The Mini-Brigantine/Galleon Project

Carbide Cannon Construction: Finishing / Firing

Attaching the Barrel To The Carriage

Now it is time to attach the barrel to the carriage. To do this simply place the trunnion pivots on the end of the trunnion pin. Make sure you have drilled a hole in the center of the trunnion pivots using a 5/8" drill. You then screw the pivots down on the carriage and Voila! A ready to fire cannon.

Your cannon is now ready to be fired. You will need some powdered calcium carbide, water and an ignitor. The nice thing about this cannon is you cannot overload it, too much calcium carbide and there will be not enough oxygen and it will give you a kind of "phhhmpt", if you do not have enough carbide, you will get a soft pop.

You will need to experiment with loads, but we found that about a teaspoon  or two of bangsite per load was ample. In fact, we put ourselves together a sea chest of an eyedropper, small funnel, teaspoon, water flask,  ignitor, and a place to store our bangsite.

You'll notice a whitish residue is left in our cannon, this is the calcium carbonate.

After each shot, you  may want to blow down the chamber to clear out any gases. We are working on a ramrod/air-exchanger that will have a little swab, not only will it clean our barrel but also exhange the air for the next shot. 

After you have fired your cannon a few times, you will want to open the bottom clean out plug, and let the water out, now is a good time to give it a quick clean. The key to good operation is to let a little air mix between firings, and clean it out after several shots. This cannon has had many successful firings.

Don't forget these cannons can be very loud, so it is best to wear ear and eye protection for saftey. We also have tried a few different projectiles, including a nerf ball and styrofoam. NEVER EVER point a cannon at a person!

Is it legal?

You will want to check your local municipal/town/city  and state/province by-laws. But in many areas, carbide cannons are not considered fireworks. However, please respect your neighbors and local law enforcement.

Home