Author Topic: My Weird Wiard Firecracker Cannon (Read 1990 times)

CrufflerSteve · « **on:** July 02, 2005, 11:41:18 AM »

I'd like to thank everybody for their help with my cheap imitation of a Wiard field carriage with the Brooks firecracker cannon:

I tried it last night at extreme elevation with 10 grains of ffg and a black cat. It launched the black cat very nicely about 30 to 40 feet before it went off. Great fun.

I like the Brooks barrel. It is nicely made. I wish the trunnions were fatter, matching the usual design. It was very hard to bend the brass so much for the trunnion plate.

A very strange carriage but I'll enjoy my 4th (if the police don't take it away).

Monday, if you're in the US - shoot your cannon. If you're in the UK or Dominion, shoot some to celebrate getting rid of us! Have a happy & safe 4th!

Steve

rays89 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2005, 05:58:55 PM »

Steve
All I can say is WOW that is sweet. The Irishman and I have discussed a field version of the micro cannon. But the only obstacle is building the carraige wheels the time it takes to make them I think I would have only a couple of them built. That is why I stuck with the naval carraige, If Im able to find a way to make or get them at a reasonble price. I would like to produce a field version.Any advice n building cannon wheels? We do have other plans of micro cannon IE: diferent barrel and carraige designs, Im pushing for a Coehorn mortar design, (A secret project, But I got a big mouth) The trunions were designed to fit the naval type carraige in which they fit nicely. I found through field testing of the naval carraige is to put it on a table about 3 feet high with a block of wood about a foot behind (stop the cannon from rolling off the table). and try some target shooting like a peice of board or a stack of wood, Please not anything or anybody that can cause damage. As for the future of micro cannon if this project works well, I have been working on a premere type with more exotic wood but it doesn't stop there. Like I said different carraige and barrel designs. Our goal is to make a affordable quality cannon that can be shot where other larger size ones can't. If the M-series works out The Irishman of Brook-usa have a few more suprises comming in the future. I figure Ill show a shot in which I posted a few times already of a field cannon Ive built. it took more time to build the wheels than the rest of the cannon, So its not for sale. So any advice on a simpler way of building carrige wheels would be apreciated. Maybe I can talk the Irishman on building a Napoleon. But right now he is playing Catchup on his larger cannon which are worth checking out (Brooks-usa). Steve have fun be safe and everybody else do the same.

rays89 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2005, 06:03:17 PM »

I figure Ill show a rear shot

GGaskill · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2005, 06:17:46 PM »

The way to build wheels is with jigs and fixtures so you don't have much setup time on each piece. With a flat wheel and round spokes and a tire to cover through holes, it should be pretty easy.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #4 on:** July 03, 2005, 01:43:44 AM »

Quote from: GGaskill

The way to build wheels is with jigs and fixtures so you don't have much setup time on each piece. With a flat wheel and round spokes and a tire to cover through holes, it should be pretty easy.

As the BOSS said, "Should be about a 20 minute job...."

Fixturing is THE way to go. Speed, accuracy and repeatability.

rays89 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 03, 2005, 04:37:11 AM »

Steve
I stole your pictures for my album, I hope you don't mind, We arent going to steal your design. Ive got almost 500 pics. of cannon both model and full size on CD for my collection. Besides the Irishman is against stuff like that. There was a piece of brass that was threaded on the back with no trunions or anything, And he feels like if we build a lady finger design, We are stealing this guys design. Im thinking of going to a hardware store and picking up a thin peice of copper pipe with a threaded cap take a pic and send it to him and claim I stole his design, it might be crude but its still the same just a piece of pipe with a threaded cap.
Also Im wondering does anybody have any pictures of jigs of fixures with the directions, I have the slightest idea on where to start.If they are to long they can E-mail me at rays89@aol.com I have a .50 cal Howitzer barrel I want to build, Its just Im balking at it for the time it takes to make the carraige wheels. Plus it would be nice to make a micro field cannon if not for production (which would be nice) at least for my collection. Really in a nut shell I have alot of fun building these cannon (carraiges) And would like to thank the Irishman for his affordable barrels and esecially everybody in the group for there guidence. And Steve thanx for showing your cannon I'm envious of the wood and metal work you have done to it.
Ray

CrufflerSteve · « **Reply #6 on:** July 03, 2005, 05:17:37 AM »

Ray,

Steal away. It was an attempt to replicate a Wiard and I doubt if Norman Wiard is around to object. Here's the pictures before I shrank them down to fit this forum's posting rules:

http://www.crufflersteve.net/firew1.jpg
http://www.crufflersteve.net/firew2.jpg
http://www.crufflersteve.net/firew3.jpg

The wheels are cast aluminum from cannon-mania. The wood is ash left over from my Coehorn. Ash is so hard that I had to be careful with brass screws. I drilled the hole, put in a steel screw, removed it and then put in the brass. It gives me what I want, the ability to shoot level or lob them almost at a mortar angle. It was a fun project. I didn't think it was going to make it. My drill press died just as I was starting this so all drilling was done by hand. I didn't dare drill the trunnion holes that way so it is just screwed on for now.

Due to a lack of detailed plans the trail is from a field howitzer. I modified it so the axle went on TOP of it instead of underneath like a typical field carriage.

I'd like to learn to build wheels one day but not when I'm in a hurry.

Steve

rays89 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 03, 2005, 05:45:46 AM »

Steve
I wouldn't call that a cheap imitation. Its a work of art, I like the brass work you have done correct me if I'm wrong on the term the brass work on the "Lunette" which is the rear of the cannon where the trail spike hooks up looks great even though I really can't get a good view, Thanx for the full size pictures. Ill place them my colection.

Double D · « **Reply #8 on:** July 03, 2005, 06:04:03 AM »

Wheels discussion

Another Wheels discussion

irishman · « **Reply #9 on:** July 04, 2005, 10:13:10 AM »

Steve, Great field carriage application. I can see the difficulty of forming brass over a 3/16 diameter trunnion.

I would be happy to cut a pair of sleeves to increase the diameter if it is not too late. I would cut a 3/16 hole in 3/8, 1/2 or whatever dia would work best for you. You could then tap these 'sleeves' over the existing trunnions.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Ray and I are committed to improving any areas that we can

PM the diameter you would like and I can whip them out in a minute.

Michael

rays89 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 23, 2005, 07:49:27 PM »

Steve
whats the diameter wheels you used on your cannon?
Rays89

Double D · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2005, 01:54:04 AM »

Steve,

I just notice on your wiard you painted the carriage. It looks so nice that way.

The brass does look nice but it just doesn't look right.

If you go through the photo albums and look at the painted guns and carriages they look so good.

rays89 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2005, 08:35:07 AM »

In a way at least in my eyes even though it may not be true to scale the brass gives it a ceromonial type look. Brass and wood tend to go real well together giving it of a look maybe not of a field cannon used in combat but Used for parade or accedmy purposes, One of the disiplines in Military training I remember was constantly keeping that brass polished.
Ray

Double D · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2005, 07:12:19 PM »

Aha! That it! That's whyI don't like brass cannons and brass hardware! Boot Camp and polishing brass. Polishing things like the copper ground wire leading down to the brass grounding rods and copper pipes under sinks and heads. I hated polishing brass and I hate seeing anything brass because I know it has to be polished. I have nightmares of Drill instructor Sgt Callahan screaming at me to drop and give him 50 because I missed a spot!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #14 on:** July 25, 2005, 12:45:19 AM »

Quote from: Double D

Aha! That it! That's whyI don't like brass cannons and brass hardware! Boot Camp and polishing brass. Polishing things like the copper ground wire leading down to the brass grounding rods and copper pipes under sinks and heads. I hated polishing brass and I hate seeing anything brass because I know it has to be polished. I have nightmares of Drill instructor Sgt Callahan screaming at me to drop and give him 50 because I missed a spot!

Ahhhh such sweet memories! I remember seeing the two bronze cannon in front of the OC Bn Hq's and how good they looked - polished every day! And then - I got my chance to polish them.

Took my first shot at stainless last night. (Which bothers me, because I've NEVER seen a cannon or mortar barrel in stainless.) Did 3/4 bore about 2 calibers deep with wide powder chamber. Polished up nicely. Next it's PAINTBALL caliber.

rays89 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 25, 2005, 02:11:39 PM »

Ive blocked them memories, even though I wasn't in the artillery, I was an MP and I had my share of "brasso". Besides I like my brass to build up a nice patina (to lazy to polish)

CrufflerSteve · « **Reply #16 on:** July 25, 2005, 06:52:42 PM »

Quote from: rays89

Steve
whats the diameter wheels you used on your cannon?
Rays89

They're cannon-mania's 5 1/2" cast aluminum wheels. To me they are closer to 5 3/8". They look good and were delivered in time for the 4th. I would have preferred something a little smaller but the alternatives were too small. That's the main reason the carriage was painted. The ash used for the carriage looked nice but I had to cover the aluminum.

DoubleD - I agree that the brass is a bit too fancy. Steel painted black would have been better. I happened to have a sheet of brass just the right thickness for this project and I figured it would make life easy not having to paint it. I was wrong. Two words: "brass screws". Ash does not take kindly to them, even with drilling out a lot. I still sheared a couple of heads off. I ended up drilling, putting a steel screw in, removing it and then putting in the brass screw - very carefully.

After a lot of BP and crackers fired, it is not so bright anymore, I'd better start looking for the Brasso.

Steve

rays89 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 26, 2005, 07:45:51 AM »

Steve
I beleive the diameter wheels on my mountain howitzer are 5 1/2 inches I can't measure them now. And the barrel is 6 1/2 inches. I figure I might try going for 3 inch diameter wheels on a M-BPFC Making a mini mountain Howitzer(ptototype?). But I'm pretty much going for the wood variety. Im trying to stick with Brass,Wood and recruits for my mini boot camp.Then pass out the Brasso and rags.