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Offline Artilleryman

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Wooden mortar
« on: February 16, 2006, 09:30:43 AM »
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/album_pic.php?pic_id=1163">

James Bender wrote an article in the last Artilleryman magazine about wooden mortars used during the Civil War.  There are photos of wooden mortars that survived the war, and this photo of a reproduction that he made.  This mortar tube weighs 105 lbs and is on a 55 lbs bed.  He does not state what the bore size is.  I am assuming it is a 12 pdr.
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2006, 10:35:54 AM »
If I'm not mistaken, our artillary tubes are worth 4000 full load equivalent rounds (charge 7).

I wonder how many rounds this one would handle?
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Offline Double D

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2006, 11:44:01 AM »
Mythbusters did a segment on wooden cannons ...theirs blew up.

Of course Myth buster have a tendancy to make things happen.  When first fired the gun didn't blow up.  The challenge then became to blow it up and they did.
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Offline GGaskill

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2006, 11:52:53 AM »
I think the wooden bore would erode beyond usefullness before the tube would fail.  Not much point in using it if the windage has burned out to 24 pounder size and you are trying to fire 12 pounder shell.
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2006, 12:38:45 PM »
Quote from: Double D
Mythbusters did a segment on wooden cannons ...theirs blew up.
...


I've not been impressed with what they've not been able to do.

In many cases there are others that DID do it.
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Offline GGaskill

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2006, 01:45:21 PM »
Any idea how elevation was controlled?  Also, there doesn't seem to a trunnion--how is recoil transferred to the mount or ground?
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GG
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Offline Artilleryman

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2006, 02:26:04 PM »
The best that I can tell is that they used metal pins for trunnions.  The author thinks that the barrel is tipped in the opposite direction shown which would bring the barrel to approximately 45 degrees.  The museum piece is displayed as shown in the above photo and the vent is down.  

From the information in the article it appears that this type of mortar was used for close range work of 50 to 100 yards.  It seems that they may have been able to fire at least 100 rounds out of them.
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Offline Cannonmaker

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2006, 06:03:20 PM »
My first thought on wooded mortars was the recoil.  The wood being much lighter would have a narrow ratio of weight between the mortar and the projectial.  Therefore they would have to keep the charge low and have a short range.  The mortar could be banded with steel bands to give the mortar it's strenght.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going,  and will use what ever resorces they have.  Wood is plentifull where the Civil War was fought.
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Offline Powder keg

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« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2006, 06:14:09 PM »
The carriage might have just been a stand to prop it up by, letting the ground absorb the recoil? Just a thought?
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Offline GGaskill

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2006, 06:31:06 PM »
It obviously couldn't be fired in the orientation shown in the picture or it would go skittering off to the rear at best.  It might even break the rear cross-member.  

It does appear that the breech would be sitting on the ground or platform if flipped over, thus directing the recoil into the ground instead of the trunnions.

Judging from the Coehorn charge tables, an ounce or less powder would toss the shell 100 yards, so the bore might last longer than expected with little or no chance of bursting the barrel.
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Offline Kuntrykouple

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2006, 06:43:06 PM »
Quote
Mythbusters did a segment on wooden cannons ...theirs blew up.


I saw that segment and the cannon fired succesfully (more than once at that) with 1 pnd of powder  and they did band the barrel they finnal blew tha barrel up. the last load measured FIVE  pounds of powder!
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Offline CU_Cannon

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2006, 03:37:20 AM »
That would make a fun project but I donÂ’t think IÂ’d ever have the guts to light the fuse.

Mythbusters is a fun program to watch but I would never call it science.
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Offline Artilleryman

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2006, 04:08:07 AM »
Quote
I saw that segment and the cannon fired succesfully (more than once at that) with 1 pnd of powder and they did band the barrel they finnal blew tha barrel up. the last load measured FIVE pounds of powder!


Plus they hammered in a bore obstruction (projectile?).  To give you an idea of what five pounds of powder will do, the Paulsons used that much powder to launch a 200 lbs shell one mile from a 13 inch mortar.
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Offline gary michie

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Wooden mortar
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2006, 03:54:08 PM »
:D HI:
  Is there any pics. of this wood cannon?
gary
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