Return of the Squire

[robinghewitt]

I seem to be back :grin:

Haven't unspiked those Falkirks yet, but I did manage to burn a hole through to the bore.

This is half a pound of cannon powder behind 2 lbs of grass clippings. There is a movie but I got so told off for unsafe loading/firing practices over on another site I think we'd better forget that unless I am guaranteed immunity :nono:

Ignition was near to instantaneous and 900 lbs of iron moved back about 4 inches. Not bad considering it only has wheels (trucks?) on one side :hmm:

 

[broadarrow]

Hi Squire Robin, did the members of the other site say what was so wrong with your loading procedures that they saw on the video, Regards, Broadarrow

 

[wulf]

Glad to have you back...mean it...Wulf
Missed you.

 

[Waterman]

Squire Robin,

I'm glad to see you back also. Keep on posting!!!!

Cheers, Bill

 

[robinghewitt]

did the members of the other site say what was so wrong with your loading procedures that they saw on the video

Hi Broadarrow

Indupitably, and as soon as one finished another one started in on me

I thought it was a bit unfair because my chums have been pouring gunpowder down barrels for years with only one mishap. After years of whittling away at that spike my parade was definately rained on :surrender:

I got the cannon up on the drill press and managed to get another 1/2" wth a cobalt HSS drill before I hit something glass hard. The I had an inspiration and made an end cutting electrode for the spark eroder. It cut for a few hours, then it burnt out and I had to make another. I was just about to give up and go to bed when the note changed, noises started to come out of the muzzle. I peered down the bore and saw sparks, then the kerosene I was using as dielectric fired with a dull thump, fortunately the flash stopped short of my eyebrows :grin:

I now know that the cup shaped obstruction in the bottom of the bore is cast iron, but I'm not going to worry about that for a bit, I'm going to have a try at fixing up the carriages.

best regards

Squire Robin

 

[rifleshooter2]

Welcome Back. I saw your post at the other site, Don't worry about them. I'm with you :thumbsup:

Andy

 

[mazo kid]

Very impressive....great photos!! Good to see you are back to posting. Emery

 

[Roy]

cool :thumbsup:

 

[robinghewitt]

The carriages are mostly there but feeling their years. I have to get the wedges out and free the wheels. So rusted I think the only way is to split them with a drill and remove in pieces.

The beds are missing, you can see where they were from the paint. Painted battleship gray, now mostly flaked off and showing what is possibly the original green underneath.

I think I should stabalise the wood, sleeve the axles and wheels so they turn without more wear and do very little else.

 

[Mulebrain]

Robin,

I was wondering if you blew yourself up or what :grin:

Glad to know your still around, and will be posting in the very dull cannon section.

I will be adding some good stuff soon as well!


MB

 

[robinghewitt]

I was wondering if you blew yourself up or what :grin:

Regularly :grin:

I just remembered that it is disasterous to paint old English oak :hmm:

There was a fad back in the 60's for painting the external beams black in old timber framed cottages, made them stand out nicely against the whitewash. In the 70's they were desperately scraping it off again :rotf:

I think maybe I should just clean off the remains of the grey and waxoyl the metalwork. As little as possible to stabalise it perhaps :hmm:

Have to fix the wheels though.

 

[bingo1952]

Good work resurrecting on oldie. The only piece of advice I will offer is get yourself a little longer linstock so your face isn't so close to the touch hole. :hatsoff:

 

[Pork Chop]

Welcome back Squire! The threads about your attempts to unspike that cannon are among my favorites. I am pleased to hear that you are having success!

On the carriages, perhaps build new units and preserve the existing would be an option...

 

[robinghewitt]

Hi Pork Chop, I hear what you're saying but these things aren't easy to build and I do like using old wherever possible. It's a history thang :thumbsup:

 

[Pork Chop]

Squire,

Oh, I didn't mean to chuck the old stuff - restore them in your leisure time. My thoughts were to keep them from degrading more while still being able to use the tubes in the interim.

 

[KABAR2]

Squire,

I hope you havn't quit the other site because of
some peoples concerns, we weren't trying to gang up on you, and most of the rest of it was meant
in good nature, the main concern was for you and your friend safety first and formost, If I had posted a video where there was a safety issue and
someone called me on it, I would understand where they were comming from. videos last along time on the internet, they get copied and take on a life of there own. There is a video out there made by some youngster with a home made cannon, the touch hole is about a 1/4" with a 1" bore, HE IS DANGEROUS! and other youngsters will learn from his Video and try to copy him, there lyes the problem. what others learn from our videos.


Allen

 

[robinghewitt]

I hope you havn't quit the other site because of some peoples concerns

Not your fault, just a bit of culture clash. The information on there is good and lots of lovely things to look at :thumbsup:

I did fight back with remarks that would flatten an Englishman at 100 yards, got me nowhere :shake:

Continuing the assault was crass, but being in the minority I have to make allowances :grin:

 

[TheDoubleD]

Robin,

The identification of the unsafe practices in loading your cannon as shown in you video were not unfounded. I do think however those practices could have been pointed out in a far more tactful and polite manner than they were.

I do find it a bit ironic that your chief critic is the creator of numerous video showing some very very unsafe shooting practices himself.

His procedures are in some cases far more hazardous than yours. I feel it is only a matter of time before he blows up one of those lovely old guns he shoots.

Your tit for tat was lost on most on that board as English insults do not translate that well to American.

 

[merdean]

Welcome back. :thumbsup:

Merdean

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I'm impressed w/the cannon shooting. please take caution necessary so's to continue posting more remarkable info! :hatsoff: