My cannon

[powderhead]

I am new here obviously. I joined this forum so that I could ask some questions about the cannon that I built last year. I am getting ready to drill a .200" touch hole in it tomorrow. It is a repro. of an 1860 Parrot rifle. It is three pieces of 1" hot rolled seamless sleeved inside of one another. In the breech end there is 3" of steel on the side wall and appox. 4" in the endwall. I intended for it to be a lawn ornament and a 4th of July salute cannon. I only built it because I had the materials on hand and "I could."
Your thoughts and input would be appreciated. I have found some 54" wheels for it and am looking for the materials (oak)to make the carriage.
The stuff you see in the background is from where I used to work. I had a nice job, and they used to let me do stuff like this in my spare time. I am now retired from that place (after 36 years) and have taken another job as a high school machine shop / welding instructor, so I have another nice shop full of toys to build things with.

 

[coehornboy]

:thumbsup: Excellent work! Can't wait to see the carriage!

 

[trent/OH]

Can't wait to see the carriage!

Heck, I'd like to see the carnage!

 

[1sgt]

Very nice Job. I am also a welding instructor.

 

[TheDoubleD]

If I understand you correctly this tube is a composite of three layers.

How did you join them?

What is the diameter of your bore?

When you drill your vent you want to put a vent liner in. Don't fire this barrel even one time wiht out that vent liner. A vent liner will make one continuous path from chamber to outside the barrel and will keep the powder fouling out of the seam of the various layer of barrel. If you don't do this over a period of time rust and corrosion will slowly develop at the seams and the vent can fail.

 

[powderhead]

Okay, that's the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I am told that I want to drill a .200" fuse hole. How do I construct this vent hole liner you are referring to.

 

[powderhead]

I just got off the phone with Steen cannon down in Ky. Very nice guy who was a great help. Turns out I had the information I needed all along and didn't know it. I have the Field Ordnance text No.12 on this gun from Ohio Ordnance. There is a working drawing in there that shows me how to make a vent liner. I bought it to see how the carriage was built, and I overlooked the drawing on the vent liner. Okay, more work to do now.

 

[Paul R]

Back in the 60s,IIRC, Science & Mechanics magazine had an article on building a scale model Parrot rifle with detailed drawings for the barrel and carriage. I can't put my hands on it right now, but if you are interested, I can copy it for you.

Paul