Field carriage plans

[Warlock1]

I've been looking for a set of plans online now for a few weeks. I have no experience with carriage building, so I want to get the size of the wheels and the length of the trail to look right with my 28" cannon. I thinking of giving up looking, and may be ordering some plans in the morning from "the cannon superstore". If I order them I will try to post the measurement (or plans if i can figure out how to). I would expect the plans to take a week to come in with the holidays.

[GGaskill]

I know nothing about The Cannon Superstore but Antique Ordnance Publishers is my authoritative source of plans for US Civil War era guns.  The plans are dimensioned for full size pieces but it is no big deal to rescale them smaller.

What's your barrel look like?

[Warlock1]

28" from muzzle to end of casabel. Muzzle is 4 3/8". Breach ring is 6".Trunnions are 2" with a spread of 8 1/8". A 1776 replica. I posted a pic of it a few weeks ago, but removed it for those that have a slow internet connection.

[Double D]

Did you look on the Cannon link list in the sticky's we have plan sources listed there. 

Do you have a copy of Robert Muller's Treatise on Artillery...more plans there.

[Warlock1]

I did look in the stickies, saw everything but carriage plans. Some of the books may have them, I will click on a few and see if they list having detailed plans. Thanks for the input.

[Double D]

Where to find Blackpowder Cannons and shooting supplies


Cannon plans

• Antique Ordnance Publishers
• Jerry Howell 1779 24 PDR
• Delta Press-Beer Can Mortar
• Dixie Gunworks
• Maryland Silver.com
• Building 18th Century Naval Artillery
• Scale Model Civil War Cannons
• Wild Horse Books & Art

[GGaskill]

I posted a pic of it a few weeks ago, but removed it for those that have a slow internet connection.

How about posting a link for those of us who pay for wide band?

28" from muzzle to end of casabel. Muzzle is 4 3/8". Breach ring is 6".Trunnions are 2" with a spread of 8 1/8". A 1776 replica.

OK, I remember that one.  Revolutionary War era carriages were twin flask trails.  See AIR-LAND-SEA WEAPONS for a good explanation.

[Warlock1]

GGaskill, I saved that link, thats the carriage I have in mind. Some of the measurement I was able to find were for a 36" barrel; 36" wheels (are wheels typically the same height as the length of barrel?) 64" trail (almost twice the length of the wheel height?) did not find anything on width of carriages, but appears to be about 50". Think I will just make a guess-amate of all the measurements, not really looking for an exact replica anyway. The dished wheels will be the more difficult part, and the part of the build i'm looking forward to the most. Always open to all ideas.
I will try to figure out how to post a link.


DD, Thanks, but unfortunately those links don't seem to be able to help me. Without a picture, I really have no idea what I would be purchasing. Still green here, trying to take in a lot of info.

[GGaskill]

... did not find anything on width of carriages ...

I guess you mean wheel spacing width.  My guess is they were pretty much the same as wagons, etc., since they would have shared the same roads (and ruts.)  I suppose you have seen the story about why the space shuttle railroad tracks were 4' 8.5" gauge (that was the gauge of Roman chariots.)  I would guess that would apply to cannon carriages, too.

The spacing of the trails would be directly related to the width over the rimbases (if the barrel has them) or the width of the barrel at the trunnions.

[Double D]

I think this stye carriage is in Round Shot and Rammers, I know it is in Mullers Treatise.  You can scale from those drawings

[dynomike1x1]

Look at Buckstik.com thats where i got my plans for my mountain howitezer. That was my first build and they were more detailed than other plans that i looked at.