Author Topic: Almost back in business (Read 1434 times)

Evil Dog · « **on:** December 07, 2008, 05:32:50 AM »

Years back I bought a half scale Napoleon tube from Hern Iron Works in 2 1/4" bore. Built a carriage from Home Depot lumber as actual oak was just way beyond my budget. It served the purpose and once painted you couldn't really tell.

Balls were cast from wheelweight and weighed right around 2 1/2 pounds. I eventually went to casting them from zinc as that would reduce the weight to around 1 1/2 pounds... more zip for the same amount of powder and hopefully a little less stress on the carriage.

I'd always been a little nervous about having that large of a bore in this particular tube.... just didn't leave enough wall thickness to please me. So one of the local board members fabricated a sleeve to epoxy in place that would reduce the bore down to golfball size. Will also fire 1 pound round fishing weights.

Being of Douglas Fir the cheeks eventually started to warp. A year or so ago I found a piece of 2 1/4" thick oak that used to be a mantle on a fireplace... just the perfect size to make into replacement cheeks. Finally got started on that project last month. Everything is pretty much back together again, just have to finish the ironwork over the trunnions and then it will be off to the local range for a much anticipated test drive.

Note: The pictures are of the old carriage. New current one has heavier wheels and much heavier cheeks. The cheeks also now have an iron strap over the trunnions rather than that wood clamp thing. The useless hanging rings are also gone.

One thing about having a cannon in the back of the pickup... sure does discourage tailgaters.

dynomike · « **Reply #1 on:** December 07, 2008, 08:54:43 AM »

I hope mine looks as good. I have a 2 1/4" mountain howetizer and all i like is my trunion plates. I got my wood at a saw mill in one big piece, it is white oak.

Evil Dog · « **Reply #2 on:** December 07, 2008, 09:17:18 AM »

This is how it currently looks. Still have a goodly bit more work to do. Have to fit the iron straps over the trunnions then wirebrush and repaint the barrel. Also have to repaint the wheels. The color paint I am using this time is from the thread that gave the Lowes formula for mixing it... I like it a lot better than the pool table green that I had used before.

Hopefully will have everything done within the next week or two. Also working on new implements. Figured out sponges involving 7/8" dowel, wrap around foam insulation and baby socks. Will get some pictures of that up fairly soon.

dynomike · « **Reply #3 on:** December 07, 2008, 10:43:52 AM »

What kind of paint are you going to use on the barrel? I used high temp Acrlic enamel engine paint . Dont know how it's going to hold up.

Evil Dog · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2008, 04:10:44 PM »

A rattle can of hi-temp black semi-gloss. Don't suppose the hi-temp part really matters as with a minimum of 3 minutes between firings the barrel doesn't get all that warm. Just use a fairly good quality paint and it should last a while. Easy enough to touch up as needed.

Evil Dog · « **Reply #5 on:** December 09, 2008, 12:41:31 PM »

A question comes to mind.... what was the chain on the right side of the carriage used for? How was it attached? Anyone have any good pictures of it? I've googled around for a while but haven't found any good info yet.

GGaskill · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2008, 01:05:56 PM »

Let me look in my AOP folio and I will get back to you. I think it is hooked on the wheel spokes to prevent wheel rotation when the gun is fired and thereby limit the distance the gun recoils.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #7 on:** December 10, 2008, 01:31:45 AM »

Quote from: Evil Dog on December 09, 2008, 12:41:31 PM

A question comes to mind.... what was the chain on the right side of the carriage used for? How was it attached? Anyone have any good pictures of it? I've googled around for a while but haven't found any good info yet.

The chain was attached to the right side of the trail a short distance in front of the wheel guard plate that protected the trail from being cut by the limber's wheels during a sharp turn. The chain hook was attached to the right cheek by the middle bolt that held the cheeks to the stock, and the lock chain when not in use was looped over this hook. When in use, the chain was put around a felloe through the wheel between two spokes and latched back to the chain, which caused the wheel to lock and thus only slide, slowing the gun and carriage considerably during a steep descent down a hill, embankment etc.; this prevented the entire weight of the whole rig from bearing down on the horses.

Evil Dog · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2008, 06:40:48 AM »

Hmm... sounds like a good way to damage some wheel spokes.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2008, 06:54:24 AM »

Not if it's snug and the slack is out of the chain and the spoke isn't dozy. The shock is lessened. I use a leather sleeve on the chain where it comes in contact. Works for me when drawing on slippery slopes. Maybe my set-up is different?

rc

Evil Dog · « **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2008, 10:30:35 AM »

Can you post a pic or two of your chain? How it is attached and in use? Thanks.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2008, 11:32:35 AM »

Evil Dog: I'll see what I can do. I might have an image on file or you might have to wait a day or two for me to get my wife to roll out the cannon when she comes home from school. It's stored in the garage.

I'm still going through PT & traction. The cannoneer's curse. Another herniated disc.

I use a quick release fitting/catch/clip/(?)/thingy; like the one that I believe was on a super looking cannon that Squire Robin had submitted not too long ago. It's an original; probably hundreds of years old.

Works for me!

rc

Max Caliber · « **Reply #12 on:** December 11, 2008, 02:40:42 AM »

Evil Dog, Here is a picture of a Civil War style lock chain.

Max

Cannoneer · « **Reply #13 on:** December 11, 2008, 08:36:07 AM »

Quote from: Evil Dog on December 10, 2008, 06:40:48 AM

Hmm... sounds like a good way to damage some wheel spokes.

Evil Dog,

I think the 14 spoked, 57-inch compression artillery wheels in use on the carriages, limbers and caissons at the time of the Civil War were built tough enough to absorb a fair amount of abuse, and I'm also guessing that the gun crews were assisting in slowing down the carriage and limber so the chain didn't have a jarring impact on the spoke the chain was putting pressure on when beginning to lock up the wheel.

No. 15 shows the hook attached to the right cheek.
No. 27 shows the lock chain.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #14 on:** December 11, 2008, 11:22:35 AM »

Evil Dog: Try this. I remembered seeing it a while back and that it had to do with Squire as I had written. I just searched back and back and back and found it for you.

It's a Boom J post, 11 August 2008, 08:15:28 AM. Titled: Question about British block trail carriage.

I'll get some images of my rig tomorrow for you. Oddly enough; my innovation is remarkably similar.

rc

thelionspaw · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2008, 06:17:28 AM »

anchor point under trail with a hand forged hook on a ring.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2008, 06:21:12 AM »

The other end where the latch secures to the ring.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #17 on:** December 12, 2008, 06:30:10 AM »

Take out all of the slack after looping the chain around the spoke from the inside of the wheel. Keep your spoke contact point in a direct line and the shortest distance to the trail anchor point. The chain snugs up when the catch lever is fed towards the ring. I made a leather sleeve for the chain's contact point, to protect the wood and paint a bit.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #18 on:** December 12, 2008, 06:36:47 AM »

Alternative method of locking the wheel. See one of these in the "Boom J" post to Squire that I wrote about. It's called a "Ruggle" in the old vernacular. It's suspended from a hook on the carriage.

Evil Dog · « **Reply #19 on:** December 12, 2008, 09:20:09 AM »

Thank you very much.... looks like I have a job for my blacksmith friend the next time I see him. Until then will see what might be lurking around the local hardware store.

dynomike · « **Reply #20 on:** December 12, 2008, 10:25:44 AM »

In Max Caliper's picture the round looking thing on the end of the chain is on an 8N Ford tractor, it is connected by chain from the 3-point hitch to the rear end what it does it keeps the 3-point hitch from getting into the wheel. I cant rember everything on the picture but i do know most of it is tractor related.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #21 on:** December 12, 2008, 10:39:55 AM »

Quote from: dynomike on December 12, 2008, 10:25:44 AM

In Max Caliper's picture the round looking thing on the end of the chain is on an 8N Ford tractor, it is connected by chain from the 3-point hitch to the rear end what it does it keeps the 3-point hitch from getting into the wheel. I cant rember everything on the picture but i do know most of it is tractor related.

Dynomike,

The photo that Max posted is of parts that go on a Civil War era artillery field carriage. There may well be something there that resembles what you're talking about, but his photo is definitely of gun carriage parts.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #22 on:** December 12, 2008, 11:31:22 AM »

Evil Dog,

According to James C. Hazlett, Edwin Olmstead and M. Hume Parks in their book, "Field Artillery of the Civil War": The upper drawing of a Civil War era battery wagon attached to a limber that I'm posting serves to illustrate how the lock chain was connected to the wheel. The chain was put through the wheel between two spokes then simply drawn up the other side of the wheel and latched back onto the chain.

GGaskill · « **Reply #23 on:** December 12, 2008, 12:02:08 PM »

Kind of like setting the retainers on a freight train before descending a long grade.

dynomike · « **Reply #24 on:** December 12, 2008, 12:48:07 PM »

I agree i thought he might be looking for an altenitive or something cheaper.