benjamaniac cannon carriage

[benjamaniac]

   Tim...Thanks for the welcome. My son is in the Army right now...stationed in Germany after a tour in Iraq. He's coming home now and wants to get started building a field carriage for the barrel he bought before he did the Iraq thing. the barrel has been sitting in storage since then. He got it from Dixie gun works. Here's a link to the one he got. I'd appreciate any input on what he bought, since I'm new at this and I'm still trying to learn as much as I can before he gets home.
        Ben

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=13110

[Double D]

Man Montana is getting plumb crowed...Somers-Cut Bank-Miles City...getting where there is just about no elbow room any where. .  At least  you won't have far to go for powder.

Welcome to our little gathering, I am sure some will be along shortly with Ideas for you carriage.

[GGaskill]

Since the barrel appears to be a 1/2 scale M1841 6 pounder, your best bet would be the No. 12 folio from Antique Ordnance Publishers.  The drawings are full scale but half scale is a simple conversion.

[cannonmn]

Before you put a lot of work into getting drawings, ask him if he didn't get the drawings with the cannon.  The catalog says:

Each cannon barrel comes with a copy of the original drawings for the field carriage, instructions on how to build the wheels along with safety firing information

[benjamaniac]

  Yes, some plans came with the barrel. I guess we'll go with them. I'll half scale them before the son gets home and we should be ready to start the project. Thanks for the advice guys. If we run into any problems, I'll post them here for input. In the meantime, if anyone has any sage advice to toss our way...we're all ears.
     Thanks again,
       ben

[cannonmn]

The carriage body should be made of thoroughly dried white oak.  The stuff you need is thin enough that you should be able to find sources of kiln-dried white oak.  Unless you are gluttons for punishment, pay some Amish wheelwrights to do your wheels, but take them pictures and drawings and insist that they be properly dished if that's what you want, otherwise you will get flat buggy wheels.  They do wheels cheaper than most anyone else.