hst45 Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Here's a really crappy video of the cannon I just finished. It's a replica of the ubiquitous cannon of the American Civil War, the 1857 Napoleon. These were used in great numbers by both the North and the South. I fabricated this mostly by eye, not to exact scale, and I expect that this is approximatly a 5/8 scale model. The wheels are 44" diamiater, the chassis is 48" wide, the barrel is 54" long, 3-1/2" O.D. The elevation screw is capable of 50 degrees of elevation, which is, I believe, much higher than the original was capable of, but I took this liberty so that I might launch an areal shell within the confines of my range. I fabricated an internal 1" I.D. barrel sleeve that is concentric with the outside barrel. This is secured to the external barrel base with a 1/2" bolt that doubles as an in-line nipple that feeds a fuse to the BP charge. The 1" I.D. barrel is used in the attached, crappy, video. In the near future I hope to use the 3" I.D. barrel to launch a shell.....video to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneEyeCharlie Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Dang-gummit! Now you just started an arms race. Below is a really crappy picture of me standing next to my most recent acquisition. It's an exact replica of a German rail gun. I'm thinking of testing it on Racine or Paris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hst45 Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 Damn, don't hit Racine....can't you hit Janesville instead? I think that would be a $5.00 fine; the charge would be "Discharging a cannon into a public nuisance." Here's a link to another small and tasteful replica I was thinking of....I might try to scale it up though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:VWM240mmAtomicAnnie01.jpg ..gotta check Skylighter for Plutonium..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Just as long as you don't knock out I-90 or 94 any more than it already is, I give full authority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneEyeCharlie Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 How did the Napoleon function for the Fourth? What size charge do you use in that rascal? Don't know if you had any company over, but I've found that while the majority of folks love fireworks; break out a cannon and all of a sudden every guy there turns back into a giggling school boy . There's something about that chest tightening concussion and massive plume of smoke. When I get a chance, I'll post some video of Bessie raising havoc in my neck o' da woods. I hope to get some stills and video of shooting from the top of the dunes out over Lake Michigan. It's a bitch getting her up there, but the end product is quite scenic. Beer pirates on the loose. Yarggghh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hst45 Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 Charlie, sorry for the slow response but I've been away for a few days in the land of no internet. The cannon was, as you might imagine, a crowd pleaser. I haven't yet worked out shells for airbursts but on the 4th I used the 1" I.D. barrel insert with 15 gms. of newsprint B.P. blanks and she sent out a wonderful bang, a tongue of smoke for about 15 feet, and drew a good reaction from the crowd. Ever notice that you set off a cannon and EVERYONE smiles? Yeah,...I'm sure you have. I had a few different people light the fuse and they felt "special." Warm and cuddly fireworks..... aw shucks. It wasn't NEAR the bang I expect to get when I get some resistance lifting a tight fitting shell, out of a larger diamiater insert, but none the less a good time was had by all. And I'm down about a pound of powder..... and a few yards of fuse.....and I had to clean the damned barrel the next day. Best wishes to Bessie from her East Coast cousin....Josephine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hst45 Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 Here's a better shot of the cannon with the 1" I.D. barrel, firing a blank. I'm still working on the airbursts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Here's a better shot of the cannon with the 1" I.D. barrel, firing a blank. I'm still working on the airbursts. How cool! I love the idea of a cannonade for a finale. Hmm seems airbursts would just be a 1" mortar shell salute, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneEyeCharlie Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Nice HST. Did you use any wadding in that charge? I've found that a mix of damp newspaper and green grass/ weeds (no Honey... it's not for the cannon. I'm just weeding 'cause I love you) compresses really nice; causing a significant increase in volume. I load my charges in foil cylinders, so the damp doesn't affect the BP. An added advantage of using damp wadding is that it precludes Charlie setting off a brush fire that would thoroughly piss off Greg-the-Accountant. I've had some success using the narrow and tall prescription bottles as easy salute shells. I bottom fuse them, prime the fuse in a NC/BP slurry, and give a few wraps of fiber tape to help against launch stress. As an old fart, you should have plenty of those bottles strewn about the kitchen counter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hst45 Posted August 2, 2008 Author Share Posted August 2, 2008 That's not true, they're not on the kitchen counter! ........They're all stacked next to me on my table, ..right beside my recliner,.. in front of the T.V., ...just to the left of my walker,....near the tub I keep handy for my foot-bath,....oh hell, you get the joke. In that particular shot I used a wad of aluminum foil as a top-wad. I've shot a couple of promising airbursts, notably BP/cremora. In the 1" barrel I shot a 3/4" I.D. by 3" shell, time fused and filled with 3 gm BP and the balance cremora. It gave a promising smokey burst, was was really wimpy on the "bang" side. More tests to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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