Hired on at a steel shop in the late seventies.
Hired on at a steel shop in the late seventies.
Motorcycle enthusiasts was the dominant culture.
It was a structural and ornamental shop.
The structural side worked on sticks about 20 ft long.
Often there would be substansial drop.
The best was a tubular remnant.
Scrap heavy pipe about four feet long.
XXX heavy, I think.
Inside diameter was enough to allow a small V-8 can easily slide,
The outside diameter was about 4 inches {A CD is about 4-3/4 inches dia}.
Careful welding {we were pros, after all} of a breech plug.
First test, somewhere north of Tucson, propped up with the ass end pointed into the sand.
1/4 pound black powder, V-8 can filled with concrete.
Good sound, projectile richoceted off a hill about 200 yeard away; the spinning made it sound like vv
vvvvvv vvvvv vvvv vvv.
While we were at it, we fabricated a carriage for the cannon.
Hauled it on a run on the Gila river in a Dodge PU, pushbutton shift, thank you.
Great fun, several strong reports.
Hold your own beer!
Months later a party in town.
On the south side of Tucson, large backyard, solid block wall all around.
DJ with 2 or 300 LPs, monster sound system rocking the yard party.
Excited, the cannoneer does a two ounce 'blank'.
Owww!
And it blew out all of the speakers that the DJ had brought.
Angry exchanges soon followed.
Let's be careful out there!
