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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: bigwull on October 10, 2013, 01:09:01 PM

Title: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 10, 2013, 01:09:01 PM
I was told this could,nt be done...so I made a wooden cannon..that actually works,...well, i cheated a little....I started out with a 4in square x 2foot piece of seasoned oak...I turned it on my lathe, then drilled a 25mm hole down the centre...to within 2in of the end...I then inserted a 22mm copper pipe,that had a stop end soldered on the end...this pipe was smeared with 4min epoxy glue,..once it had set, i drilled a 4mm touch hole,..then i made the gun carriage out of Teak...once it was finished I applied a coat of black paint to the barrel,...the carriage will get Danish oil,....Then I visited a friend...who had some un-used fireworks...we opened them..and used the powder for the propellant....and it worked.....Kaboom!!...will try and get pics next time of the actual firing.....
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: mart on October 10, 2013, 01:33:12 PM
Lord !!  What will you think of next ???  Looks real !!!  Excellent work and good thinking !!
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 10, 2013, 02:05:29 PM
Yeah..not bad for someone who does,nt like guns..... ;D
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: KevinM on October 10, 2013, 03:42:29 PM
Super Cool! Reminds me of a signal cannon but perhaps a little too big for that. Never thought you would make anything related to firearms....
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 10, 2013, 04:06:34 PM
I,m not anti-cannon,...I just like them...for what they are...I,ve got a bronze signal cannon...that actually fires...i got it through being on here...someone came on a few months ago..asking about its potential value....then listed it on ebay...i got it for £16 inc postage...its made of phosphorus bronze..the barrel is 9in long with a 12mm bore, and the carriage is oak...it came with a certificate of authenticity....it was made from metal salvaged from a ship that had been sunk by a U-boot in 1917...it also came with a wooden casket made of oak..and inside was a full rig for the gun..i.e. 6 cannon balls, ram, spike, loading shovel, etc ..i,ll post some pics of it later...
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: greenacres on October 10, 2013, 04:44:11 PM
Tanks, cannon? Are your neighbors worried yet, lol! Great cannon. I would like that on the hood of my car when I drive in Center City and on the busy highway with the way people drive. They would think twice before trying to make illegal turns and cutting in and out! ;D
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 10, 2013, 05:22:26 PM
Go look here...then get one and no one will ever give you grief again  ;D

http://www.tanktownusa.com/buy-a-tank.php
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: greenacres on October 10, 2013, 09:56:40 PM
That would be a real hoot!  I don't know how Homeland Security would feel about it, but the police force might be interested buying a couple themselves! ;D
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on October 11, 2013, 01:42:06 PM
Cool! Take some video please! I found with our cannons, that was the best way to capture them in the instant when they are spewing fire. Pull a capture out of a video.
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 11, 2013, 03:05:00 PM
Did 3 firings today...now i,m just waiting on my friend sending me the footage...its was a successful firing...quite spectacular...also here is a pic of the bronze signal cannon..that i bought from the guy who came on here a while back...looking for a value....I paid him £16...and this one has been broken in so to speak....and it works well...
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: greenacres on October 11, 2013, 03:36:08 PM
Love it BigWullie!
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: fancypants on October 11, 2013, 07:46:45 PM
Interesting item , bigwull ..........

looks about as safe as a wooden fire fighters' suit !

Hope you don't get sent to the pokey (or hospital) for/from it !
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: KC on October 11, 2013, 08:03:21 PM
 "Interesting item , bigwull ..........

looks about as safe as a wooden fire fighters' suit !"

Fancypants...made me laugh!

Looks intricate and very adventurous Wullie!  Just remember every time that you experiment it most likely will weaken a little bit....  Have fun and Be safe!
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 12, 2013, 05:03:25 AM
Hi guys...got the pics & a short video of the cannon firing....here,s the firing sequence in stills...i don,t know how to upload the vid so i,ve forwarded the emails with the vid to another member...so that they can upload...

Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: Rauville on October 12, 2013, 07:13:35 AM
Pretty neat piece there!  Now you can dress up as a pirate and sit with it by the front door for Halloween. When the kids ask "Trick or Treat?"....you can holler "Trick" and fire your cannon! ;D

(Back in high school shop class we used to make big calcium carbide cannons out of old Ford torque tubes.
 Why can't kids have good clean fun like they used to? 8))
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 12, 2013, 10:47:06 AM
I,m 63...and my pal..is going on 80...and we,ve been grinning like a Cheshire cat..ever since the first firing..... ;D
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 12, 2013, 02:40:20 PM
here,s the link to youtube...Mart...yo u,ll just have to look at the stills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtzG5DWkT4c&feature=youtu.be
and another....this one,s better as you can see the barrel move with recoil....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdo4JdGpLk&feature=youtu.be



 




Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: greenacres on October 13, 2013, 08:24:20 AM
 ;D ;D ;D ;D You make me laugh! Glad you had a good time.
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 13, 2013, 09:23:38 AM
we are now going to make a bigger one...3ft long.....KaaBoom
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 14, 2013, 03:36:45 AM
this is my next project.... ;D...but mine,s will be able to fire...

http://www.cannonsuperstore.com/non_firing_cannons.html

Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: Rauville on October 14, 2013, 08:55:01 AM
You're going to start scaring the neighbors! ;D
Didn't the British outfit one of their old battleships with wooden guns during WWII? I recall that it fooled the Italians for a couple of years.
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 14, 2013, 09:11:10 AM
your big book is past its sell by date Rauville....time to get the latest edition...

A naval example was the British battleship HMS Centurion. Obsolete and disarmed by World War II, she spent two years in the Mediterannean fitted with wooden guns, to make British naval forces in the area seem stronger than they were ;D
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: Rauville on October 14, 2013, 09:31:39 AM
your big book is past its sell by date Rauville....time to get the latest edition...

A naval example was the British battleship HMS Centurion. Obsolete and disarmed by World War II, she spent two years in the Mediterannean fitted with wooden guns, to make British naval forces in the area seem stronger than they were ;D

I actually remembered that from what my Dad told me once. He was on the battleship USS Texas in that area during operations in 1942.
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 14, 2013, 01:29:56 PM
I,ve just had a look at the Walnut wooden cannon featured in my link...my cannon is around the same size...one big difference...that walnut one..costs $1,795....mine,s cost...a total of £10...or $15....i,m in the wrong business... ;D
Title: Re: wooden kaboom
Post by: bigwull on October 14, 2013, 02:05:21 PM
You're going to start scaring the neighbors! ;D
Didn't the British outfit one of their old battleships with wooden guns during WWII? I recall that it fooled the Italians for a couple of years.
Och they got scared months ago and now they,ve moved....noisy boogers they were.... ;D