Carbide pirate cannon

Carbide cannon I made in time to celebrate Independence Day, 2012. It's just under 6 feet long.

The cannon has a PVC core with the body carved out of insulation foam, and is about a 2/3 scale replica of a 24 pound cannon off of the USS Constitution. The test firing shown here uses 1/4 teaspoon of calcium carbide per shot, and the audio really doesn't do it justice. About 1/2 teaspoon or slightly more definately requires hearing protection even while standing behind the cannon.

The calcium carbide is poured through the vent in the breech, reacts with water in the firing chamber to form acetylene gas, and is ignited with a pair of electric gas grill igniters installed in the breech.

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[NelsonandClayton]

did you put a cannon ball in it yet????? Please explain the Carbide part of it??? Is that the fuel and How??

[RetiredUSNChief]

It wasn't designed to actually act like a spud gun (for safety reasons), but it will shoot an oversized (3 inch diameter) tennis ball 100 yards easily. The cannon has a water reservoir in the breech. When you pour calcium carbide through the vent hole, it reacts with the water to produce acetylene gas. Two electric gas grill ignitors provide the spark to set the cannon off.