Author Topic: Spanish 10" Mortar (Read 5705 times)

Zulu · « **Reply #30 on:** December 27, 2009, 02:41:48 AM »

Max Caliber,
This actually looks pretty neat but it is almost $700! And that's just enough to do a pair of baby shoes. I'll have to look for a different option.
Zulu

dan610324 · « **Reply #31 on:** December 27, 2009, 03:36:36 AM »

do you know any artist who does airbrush paintings ??
many of them does very artistic works on motorcycle helmets and such things and cars of course
it wouldnt be any problem for a skilled airbrush artist to recreate the exact look of the patina from a photo
or a plastic model builder , they are also useing airbrush to recreate exact painting on models with rust stains and oil leaking from engines and such details
or maybe you could try by yourself, search ebay for some used equipment

Zulu · « **Reply #32 on:** December 27, 2009, 04:11:09 AM »

Dan,
I don't know anyone that does airbrushing but I do know someone who does faux painting. I believe it could be done that way. I guess i'll try it. If it turns out bad I can always paint it black

Zulu

Soot · « **Reply #33 on:** December 27, 2009, 08:49:49 AM »

I think you could faux paint it with a base color and a sponge to dab other colors on. I think home depot sells thing for that.
Here's one: Click

dan610324 · « **Reply #34 on:** December 27, 2009, 12:49:13 PM »

please help a dumb swede , whats faux painting ??
just seem to be layers and layers with paint , is that the idea ??

Cannoneer · « **Reply #35 on:** December 27, 2009, 01:09:35 PM »

Dan,
Painting something to look like something else; e.g., painting wood to give the apearance of veined marble, or the illusion that Zulu wants to achieve, namely, painting the mortar barrel, so that those seeing it will think they're looking at the patina on a Spanish mortar that's hundreds of years old.

1Southpaw · « **Reply #36 on:** December 27, 2009, 01:11:24 PM »

Zulu , you are one Master Craftsman !
Have been following your work , absolutely outstanding !!

BoomLover · « **Reply #37 on:** December 27, 2009, 07:30:59 PM »

Zulu, your work is really very fine craftsmanship, I enjoy all your work! You have a fine "Arsenal" built up there!

Zulu · « **Reply #38 on:** December 28, 2009, 03:06:40 AM »

I thank everyone for their compliments. I know these guns don't fire and are not on everyones list as "collectable". I relate them to a painting or a sculpture. They are a semi-realistic version of something that I find facinating and are my artwork. I don't face the challenges of some of your projects that I have seen but some of this is hard too. Try to imagine how you would bore a 5" hole through a finished barrel.
My house is full of large cannons. I do indeed have an "arsenal" Boomlover, even if only one of them is capable of shooting.
Zulu

cannonmn · « **Reply #39 on:** December 29, 2009, 03:01:34 AM »

Z-you could make 'em fire using propane and oxygen, the liner doesn't have to be thick at all, go look at a scarecrow automatic propane cannon sometime, only sheet metal and these things sit out in fields for years firing a shot every few minutes, for years. Of course those are propane and air, I'm sure propane and oxygen is a little bit more energetic. If I were doing that I'd experiment with the liner structure separately, then when perfected, put it into one of your masterworks. I expect you have no intention of doing that however, your goals are all about the visual appeal of a static display, and I can't argue with that.

Zulu · « **Reply #40 on:** December 29, 2009, 03:25:18 AM »

Cannonmn,
In my case "illusion" is everything.
Zulu

Zulu · « **Reply #41 on:** March 15, 2010, 05:55:00 AM »

Quote from: Zulu on December 25, 2009, 09:11:44 AM

Okay, here it is. 1/2 scale version of 10" spanish Mortar. Inspired by Cannonmn's restored piece (first picture). All wooden construction of course. 5" bore, sled 27" long.
Needs to be painted yet but I'm not sure what I want to do. I still have to put square nuts on.

Okay,
After months of agonizing over this I finally did something about it with the help of my lovely wife. I think it turned out pretty cool.

The sled as well as the barrel were both bronze in this 1780's model. It was inspired in part by cannonmn's restoration. In cannonmn's restoration the patina of the carriage was necessarily altered during the disassembly process. This is speculation on my part but I have seen the picture of the hydralic jacks and lubrication used to try to get the original bolts pressed out.
At any rate, enjoy the pictures of my attempt to faux a patina.

Zulu

An original

cannonmn's restoration

My Spanish Mortar

Cannoneer · « **Reply #42 on:** March 15, 2010, 06:26:32 AM »

Zulu,
Well you did one heck of a job with the painted bronze patina, when I first opened the thread I thought your mortar was the real deal, the only thing that gave it away was how clean the stained wood spacers look.

RocklockI · « **Reply #43 on:** March 15, 2010, 06:29:29 AM »

Sweet I think I hear the Kewpie in mid flight right now .

The thing looks like it weights thousands of lbs .

Gary

lostintexas · « **Reply #44 on:** March 15, 2010, 06:41:41 AM »

Zulu,

Watching you turn out these pieces of art is truly amazing! Thank you for sharing with us!

KABAR2 · « **Reply #45 on:** March 15, 2010, 07:46:29 AM »

Julu,

You are becomming the master of disguise!

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #46 on:** March 15, 2010, 11:36:58 AM »

I agree that the wood spacers need some aging treatment. I'd also do a little bit to the hardware, as they seem too nice of a black for the rest of the carriage. The bronzing job looks great!

dan610324 · « **Reply #47 on:** March 15, 2010, 11:57:17 AM »

that bronze mortar is more then superb
it really is a BRONZE mortar

if you put it on fleebay you would probably fool a lot of "experts" , just call it a modern copy of a spanish 1750 bronze mortar with a bronze base .
make an very long description of it and wait to the last sentence until you tell that its made from wood

please tell us how you did it , Im sure its many of us here who are curious to know
preferably with lots of step by step photos if you got any

Zulu · « **Reply #48 on:** March 15, 2010, 12:17:44 PM »

Dan,
No step by step photos.
First I put two coats of an oil base brown enamel on everything. The brown paint was as close to a dark bronze as I could find. Then I tried to match the patina color with a water base turquoise looking color. This paint was dabbed on the surface with a rag and a small sponge. Then you went back over it with a wet rag and dabbed it some more. At first I didn't like it but my wife kept working on it. Dabbing, smearing, wiping off over and over while looking at the two pictures above. She worked magic on it.

The water base on top of the oil gives it a kind of realistic "chalky" feeling and dulled down the gloss oil base paint I used as a base coat.
Zulu

Double D · « **Reply #49 on:** March 15, 2010, 01:04:02 PM »

kewpie? maybe...are the chains wood?

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #50 on:** March 15, 2010, 01:16:04 PM »

Quote from: Max Caliber on December 27, 2009, 02:26:00 AM

You can find plating kits here to plate nonmetallic items.

http://baby.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=baby&cdn=parenting&tm=41&f=00&tt=12&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.caswellplating.com/kits/babyshoe.html

I was about to say, Just like bronzing baby-shoes'....

Plastics are often plated as well.

There are some conductive coatings that can be sprayed (some electrostaticly) and/or dipped.

dan610324 · « **Reply #51 on:** March 15, 2010, 01:27:33 PM »

of course the chains are wood , cant you see that ??
he just have done an outstanding job to have them look like real steel chains

Zulu · « **Reply #52 on:** March 15, 2010, 02:04:13 PM »

Quote from: dan610324 on March 15, 2010, 01:27:33 PM

of course the chains are wood , cant you see that ??
he just have done an outstanding job to have them look like real steel chains

And I grew the tree I carved them out of

Zulu

dan610324 · « **Reply #53 on:** March 15, 2010, 02:08:30 PM »

thats what I call a real carpenter

smokemjoe · « **Reply #54 on:** March 15, 2010, 02:41:04 PM »

That looks very nice, You would make a good pattern maker.

Soot · « **Reply #55 on:** March 16, 2010, 05:09:20 AM »

Excellent work as usual, now it just needs a stack of cannon balls on a mythical brass monkey.

Zulu · « **Reply #56 on:** March 16, 2010, 05:40:26 AM »

A stack of 5" cannonballs will be hard to come by. I am not a master at turning spheres.

Maybe Rocklock will cast some in bronze and send them to me.

Zulu

GGaskill · « **Reply #57 on:** March 16, 2010, 12:15:03 PM »

Make yourself a radius turning tool for your lathe. Shouldn't be too difficult for a wood lathe.

Zulu · « **Reply #58 on:** March 16, 2010, 12:23:04 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill on March 16, 2010, 12:15:03 PM

Make yourself a radius turning tool for your lathe. Shouldn't be too difficult for a wood lathe.

I guess that would be something that my hand tools would attach to and would swing in a radius?
Zulu

GGaskill · « **Reply #59 on:** March 16, 2010, 12:35:19 PM »

Basically a frame that would bolt to the bed of the lathe. It would hold another frame that holds a chisel or a piece of HSS lathe bit to cut. Ball diameter is determined by how far out the cutter protrudes. I have one for a metal lathe ($600 from eBay) that I can take a pic of for ideas.