1569 replies to this topic

[karlfoxman]

Just started the build of the Maltese shells, here is 2 pictures from one of the shells. These breaks will make up one of the shells, it also requires the bottom shot to be added later.

Edited by karlfoxman, 07 March 2007 - 10:21 AM.

[fishy1]

How much comp is their there? It looks a fair bit.

Also, would I be correct to assume that the brown things there are bits of paper to stop the stars wriggling out?

Edited by fishy1, 07 March 2007 - 06:09 PM.

[karlfoxman]

The brown things are spacers to lock all the comets into place, yes a fair bit of comp. Not saying how much!

I have now made and added the break charges and the rough powder is drying, the 4hour milled rough powder is also used as lift in these shells.

[Wyvern]

those shells look great, now i have my morters ill be trying all sorts of shaped shells so im sure i will be picking your brains

If you can i'd love to see video's of them being shot

[fishy1]

Any reason why you wont reveal how much comp is in it?

[karlfoxman]

I wasnt going to say but hey it looks more than a few grams, each shells comets weigh 1.28kg. The break for each one is 180g, the powder inside is very very fine pulverone bound with SGRS. Each shell with break and case is 1.55kg.

[karlfoxman]

Just made the lift charge for the shell, inside is 230g of 4 hour milled Alder blackpowder. Should lift this shell fairly high!! The powder is passed through a cheese grater to get nice large grains.

[maxman]

Your work looks amazing Karlfoxman! Are you making these for a living? or hobby? Do you shoot on a regular basis like every day? You seem to put a great deal of effort into making some fantastic shells.

I really enjoy reading your posts.

[karlfoxman]

Thankyou maxman, no for hobby only. Would be lovely to get paid for making these as its my passion. (obviously) I will post more as I build, all the glitter stars are drying and im going to use 2 types of glitter to make a cross pattern inside the main break. I will post pictures when I start to fill the breaks and close them. Also might make a video tutorial on making these.

[paul]

Your work looks amazing Karlfoxman! Are you making these for a living? or hobby? Do you shoot on a regular basis like every day? You seem to put a great deal of effort into making some fantastic shells.

I really enjoy reading your posts.

Second that! Haven´t been here for a long time. Your projects get bigger and more exciting with every page of this thread.
These pics encouraged me to build a few thing myself again hehe. One question: Why did you put large-grained blackpowder in a spiked shell for lifting purpose?! Doesn´t grained blackpowder - not that confined -work here?

[karlfoxman]

Thanks Paul, well it would work if you used around 400g of the stuff and it was faster powder but then you create huge shock to the shell and may rupture it. This way lets you use low quality black powder and less of it. The spiked shell when fired creates huge pressure inside the mortar, the pressure pushes on the wooden lifting disk and compresses some thick wadding. This wadding seals the tube up and allows all the gas pressure to move the shell. The wadding also works to absorb the massive shock on lift. It works very similar to a piston in a car, you dont want any gas to escape around the shell. When you look at the tube after firing something like this you will find it buries the tube a few feet into solid clay. This gives you an idea of the massive pressure build up on recoil.

I can use powder that is milled for 4 hours to lift and break this shell, I use no booster like whistle or flash to aid break. Next time i'm in Malta I will ask sam to fire a 6" 3 break with bottom shot in daylight and I will video the lift. When you see the tiny lift shells its amazing to see how little they use to launch these massive shells.

[karlfoxman]

Just filled the inner pistil breaks with two types of glitter, here are some pictures.

[portfire]

Thats one big shell.Will you be videoing the launch.

Is that a technics 1210 mk2 i see in the last pic, didn't know you dj

[chris17]

Looks more like an mk5

[portfire]

Looks more like an mk5

The mk5 has an pitch reset buton, the one in the pic hasn't