Exactly how difficult was it to create cannons? I am asking

Welding was really difficult and the idea just didn't hit anyone's minds back then

Everything is simpler in hindsight.
And in any case, gunpowder explodes and shit, you don't just play around with different ideas and hope that one of them turns out cool instead of blowing off your fingers.

It's very challenging, if there are any cracks or imperfections in the cannon then it is likely to explode and kill the operator instead of the target.

>>2221268
They may have had good metallurgy but think about this. It took them a long time to actually make decent black powder with the properties you want for launching a projectile. And fuck crucible steel it's such a pain in the ass to work with it's a better idea to cast something. But minute cracks or bubbles in the metal are disastrous. We can ultrasound that shit today instead of overloading a cannon and firing it off. If it works good, if it blows up get the next child in line to light the next fuse. Ssdd

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Jesuit missionaries taught the guaranis to make bamboo cannons to defend the missions against the portuguese, shame not one has been preserved

>>2221325
What about looking at a firework and think: "i wish i could fire those at the Mongols, that would be interesting

>>2222368
Also bronze was the ideal material until ironworking caught up in the 1700s because it was easier to cast and if the barrel failed, it would rupture instead of shattering like a iron cannon.

And even then it wasn't until the mid 1800s that smart cookies like John Dahlgren and so on started making more advanced iron/steel guns once they realized that a iron gun doesn't have to look exactly like a bronze gun to get the best performance.

>>2222536
Chinese were already weaponizing gunpower during Tang dynasties.

Where do you think mongols got their guns/cannons/grenades from?

You can't forge a solid pipe. You have to weld or cast it and these techniques are really advanced metallurgy.

>>2221325
>you don't just play around with different ideas and hope that one of them turns out cool instead of blowing off your fingers.
This sounds like an incredibly human thing to do

>>2223091
This is btw the reason the early firearms were usually made from bronze instead of iron or steel. It's easy to cast even if it's softer.

>>2223091
>cast it
Heat it up hot and pour into a deep hollow tube with an insert to give it a barrel, right? Would this not be a strong enough method? Also how the hell did thew weld at all back then, I am only familiar with modern methods.

>>2221268
There was two major reasons. 1. They thought of themselves very traditionally and the empire viewed themselves as Gods on earth. They famously and tragically underestimated the capibilities of their enemies and thus didn't feel compelled to change or adept new weapons technology before it much too late. 2nd, this is something a professor told me don't know how true it is but supposedly the Chinese relied heavily on ceramics and had comparably little availability of metal, whereas in Europe they pretty much only had metal and had a greater pressure to develop metal based weapons. I feel like could be some Jared Diamond or something but couldn't say. Was it not true that up until firearms, metal was seen as too heavy and unsuitable for battle compared to ceramics which were lighter and easier to wield?

>>2223091
>>2223099
>>2223109
Cast iron inuse by China since 5th century BCE. It wasn't until 15th century, that the west got their hand on on cast iron techniques.

"advanced metallurgy" is relative.

Also the theory that bronze was used because iron/steel casting was advanced is bogus.

>>2221268
Gunpowder was discovered by a Taoist alchemist around 800-900 CE. By 1000 - 1100 CE, it was already being used in grenades, firelances, etc. By 1200 CE, they already had a handheld mini-cannon. By 1300 CE, they could mass produce these weapons, both handheld version and larger siege versions.

>>2223117
I don't think anyone ever used ceramic weapons or armor until the 20th century.

>>2223527
Correct. Ceramics didn't really come into use until the late 70s, as something was needed to help diffuse the thermal jet from HEAT shells. When the HEAT jet hits the ceramic block in the armor, it shatters and deforms the jet, decreasing it's penetration.

>>2223136
How come their cannons were of a lower quality to their european conteparies during the Ming dynasty, if China had cast Iron for so long?