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Dad Builds 700 Pound Cannon for Son's Birthday
Hugh Pickens writes "The Charleston Daily Mail reports that machinist Mike Daugherty built his son a working cannon for his birthday — not a model — a real working cannon. 'It looks like something right out of the battle at Gettysburg,' says Daugherty. The 700 pound cast iron and steel howitzer, designed to use comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories with a steep angle of descent, has a 4-inch gun barrel that is 36 inches long mounted on a wooden gun carriage with two 36- inch diameter wheels and took Daugherty about two weeks to build at a cost of about $6,000. 'I've always been interested in the Civil War and cannons, so I thought it would be a good gift,' says Daugherty's 11-year old son Logan. Daugherty said he is not worried about the federal government coming to get his son's cannon because he spoke to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and found it is legal to own such a cannon because it does not use a firing pin and is muzzle loaded so the government does not consider the weapon a threat. Two days after the family celebrated Logan's 11th birthday, father and son offered a field demonstration of the new cannon on top of a grassy hill overlooking Fairmont, West Virginia and on the third try, the blank inside the barrel went boom and a cannon was born. For a followup they popped a golf ball into the gun barrel, lit the fuse, and watched the golf ball split the sky and land about 600 yards away. 'Any rebels charging up this hill would be in trouble with a cannon like this at the top,' Logan says."
...it is legal to own such a cannon because it does not use a firing pin and is muzzle loaded so the government does not consider the weapon a threat.
He then continued to say, "Also, I use it to hunt deer."
First? Is it really a good idea to give an 11 year old a cannon. Even though you will tell him not to use it unsupervised eventually theres going to come a time where his friends say something like "cmon we will just shoot it once"...... and then before you know it they are invading a nearby neighborhood...
Don't try to be a great man. Just be a man, and let history make its own judgment - Zemfram Cochrane
This kid lives in Charleston. Why is he talking about shooting at rebels? What has the South come to? Where is the adult supervision?
People nowadays are such wimps...
At random times, my dad gave me a loaded revolver, a tub of arsenic, a box of rabid weasles, a car with the brakes disabled, etc. etc
And I'm still alive
my parents also used to play this fun game where they'd drop me off in the woods naked and covered in bacon fat and I would have to find my way home
good times, good times
just so there's no risk he turns into a girlie man.
Every boy needs to learn that you have to have a big cannon and wield it with authority should any dispute come up.
(Warning: Failure to recognize sarcasm is the eighth deadly sin, specially in a world of manly men.)
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
'Any rebels charging up this hill would be in trouble with a cannon like this at the top,' Logan says
Anyone else have an image of Stormtroopers firing one of these, relieved that they finally have a better weapon than those blasters?
That title should read "Dad Builds 700 Pound Cannon for Himself, Under The Cover of His Son's Birthday".
What a charming and delightful way to relive one of the darkest chapters in our nation's history. :P
"I want a thermonuclear device."
So let me get this straight, your uncle blew a hole in your tailgate with his wad?
a troll from 1861
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Lighten up, Francis. Just because the cannon doesn't run Linux doesn't mean its not cool.
But still, imagine a cluster of these things.
You mean that somewhere, someone has NOT taught their son to be a pansy, and fear anything that has any remote chance of hurting someone? Oh, the horror! The next thing you know, he'll let the kid have his own POCKET KNIFE, for crying out loud. Won't someone please... THINK OF THE CHILDREN????
Oh, you're not stuck, you're just unable to let go of the onion rings.
A while back I was working at a place that had both engineering and manufacturing, and I mostly hung out with the engineers but I worked on some of the manufacturing equipment so I met a lot of the manufacturing people. One guy looked like an 80's stoner, black jacket, long hair, bad teeth, you know the type. I'd never talked to him. One day, apropos of nothing, he walked up and handed me a thick sheaf of papers and said "I thought you'd enjoy this." It was plans for making a homebuilt mortar, similar in size to the cannon in TFA (but with a much less pretty and detailed carriage.) It was machined out of a piece of solid 6" thick steel stock. It's actually a pretty cool design, although my metal lathe can't manage something that big. But ever since, I've wondered if I have "CLOSET ANARCHIST" written on my forehead, that makes people who don't know me walk up and volunteer stuff like this, since this wasn't the only time that's happened.
Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
Hmm... so is he trying to build some sort of redneck technical there?
No, he blew a hole in his own tailgate with his wad. THAT, my friend, takes talent.
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
"General Grant, the Rebs have broken through our lines! What are we going to do?"
"Calm down, Colonel. Get the Beowulf Battery on line."
The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
and that they must therefore be prevented from trying at all costs. ;)
Hence the development of reality TV:
Future Thomas Jefferson: Yeah, I'm really sick of paying 50% of my income in taxes. Let's overthrow the Government! Are you with me?
Future George Washington: Yeah, the revolution! To arms! Call out the unorganized militia! We're with you to the bitter end!
Typical American Citizen #1: Yeah! I hate taxes! Down with the Governmen.... hey isn't American Idol on tonight? Can we do the revolution tomorrow?
Typical American Citizen #2: We can't do it tomorrow, the Amazing Race is on. How about next Wednesday?
Future George Washington: *puts gun to his own head and squeezes the trigger*
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
That's what they want you to believe. In reality the NSA ensures the integrity and authenticity of Civil War reenactments.
http://www.pers-place.uklinux.net/tommyogtigern/flamethrower.gif
My UID is prime. Hah!
Anytime you need to get permission from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms for a Birthday present, you know it's going to be the best birthday ever.
Well, I see one person who has never priced bronze in quantity.
You are entirely correct that bronze is expensive. Keep in mind, however, that the cannon is made from cast iron and steel.
I thought about responding with, "Well, I see one person who has never priced helium in quantity."
Seemed about as relevant.
Sig Return: 204 No Content
Well as a native and current Baltimoron, I don't discount your account. I was hoping to be modded funny. But anyway, yes, it would have been very embarrassing for the capitol of the Union to be residing in a confederate state. It is said that Maryland wasn't given much choice in the matter on what side to be on.
But lets be honest, everyone traveling through Baltimore gets fired on. A tradition we carry through with even today.
Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.