Limber/mortar wagon (sorta)

[Terry C.]

This is a project that I started a couple of years ago. It was originally intended as a way to transport the ¼-scale 1857 Napoleon 12-pounder, but it proved more trouble than it was worth. Since I dismounted the barrel to get the cannon in the car, it was easier to simply carry the gun to the firing position and assemble it there.

I did use it at the gun range a couple of times. The aluminum rack is sized to carry either two 50-cal or three 30-cal ammo cans. But it was eventually put aside and forgotten.

Now that I have a truck to transport the cannon, I don't dismount it anymore. In firing trim it weighs just shy of 30 pounds (and is awkward to carry assembled). But the thing that finally made me drag this out of storage was the addition of the GB mortar to the arsonal.

With this I can haul the cannon, mortar, and my BP can.










The rack is constructed from aluminum flat bar, angle, and square tubing. The fasteners are stainless steel and there are are six SS eyebolts incorporated into the design for attaching bungees. The lower framework of the limber/wagon is poplar. The tongue is a nondescript 1⅛" hardwood dowel with a plastic shovel handle, and is removable.

A brass snap hook serves as a 'hitch' for the carriage trail.






If these wheels look familiar, they should. The cannon wore these 14" lawnmower wheels during its construction, until they were replaced with the Amish hickory wheels.

[lance]

 That's a useful ideal and i like it!!! i've been doing things wrong and now see that i need one of these. the way things have been, was to carry a mortar out of the shop and set it in the field, go back and get another. depending on which field i use, sometimes i throw some on the back of the truck for the short trip. but i mainly use the field next to the shop, and your mortar wagon will now cut down on my trips.my next mortar project is a 12pd'er, so i'll be needing a mortar wagon. already i'm seeing visions of a hand wagon with a tilting bed? thinking about maybe sliding the heavy thing on the bed, don't want to have to pick it up. don't want to carry it on it's side, like moving stuff with a hand truck. what do you think about it? while you're thinking, maybe one for a 300lb 24pd'er, either pulled by a couple of folks or a riding mower. block and tackle or small hand crank winch to drag it on the bed? what ya think Terry C ?

[Tropico]

I like it  Terry C.     Innovative and practical. It looks sharp too !

[Terry C.]

If you're gonna be haulin' a 300 pound mortar, you better be pullin' it with a tractor! 

Seriously, the mower could pull a small trailer with a tilt-bed. A boat winch could drag the mortar up onto the bed, though dragging 300 pounds of dead weight uphill with a hand-cranked boat winch is still going to be work.

I'm probably the only person in my neighborhood that doesn't own a four-wheel ATV, and most of these have electric winches and drawbars for towing.


The load you see on my wagon is about as much as I would want to carry on it. It wasn't designed with a huge payload in mind. There may be a larger one in my future.

[lance]

 got a tractor, 4wheeler,big riding mowers, and some horses.......anyway, i'll probably make one like yours for golfball mortars, they are heavy enough. i'm thinking for bigger ones..........maybe mounting a winch behind the tilting bed? as it's slowly dragged up the bed, i'm thinking the bed would level out? then there's that getting it off part? don't want the bed to slam down and hit the ground and toes. this will be fun projects to build and figure out.