Direct Link: HERE I apologize, I'm not a videographer. I do what I can to try to help the hobby. I have 50~ cannons being chinese sweatshop assembled in my garage for a dozen or so boats that are being built by me for me, by me for newbies, or by newbies being taught by me, so I figured I had the on-hand supplies to make a quick video. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I have no liability if you somehow hurt yourself. Wear eye protection when playing with boat cannons. Wear eye protection when using power tools. Etc etc. Stuff used in this video is linked here: Gun Barrel Material: https://www.mcmaster.com/89785K824/ Gun Barrel Breech Sleeve Material: https://www.mcmaster.com/89895K728/ Gun Pistons: https://www.mcmaster.com/51055K78/ Gun Breech O-Rings DASH 008: https://www.mcmaster.com/9452K16/ 5/16 4 Flute Center Cutting End Mill: HERE 1/4 Compression Elbow: HERE 1/4 Compression Tee: HERE 1/4 Compression Union: HERE 1/4 Compression Caps: HERE 1/8 barb -> 10/32 male thread -> 1/8 barb Tee: https://www.clippard.com/part/TT0-404-PKG 1/8 barb -> 10/32 male thread elbow: https://www.clippard.com/part/CT0-4-PKG Pipe Soldering Flux: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-H...er-Soluble-Solder-Flux-Paste-301302/100177185 Things not listed above, ask and I can find out or explain. Hope this helps some new people.
Okay, to start with, you may find one of these handy, in addition to a small belt/disc sander: View: https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-130-3-175mm-12-7mm-Woodworker/dp/B00004T82J/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=tapered+reamer&qid=1639370690&sr=8-4
This is the correct tool I have a belt sander, it's over by the drill press, I was trying to not use a lot of what's in the shop or lots of single purpose type tools to show that you can do this with very minimal specialized equipment. If you have a drill press, torch for soldering, and a set of mini files you can make a cannon pretty much.
My first few attempts to make guns were terrible failures. I’d highly recommend buying from Battlers Commection first so you have working guns. Then try to make your own. Having a ship with bad guns is no fun at all. Try making guns after you have a fully working ship. Alternately if someone in your area makes good guns have them show you how as they build your guns. Here in MN we build large batches of guns we don’t need right away and use them as new ships are made.
The parts to build a cannon come out to maybe $5~8 total. Maybe more, maybe less, depends on where you are getting your parts and what you use specifically. For $8 I'd rather a rookie at least attempt to build their own or with supervision. It'll be worth a lot more than $8 in the experience.
Will, something I have seen from YouTube machinests, if you are trying to line up a hole to reem or mill larger, use the already sized hole and drill bit to align the part. Stick a 1/4" drill bit in the piece and use that to align the chuck to the hole.
I do this normally, I must've just had a brain lapse when I made the video. I actually have a 3d printed jig to hold the elbow at a perfect 90* to ensure you dont drill cockeyed. And a small 3d printed part that has a 1/4 rod on one end and a 5/16 hole on the other for quickly slipping over the endmill bit and aligning it to the breech fitting. Since some people don't have printers I didn't think to show those homemade tools.
I am a bit new to the hobby, I assume I would need to scale up the size of this to accommodate big bun cannons or?
Big Gun cannons are very different technology than Fast Gun cannons. One is designed to operate as an entire turret with rotation, depression, and multiple large-caliber barrels, but requiring a machine shop to produce. The other is designed for single-barrel rapid fire operations and constructed from parts available at a hardware store. There is currently some development work on 3d-printable Big Gun cannons, but nothing published on the forums yet. If you need Big Gun cannons right now, your best bet is to talk with the NTXBG and see what they have available.
I am aware that there are differences and have some ideas to back engineer. Just was curious before jumping off into that unknown.
I guess I’m curious too. Why wouldn’t small gun tech not work on 1/4” bearings? …you know, other than the parts aren’t available at Home Depot.
Fast gun canons are designed to be static. Sure you -could- scale them up but then you would need to figure out the rotation and depression thing and its just going to be a lot harder to adapt.
For a single barrel, you absolutely could do it. However, if you're no longer trying to achieve a 10-rounds-per-second rate of fire, the Big Gun cannon type will provide much more consistent results. ARRGH, I would love to answer this in more detail but it's past my bedtime.
I mean, I do love a challenge. And the rotation part seems like it mostly requires a change to the mag. I work the next 3 days, you got time. FEED me that juicy info.
