.22 Blank Cannon
I want to build a gun from scratch, and at the time of this writing (April 2014), I have a design in progress. Before working with "real" ammunition, I figured a good first step would be a cannon that fires blank rounds. I didn't really keep track of the hours that I spent on the cannon, but I probably have between 30 and 40 hours in the design and 60 to 80 hours in machining. The machining time would definitely have been cut down considerably with bigger machines. I finished the cannon at 11PM on July 3, 2013 and made the simple stand on the morning of the 4th, which allowed me to fire it on Independence Day. It fired (safely) on the first try, and every time thereafter. For the first few shots, I had a lanyard attached to the trigger and there was a large earthen berm between the cannon and me. I was confident in my design and all the knowledge I have about firearms, materials and machining, but I still wasn't willing to bet my life on it.
I'm not going to describe dimensions or the function of the parts, because if you are interested in making something like this, you need to be 100% confident in your knowledge and design before proceeding. You cannot rely on what you read on the internet, and I don't want to contribute to someone getting hurt or killed. Most of this cannon is made from 12L14, however the firing pin, bolt and sear are not. The chamber is necked down slightly so only a blank round can be chambered. After it had been fired, I took it apart and baked most of the parts in the oven at 550 degrees to blue it. This is not the way real firearms are blued and the colored, oxide layer is not very deep, but it looks good and offers a little protection against rust. I still have not made a proper base for this cannon. I haven't decided if it will be a stationary base or a wheeled carriage. It is sort of a potato-gun-esque design, so I'm not sure that any of the traditional carriage designs from history fit.
I hope that this cannon can inspire someone else to build something similar, and I will respond to emailed questions, but be aware that I may not talk about specifics.
I'm not going to describe dimensions or the function of the parts, because if you are interested in making something like this, you need to be 100% confident in your knowledge and design before proceeding. You cannot rely on what you read on the internet, and I don't want to contribute to someone getting hurt or killed. Most of this cannon is made from 12L14, however the firing pin, bolt and sear are not. The chamber is necked down slightly so only a blank round can be chambered. After it had been fired, I took it apart and baked most of the parts in the oven at 550 degrees to blue it. This is not the way real firearms are blued and the colored, oxide layer is not very deep, but it looks good and offers a little protection against rust. I still have not made a proper base for this cannon. I haven't decided if it will be a stationary base or a wheeled carriage. It is sort of a potato-gun-esque design, so I'm not sure that any of the traditional carriage designs from history fit.
I hope that this cannon can inspire someone else to build something similar, and I will respond to emailed questions, but be aware that I may not talk about specifics.