The idea
Submitted by CW on Fri, 11/07/2008 - 10:18am.
Cannons stand as monuments to battle, as well as to the hands that made them: a confederation of specialized trades collaborating to make a formidable weapon.
Each tradesman brings knowledge and expertise as indispensable as the next. A brickmaker builds a furnace, a founder designs a mold to receive a stream of melted bronze, a gunsmith brings his skill to bear, and a wheelwright constructs a carriage to convey the barrel’s heft.
In summer of 2008, Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Trades began an effort to do the same, recreating a light infantry three-pounder gun and the carriage to carry it. This blog is a record of the process. Check often to see photos, videos, and updates from tradespeople as they bring the cannon to completion.
Thank you for contacting us. I’m pleased to hear your cannon-casting project was a success. We are still experimenting with a number of factors including the degassing mentioned on the internet, and, most recently, the temperature to which the mold is baked. We are certain at this point that we did not fire it at a high enough temperature to completely dry it out and to burn out the fibers to the point that it becomes as porous as required. We’ll continue these experiments and trials over the next few weeks and hope to attempt another major pour early this summer. We’ll keep the website updated.
Hello, Colonial Williamsburg!
Representing King Frederik IVth Tambour Unit in Fredrikstad, Norway, it is very interresting to read about your project making guns the real old way. Our group, working in the period of the Great Nordic War 1704, are at the last stages of finishing two bronze guns. They are replicas of a gun found in the wather beneath the Fredriksten Fortress in Halden, Norway, and have an origin of 1648 (as far as I remember).
We had the barrels made at a modern welding factory in Harstad, Norway, and they are - for safe keeping - done with steel barrel inside. The factory had some difficulties as you describe, with bubbles and holes in the bronze. Then the temperture and heavyness made the inner barrel colapse, but they made it - after some testing.
Now the guns are working nice. They have been nearly filled with black powder, test shot, and scanned for weaknesses. None was fond. If you are interrested, they can be seen at our website at www.tambour.nu.
Yours,
Carl Henrik Amundsen, Military leader of King Frederik IVth Tambour unit.
I am absolutely fascinated with canons as they are all a part of history. The only one I get to see is at a local military school by my house in Saint Petersburg.
Evan H.
Saint Petersburg, FL
I am a descendant of Drum Major William Loudon, who lost an arm when a canon burst during a salute to Gen. Sullivan in Chesterfield, NH in 1786. He managed to survive seven years of service working with the Artillery. But suffered using ordinance recreationally.
Good luck with you endevor but be careful.
Cheryl McDonald
Clearwater, Fl
This is great!
Does anyone know where the Washington cannons are ?
The ones captured at Ticonderoga and from the war?
I know there is a French one at Newburgh New York, but where are the rest?
A friend and I are building a wall gun/amusette and 3 lb limber/mantlet. While doing research in the UK, I looked at and have copies of several 1783 drawings of limbers and mantlets. They are to scale and show many details. If interested, please email. Thank you.
DJ - LightOx52@yahoo.com
I have a cast brass cannon and sympathize with your gas problems. My little gun,16" long, was cast by a modern foundry so no problems arose. I also have an 8 Ga. Blunderbuss that is also cast brass. A friend did some engraving on it and said he could fee "lots of tiny bubbles". This dispite no pock marks are readily visible. By the way, the Blunderbuss shoots like a dream!!!!
Mark cunningham
I can tell you personally that nothing can much compare with the very first max test fire of a brand new cannon, it is a rush ! My family and I belong to a small troop of re-enactures of the Colonial time here in Illinois. I really enjoy going to encampments, preforming on our troops cannon squad, and meeting many really skilled and knowledgeable fellow history savers. I would love to see the colony out there and hear this new cannon speak out sometime. It is true that each cannon seems to possess it's very own sound (or voice). Here's wishing both cannon and crew , not only a safe and successful max fire date, but hearty here here for many years to come !
Peace and safety from the 18th century Rocky Mountain Muzzle Loaders
P.s. if anyone happens to fare this way check out Ft. Massac the third full weekend of October ! Just one of many places our cannon sings out proudly each year.
would you like to add a very modern element to your project ? I am a semi-retired cannon scientist/engineer form the US Army Benet Laboratories and I am making good progress in the analysis of 19 th. century black powder cannon. It would be interesting to add a bronze gun to my work. I would like to contact you.
pohara@nycap.rr.com
Great project. I was wondering if anyone has ever considered making a cast of the "Old Spotswood" cannon, now on the grounds of William and Mary. The cannon came originally from the frontier fort, Fort Christanna (1714), in Brunswick County, VA. A historic park is being developed at the original site of the fort, and a replica of the cannon would be a great asset to the park.
when i went to willamsburg i thought the cannon was awesome
Thank you Historic Trades of Colonial Williamsburg for taking on this great project. In a world where so many folks seem to take for granted the high standard of living and relative ease of obtaining goods, it's nice to see an orginization still active in keeping this era of our past in the fore-front of our minds.
Thank you.
J. Thompson,
Cape Porpoise, ME.
It is very nice to see this type of recreation of history. As a professional gunsmith I really appreciate this type of work where a variety of tradesmen come together to produce a fuctional and attractive piece of ordinance.
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