Ideas for cannon ball extraction?

[airbiscuit]

If you can get good purchase with your drill bit or a cannon worm, connect it to a slide hammer, and out it will come. (don't forget to use some lubrication)

 

[newbury]

I never thought about a bit like that. I might already have one too.
I like the idea, especially with the bit being smaller, I can maybe be more precise with it's location

(Am working today and tomorrow, 100 miles from home so will take a couple days to be sure)

If you don't already have an SDS (or Plus, or Max or Spline) drill they are very handy. And you can easily get "bit" extensions and adapters. (Milwaukee makes an 82.5" extension for the Max.)
My son got me hooked when he got a Bosch 1-1/4" SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer which he lent me and then I later bought a Bauer (HF brand) 10 Amp SDS Plus-Type Variable Speed Rotary Hammer. I've used the Bauer quite a bit and it goes through concrete block easily.
They would easily drill through your cannon balls with the right bits.

 

[hosspuller]

The slide hammer idea may be combined with an expanding concrete anchor (the kind with a wedge on a steel stud) Drill the proper sized hole, insert the anchor fastened to the slide hammer. Wack away till the second ball comes out.

 

[Paddy]

I suggested using all thread as a simple gear puller near the beginning of this thread
these two balls would have been removed a long time ago. But we would have missed out on all the Darwin award methods

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Don't know what kind of powder to put in there, just wanted to congratulate your perseverance to get those balls out of there!

I hope you're able to fire it off! And.... post a video when doing so!

 

[plowhog]

I saw this cannon today in Carson City, NV. It had a display of "cannon balls" in front.

After examining these .... "cannon balls" .... I wonder-- why didn't you just use the finger holes in the cannon ball and pull it out?

 

[Jstpssng]

This has been interesting to follow, and I'm glad that you got it out. I wonder if those balls were used for ornaments at one time, and the holes were used to hold them into place on the brass monkey.

Just a suggestion; before firing it, perhaps you should consult your new friend the armorer, who knows more about cannons than most of us commenting on this thread.

 

[Richard]

The F's is the size of measure of the powder (grain). For example, Fg is the coursest grain, which burns slower. It goes up to FFFFg, which is very fine and burns very fast. Rule of thumb, .50 or less, use FFFg or FFFFg, .50 or more, use FFg or Fg. I use FFg in my .54 cal

Ahh, yes, now I recall. It's FG, not FS. I remember thinking how will I remember that? (evidently I didn't) but for reference, I was thinking Field Goal..... Well, I sucked at football so guess I couldn't remember that.

Regarding my newest Blast-O-Matic friend..... yeah, now that it's out I'm looking to text him. I've never met him, just chatted via phone.

I might be able to use my borescope to take some internal pictures to save him a drive.

Yesterday, I was at work. (I cover a territory and one location I go to is a prison). I was talking to one of the Security Officers (it was explained to me that they prefer to be called SO's, verses "Guards") anyway, I asked him about any idea where to buy black powder...got a bit into the story and it was amusing to me to see his face during our chat about his retirement account..... pretty dead pan, pretty serious.... when I asked about the black powder and said I had a cannon, his face dramatically "lit up" (seems things that go BOOM interest him far more than his retirement).

He offered to buy the cannon, sight unseen...... for $5.00.



I told him we could maybe swap his pension to me for it....and we might have a deal. He went back to deadpan.

lol

 

[Richard]

Went to garage to get my cat's breakfast ready....didn't have camera with me. Looked at bottle of powder, said it was a black powder substitute and was slow burning.

Guy at store said it would fire cleaner than black powder so leave less residue. (?)

I think it was called Pdex or Pyrodex, something like that. Yeah I know....'fantastic description' but the cat was rubbing on my ankles hankering for his breakfast.

 

[Richard]

Oh, and I discovered my extend-a-hone is not working correctly.

It all works....but the original threaded rod has a swell in it which prevents the hone from "walking" up the threads. My rod doesn't prevent that. I discovered that when I put the hone in, the threaded rod extended say, one inch past the threaded part of the hone. When I finished, I had 7-8 inches of threaded rod on that part so clearly, the rod is turning inside the hone allowing the hone to work its way up the rod.

I need to get a lock nut so I can freeze the hone in place. That infers I've lost/missed some honing action as it was busy moving up the rod instead of rotating and honing.

 

[JethroB]

Just spitballing here, when you are ready for your first trial ‘BOOM’, what about using a potato, tennis ball or something similar and a bit less lethal? And it could be easier to extract/cleanup if things don’t go perfectly. Of course a video is required for our amusement or your heirs. Keep updates coming.

 

[2manyrocks]

This is a situation where I would personally want some real advice from some one who actually shoots a black powder canon. Has this thing ever been fired or was it just a display canon?

There's a guy who comes to local July 4th events to fire his canon. The thing throws red hot sparks 20-30'. I could see it starting a fire in dry conditions. No telling how much $ has literally gone up in smoke.

 

[ultrarunner]

What’s the downside of no projectile and using wadded paper or cloth?

Unless you can fire against a hill for a backstop going without a projectile for a first shot seems a lot safer plus being able to keep your balls…