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Offline intoodeep

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The Holy Grail??
« on: December 17, 2009, 03:27:59 PM »
 While playing around on the internet I came across this monster (1 gauge breechloader  :o ) for sale. If this in not the "Holy Grail" of Strongs, then it's darn close. The tube is 48" long with a 2 1/8" bore. The total length with limber is about 16'.

 

 

 
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Offline KABAR2

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2009, 03:37:56 PM »
In it's day it must of made some affluent G.A.R. post proud!


Looks like they have a Gatling too!
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Offline RocklockI

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2009, 03:50:47 PM »
Thats a nice one ! is the is the sale over ? If so what did it go for ?

Gary
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Offline intoodeep

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2009, 03:53:43 PM »
Quote from: KABAR2 on December 17, 2009, 03:37:56 PM
In it's day it must of made some affluent G.A.R. post proud!


Looks like they have a Gatling too!

 KABAR2,

 You are correct on both.  ;)  ;)

 
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Offline intoodeep

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2009, 03:57:40 PM »
Quote from: RocklockI on December 17, 2009, 03:50:47 PM
Thats a nice one ! is the is the sale over ? If so what did it go for ?

Gary

 No, it's still currently listed on thier site. As, for price.... I'll just say it's exactly between 0 and 100.  :)
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2009, 04:27:16 PM »
Where is the olive drab paint???    ;D
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Offline RocklockI

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2009, 04:51:39 PM »
!/2 way between 0 and 100 ...thats the second bucket of water dumped on me in two days .

Cannonmn schooled me good ! ;D I was foolish enough to inquire about a lower end Bronze origanal .

It seems there are no 'lower end' Bronze cannons for sale right now  :D.

I will not own one and I can fogiitaboutit  ;) right now .

Gary
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Offline BoomLover

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2009, 06:12:01 PM »
Gary, just cast your own!
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Offline RocklockI

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2009, 06:20:55 PM »
 ;)
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2009, 06:26:09 PM »


If you would like a half scale mountain howitzer, I could bring my pattern mould to the next CBC2.  You would have to be able to melt 100 pounds of bronze to pour it, though.
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Offline cannonmn

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2009, 08:16:45 PM »
I owned that Strong many years ago, I still have two shells for it I just found the other day.  It used three-pounder Navy brass cartridge cases, cut down to about 6" length.  I think it took about 8 oz. of powder to fill one.  The cases had adapters so they took rifle primers.  I still have dozens of photos of it, not digital however.  I shot it at Mansfield CW show about 12 years ago.  The thing really thumped on my chest, if you know that feeling, when I fired a full charge.
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Offline BoomLover

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2009, 09:03:06 PM »
Know the feeling. Think a lot of us do here. Firing Full scale Napolean's and Parrotts at Lone Pine Shoot, thumped on the chest from the "shock wave"! George, that's an interesting carriage for that 1/2 scale Mt. Howitzer! Strictly utilitarian, right? Just to get it there and back....BoomLover
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #12 on: December 17, 2009, 09:16:53 PM »
The carriage is a "proof" carriage I made so students in my cannon class could test fire their barrels at the class.  The trunnion grooves are oversize so sleeves to fit different barrels could be made for test firing.  Here are a couple of samples:

Test Firing I

Test Firing II
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Offline RocklockI

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #13 on: December 18, 2009, 02:44:04 AM »
Thanks George but I'll pass ,I dont even want think about that much hot Bronze ...... ???

Besides my crucible only holds 30lbs .
Gary
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Offline Soot

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2009, 06:29:20 AM »
You have a cannon class?
Details please.
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: Cannon Class
« Reply #15 on: December 18, 2009, 12:53:12 PM »
I have several times in the past held cannon making classes during the summer NRA sessions at Lassen College in the Gunsmithing Department, the most recent being in 2007 (see this link for more details from a student perspective.)  The students have made several different styles of gun (Napoleons, 24 pounders, Parrott rifles, mountain howitzers, Coehorn mortars) in scales from 1/5 (24 pounder) to 1/3 to 1/2, depending on the actual size since the machinery size is the limiting factor.

I am not sure if there will be any more classes.  The only way to make them happen is to ask for them from the school.  Their phone number is 530-251-8809.

Gary,
     You need to get a #30 crucible, assuming your furnace will handle one that size.  It also helps to have an overhead crane to do the heavy lifting.
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Offline RocklockI

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #16 on: December 18, 2009, 05:05:03 PM »
I have an A-16 crucible 16 lbs aluminum or 30 of bronze . I could use a bit bigger but then I'd have to make new pouring shanks ,tongs ........#30 lbs is plenny for me ...now  ;)

I think I will be able to pour a 15" tube with feeders and bell filling from below and up to the bell ,to cool last .

Gary
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #17 on: December 18, 2009, 05:44:00 PM »
The half scale mountain howitzer is only about 18" long but I used most of 90 pounds to fill the mould.
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Offline cannonmn

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #18 on: December 18, 2009, 08:42:18 PM »
Quote
Gary,
     You need to get a #30 crucible, assuming your furnace will handle one that size.  It also helps to have an overhead crane to do the heavy lifting.


As the cannon gets bigger, the total cost of the materials and equipment kind of goes up exponentially.  That's one of my rationalizations for paying what seems to some like a lot of money for an antique bronze cannon that someone took the trouble to make for me a long time ago.
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Offline BoomLover

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #19 on: December 19, 2009, 04:31:33 AM »
Just a few questions, George...if enough people commited to wanting another class in cannon casting, would you be teaching it? Is that something you would be interested in again? What would be a minimum class size requirment from the college? What would be an approximate cost of the course, including materials? Would the class days run together, such as a Monday thru Saturday, for a week at a time, not spread out a couple of days a week? Do these questions sound redundent? That's because I asked you in a PM before, but I wonder if there might be enough interest to ask here. Thanks, BoomLover 
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #20 on: December 19, 2009, 08:57:23 AM »
The current leadership in the Gunsmithing program are not particularly cannon fans, but I think they would consider holding a class IF there were a lot of inquiries and requests for such a class.  I would be willing to teach the class but it would probably be offered with someone else as the lead instructor for bureaucratic reasons.    I think they would have to see at least ten applications with cash to schedule the class. 

We have held two one-week classes and one two-week class.  They were straight through, Monday through Friday, ten hours a day on the clock and usually a few extra hours every evening.  There's not a lot of night life in Susanville so staying in the shop is OK with me.  I'm not sure what the tuition will be next year but it has been less than $100 a week for California and nearby Nevada residents and (as a guess) less than $300 a week for non-residents.  Some years they have the residence hall open for lodging, some years they don't. 

Materials, at least the main barrel piece, are available at market rates but they need to be asked for in advance because they don't have any use for 4" diameter material in the regular program and the supplier is about 100 miles away and makes deliveries on Thursdays which isn't very convenient for a class that ends Friday.

Feel free to ask more questions if this doesn't answer them all.
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Offline BoomLover

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #21 on: December 20, 2009, 07:38:18 AM »
Thanks! Well, guys and girls, any  (or enough) interest in this out there? Susanville is in Northern California, just in case anyone was wondering...
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Offline Soot

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #22 on: December 20, 2009, 12:43:34 PM »
Unfortunately California is a bit too far away for me, 2994 mi. from Clearwater Florida.
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Offline Double D

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #23 on: December 20, 2009, 12:50:14 PM »

nearest big airport---Reno!!!
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #24 on: December 20, 2009, 02:01:52 PM »
I don't know if they run Gamblers' Specials from Clearwater (or somewhere in Florida) to Reno but it would be worth the trouble to find out.  Subsidized air fare.   ;D
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Offline Ex 49'er

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #25 on: December 20, 2009, 05:11:20 PM »
Quote from: GGaskill on December 20, 2009, 02:01:52 PM
I don't know if they run Gamblers' Specials from Clearwater (or somewhere in Florida) to Reno but it would be worth the trouble to find out.  Subsidized air fare.   ;D

When you get to Reno, you climb aboard a rickety WW1 bi-plane.
When the bi-plane gets close to Susanville it executes a roll and you fall out and glide into the school via your parachute.   ;D
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #26 on: December 20, 2009, 06:21:53 PM »
 ;D  When the bi-plane gets close to Susanville it executes a roll and you fall out and glide into the school via your parachute.   ;D

Actually, there is an airport in Susanville that can accomodate your bi-plane quite easily.   ;D

Probably no rental car agency, though.   ;D
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #27 on: December 20, 2009, 07:02:14 PM »
... if enough people commited to wanting another class in cannon casting, would you be teaching it?

I just read your question more thoroughly and I noted you asked about casting cannons.  While I have cast mountain howitzers and Coehorns myself in the local Art Department foundry, the Lassen classes have all been machining cannons from round bar, not casting anything.  While I have heard they have a foundry in the Art Department at Lassen, I have not seen it nor do I know anyone in the Art Department.

Just so as not to mislead anyone, the cannon classes I have done and might do in the future are basically machining classes, not casting classes.  I would show some of the casting materials but we wouldn't be casting anything.
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Offline Cannoneer

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #28 on: December 20, 2009, 08:18:55 PM »
intoodeep,
Thanks for posting the photos of cannonmn's former treasure; I've got some pics of a large Strong field gun and limber saved, but they're old b&w photos, and aren't of very good quality. I especially liked being able to view details of the carriage and wheels.
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Offline Zulu

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Re: The Holy Grail??
« Reply #29 on: December 21, 2009, 03:02:13 AM »
Boom J,
I like the carriage and wheels too.  I have made two Civil War limbers (full scale) and three limber chest.  They all turned out quite nice.  All were made from Mordicai's drawings.  The limbers were a learning experience.
Zulu

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