an ENGLISH SWIVEL GUN, 1750-1815, current price $379.80. I just heard from Joel at Hern. The current ones are 1 1/2" bore but the new ones will be 1 5/8". Golf ball shooters! I think I'd prefer that to a Coehorn but I still haven't ruled it out.

I've taken this post from the "Help Me Spend Some Money!" topic so please forgive me if you see it twice. I just want all my options together before I spend the $'s.

Steve
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2005, 01:26:55 PM »
Two things come to mind in producing something that is serviceable.  Not necessarily desireable.  The yoke is just like one half of a U-joint.  The question is one of size - generally made of a good cast iron for automotive use.  The other common application would be something like an oar-lock for a boat.  Past that I think one would have to contstruct it from scratch.  There are, of course, mounts for .30 and .50 cal machine guns on the surplus market; though probably not cheap.  Three styles - maybe interchangeable - for tripod mount, for aircraft, and for the post in a jeep.

Another thought.  Take a walk through your local farm & tractor supply store.
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Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline GGaskill

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2005, 05:57:07 PM »
Unless you form your yoke by bending flat material into the U shape, they are extremely wasteful of material.  Then you have the problem of getting the trunnions into it.  If you are making it for a cast iron or steel gun, making the yoke from steel is a viable option.
 
I assume you are going to enlarge the 1 5/8" bore to shoot golf balls as they are about 1 13/16" in diameter.

That should have been 1 11/16" diameter (1.68").  Still bigger than 1 5/8" though.
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Offline CrufflerSteve

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2005, 08:09:09 PM »
Quote from: GGaskill
Unless you form your yoke by bending flat material into the U shape, they are extremely wasteful of material.  Then you have the problem of getting the trunnions into it.  If you are making it for a cast iron or steel gun, making the yoke from steel is a viable option.
 
I assume you are going to enlarge the 1 5/8" bore to shoot golf balls as they are about 1 13/16" in diameter.


I haven't decided on the swivel gun yet. The yoke issue is holding me up. I can bend 1/4" steel but this is a 100 pound barrel so I'd like something thicker. The fellow at Hern said that they are increasing the bore diameter  for golf balls. It used to be 1 1/2" and you'll be able to order them either way. The yoke would have to be pretty substantial.

Steve
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Offline GGaskill

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2005, 09:53:28 PM »
I would think 1/2" thick steel would be more than sufficient, especially considering it will be around a minimum of 2" wide to contain the trunnions.  Heat it cherry red at the bend points and it will be pretty easy to bend.  Use mild steel and there won't be any heat treatment to get messed up.  Weld a base post on the bottom.

Besides, there won't be much recoil if you shoot golf balls.
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2005, 01:42:12 AM »
>> ...but this is a 100 pound barrel ...

WOW.  (the tube and trunion of the 4.5" bore mortar onthe left weigh 103 lbs. - shoots 7.5 lb concrete filled sections of 4"pvc pipe )

Put in heavy mount too.  Being a cannon you should be able to get the golf balls to go through armour plate!

I have mortars in golf ball caliber of 1.70 and 1.75" bore diameters.
I think the golf ball is about 1.68 give or take.  The orange ones are a little bigger.
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2005, 01:50:33 AM »
Construction is pain.  You might find a section of steel pipe the right size to fit under the trunion rings (half the diameter of the pipe).  Then a long rod (the same size of the trunion rods) could be used to align the trunion rings when they're welded to the lower part of the yoke.  It's the same issue I'm facing in building a radius cutter for 8+inch diameters.
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Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline Powder keg

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2005, 06:11:52 AM »
Hi, I see a problem with welding the yoke togather. How do you get the barrel out? maybe I missed something? When I get my petrobond casting sand, I'm planing on making some castings for cannons. a 2 or three piece yoke will be one of them. Later,
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2005, 06:29:50 AM »
Quote from: Powder keg
Hi, I see a problem with welding the yoke togather. How do you get the barrel out? maybe I missed something? When I get my petrobond casting sand, I'm planing on making some castings for cannons. a 2 or three piece yoke will be one of them. Later,


You named it - yoke with trunions that have two-piece trunions (removable trunion caps).
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Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2005, 09:17:56 AM »
ON THE OTHER HAND, you could have a lot of clearance on the one-piece yoke/trunion ring, weasle the tube and trunions into it, and THEN slide a pair of sleaves (one on each side) onto the trunion shaft inside the trunion ring taking up the slack.  It could even be a bronze bushing.
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Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline CrufflerSteve

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2005, 09:35:22 AM »
Does anybody have any pictures of yokes or links to pictures? It might be helpful to have some pictures of what was used originally and what people do nowadays.

Steve
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Offline jeeper1

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2005, 12:04:31 PM »
The only swivel gun I've ever seen was in the old Disney movie about Davy Crockett and had something to do with boats on the mississippi river.  As I remember it Davy Crockett gave it to Mike Fink who later used it when attacked, both from a pedestal and later hand held. It was all bronze and less than 2 feet long.  The yoke was bronze too. Wish  I had a copy of that movie I'd snag some photos to post.
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Offline GGaskill

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Yokes for Swivel Guns?
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2005, 02:01:39 PM »
From the "Blank-firing cannon/mortar" thread:

http://www.dicannonworks.com/images/herrailmntE.jpg">
The Herreshoff Saluting Cannon


Note the screw on trunnion caps.  One thing to remember when using a yoke is that trunnions are usually placed in front of the center of gravity of a barrel so the breech will rest on the elevation device when fired.  This may not be the case when the barrel is designed as a swivel gun but in any event, you need to consider how the elevation of the piece is going to be controlled while firing solid shot.
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“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”--Winston Churchill
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