Scale "marble" Cannon

Rbeckett

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Rest In Peace
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
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3,096
Started a fun little project today on my 5980. I am making a scale civil war era breech loading cannon. I plan for it to use marbles as projectiles and turn it out of 6061 T6. Wheels and carriage will all be 6061 or 304 stainless. Barrel started as a 2 in. diameter extruded solid round. I plan to have adjustable sights and elevation screw to aim and plan to use slow burning black powder for the smoke effect. Marbles will be cheap and easily replaceable when lost and present less of a hazard than a solid metalic ball or bearing and lead is definately out of the question also. Got tired and had to come in and cool off but had a blast during my first trip outside into my shop since I got run over by the illness train. I am jazzed!!!!! It's been a long time getting to this point. Last year this time I still could not walk so I am happy with the progress on both fronts. Of course when I told the wife I was going to make a marble cannon, she looked at me like I had overdosed on meds again until I explained what I meant. She is much better now, Hee heee. I love throwing her a curve every now and then, it's way too much fun and easy too.
Bob
 
Oh yeah, Pics are going to be taken of this one. I was never very good about remembering to do that, but since I am in my home shop I wont have any excuse. When I get it done I will probably try some home anodizing too.
Bob
 
I made one of those cannons when I was about 10 years old, and made the black powder too. I used a piece of pipe the right size for a marble. The first time I fired it the marble went out of site and was not dropping at all, too much powder I think. Growing up I had a old guy living across from me and he was a retired gunsmith. I wished he would have lived longer so us kids would have learned some tricks from him. He had a small shop in his basement and used to make us gun parts, remember the 22 zip guns (home made) yes I had one of those that he made for a couple of us kids.
Paul
 
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