Author Topic: Projectile // Now with photos (Read 1289 times)

Pinhead · « **on:** February 04, 2009, 11:00:36 AM »

Hello Everyone, I'm new here and my thanks to Cannonmn for telling me about this forum. I have enjoyed reading the expert advice from all of you. I have a question that is right up your range.
I have a roughly 1/3 scale barrel with a 1 1/4" bore that is 16 7/8" long with no powder chamber. Overall length is 22" with knob and a breech diameter of 4". I've been looking for a nice cheap projectile and came up with something that I would welcome your opinion to help save life and limb. There are photos below that show cast zinc cabinet pull knobs threaded back to back. They are just a little small for the correct windage, but if I put a cleaning patch on the bottom, it's a nice fit with no detectable side to side and a nice gliding feel sliding through my projectile gauge. The black knob is smaller than the silver knob so if I put another patch in the middle. It compensates for the smaller diameter since more cloth is gathering at the outer radius (on the bottom knob it just stretches around with no folds). That is to keep it centered leaving the barrel. My thinking is that the flat knob at the back will drag and stabilize like a sabot or fins. If not I could connect the two parts with a smooth pin so they would separate after leaving the bore. Don't know if I want that part flying who knows where though. If this will even start to work, should I oil the patches like they do on a rifle? Will the middle patch try to fold back and jam on the lower end? The round nose knob has a light spiral cut into it that I'm hoping will give it a little riffling effect and not teach me the meaning of a slice. So now If you could tell me where I have gone wrong I would be grateful and not dead. Thank You, Michael
Here are all of the critical numbers that I could think of. Barrel - 1.25" A special thanks to the Cat Whisperer for getting the photos posted for me. Also to Norm for the contact.
Patches - 2.75" X2.50" X .030 thick
Both Knobs 2.440" long
Black Knob 1.565" X 1.170" Diameter
Silver Knob .875" X 1.187" Diameter
Weight 131 grams or 4.62 Ounces

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2009, 11:52:12 AM »

Michael -

WELCOME to the board!

Send the pix (I emailed you) and we'll get them posted. Easy to do once you've fought through the process of figuring it out.

What do you like to shoot?

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2009, 03:01:13 PM »

Michael -

Here they are. Look down at Additional Options and pick it. Then you will see Attach - Browse to find the JPG's - one at a time.

dan610324 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2009, 04:13:30 PM »

what is it ?? doorknobs or ??

GGaskill · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2009, 04:48:56 PM »

Drawer pulls. I would forget the patches for the first few shots and see what happens. The lighter one at the rear should help to stabilize the heavier one at the front, assuming their relative weights are actually that way.

Double D · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2009, 11:35:12 PM »

Unless you have a large quantity of them,or these are extremely cheap I would find some thing else.

Pinhead · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2009, 12:08:21 AM »

The black knob is 94 grams, the silver knob is 36 grams and the all-thread is 1 gram. Definately nose heavy. They were sale priced at $1 a piece, or $2 per round. Thanks

Double D · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2009, 01:31:08 AM »

You can do better than this.

I know we have difficulty find projectiles for a cannons. But there is a limit to what you can put down you bore. Drawer pulls at a buck a whack is expensive and you have no hope of a consistant supply. PVC full of cement and golf balls are lot better.

Some where we have to cross the threshold of legitamcy if we want people to take us seriously. Shooting drawer pulls sure doesn't do that.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2009, 01:39:08 AM »

If I had a bushel of them I'd definately find out how they'd fly!

I make my cannons/mortars to the bore diameter of the ammo I can get cheaply. Others do so to the historically accurate diameters (some so they can enter certain competitions).

44-40 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2009, 02:14:36 AM »

If you have casting equiptment available a 6 oz sinker mold works

Terry C. · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2009, 03:18:46 AM »

If I were going to shoot these (and I'd prefer to be shooting something cheaper), I would dispnse with the second (silver) knob.

Instead, I would cut a wood disk and affix it to the black ball pull.

You should be able to get a hole saw for the price of a few knobs, that will cut a disk that is just slightly under the bore diameter.

Cut the disks out of ½" or ¾" plywood. You can pass the screw through the hole left by the center drill.

subdjoe · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2009, 03:46:01 AM »

Dang! Find a supply of really cheap hitch balls.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2009, 05:53:12 AM »

"Some where we have to cross the threshold of legitamcy if we want people to take us seriously. Shooting drawer pulls sure doesn't do that."

I second that!

I have to agree with DD and the above. I am making a presentation (pitch) to a club for a possible cannon shoot. I hope none of them read this .....AND I am not referring to the spelling

Rickk · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2009, 06:36:18 AM »

Image someone, 10 years from now, walking thru the woods and trying to figure out why all the trees have "drawer pulls" deeply imbeded in them.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2009, 06:51:39 AM »

Don't they have "unfinished" pine furniture in Massachusetts

BoomLover · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2009, 07:16:20 AM »

I like the idea of making your bore fit the supply of ammo you can find cheap. Hence, Golf Ball Mortars and Cannons. At a recent garage sale, I bought about 20 pounds of lead sinkers (fishing weights), cast in 1/2 inch balls, cut for the fishing line. I could fire them as is, as cannister shot, and have the trees filled with fishing sinkers, but instead, I'll recast them into balls to fit my 1" mortars. At $3, I thought the guy ripped me off, (Just kidding!) but, of course, my ultimate objective was the re-casting, so, I really made out quite cheaply! In this case, I'll make the supply fit the bore! BoomLover

Cannoneer · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2009, 07:44:02 AM »

Hey Pinhead,

Welcome to the forum - naysayers abound; remember Edison was also derided for some of his ideas. Your concept may fly as straight and true as the ray of a laser beam for all I know. Good luck

dan610324 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2009, 07:50:05 AM »

all ideas are good ideas until its proved that they wasn't

subdjoe · « **Reply #18 on:** February 06, 2009, 07:54:42 AM »

Quote from: dan610324 on February 06, 2009, 07:50:05 AM

all ideas are good ideas until its proved that they wasn't

Umm...not quite. Any idea that starts with the words "Hold my beer while I try out something" should be suspect.

dan610324 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 06, 2009, 08:01:17 AM »

thats not an idea , thats an fools word

ok maybe it could be said if I was 102% sure that the other person didnt drink beer

Rickk · « **Reply #20 on:** February 06, 2009, 02:47:05 PM »

I trust my 7 year old to hold my beer... or refill it. He knows how the Kegorator works.

Anyone else either had to negotiate with my son directly or get their own beer.

Terry C. · « **Reply #21 on:** February 06, 2009, 03:07:41 PM »

Quote from: subdjoe on February 06, 2009, 07:54:42 AM

Any idea that starts with the words "Hold my beer while I try out something" should be suspect.

Actually it's "Hol' ma beer an' watch this..."

Been there, done that. But I feel much better now.

Pinhead · « **Reply #22 on:** February 06, 2009, 09:29:22 PM »

Thanks Terry C. for the drawing, very nice. I wish I could get my computer to do stuff like that. I'm learning though.
Tim, Good idea about making the bore to fit the ammo. When I make something for a client I take what can't be changed, in this case the ammo, and design backwards from there. If I had made this one, I wouldn't be so desperate for something to shoot.
Sorry about the rookie question. If someone has the power to delete, feel free. My next post will be better. Something like, has anyone ever researched the post boom chuckles? PBC, what's the cause? It's universal, all around the world.
Thanks for all the response and let's go boom (heh heh), Michael

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #23 on:** February 07, 2009, 12:04:15 AM »

...despirate for something to shoot ...

Yup. That's part of the addiction. We're here to help the process!

Good thread! Lots of different points of view and perspectives expressed in civil terms and a little humor on the side.

We're interested in how you progress, Michael, until we can depend on you being a full-fleged pusher!

JeffG · « **Reply #24 on:** February 08, 2009, 08:27:20 AM »

Quote

Image someone, 10 years from now, walking thru the woods and trying to figure out why all the trees have "drawer pulls" deeply imbeded in them.

...and people will figure out what toasted golf balls are all about right away.