I've been spiked

[WRussell]

Have you tried drilling/poking the bottom of the hole to see if it is a soft metal? Looks like someone poured something molten down there and it ran up the touchhole a ways. Woods metal? Babbitt? Maybe you can just melt it out.

 

[Bradley]

"Have you tried drilling/poking the bottom of the hole to see if it is a soft metal? Looks like someone poured something molten down there and it ran up the touchhole a ways. Woods metal? Babbitt? Maybe you can just melt it out."

I was wondering the same thing. The "something else" in the photo, made me wonder if someone had poured lead or something down the barrel to block the vent. Easy enough to melt out...provided you have the means to deal with a red hot cannon barrel. :grin:

Your post about the lack of rust at the bottom started to get me thinking. Your photo looks like a metalic substance, which would rule out any type of epoxy or something. That's a good thing. But, didn't you say you measured the length of the bore? If the measurement goes back beyond the vent hole, that rules out the lead plug theory.

Brad

 

[robinghewitt]

It isn't lead, I tried stabbing it with a blade on the end of a stick, didn't leave a mark :hmm:

 

[Bradley]

It isn't lead, I tried stabbing it with a blade on the end of a stick, didn't leave a mark

"Assuming" it IS a plug of some sort, how about fastening a drill bit to the end of your modified bore brush that you used to clean the rust out? Any shavings that come out would give you some idea of what you are dealing with. Perhaps, enough shavings to try to melt, to see if heating the barrel would remove it?

Just a thought.

Brad

 

[Bill Bounds]

Hi:
be a bummer if there was a load under the obstruction.

 

[Bradley]

Hi:
be a bummer if there was a load under the obstruction.

Going under the theory of a molten metal plug, a powder charge under it wouldn't be an issue. The molten metal would make short work of the powder charge, or vise versa. Not to mention, it would make short work of the person pouring the metal down the tube.
:winking:

Brad

 

[rexdevantier]

Robin, that looks like something small and round like a pin at 11.30 in the pic

 

[rexdevantier]

If it was mine I would cut a 1/8 drill off with only 1/2 an inch of flutes left, make an extension that just fits down the touch hole, silver solder it to the drill and have a go with it in a battery drill so I could control the speed and see if it is drillable. With the drill shortened it would be far less likely to break. If you can drill it you can deal with it. :hmm:

 

[Bradley]

Squire Robin,

Any update on your cannon situation?

Brad

 

[robinghewitt]

Any update on your cannon situation?

I'm kind of waiting at the moment. When the spike laughed at my puny efforts with pin punch and sledgehammer, I decided the only safe way to remove it was to burn it out.

I ordered an American book called, "Build an EDM Machine", once it arrives I'll know if it's possible :thumbsup:

 

[davy]

Any update on your cannon situation?

I'm kind of waiting at the moment. When the spike laughed at my puny efforts with pin punch and sledgehammer, I decided the only safe way to remove it was to burn it out.

I ordered an American book called, "Build an EDM Machine", once it arrives I'll know if it's possible :thumbsup:

By Gawd .. sumbody knowed howta spike ah gun didnt they? :cursing: :hmm:

Davy

 

[Bradley]

Squire Robin,

You made smoke with your cannon by front fuzing it? (I stumbled across your "Spiked" post on another website.)

Nice photos. Truly a beautiful site! Those are going to be some handsome guns.
Heck, even without shooting, they would look great just sitting on the patio.

Well done, man.
:hatsoff:

Brad

 

[JIMinPHX]

As I said before -

There is a little gizmo called a spark eroder. I have used it to remove broken taps from metal parts that I was making. It is a primitive cousin of an EDM machine. Either of these two devices will remove your spike with minimal effort. The spark eroder weighs about 10 pounds & is portable. The EDM machine probably weighs as much as your cannon & will probably be found bolted to the floor of a shop someplace. A carbide endmill or Hi-roc drill are other options, but if the hole is as long, narrow as I expect it is, then you will probably break off the tools & have an even bigger problem to deal with.

Also, another option is to simply drill a new touch hole

 

[Stumpkiller]

Squire,

Is it possible that when you were doing the electrolysis that your anode was steel and contained enough nickel that you ended up nickel plating the breech? Looks awful smooth, though. Or, nicely smooth I suppose. Could your motor brushing have filled the pores with rust and crud enough so that you have a filled and plated surface?

Just doesn't seem possible that the vent was never completed. :hmm:

 

[robinghewitt]

Just doesn't seem possible that the vent was never completed. :hmm:

I think the vent was plugged from below and then a dome shaped plate inserted in to the breech to make sure the spike couldn't be hammered out from above.

The parts for the EDM machine have started to arrive. I redesigned it quite a bit, have to hope I haven't buggered it in the process. Probably 2-3 weeks before it's ready :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

My God! I think it would be easier to build a time machine and just go back and talk the spiker out of the act. :rotf:

 

Squire, You do so love to tinker!

Claypipe

 

[WRussell]

A feller can never have too many tools.
:thumbsup:

 

[gof]

I can't help but wonder what your day job is Squire.

GoF

 

[davy]

Whatdaya mean? Thet looks like just the tools he uses to set his watch ... so he can THEN start the EDM process on time! :rotf:

Davy