Correct type of bed for coehorn mortar

[a4beltfed2000]

How many types of beds were there for coehorn mortars? I have seen pictures of the flat bases with the mitered 45 degree edges, also a fanicer milled edge and finally is there was a sled type with a adjustment screw for elevation? which one of these is correct for the civil war or is it all of the above?

thanks
a4beltfed

[Cannoneer]

If you're asking about U.S., or CSA coehorn mounts then the first two you mentioned are correct, and there are also two distinct types of Confederate coehorn bed (Lance is a board member, and he made one type of these CSA beds; I'll try and find a photo). The wooden "sled" type mortar bed isn't correct for a coehorn, even though a lot of people mount them on this type of bed. The real sled type of bed is actually made of iron and is used to mount larger mortars. 


M1840 10-inch seacoast mortars and beds: I think this is the type of bed which provided the inspiration for some craftsman many years ago, to fashion the first wood "sled" type bed for scale model coehorns. I personally like the way they look with the golf ball coehorns.

[a4beltfed2000]

pics are great! definately easier to understand that way!
thanks
a4beltfed

[Cannoneer]

The following photo is of a red painted reproduction Confederate mortar bed.





The next three period photos are of different viewpoints of surrendered CSA ordnance at Appomattox, Virginia. 



A close up of three coehorns in the right middlground of the picture shows another style of bed that has a simple smooth curved shoulder instead of an angle in the front and rear.

[dan610324]

but if you look carefully at the second period photo ( the enlargement ) .
the middle mortar bed with the 45 degree angle in the front almost seem to have the same pattern in the back as the one to the left of it that just show partly in that picture .

   or ??

[Cannoneer]

If you look at the middle bed in the rear, you can see two splits in the wood blank by the through bolt, and I think thats causing it to bulge in that area. I'm pretty sure that the bed is the same type as the stained museum version in pic no. 3, and the partial view of the far left mortar shows the same Federal type of bed as the first photo.

[a4beltfed2000]

the replica (red) confed. mortar that is pictured? Is that a copy of a orginal? what is the open area on the back of the bed for? is the bottom hollow on it? thanks guys for all the info....

[Max Caliber]

The red mortar bed design is apparently not based on an original Confederate Coehorn design. Up to this point, no one has come forth with a picture or description of an original like it. It is just a frame, no bottom. It's a nice looking bed and I have made several GB mortar beds similar to it because it is easy to build. It is not as strong as a one or two piece bed and due to it's many parts it has a tendency to get racked out of square with repeated firing.

[Cannoneer]

Max,

 You got me obsessed with trying to find this thread, and I finally did; and just before I was getting ready to throw in the towel, I might add.
You're right about this suppossed CSA frame mortar bed not being validly documented, in fact it was you who originally posted the photo that I saved and pasted on this current thread. For some reason (like a faulty memory) I had it in my mind that is was reasonably proven that this bed was an original Confederate design.   

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,124283.0.html

[Cannoneer]

Sorry, but I don't remember who to credit for making these drawings of the red frame type bed that the Confederate coehorn is mounted on in the photo shown; maybe Cat Whisperer?

[MikeR C]

You might consider looking under the "stickies" at the top of the forum, under "safe loads and cannon plans", for "24 pdr CS mortar drawings"

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,146259.0.html

[Cannoneer]

Aaahhhh, so you're the fine draftsman, you know it must be a mental block of some kind, because I seldom think to look in the stickies, but I had saved the drawings, and as usual, didn't add a caption; thanks Mike.