Author Topic: Coehorn mortar 24 pounder (Read 1944 times)

copdoc · « **on:** November 30, 2006, 03:29:43 PM »

What do you think? it still is not painted. I might copper plate it.
Sorry for the 2 pics?

??

Rickk · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2006, 03:35:17 PM »

very nice... can you put a picture of it up with something we know the size of to get a feeling for how big it is? We all seem to like 1# powder cans for getting a feel for size.

Is it full scale?

copdoc · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2006, 03:46:00 PM »

Full scale. The 5.86" projectile is behind it. The powder can fell in the bbl. (Just joking)

It is bored from c1172 solid stock with 3" powder chamber, trunion is welded.

Double D · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:00:53 PM »

You want the barrel bronzed. And not shiny bronze either.

Very nice job indeed. A picture with a powder can--on the out side of the barrel--would be nice so folks can see how big this is.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:13:51 PM »

I'm impressed.
Looks seriously big and well built!

Tropico · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:17:40 PM »

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I'm impressed.
Looks seriously big and well built!

YES .., I will go with that., its really great ., more pics ., more pics !

copdoc · « **Reply #6 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:22:57 PM »

Thanks, I'll try to take some better pics. I had never posted pics until a few weeks ago. I like looking at the others and felt selfish.

I am not sure how to broze wash steel. I know there is a proceedure for it. Copper plating with aging would look closer to bronze than paint. I have a friend with a friend that owns a plating company so this is a possibility. I called 2 companies and asked about copper plating a cannon. Well you can imagine their respose. They were not even nice. I asked my buddy who had something on his friend. He will open up the shop on a weekend for us or his wife sees the pictures.

Ideas on plating and/or chemical washing would be appreciated.

For scale, the ball behind the mortar is a 5.86" projectile for it. It is one of the Pauson Bro. Projectiles. I'll try to take one with a powder can tomorrow.

copdoc · « **Reply #7 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:37:50 PM »

Thanks for all the great replies. This project took about 3-4 years to finish. I had to call on favors from almost every machinist I know. The lathe I usually borrow could not bore it so I had to ask a friend to send it to a friend to bore the chamber. then put it on the other lathe to round the base and finish the rings. I have also built a Confederate version and several other mortars and will try to get pics up since there is so much interest.

Double D · « **Reply #8 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:42:00 PM »

All the new guys get asked for the powder can. When you take a picture with the powder can you will then understand why we ask for it. It puts everything in perspective.

The fire works really starts when one of the oldtimers here post a picture without the can. They really get whacked. And, after you post your first picture with the can in it you will be considered an oldtimer. After that these guys will show you no mercy.

What did Paulsens charge for the 24 PDR shot.

Rickk · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:43:29 PM »

From what I understand, plating iron/steel with Copper requires a base layer of Nickle to get it to stick good. If it wasn't for that it would be a 6th grade science project to plate it yourself with copper.

Is there a Kangaroo in "the pictures"?

copdoc · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:51:23 PM »

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After that these guys will show you no mercy.

Careful there is almost enough powder in the can to load it

Actually I would have to save for a while to get enough black powder for a full charge.

I will have to take more pics with cans before I post the Confederate Coehorn or the 16th Century Burgundian howitzer.

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What did Paulsens charge for the 24 PDR shot.

I got them about 2-3 years a go for CHRISTmas. I think she paid about $30 each plus shipping. I have not looked for a while but I think the price has doubled or more. I am going to shoot at least one of them.

I will prob shoot coffee cans filled with concrete if I get to shoot it very much.

bpsteve · « **Reply #11 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:56:29 PM »

copdoc,
Nice job!! As for plating, I had my 1/2 scale mountain howitzer barrel brass plated. They nicklel plate it first and then the brass. It cost $65.00 to have the barrel and the adjustor screw plated.
Steve R

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** November 30, 2006, 04:57:20 PM »

I fixed your picture links. Go into one of your post by clicking on modify so you can see how you photo link should look.

It's still early, now that you have mentioned other guns we want pictures...we are like a school pirahana when come seeing new guns....

copdoc · « **Reply #13 on:** November 30, 2006, 05:00:13 PM »

Thanks

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Nice job!! As for plating, I had my 1/2 scale mountain howitzer barrel brass plated. They nicklel plate it first and then the brass. It cost $65.00 to have the barrel and the adjustor screw plated.

I will ask if they can brass plate it. I though it was not a true plating to use brass so I did not ask him. Who did your work?

Tropico · « **Reply #14 on:** November 30, 2006, 08:21:05 PM »

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This is a Burgundian howitzer,split trail, 3" bore and shoots stone projectiles.

Your crazy......, I like you.

copdoc · « **Reply #15 on:** December 01, 2006, 03:08:29 AM »

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Your crazy......, I like you

Finally found a web page where I got a compliment, rather than " ban that crazy &^%$^&$ "

I looked at your web page and it appears that you are in the same business as some of my relatives from the Bahamas. I have always wanted to dive the Phillipines. When I post another cannon pic I'll slide some Fillipean barongs in the coner of the pic for you. that way I won't get "whacked" for the knives. Best piece of CQB equipment ever made. I only had one and someone gave me one for free a few weeks ago. It was missing the scabbard but for that price.............

CU_Cannon · « **Reply #16 on:** December 01, 2006, 03:26:40 AM »

That is some really great looking work!

My 12 pdr coehorn took about a year to complete. In some ways I wish that I had gone to the full 24 pdr but the price, and weight, of the steel was too much for me at the time.

How did you do the lettering on the barrel? Are they stamped or etched?

I wouldn’t mind some more info on that Burgundian howitzer. It looks like it would be a fun project.

copdoc · « **Reply #17 on:** December 01, 2006, 05:45:11 AM »

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That is some really great looking work!

Thanks, It was a major undertaking, especilly since I am not a machinist and had to beg and borrow equipment

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My 12 pdr coehorn took about a year to complete. In some ways I wish that I had gone to the full 24 pdr but the price, and weight, of the steel was too much for me at the time

.
I lucked into two pieces of 9" bar stock and had to go through with it. I'll show the Confederate later. They are heavy. The confederate is prob 50-100 lbs heavier as it is a few inches longer, no bands and with a 2" powder chamber. The local police accused me of running moonshine at the time. I did not have a truck when I started and had to hand load it into the Chevy to have some of the operations done. It stayed in the car for a couple of years. I wish I had a pic of the car with it in there now.

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How did you do the lettering on the barrel? Are they stamped or etched?

It was a first attempt at engraving by a friend of mine who is one of the best machinist you could ever meet.

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I wouldn’t mind some more info on that Burgundian howitzer. It looks like it would be a fun project.

Thanks I copied it from a photo of one in an Austrian museum. The carriage is more like another one but they were all different in the late 15th century. It is bored from solid stock but with rings welded on to look like a forged piece. I usually look for a piece of steel ,get it cheap and then find a gun I can build on it.

copdoc · « **Reply #18 on:** December 01, 2006, 02:38:54 PM »

Here are some pics of the work in progress. Sorry I did not have a digital camera at that time.

Hey, nobody got mad about the powder can being in the bbl. I must be in the right place.

Double D · « **Reply #19 on:** December 01, 2006, 04:33:07 PM »

Quote from: copdoc on December 01, 2006, 02:38:54 PM

Hey, nobody got mad about the powder can being in the bbl. I must be in the right place.

Powder can is for scale--down the bore definitely gives scale.

Quote from: CU_Cannon on December 01, 2006, 03:26:40 AM

!

My 12 pdr coehorn took about a year to complete. In some ways I wish that I had gone to the full 24 pdr but the price, and weight, of the steel was too much for me at the time.

A year, just getting started huh? Here is my 6 PDR 9 years into the project.

Here is it is now 11 years into the project.

Here is a shot of the proof test of the barrel.

Since there is some question if there ever was a real 6 PDR mortar and this would only be consider a scale model, I decide to go ahead and make this into a real scale model of a 10 ihch seacoast mortar.

The base will be made of 1 1/2" plate.

Copdoc, It won't be in the same class as your full scale 24 PDR, I'll just have to wait 1 to 4 years to build one of those. By the way here is a bronze tube Mortar for you.

copdoc · « **Reply #20 on:** December 01, 2006, 05:09:58 PM »

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Here is it is now 11 years into the project.

As long as you are making progress, that is the point. I have a few other pieces of steel, some almost 10 years old without a scratch. I started the 24 pounder and finished the Burgundian and the Kufstein mortar before I was close and they have 3" bores. The 24 pounder is still not plated. With something that big I did not want to make a mistake and have to throw it away. Sometimes I would measure 10-15 times before cutting. When we had it on the lathe after hours it seemed little metal was missing, but we just kept cutting. A friend had another friend bore it. We put the bored bbl on a 17 HP lathe with about an 8 foot bed and it was FULL. Even with that lathe and the big part done it was like cutting a telephone pole with a penknife. It took about 3 hours to mill the slot for the trunnion. We did not have a mill bit that size and had to use a boring bar type arrangement. I was working at a job where I was on call and near the machine shop. That allowed me hours that I do not have anymore.

Just keep cutting.

I bought the plans for the 8" seacoast but my buddies said anything bigger than the 24 pounder and I had to find another shop

I would love to have a bronze tube but they are big $$$$$$$ and I can not cast/bore one (yet)