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Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > How were cannons made? Reply to topic
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Chris Bucklen




Location: West Virginia
Joined: 25 Aug 2009
Reading list: 1 book

Posts: 12

PostPosted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 8:45 pm    Post subject: How were cannons made?         Reply with quote

Hello! I was in a rather in depth conversation with one of my blacksmith friends the other day and the subject of cannon construction came up. I was wondering if there is any websites out there that may have information about how bronze cannons were cast during the renaissance? Don't worry i have NO intentions of even thinking about trying to make one myself. I enjoy being among the living too much for that!
"Let no man glory in the greatness of his mind,
but rather keep watch o'er his wits.
Cautious and silent let him enter a dwelling;
to the heedful comes seldom harm,
for none can find a more faithful friend
than the wealth of mother wit." - Hávamál
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Eric Meulemans
Industry Professional



Location: Southern Wisconsin
Joined: 30 Nov 2003
Reading list: 18 books

Posts: 163

PostPosted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 9:11 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

For such sorts of industrial processes, at some point one must certainly turn to Diderot's Encyclopédie.

There are a number of plates and accompanying text (albeit in French) which detail the casting of cannon of that era, just following the Renaissance.

http://artflx.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic...opedie0110
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Eric W. Norenberg





Joined: 18 Jul 2008

Posts: 271

PostPosted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 11:07 pm    Post subject: bronze cannon casting         Reply with quote

Hello Chris,
I found what seems to be a digested version of the text of the Diderot work Eric referred to, en anglais:
http://www.melfisher.org/cannonsurvey/castguns.htm

My French isn't good enough to check the briefer English version against the Diderot for accuracy, but it seems to jive with the illustration plates.
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Cornelius Engelhardt





Joined: 27 Feb 2006

Posts: 14

PostPosted: Mon 11 Jul, 2011 12:54 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I would assume that cast cannons were made pretty much exactly the same way as bronze bells were made:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellfounding
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Randall Moffett




Location: Northern Utah
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Reading list: 5 books

Posts: 2,121

PostPosted: Mon 11 Jul, 2011 6:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Find Bert Hall's Renaissance Warfare or Smith and DeVries Artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy.

They were made in many ways over time. Cast Bronze, then barreled iron and later cast iron.

RPM
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Chris Bucklen




Location: West Virginia
Joined: 25 Aug 2009
Reading list: 1 book

Posts: 12

PostPosted: Tue 12 Jul, 2011 8:06 am    Post subject: Thanks!         Reply with quote

Thank you all very much! This gives me much more insight into the process and it helped me settle the debate with my friends!
"Let no man glory in the greatness of his mind,
but rather keep watch o'er his wits.
Cautious and silent let him enter a dwelling;
to the heedful comes seldom harm,
for none can find a more faithful friend
than the wealth of mother wit." - Hávamál
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