Wooden Canon

[Ed]

Wow. Talk about a rarity.

Amazing that it survived.

[katana]

Originally Posted by Ed

Wow. Talk about a rarity.

Amazing that it survived.

Hi,
Perhaps this was a fake cannon ...to fool the enemy into believing you had more armaments . I believe that this tactic was used during the American Civil War and were call Quaker guns.

Rgards David

[celtan]

The Conquistadores used wooden canons, reinforced with iron belts...

[katana]

Originally Posted by celtan

The Conquistadores used wooden canons, reinforced with iron belts...

Hi Celtan ,
yes ..and others, however there seems to be no iron re-inforcing on the wooden cannon posted by Clockwork. There does seem to be a rope wrapped 're-enforcement' ...but it seems to be originally coated with something like clay or resin. So it is possible the rope was used to give the cannon shape and was not a strenghening 'aid'.

On 'Mythbusters' an American 'Discovery Channel' production, they constructed a cannon from a 'bored' tree trunk which had steel banding re-inforcement.. which actualy worked well. They eventually greatly overloaded it with an 'exaggerated' charge of gunpowder and blocked the barrel. Needless to say it exploded violently

Kind Regards David

[fernando]

Trying to focus on the muzzle; not all layers are in wood. First you have a 'shirt' in the bore and next to it, could be a (nother) metalic section ?
I wouldn't know about wooden cannons, but leather ones actually existed; i hace pictures somewhere around.
Still David's aproach is quite a pertinent one .

Fernando

[Rick]

Originally Posted by fernando

Trying to focus on the muzzle; not all layers are in wood. First you have a 'shirt' in the bore and next to it, could be a (nother) metalic section ?
I wouldn't know about wooden cannons, but leather ones actually existed; i hace pictures somewhere around.
Still David's aproach is quite a pertinent one .

Fernando

Here :
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...leather+cannon

[fernando]

Good ... and quick
Thanks Rick.
Fernando

[katana]

Hi Fernando,
I had noticed the metal 'liner' within the bore of the cannon ...but it appears (to me) to be 'flanged' at the muzzle end (ie the metal liner originally extended beyond the wooden muzzel and then was hammered / worked so as to fold back and flattened against the wood of the barrel.

It would not be unreasonable to believe that the cannon may not have been used to fire a projectile ...but to fire an 'empty' charge ...to give the impression that it was fully functional. The use of 'decoys' during battles is a very old tactic. If indeed it did fire projectiles, they must have been relatively 'light' (perhaps grape shot).....this would require less gunpowder...and would exert less stress to the wooden barrel.

Leather cannons ?!!? you must post those pictures...

Kind Regards David

Cross posted and just seen the recent updates .....thanks Rick, so leather cannons do exist ...and I thought Fernando had been on the 'vinho' ...

[fernando]

Hi David,

Originally Posted by katana

...Leather cannons ?!!? you must post those pictures...

Rick has already posted above, a fine link on those; but i'll try and find 'my' examples ... if i find them.

Lots of health
Fernando

[fernando]

Originally Posted by katana

... Cross posted and just seen the recent updates .....thanks Rick, so leather cannons do exist ...and I thought Fernando had been on the 'vinho' ...

Too late David,
I already punished you with 'my' examples .
But you've made my day, though. This is the first time i see an English speaker spelling the word 'vinho' ... in strictly correct Portuguese .

Best
Fernando