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Cannon |
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Every good ship needs a cannon to repel boarders or to salute the commodore. By accident I came across the Project Brigantine Carbide Cannon Page which inspired me to build one of my own. Since I am pathologically unable to follow instructions, I used 1 1/4" pipe instead of 2" and narrowed the carriage appropriately. Using Bangsite powder (Calcium Carbide) from The Conestoga Company as powder I have achieved a VERY satisfying bang. In order to keep from spilling the powder under use and to allow for fairly rapid firing of the cannon, I cut pieces of drinking straw into sections. One end was sealed with a glue-gun and the appropriate amount of BangSite added. I then sealed the top with tape. These loads seem to store well even for a couple of weeks in an old pill bottle. I drilled several holes along the top of the carriage to hold the loads when ready to fire a salute. To run the cannon, I filled the reservior with water and dump the BangSite in through the touch-hole. It would hiss and bubble immediately and the I could light at the touch hole creating a great BANG. Now - I just have to figure out how to mount this on both the CSD pirogue and the Weekender. Pictures of my cannon are below. PLEASE NOTE - DEVICES LIKE THIS CAN INJURE - PLEASE TAKE ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY WHEN DEALING WITH SUCH THINGS. If you choose to build a similar cannon I can provide no warranties on the safety or fitness of any such device.
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DISCLAIMER: Because the construction of any boat is dependent on factors of materials and craftsmanship that are beyond my control, I can accept no responsibility for any item constructed based on information found on this web-site.
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