A medieval hand cannon ... sturdy as can be

Ken Maddock · 18th February 2015, 07:31 PM

Hi all
I was researching welding for another project and was surprised by the following which I saved from a history of welding site,
The below patent is from 1886 so electric welding is older than you may think
Puts a few more years on to the repair, at least you are back to 19 th century
Regards
Ken

N. Benardos obtained Russian Patent (No. 11982) electric arc welding with carbon electrode called ""Elecktrogefest" or "Electrohephaestus". The methods of cutting and welding metals by the arc was termed "Electrohefest" in memory(sic) of Hephaestus, the ancient Greek god of Fire and Blacksmith work. (The Romans renamed Hephaestus to Vulcan and which is shown on the title page, giving instruction to the craftsmen forging metal.)
Benardos receives permission from the Russian Government to organize production in 1885 for "The production of this plant is based on welding and brazing by electricity and also producing devices for electrical illumination"

fernando · 19th February 2015, 01:08 PM

Thank you for your input, Ken.
I have also made a brief research on electric welding; in fact the more recent development took place in 1907, that one using coated electrodes, a system so much ( the most ?) popularized.
However, if you allow me, the (my) point is not the intervention in this cannon having being made in either end 19th or beginning 20th century, but some five centuries after this example was born, realizing that still someone had all that work to shoot this relic with such required efficiency... just the 'other day'.

fernando · 28th February 2015, 04:53 PM

Looks like this is usually included in the hand cannon typology.
But with its 15 Kilos (over 33 pounds) it would need a Goliath to hold it bare hands for the shot.
So i thought i would better classify it as a portable cannon ... newly made accessories accordingly .

M ELEY · 28th February 2015, 10:59 PM

Wow! Fernando, you did an exceptional job in creating an accurate housing for your portable cannon! Did you do all the work yourself, or did you have help-

Marcus den toom · 1st March 2015, 11:05 AM

I especially like the door knocker as a handle, are you going to make the wood darker Nando?

fernando · 1st March 2015, 12:05 PM

Alright ...
The design is mine ... but no copyright applies

.
The massive parts (square cut and barrel cavity) were made at the carpenter; i wouldn't have the means an the hands (read my profile

) to do it. I only used the chisel to adjust the cavity and a little wood plane to 'rusticize' the wood a bit.
The raw material was part of a pine wood beam that once came ashore in my homeland coast.
The black iron bands were cut in strips at the smith's machine and i 'only' had to cut them in smaller parts and bent them to fit the barrel.
For the fixing i used cut off parts of old hand made nails, salvaged from 19th century ceiling beams.
The door knocker is also old stuff, most probably from the 19th century as well, having once being bought in a street fair. Due to the barrel heavy weight, i had to introduce it (and glue it) well deep into the wood, in a diagonal line, to prevent it to hit the barrel.
The wood colour is already slightly darkened with diluted grain filler. I have previously tried some wallnut wax/tint in the base to check the aspect and i didn't like it. The way it is now looks more patina like ... more in real than in pictures. But maybe i will give it another hand.

.

M ELEY · 1st March 2015, 05:45 PM

"Nando, just in case my previous post came off as sarcastic, I meant no offense! Your framework is exceptional and exacting in many elements to the original such portable cages. We definitely want to see the finished (stained and such) product! If I ever get to purchase a nice lantaka, I had plans of building the original housing for it, including aged iron fixtures and whatnot, as it would have looked on the side of a ship's gunwale...

28th February 2015, 04:53 PM	#3
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Looks like this is usually included in the hand cannon typology. But with its 15 Kilos (over 33 pounds) it would need a Goliath to hold it bare hands for the shot. So i thought i would better classify it as a portable cannon ... newly made accessories accordingly . Attached Images

1st March 2015, 12:05 PM	#6
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Alright ... The design is mine ... but no copyright applies . The massive parts (square cut and barrel cavity) were made at the carpenter; i wouldn't have the means an the hands (read my profile ) to do it. I only used the chisel to adjust the cavity and a little wood plane to 'rusticize' the wood a bit. The raw material was part of a pine wood beam that once came ashore in my homeland coast. The black iron bands were cut in strips at the smith's machine and i 'only' had to cut them in smaller parts and bent them to fit the barrel. For the fixing i used cut off parts of old hand made nails, salvaged from 19th century ceiling beams. The door knocker is also old stuff, most probably from the 19th century as well, having once being bought in a street fair. Due to the barrel heavy weight, i had to introduce it (and glue it) well deep into the wood, in a diagonal line, to prevent it to hit the barrel. The wood colour is already slightly darkened with diluted grain filler. I have previously tried some wallnut wax/tint in the base to check the aspect and i didn't like it. The way it is now looks more patina like ... more in real than in pictures. But maybe i will give it another hand. . Last edited by fernando; 1st March 2015 at 12:16 PM.

18th February 2015, 07:31 PM	#1
Ken Maddock Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Ireland Posts: 104	Hi all I was researching welding for another project and was surprised by the following which I saved from a history of welding site, The below patent is from 1886 so electric welding is older than you may think Puts a few more years on to the repair, at least you are back to 19 th century Regards Ken N. Benardos obtained Russian Patent (No. 11982) electric arc welding with carbon electrode called ""Elecktrogefest" or "Electrohephaestus". The methods of cutting and welding metals by the arc was termed "Electrohefest" in memory(sic) of Hephaestus, the ancient Greek god of Fire and Blacksmith work. (The Romans renamed Hephaestus to Vulcan and which is shown on the title page, giving instruction to the craftsmen forging metal.) Benardos receives permission from the Russian Government to organize production in 1885 for "The production of this plant is based on welding and brazing by electricity and also producing devices for electrical illumination"

19th February 2015, 01:08 PM	#2
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Thank you for your input, Ken. I have also made a brief research on electric welding; in fact the more recent development took place in 1907, that one using coated electrodes, a system so much ( the most ?) popularized. However, if you allow me, the (my) point is not the intervention in this cannon having being made in either end 19th or beginning 20th century, but some five centuries after this example was born, realizing that still someone had all that work to shoot this relic with such required efficiency... just the 'other day'.

28th February 2015, 10:59 PM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,159	Wow! Fernando, you did an exceptional job in creating an accurate housing for your portable cannon! Did you do all the work yourself, or did you have help-

1st March 2015, 11:05 AM	#5
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	I especially like the door knocker as a handle, are you going to make the wood darker Nando?

1st March 2015, 05:45 PM	#7
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,159	"Nando, just in case my previous post came off as sarcastic, I meant no offense! Your framework is exceptional and exacting in many elements to the original such portable cages. We definitely want to see the finished (stained and such) product! If I ever get to purchase a nice lantaka, I had plans of building the original housing for it, including aged iron fixtures and whatnot, as it would have looked on the side of a ship's gunwale...