The good, the bad, and the ugly.

[petersen_arms]

I noticed I've logged over ten hours, reading posts and looking at pictures and figure, I'm way overdue for posting a picture of some of my hardware. I knocked the cobwebs of a couple and here are a few. The middle mortar is my first build and has a 3" brass barrel with a 1.5" bore and a laminated cherry base. The largest mortar is my 4th build (I think), It has a 5.5" barrel, 2.625" bore, and a 1.5"x2' powder pocket. The base is laminated oak with forged handles. Total weight is 250# even. The dictator is my latest build and comes from all the dictator talk recently, and all of the photos havn't been any help either. That one has a bore of 1.705" and weighs about 80#. I built three of these with the intention of selling two. They look pretty sweet, sitting next to each other. I'll have to get some good pics before they are separated.

[Cat Whisperer]

Great pix - we'd love to see some action shots too and building shots if you have any!

[lance]

 if i had three of them Dictators, i don't think i could bare to split them up

[little seacoast]

Went looking for tips on how to post pictures this morning, the very first entry my search brought up was a picture of my cannon! I bought the Dictator pictured from Tom last year- his personal one.  This doesn't answer the questions I have, but it is one less picture to have to post. Life is strange.

[Double D]

We have sticky at the top of the forum on posting pictures. Needs updated, but it will work.

The is also a link in the Calendar picture post to a tutorial on taking better pictures.

[Zulu]

At the bottom of a Dictator frame is a round ratchet looking thingy.  I've seen pictures of it with a rod stuck in but I don't know what it does.  On the back of the barrel are notches for levering (I assume) but if you lever it up I don't see any way to lock it in place.  Is that what the ratchet thingy is for?
Zulu

[Double D]

My barrel is held by friction.  The capsquares are tight on the trunnions.

[jeeper1]

Do you mean the small wheel along the bottom? The one with the rod sticking out of it?
That's for turning the mortar to aim it.

[Double D]

Yes that is an eccentric wheel. 

The axle extension has holes in it.  Use a lever to turn the axle and bring the wheel in contact with the platform.  Another lever is is used to turn the wheel. Turning the wheels can move the mortar left or right or the whole mortar forward and back.   Handspikes are used on the base to assist movement.  Not sure if the levers are called handspikes or not.

They may appear to be decorative on these small mortars, but they are very useful to fine tune and aim.

[jeeper1]

They are not decorative on mine.