Yard Art Signal Cannon

Working construction we find a lot of people use our dumpsters to rid themselves of their unwanted items. During our composite cleanup we had found a wheelchair with an oxygen tank ! We rolled around for a while before getting to work but the wheelchair never really left my mind that day and knowing I was itching for a new project I decided to build a cannon….

To be precise, a 1/2 scale functional piece of yard art designed to bring attention to your yard…..

As well as remind them to keep their distance.

The plans originally came from the national archives but have been modified to half and slightly altered in order to fit the dimensions I had to work with, mostly according to available materials found in these trash piles and a few others like the actual mortar tube in the barrel & bike pegs.


Did you know, Antique models like this are completely legal to own and display; even fire on your property ?!?!


Because it is muzzle loaded and is modeled and designed to a 1841 mountain Howitzer it isn’t even classified as a weapon.

The Barrel is calibered at 1 7/8” and weighs around 40 lb or so and rests on a working elevation screw that in turn can be set to what ever elevation you prefer.

It also features a working horizontal adjustment pole at the rear of the carriage, resting between 10’ of draw rope.

I will not be supplying the steps to bore the touch hole / vent on this project, I will leave that to you and your working knowledge to figure this step out but I will hint in the steps when it should be done. But all suttle foundry barrels come 100% completed if ordered.

By using the term “functional yard art” I mean exactly that.

Functional cannons are dangerous when used carelessly, please refrain from drinking or drug use if using it in means that are not intended for this tutorial.

This will fire black powder blank shots and I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST firing ANYTHING other than BLANK SHOT from this artistic recreation. I use no more than 2oz of black powder in a tin foil wrapping and easily win the 4th of July …. Every Year. Hands down.

IF YOU WANT TO SKIP THE SAWDUST AND HOURS OF FABRICATION, EMAIL ME @ Suttlefoundry@gmail.com for AFFORDABLE pricing in the subject line just put Cannon availability and drop me a message.

My product is 100% AMERICAN material sourced and proudly hand crafted to your specifications by an American veteran.

If you do skip the build and decide to buy :
* This is not intended to fire blank or solid shot but only as an art piece to display privately or publicly..
* Art piece comes partially disassembled & crated via freight delivery.
* Some assembly required.

* Tracking & prior shipment photos will be provided.


Feel free to ask ANY Questions or express any concerns

~ Suttle Foundry

MATERIALS
1-12’ pressure treated 2x6
1- 8’ pressure treated 1x6
1- 8’ pressure treated 2x4
1- 4’ pressure treated 2x8
1- 48” 1.5”x1/8” flat stock
14- 2”x1/4” lag bolts
4- 4”x3/8” lag bolts
1- 1 1/2 ton car jack
4- 2” riser pipe clamps
1- 18” mortar tube
1- set of wheelchair wheels
2- sets of leather stirrup straps
3- 6’ broom sticks ( metal ends )
1- 18”x3/8”x1/8 flat stock metal
1- size E oxygen tank
1/4- bag of 5000lb Portland cement
1- set of 2” oversized bike pegs
1- 4” lathe wheel
1- 4’ 3/8” all thread rod
4- 3/8” lock nuts
6- 3/8”x1 1/4” steel washers
2- utility pull handles
1- 3’ 1/4” round stock metal stick
12- 4” wood screws
1- 1 qt OD Green paint
1- spray can chalkboard paint
2- spray cans matte clear coat
1- spray can satin clear coat
1- 1 7/8 trailer ball hitch
4- finish nails

TOOLS USED

Gloves
Safety glasses
Face mask
Respiratory protection
Belt sander
Shop Vacuum
Table saw
Jig saw
Skilsaw
Miter saw
Drill press
Hand drill
Portable hammering drill
Various drill bit sizes
Wrench
Hammer
Sand paper
Chisel
Punch
Hand grinder
12” metal cutting blade
12” wood cutting blade
Clamps

For those with the big question…

In order to be federally legal the replica must be modeled before 1898 and be muzzle loaded not capable of firing fixed ammunition.
~ no breach loading
~ no exploding or incendiary ammunition
- modeled of cannon produced before 1898.


Now that your mind is at ease…..

Figuring out which carriage to build will be up to your artistic eye. Inspired by spaghetti westerns, I chose a prairie carriage from the Indian wars of the 1860’s.

Deciding to model after an 1841 Mountain Howitzer leaves me with several options to generate the carriage and the barrel. I’ve opted for the prairie carriage, as it was designed to be portable and it’s firing tube was robust and easy to operate.

Short and simple : do a night or two or three thousands worth of visual & mental homework and make a dream come true.

Let’s get to building…

Let’s start with the barrel

You will need :

- oxygen tank type E
- concrete
- mortar tube
- bike pegs
- bolts matched to pegs
- nuts matched to bolts
- JB Weld
- hammer
- punch
- drill press
- ball hitch

Grab your oxygen tank and slowly bleed the compressed air until empty, once it’s emptied remove the valve head with a wrench and take it over to your miter saw.

Once you get to the saw, cut the curved (top) part of the cylinder off just before the curve, leaving you with a flat open end.

Flip the tube over sit it on the ground vertically and let the bottom see the shop lights ….

Grab your hammer, a punch, measuring tape and get to finding the center of the bottom of the tube. Once you mark the center with your punch, get to drilling.

Once we have our hole drilled ( to the size of the ball hitch thread ) to the center of the bottom of our cylinder, go ahead and mix a quarters size of a&b Jb weld and cover the bottom lip of the hitch ball ( the part that meets the cylinder ) insert the ball hitch into the hole and screw the nut to the ball hitch from the inside of the cylinder. Once it’s tightened, move on to the trunnions.

Let’s find the center of gravity on the barrel !

Put a pencil on your work bench and place the barrel on it, slowly moving it towards its center; take note of its fulcrum ( the point in which it pivots ) and mark it. Measure 1” away from the ball hitch ( towards the open end ) from the fulcrum; you now have an area to drill that will keep the weight of the barrel pointed up.

With an appropriate drill bit size, drill two holes mathematically opposite of each other. It’s easier than it sounds with a pipe jig, otherwise it’s down to a tape measurement and a steady hand.

Once the holes are drilled, mix some more Jb weld and lather the end of the pegs that meet the cylinder and bolts. secure the pegs to the cylinder with the matched bolts and then secure the pegs and bolt with the matched nuts.

Use any excess Jb weld to smooth over any exposed sides from the ball hitch and the peg meeting points to the cylinder.

Use water and a clean rag to wipe down any excess debris from the fabrication and allow to dry for 24 hours.

After a 24 hour cure, attend to any light sanding of the tube and Jb welds and clean with rubbing alcohol.

Tape off the top 6-8” of the open end of the cylinder and prep for your barrel fabrication.

Grab the mortar tube and cut down the base into a circle to match the ID of the cylinder ( NOTE : the bolt heads will require you to flatten two sides of the mortar base in order to fully inset the tube. )

Use a clamp to secure the cylinder in an upright position with the ball hitch on the ground.

Mix about 1/4 of the bag of cement and use a small cup to insert about 2” of concrete inside the tube covering the hitch threads. place your mortar tube inside of the cylinder evenly and begin to slowly fill the cylinder with the cement. Take care to keep your mortar tube even with the ID of the cylinder.

Once it is filled to the top, use a tool that vibrates ( palm sander, multi tool ) and use it to vibrate all air bubbles and fill voids inside of the cylinder. If done correctly you will see bubbles erupt from the top of the tube. Once the bubbles stop, use a rag to soak up the excess water that has risen and top off the concrete just below the rims of the mortar tube and oxygen cylinder.

Allow to cure for 48 hours.

Just leave it alone……

Let’s go fabricate something to aim and move it.

( I have chosen to leave out the steps of fabricating a wick hole to make this a functional cannon on GP. )

the foundation of the barrel is critical to the success of the builds dexterity and capability to withstand the forces of nature ( and man ) intended upon it.

With that said I might catch flack from straying from a solid stock carriage design ….. but in the years I have been sounding the cannon, I have found my laminated models outlast the solid models by years.

The trick is fire rated material that is pressure treated for above ground contact. It’s expensive but it’s worth it to have a carriage last years in the sun and snow.

Let’s start by halving the 2x6x8 and bring them down to, two 4’ cuts. Cut yourself a matching 4’ 1x6 as well, clamp them all together and plane the end of all three on the miter saw. Throw in a few screws to hold them true and get ready to start drawing out your carriage body.

Grab a paint can and place it at the end of the boards you just cut to size and trace out the semi circle that will later be cut down to be the face of your carriage.

Drop a tape and measure out 12” & 16” from the same cut end and mark them out.

To make the tail:

Move to the opposite end of the 2x6 and mark out 8” at the bottom, after that mark move to the top and make a slow curve to the first mark on the bottom.

From the bottom 8” mark, measure 6” more from the rear and use a carpenter square to mark a vertical line and mark 2” from the bottom of the carriage. This will be where the top will grade down from the rear and meet the grade from the front of the carriage.

From this point, cut and duplicate for the remaining two other pieces.

Using the cut down 1x6 and a cut down car jack all thread screw and mark 15” from the nose of the carriage body. At that 15” mark two 22* angles the width plus .25” of the car jack all thread and cut it out, essentially creating two sections of the 1x6. Locate the threaded part of the jack that the all thread came from and place it half way up the fresh cuts with the 1x6 lined up like it was never cut and fits the other 2x6’s flush. Mark and cut out a notch for the thread nut on both halves and add the nut once you glue the four pieces together.

Once the pieces are cut, laminate them by cleaning them and gluing them together. Using high pressure clamps is essential in minimal body prep once the glue dries. Don’t forget to add the threaded nut for the elevation screw !

Place your carriage body against the table arm of the table saw when assembly during glue and clamping and your body should stay true.

Allowing the wood glue to properly dry, plane the bottom of your carriage and begin to cut the top into shape with a saw to finish you can shape the top with a sander, Bringing the rough edges down to a smooth soft touch. Don’t forget to shape the nose of your cannon to a nice gentle curve that is even through the whole drop. Last but not least cut a V into the nose of the cannon at a 45* angle that is almost the width of the body, this will allow the barrel to reach a greater downward angle.

It’s going to look enticing don’t forget, there is an axle to build…

Let’s go…

During the time I have spent tinkering with this project I have tested three types of axle and wheel setups for the carriage body.

Originally the first generation had 36” spoked beach cruiser wheels that were set with a full piece of all-thread rod, run through two laminated 2x4s. It didn’t hold up well in the weather after sounding the cannon a dozen or so times. Which led me to a more traditional route…

The second generation consisted of wood wagon style wheels, wooden spoke wrapped a wooden hub and met a wooden frame and wrapped in 1/4” steel flat bar. It looked beautiful as it matched the carriage while sitting on the assembly table. As it made its way down range it seemed to present its first of many dilemmas, setting these required a precise fit with grease which was extremely authentic but the shock of the fist few rounds rearranged the precision of those fits and caused it to sit a little bow legged. I built another wheel set and decided to use it as front yard art at that point, but once again it didn’t last long in the elements supporting that weight. Which in turn led me to research wheel design and it led me to the topic of healthcare.

The birth of the third generation sprung from a big person in a wheelchair, I had noticed that it didn’t flex under 350 lbs and seemed older and used but most of all the whole chair was designed big. A wide seat, big foot rests and wheels that were reinforced to support the habitual use under heavy loads.

With that said,

Materials needed :

~ pressure treated 2x4x8
~ wheelchair wheels with hardware
~ wood glue
~ wood screws
~ finish nails

Tools needed :

~ table saw
~ drill
~ drill press
~ dremel
~ miter saw
~ clamps
~ Hand grinder with 80 grit sanding pad

Start with cutting down that 2x4 into two sections of 30”. Measure and draw a center line down the ends of the 2x4s as a guide for your table saw. Measure the width of the bolt that attaches the wheel to the chair and raise your table saw blade to half of the size of the width of the bolt. Center your table saw rail to the center of your 2x4 and run the board. Move the rail 1/8” at a time to cut the blade width and create a channel down the board. Keep it even and do this until you have the width of the bolt hardware. Do this for the other 30” piece also, once this is done set them up channel to channel and make sure they are even, loosen the grip on the two pieces and slide the first bolt into the channel and at the same time put the wheel on the hardware with the nut already installed securely. This will give you a tight fit and you will need to clamp at the point where the bolt head indents the channels it is sitting in. Getting a good impression of the bolt head is vital to the hub output. Do this same step for the other side as well.

Unscrew your clamps and return your freshly imprinted 2x4s to your bench, return the wheels but keep the hardware close.

Use your dremel to burr out the impression left from the bolt heads but keep it tight, we are looking for a pressure fit. Now off to the hardware and your drill press, clamp down your bolt and line up a drill bit in accordance with the width of your nails and pop two holes in each bolt. Once those are drilled, take them over to your axle body and drop them into your channels at the bored out sections and drive a few nails to secure them into place.

Grab that wood glue and start spreading the adhesive on both the sides with channels. Line them up and place them together, with a clamp secure the ends once you have them evened out. Squeeze a couple more clamps to even out the pressure and set it aside to dry, I also recommend a few wood screws along the axle, that will help to keep it secure during adhesion also.

Once it dries, set your table saw blade at 45* and clip the bottom edges of the bottom 2x4 to make it easier to form a half moon at the bottom during sanding. Rotate the blade back to 0* and take a blade width from the right and left sides of the axle to give it a sharp uniform look.

Once you have the ears cut down flip the axle on its back and get to sanding with your hand grinder. Make even passes from left to right and trim down the sharp edges to form a half circle. Once this is done, measure the final width of the 2x4s for connection to the carriage, put it off to the side and head back to the body and prep your table saw, thing are about to start coming together.

With the main body on your table it’s time to do some math, we need to figure out how far and where to cut a notch for the axle to join the body.

Taking into note we will be cutting 4” impact spacers for the right and left of our stock to meet our cheeks and we want our axle to rest just shy of the spacer so 6” from the beginning of the nose is a good place to mark.

With the aforementioned measurement of the axle width, make another mark from your fresh mark on the bottom of the bossy and add whatever the axle width is. Transfer those marks to the sides of the body so when it sits right side up it shows your axle placement.

Set your table saw blade height to 1”.

Set up your table saw guide to 90* and make a pass through each mark effectively creating a border of your axle width. Now carefully start making 1/8” passes until you open the gap between the first two guide cuts. Once you finish you should have a semi tight fit with the axle and the body. Let’s take them apart and move on to the trunion cheeks.

These cheeks have a unique shape and I decided to use paint cans to mark the appropriate profile until I was happy with the outcome.

Once I had them cut out I fastened them together and began sanding and trimming them down into mirror images. Once they took the exact same shape I lined them up with the lower carriage and began cutting wafers to fit between the cheeks and the body of the carriage.

Once they were lined up I marked out where I wanted to drill for the allthread connection and disassembled the whole carriage, from the cheeks to the body and axle. Re fastened the cheeks and brought them to the drill press and punched a few 3/8 “ holes. Once the cheeks were drilled I lined one cheek up with the body of the carriage and marked where their holes lined up. Moving the body to the drill press I lined up and drilled two more times to sync cheek holes to body holes.

Once my carriage was reassembled with cheeks and wafers in place I measured the width from cheek to cheek and added an inch. Grabbing a stick of allthread I began to cut two sticks of my aforementioned measurement and ram them through my synced holes and connected them with washers and nuts.

The wafers and allthread absorb the shock and force from the sounding of the cannon, allowing it a longer and much more useful life as well as giving it a pretty tough look.

To secure the barrel to the carriage I decided to use the 2” riser clamps that were discarded earlier that week. Routing a proper channel was key to sinking the clamps and streamlining the reinforcement straps to the cheeks flush.

Once the clamps were fit I moved on to the reinforcement straps. I chose 1/8” thick by 1 1/2” wide steel strips that were found in the trash pile during my flat lay I generated an idea of where I wanted to sink the lag bolts to hold it in place and marked them with a sharpie. Once one was marked out, they were clamped together and drilled to the appropriate size for the lag bolts that were to secure it to the cheek. Once they were drilled they were in clamped and I used the original cheek mold to shape the metal to its surface, once both were shaped I put them to the side to be painted.

I used utility pulls found in a jobox as the rear pull handles.

An offset 7/8 box wrench cut in half as the horizontal stabilizer loop.

1/4” thick x 3/8 wide flat bar trimmed to 7” and bent inwards at 45* to secure the draw rope & 2” “U” to hold horizontal stability bar.

Broken lathe wheel that was epoxied back together as the elevation wheel.

A knob from one of the cabinets that had a scratch and was tossed, acts as the elevation screw rest.

All of these items were destined for the paint booth and followed a traditional Matt color scheme of of green and chalkboard black.

Once you have let your paint cure for a few days, begin assembling your masterpiece.

Display it with pride and know every dad on the block envies you as they drive past and aspires to be you as the hear it roar from down the street.

Have fun with this project but most of all please be safe and don’t drink and play with your cannon…..
Or hunt deer. Okay maybe tag a deer, your choice.