Some Black Powder 4th

[kudu]

Got the cannon out and made up some powder packets for it. For those who don't know how, this seems to be the preferred way to make them for a cannon. I will make packets full of cornmeal about twice as big to load as blanks for compression. I am using about 500 grains of 1F powder in the 1.5" bore of the cannon.



Roll the foil over an aluminum dowel,
Twist the end and snip the tail off.

Slide it into a form and pop it with the hammer and flattens the tail into the form.
Fill the cylinder of foil with the correct amount of powder.
Twist a tail on the other end and snip off excess.
Back into the cylinder to compress.
Final product.

 

[kudu]

I pulled a screenshot off the video.

 

[Obturation]

Awesome.

 

[woodnbow]

Now we need a “like, a lot!” Button on the forum!

 

[Gordon]

do you have to prick open the foil charge some way so the fuse will ignite it ?

 

[kudu]

do you have to prick open the foil charge some way so the fuse will ignite it ?

Yes I have a stiff brass wire with a loop on it that pierces the foil packet and insert the cannon fuse into the powder. You can feel it when it gets to the foil and it pushes in about a 1/4" into the powder. Have never had a hang fire yet out of over a 100 shots with blanks and projectiles. I try to keep it as safe as possible. Always take a worm and fish out any foil left from the previous firing, run a wire bristle brush down the bore that is made of a copper fitting brush, swab it out after that with a damp lamb skin swab and wait a bit before inserting the next powder packet and load. We never stand in front of the barrel and only use one hand with a tapered ramrod when setting the charge and load.

Kind of a fun toy. Barrel is a Greystar Cannon Technologies barrel 1/2 scale six pounder. Barrel weighs about 95# and is 35" long with 1.5" bore. I built the carriage from a slab of red oak. Cheeks are also red oak. A buddy helped with all the metal reinforcement around the tongue and cheek pieces are all 1/4" thick steel bands we hot wrapped around steel forms and then fit over the wood. Wheels are from an Amish shop and were made as chariot racing wheels that a customer never picked up after a year and a half, have bearings and 5/8" steel shaft for an axle with rubber outer tires. Everything is within a few percent of 1/2 scale.

 

[bannockburn]

Very cool! Nothing like a little artillery to help wake up the neighbors!

 

[Armored farmer]

Wow....excellent . That's a beautiful piece .