[daffy64]

Hi guys. I'm new to the group and wanted to share some of my prop making experience.

Here's a cannon I made for my pirate Halloween display.

It's basically a sonoflex cardboard tube with a long wedge cut out to give it the proper tapering shape.

The muzzle end is layers of pink foam cut in discs, glued together, and sanded smooth. The inside of the barrel is a length of abs pipe.

The bands around it are just cardboard and tubing with lots of caulking.

The back rounded part is a plastic bowl that was just the right size.

I think the thing that really sells it as metal is the texture. I stippled the whole thing with spakling, then sanded it almost smooth. After applying some water based polyurethane to seal it I painted it semi gloss black.

Not bad, huh? My friends thought it would weigh a thousand pounds but it's light as a feather.

Now I just have to make the wooden gun carriage it will be mounted on.



PART 1: https://www.halloweenforum.com/threads/how-to-make-a-realistic-cannon-part-1.79204/

PART 2: https://www.halloweenforum.com/threads/how-to-make-a-realistic-cannon-part-2.79205/

PART 3: https://www.halloweenforum.com/threads/how-to-make-a-realistic-cannon-part-3.79207/

PART 4: https://www.halloweenforum.com/threads/how-to-make-a-realistic-cannon-part-4.79208

 

[Evil Bob]

Excellent cannon!

 

[Screaming Demons]

That's very impressive.

 

[theedwin]

Wow!!!!!!!!!

 

[RacerX45]

Fantastic job! It really looks like a genuine cannon. I need one of those on my pirate ship. Guess I need to get working.

Randy

 

[CraigInPA]

Wow! That's incredible! Great job!

 

[scareisburg]

One of the Best I've seen

 

[Demon Dog]

Excellent job! Very realistic, even up close.

 

[Eyegore]

good job! now all you need is realistic cannon fire!

 

[Frosty Don]

HOLY SMOKES!

That is beautiful!!!!!!!

 

[alucard]

Excellent work! Very realistic!

 

[fravak]

That's very impressive!

 

[mem22]

Wow....great job!! I have a question though. You said that it's basically a sonoflex cardboard tube with a long wedge cut out to give it the proper tapering shape. How do you cut a wedge out of a sonoflex tube? It's relatively thin cardboard and I don't see a way to taper it at all. How did you do it...also, what size tube did you use?

 

[gumba]

very nice!

 

[daffy64]

Hey guys. Thanks for all the great compliments about the cannon!!!

I am going to post a more detailed description of how I put it together soon! I'm just busy right now.

mem22..You can make it out of any size cardboard tube. The trick is to figure out how much it would taper towards the front (I used graph paper to figure it out) and then cut a pie shaped wedge the whole length of the tube. Then you have to glue it back together (which is a pain) using an extra piece of cardboard on the inside to reinforce it.

More explanation to come! Wait till you see my pirate ship wheel.

 

[doombugy]

i cant wait! we are also working on pirate halloween...just started and i really like your work.

 

[Terra]

Love it. Put it on the front lawn all year, that'll keep the robbers way or be a magnet for all the neighborhood little boys.

Great prop!

 

[creepycathy]

DANG!!! that looks fantastic!!!

 

[daffy64]

Thanks again you guys. I have the first two sections of how to make the cannon up now. Hope it helps.

I'm just finishing off a very good ship's wheel for a pirate party I'm having, and then on Halloween, my front yard is going to have a sunken shipweck on it.

 

[The Pod]

That is a very nice and very realistic looking cannon! Very nice job on both the cannon and your tutorial. Thanks for posting it!