Author Topic: Cannon Care Questions (Read 777 times)

Santa Dave · « **on:** May 13, 2006, 10:31:32 AM »

OK,
So i'm out in the boonies . I 've fired my cannon several times. now I've got to "semi-clean" it (No Running water at hand) Should I VERY wet sponge and brush it then dry sponge and after elevateing the muzzle spray with a dilute anti-freeze solution, lower the muzzle and then insert a dry rag?
As I see it the priorities are: 1 protect the cannon. 2 protect the inside of my vehicle. 3 odor control (I Like it, "she who must be obeyed" doesn't)

After getting home or maybe back to the motel I can Scrub , Wash & oil till my heart's content.
Any Ideas?
Dave

GGaskill · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2006, 11:41:55 AM »

Depends on what boonies you are in. If the humidity is very low (like desert boonies), you really don't have to do anything. The black powder fouling will be unable to extract water from the atmosphere to cause corrosion. On the other hand, if your boonies are a backwater Louisiana swamp, then you need to take immediate action, the more thorough, the better. But there you would have ample water for cleaning.

However, since the goal is to keep atmospheric water away from the fouling, you could probably just tape up the muzzle and touchhole (or put it in a plastic bag if small enough) and leave it until you reach running water. You might have to wipe down the outside to get the tape to stick. That should take care of most of the smell, too.

Double D · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2006, 07:16:55 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill

However, since the goal is to keep atmospheric water away from the fouling, you could probably just tape up the muzzle and touchhole (or put it in a plastic bag if small enough) and leave it until you reach running water. You might have to wipe down the outside to get the tape to stick. That should take care of most of the smell, too.

Sorry George this is very bad advice. Do not do this folks, you will end up with a big pile of rust. The plastic bag traps air and will heat up. The moisture trapped in the bag will react with the fouling and you will have rust within hours.

Samething if you stopper the bore, moist air will be trapped in the bore. You want circulation.

Get yourself Paul Matthews books on shooting Blackpowder Cartridges. Lot's of great ideas for shooting black powder cartride rifle that you can addapt to you cannons. Matthews has lots of homade recipes for bore cleaners and lubricants. He makes a bore cleaner from Prestone antifreeze. His exact recipe is in the book.

I prefer to use the garden hose to flush the bore and vent hole and do that whenever I can to start. But that isn't always possible.

Doesn't matter if you flushed the bore or not you still need to wipe the bore down. Just use Matthews technique. If you haven't flushed it just takes a few minutes longer

Swab your bore with antifreeze soaked patches untill the bore comes clean. Make sure you pay attention to the back of the breech. Wipe the outside of the gun down good with the antifreeze solution also. Don't forget the vent. Dry the bore by wiping with a dry cloth.

Next oil the bore with Matthew's special bore oil---- NAPA ATF. It's red and thick and works great. Again don't for get the vent and the back of the breech.

I shoot a lot of Martini Henry rifles with black powder cartridges. I also use this technique with them on the range. I don't do any cleaning when I return home.

"She who must be obeyed" Well I haven't heard any complaints from her about smell. As far as getting her trained up, well after 40 years of trying, I think I got her figured out. I was begining to think it wasn't possible to train her. Now I let her light the fuse. She loves the feeling of power!!! Ya gotta use psychology on them!!!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2006, 11:51:29 PM »

Now for the practical solutions:

1. corrosion - have the cannon barrel industrial hard chrome plated (as I did on the 4.5" mortar. Should run under a grand for a 24" tube.

2. protect the interior of the vehicle - get a bed liner for the pickup, might have to trade the car for a pickup first.

3. "she who must be obeyed" - DD and I have VERY SPECIAL spouses. I bought mine a .357 mag before I bought her a ring - just to check that aspect out. You might want to review your decision.

Is easy - no?

:grin:

GGaskill · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2006, 09:00:56 AM »

The plastic bag traps air and will heat up. The moisture trapped in the bag will react with the fouling and you will have rust within hours.

Samething if you stopper the bore, moist air will be trapped in the bore. You want circulation.

I have to respectfully disagree with the notion that you want circulation. Circulation will bring additional quantities of moisture laden air to react with the fouling. At worst, trapping the air with a plastic bag (squeeze all the air out you can) or tape will limit you to the moisture in the air that is trapped. If you are coming from a low humidity area, that will be better than allowing fresh higher humidity air to circulate into the bore.

Something you might consider if you are without water is the old GI mess kit cleaning procedure of scrubbing with clean sand (saving the rinsing part until you have running water.)

Customers: Caveat emptor, you get what you pay for. (-:

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2006, 03:47:46 PM »

Only once in the last 5 years of going to the range with one to four mortars in the back of the pickup has any of them been anything but DRY when returning after starting out very moist from firing. That ONE time it was not dry was because of a heavy downpour of rain!

Your experience may be different.

threepdr · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2006, 11:10:11 AM »

Sounds like alot of concern about this to me...unless you are talking very small bore guns. I use a full scale 3lbr for 1812 and Rev War living history with a 2.75 inch bore. Bore is steel lined ductile iron.

I shoot 8oz of powder for each shot. Of course we sponge between shots. At the end of the day, after maybe 30 - 35 rounds we pour one bucket of water down the bore and run the sponge down the bore a couple of times. I then elevate the breech and let it drain. When I put it to bed at night (put tarp over it) or when a put it on the trailer for the trip home I put the wooden tompian in to keep debris from entering the muzzle.

sometime after I return home, could be a week to two, I will swab the bore out with soapy water, then rinse. I also spray the many drops of black residue off the carriage. After I elevate the breech to drain I let it all air dry for a few days. I then swab the bore with a light coat of oil and put the tompian back in. Sometimes there may be a some light rust in the bore when I go to oil it, but I assure you it does not last long when the next half pound charge goes off!

Pics of gun here
http://community.webshots.com/album/231133419pBaOUJ

CaptTHighbiter · « **Reply #7 on:** May 26, 2006, 12:13:09 AM »

being very new to this sport, i have to say that these are all good ideas.
My boys and I were hired to do cannon demos at a renn faire a few eeks ago. The weather was that slimy foggy misty type of day. My oldest ( sponger extrodinaire) came to me and said Dad, the guns have black slime coming out of them. Yep, atmospheric mosture combined with many many rounds of fouling was showing its ugly head. with no running water at hand , we sponged with water and BP solvent and used the garden hose when we got home. you would be shocked to see how much guk came out. We only had our bronze tubes, not the iron one but boy that guk eats most everything, bronze included.

No advice to offer ( still lernin my self) but clean the gun as soon as you have a chance to.

PS - there is nothing like being PAID to shoot off cannons! LOL