Gunsmithing: Building a black powder Cannon

[1911ly]

Bittersweet day, cannon is gone. Its at the welders who I thought would be done in a week, but they have some other stuff going on and said it might be 3 weeks. Should cost me between 500, and 750 bucks to get most of my metal work done. Still have to drill the flash hole. I have some pictures that I took on the actual camera and not on the phone that I have not uploaded... ill try and get them up soon.

Can't wait to see the results! I am sure it wil be worth the wait.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Looking very nice!
Hope to be near by when you fire it!

 

[IMPD31323]

For the mop I know you said you picked up some wool, is it fabric or unshorn wool on leather. I have some left over sheepskin wool on hide that you a welcome too. Let me know

 

[IndyGunworks]

I would love to take a look at it... the stuff I picked up was junk but all that joanns fabric had.

 

[IndyGunworks]

small amount of progress w/ the metal strapping.

 

[IndyGunworks]

photo update:

 

[1911ly]

Nice update! I have been curious about what you have been up to. Thanks for the update. Keep up the good work!

 

[IndyGunworks]

 

[IndyGunworks]

Little more work done getting the metal attached on the lower end of the trails.

 

[1911ly]

Wow! What an update of progress. I am truly impressed. I love the use of the square head bolts. I would love to be there when this thing goes off. Keep the updates coming! Awesome work as usual!

 

[IndyGunworks]

Stayed up late last night and made some more progress w/ the lags. the square heads are a real PITA because I have to use a gator socket to drive them in and its a slow tedious process.

1.5 hours to get these 12 installed.

 

[dhamby]

Instead of using one of those gator sockets might I recommend one of the craftsman multi sized splined sockets. They work a hell of a lot better.

Craftsman 19 Pc Inch and Metric Wrench Set: Get Your Grip at Sears

 

[IndyGunworks]

Instead of using one of those gator sockets might I recommend one of the craftsman multi sized splined sockets. They work a hell of a lot better.

Craftsman 19 Pc Inch and Metric Wrench Set: Get Your Grip at Sears

I have been looking for an excuse to get a new ratchet set in 1/2 inch drive

 

[Leadeye]

Nice setup, you never know what's going to come out of you're garage door.

 

[Huntrdan]

You can still buy 8 pt Craftsman sockets.

Looks like a Verbrugen barrel. Where did you get it?

 

[IndyGunworks]

You can still buy 8 pt Craftsman sockets.

Looks like a Verbrugen barrel. Where did you get it?

I wish I could call it a Verbrugen, but I just don't feel right doing that.

It came from hern iron works out of idaho. While they call it a Verbrugen its much larger than the Verbrugen actually were. The Verbrugen were the smallest of the light 3 pounders and got their name and notoriety because of their small size and portability. This thing is probably 30 percent larger and almost twice the weight of an original bronze Verbrugen. Therefore I consider it a Light 3 Pounder as far as the outside dimensions go. It is a reduced diameter bore at 2 1/4 instead of the original 2.97ish. somewhere I have a thread where we discussed the poundage of this barrel as it truly is and how it would have been rated back in the day. with wrought iron balls I twould have been a round a 2 1/3 pounder I believe. Much much more if you were to rate it on lead ball instead of wrought iron.

 

[IndyGunworks]

going the wrong direction! had to take her apart to get the voids filled, and the holes drilled for the capsquare hinge and keybolt



Hingebolt hole worked out GREAT, was only about a 16th of an inch off going through 11.5 inches of wood. the keybolt holes were about 1/4 inch off EEK, and when trying to clean it up I messed it up a bit more, but that will be a post for my lessons learned part where I will show all of my imperfections as a learning tool for others that may attempt something like this.



the welder left a few voids between the metal and the wood. JB weld wood epoxy putty will do a fine job at filling those in strongly.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Here is the epoxy that is filling up one of the gaps... you can see the biggest mistake I have made so far at the bottom of the picture. My holes where they met in the middle were about 1/4 of an inch off and while trying to bring them together I wasn't careful enough and the spade bit decided to make a new hole. Its mostly cosmetic and will be filled in with epoxy as well as being under the metal strapping, but I am still sick to my stomach that I made an error this large.



but I also got the middle star installed... this will prevent the elevation nut from rubbing on the wood



and the piece I will use with a trail spike as well as a winch to load it back onto the trailer.

 

[1911ly]

Looking awesome!

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

That's looking really cool.

One thing I've wondered though...the half-round bearings or whatever the correct name is, where the cannon rests on the carriage--is that enough to retain the cannon in place? Or is there a top part to keep it retained?