How were 1842 Smoothbore barrel bands manufactured?

[maillemaker]

Modern barrel bands are obviously cast, but how were originals made? Were they forge welded?

Steve

[Stevenjohnson9851]

Re: How were 1842 Smoothbore barrel bands manufactured?

Yes, they would have been forge welded.

[maillemaker]

Re: How were 1842 Smoothbore barrel bands manufactured?

So what I am envisioning is taking a strip/bar of wrought iron, and then forming it over a mandrel to make a hoop, and forge welding the overlap to make it solid and continuous.

Then I am envisioning this hoop being placed, after heating to red head, onto a mandrel of the correct final shape, and external dies being applied to crush it around the mandrel to its finished shape.

Is there any documentation for this process?

Thanks,
Steve