A little work on a 6 pounder

[rnixartillery]

Lew,

Hardwood blocks or I use a selection of steel blocks for direct pressure, I doubt penetrating fluid will do anything on a block inside the ring from my experience's but you may need some heat and a bigger hydraulic jack.
Just double check for any spot welds ! you may need to shock it when its under pressure so buy a nice big copper lump hammer as this absorbs impact and does not bruise the steel component's.

Rob....................rnixartillery.

[Lew Skelton]

Yep, going down with the breech. I think the pine was just soaking up the pressure, will block it up with metal blocks as I must have burnt my old hardwood blocks last winter (just checked the shed). Did you give the top of the press a knock with a hammer with pressure applied to shock it out Rob? Or on the breech block
Will go in search of an enerpac tomorrow.

[rnixartillery]

I basically kept clouting the side of the ring with a copper mel just to break the seal of rust and shite,the block pictured above took me 3 days to remove along with the Breech ring so its not a five minute job, you need to persevere with it and prevent damaging the component's .
It took 5 weeks to open the breech on one of my Pack Howitzers without damaging it ,a Ba*$~#d of a job but worth it in the end.

Rob.....................rnixartillery.

[Harry Moon]

To break the rust use a quick concoction of Ed's Red, Its usually for smaller firearms. 50% acetone and 50% automatic transmission fluid. Really works!

[Lew Skelton]

So I perserveered for a few days then left it with 30 ton over the weekend, didnt budge at all, took the barell and recuperator apart at the trunions, went off to another workshop close by and used there 100ton press, didnt take much to get it moving, needs a good clean up as theres lots of paint on it. What is the finish suppoed to be on the breech ring/ breech block etc?

[charlie fitton]

Sp what actually kept the breech block locked in place?

[Lew Skelton]

I think very thick coat of paint, lots of thin rust internally and assembled with no lube many moons ago. Ill post some photos tomorrow but its all a bit messy, now the breech is out the barell can be cleaned up also. Its currently full of gravel and dry mud.