Ways to bore a cannon barrel

Nothing funny when you look at what you made from your mock up. Looks like you've done a good job of machining and the finish on everything says HEY I'm a real Canon don't mess with me. Watching for it all finished and ready to fire. If your going to fire the Canon be sure to proof it safely .
 
A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.
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I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.
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Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
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I was scratching my head because I knew you were making a steel cannon but in the pix it looked like brass- looks like your camera gives a reddish cast so that explains it.
Are you going to use Pyrodex powder to fire it? It's sulfurless so it wouldn't be as corrosive to the steel.
Mark S.
 
I'll probably use BP first for the flame effect, and then use a BP substitute after that to save on corrosion........IF I ever get to that point. [chuckle]
 
Can you get BP anymore? Here in Calif. (the nanny state) they don't let us have anything good. Party poppers. Ugg.
Mark S.
 
How did you end up finishing the bore? And I recommend black powder all the time just wash it out with the water hose after use.
 
Ianagos said:
How did you end up finishing the bore? And I recommend black powder all the time just wash it out with the water hose after use.
Click to expand...

I finished it up using a 1.25" reamer a fellow member let me use. Also opened the first 2" (at the bore end) to 1.50" - kind of a "back bore" for aesthetics. No definite plans on BP, PD, T7, or what I'll use for the most part. Depends on price and availability I guess. I've dealt with corrosive cartridges for a long time shooting surplus WWII ammo in some guns, so no fear of that here....just simpler to use a substitute...
 
Beautiful job on the barrel, then you say...
Next I'll tackle the wheels....I have never attempted anything like that before, so I have no idea how they will turn out.
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I've been working on my own cannon project, and one of the first things I tackled was the wheels. I haven't posted anything on my efforts in about a year. But you mind find some useful ideas in my posts, see "Greg's French 75 mm Field Artillery Model" thread. Most of the posts from Summer 2015 through January 2016 are related to building the axle, wheel hubs, felloes, spokes, "spoke shoes", and tires. Let me know if you have any other questions/comments.

I may be next working on the barrel for my gun, which is not intended to be a fireable piece. It will be about a 3/8" bore (1:8 scale of 75mm), and for authenticity, should be rifled with 20 lands. Yours is a smoothbore, right?

Greg
 
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Thanks GJ - I'll be sure and check out that thread/post........

I'll definitely post pics of firing [unless the unimaginable happens and I'm not inclined to show it] :(
 
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