quote:

Originally posted by the_captain:
I know some here have made their own cannons from 4140 stock. I would like to build one myself, but am not sure on sizing the material. What sort of pressure does one use as operating pressure for a golf ball sized bore? I'm talking about a cannon, not a mortar, so the barrel will be longer, and I'd want to build a nice wheeled carriage - maybe something like a mountain howitzer scaled down. How do you estimate pressure for various projectile weights and amounts of powder in a cannon? Trying to find an appropriate material size to get the needed safety factor is the hardest part of this for me. I'd like to be able to use a round ball of any material, as long as it's the right size, of course. Basically, want to design it around the heaviest projectile and max powder charge, so I'm not limited to light loads pushing wiffle balls, if you know what I mean.

I've seen the nice cannons at Wild Imports but they use a bronze barrel cast over a steel sleeve. They look great, but I'd like to build a simple one myself, if at all practical. If there are any other sources or advice, I'm all ears. thanks!

(edited for typo)