Author Topic: Naval carriage: Recently finished (Read 1833 times)

Cannoneer · « **on:** October 13, 2009, 08:19:18 PM »

I built this carriage to be the mount of the blued 11-inch, .50 caliber barrel shown on the bottom in the last photo. Its an improvised carriage, it wasn't based on any real carriage plans, the only thing I knew was that it was going to have a full bed. The dark hardware is (cold blued) steel, and you know that the shiny stuff is brass; all the hardware was made by hand (by hand means I don't have a metal lathe, or milling machine). All of the wood used on the carriage is African mahogany, with the trucks and quoin being made of ash, and the quoin handle is fashioned from African bubinga wood. The cheeks are fastened to the bed with square nuts, and four sections of brass all thread. The axles are made of 3/8-inch diameter cold rolled steel.

PM Fourie · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2009, 08:57:29 PM »

BOOM J

That is a beautiful carriage. I like it a lot. That is some serious craftmanship.

Pieter

cannonmn · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2009, 10:28:10 PM »

Thanks for posting, very nice. Please somehow inscribe your name, town, and the date on the bottom. So often I find great craftsman-made cannons or carriages unsigned, so I have to wonder about who made them. Your carriage will look pretty much the same 500 years from now, so please be kind to whomever has it then and include your info on it. Actually metal stamps would look pretty good in the mahogony. India ink is another way it could be done neatly. An engraved or stamped metal tag is another possibility, but should be attached with four screws or bolts so it can't fall off.

Victor3 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 14, 2009, 12:44:54 AM »

"Its an improvised carriage..."

Holy bubinga....That's some dandy improvising.

FTB1-SS · « **Reply #4 on:** October 14, 2009, 02:06:25 AM »

Great job ont the carriage!!

Max Caliber · « **Reply #5 on:** October 14, 2009, 02:50:26 AM »

Beautiful .... Very nice work. I like the nice sharp inside corners on your capsquares.

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #6 on:** October 14, 2009, 05:34:59 AM »

That there is a great looking carriage!!

What color are you going to paint it?

EL Caz 66 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 14, 2009, 05:47:48 AM »

OUTSTANDING No paint..

KABAR2 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 14, 2009, 09:45:12 AM »

Quote from: Ex 49'er on October 14, 2009, 05:34:59 AM

That there is a great looking carriage!!

What color are you going to paint it?

Faux wood grain.......

Cannoneer · « **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2009, 06:48:46 PM »

Thanks for the compliments; as for the 'do I obscure, or leave pure' question, I'll readily admit that this was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make, so tough that I finally ended up relying on a coin toss to decide the verdict. Luckily for me, the coin happened to be an old magic store novelty that had heads on both sides.

Zulu · « **Reply #10 on:** October 15, 2009, 04:21:59 AM »

I agree, sign and date it. Location too! I sign all of mine.
Zulu

Double D · « **Reply #11 on:** October 15, 2009, 05:14:43 AM »

In signing the work, consider marking to the standards of the piece. My Cairo gun is marked on trunnions, muzzle and cascabel reinforce with my intials, year, weight and gun number.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #12 on:** October 15, 2009, 06:57:57 AM »

Zulu,
Since Cannonmn mentioned this I've been thinking, and I probably will put some I.D. on it, or the display base that still has to be made. I'm going to start working on the base (or plynth as our British friends call it) soon. The tools are being worked on now; I've got the rammer & ladle finished, and the sponge is almost done. So, I've been going over my checklist: Base, breeching rope, training, and side block & tackle, and some other accoutrements (worm & ball puller). The bucket is completed; I'm very proud of my bucket, using a moto-tool to enlarge the inside diameter of those copper hoops, so they'd fit over the body, cost me some burns on my fingertips. The bucket, priming powder barrel, and vent pick were supposed to be for this other dislay I'm working on, but once I get all the tackle rigged up on that one, there isn't going to be enough room on the base, so I'll use them on this one. I didn't turn the barrel, its from a hobby store, the only things I did were score the lines between the staves, drill the body out, make a new head with boards scored on it, and make the stopper out of (yes Victor) bubinga. The hoops are turned with the barrel, so all I had to do was mask them, and paint them black (should've been copper) with a script brush, then the rest was stained, and a top coat of clear finish applied.
This unfinished diorama was on top of the entertainment cabinet in our basement, and my wife decided to dust it, needles to say the barrel was knocked off the base, and hit the tiled floor, causing the finish to chip off the hoop, as you can see in the photo. Here's how to make this part brief: I wasn't told - I discovered damage - I brought the topic up - Her: "Yes, it FELL down, but there was no damage, I looked" - Me: "But look here, see where its chipped" - Her: "I don't care, its your fault, if you don't want me touching it then you keep the dust off of it" - The bottom line is that there is no way to win in these situations, the best thing to do is shrug, and walk away silently, when you do this, there's at least some possibility that she'll feel guilty. Then look for the silver lining; when I repair it, I'm going to paint the hoops copper, the way they should've been in the first place.

Double D · « **Reply #13 on:** October 15, 2009, 07:11:01 AM »

Seeing the powder ladle begs the question, were the shafts marked in some way so the loader could tell top and bottom when it was rotated?

cannonmn · « **Reply #14 on:** October 15, 2009, 09:34:41 AM »

Quote

powder ladle

I've heard these objects referred to that way for years, but paper and cloth cartridges have been used for such a long time, I'm wondering if these things weren't really for a different purpose, such as retrieving a misfired cartridge? By cartridge here I mean a shot with powder bag fixed to it.

dan610324 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 15, 2009, 12:15:47 PM »

I guess that if you didnt know if you rotaded it half a turn or a full turn you woudnt be a loader

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2009, 05:30:47 PM »

Those are some great looking accouterments. Topnotch all the way. The grain on the bucket is very unique.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #17 on:** October 16, 2009, 03:01:20 AM »

Thanks, Ex 49'er. I agree about the figure in the wood of the bucket; its made from a small piece of wood (that I've had for years) that was left in a wood bin in my grandfathers attic, where he had his workshop. By the look of the grain I'd say it has to be a burl, but off what kind of tree, I have no idea.

Quote from: cannonmn on October 15, 2009, 09:34:41 AM

Quote
powder ladle

I've heard these objects referred to that way for years, but paper and cloth cartridges have been used for such a long time, I'm wondering if these things weren't really for a different purpose, such as retrieving a misfired cartridge? By cartridge here I mean a shot with powder bag fixed to it.

I'd imagine that the "powder ladle" designation remained in use just because that's what it started out being called, but you're right, for hundreds of years this artillery tool's purpose would have been to unload muzzleloading cannons, not to load them. In literature on the subject, there are differing dates given for the first premeasured black powder cartridges used in artillery, along with differing countries cited as being the originators of this practice. Reportedly there's an illumination (painting in a book) that dates to the latter 1400's, that was made by artists that worked for the Duke of Burgandy, that shows individual powder bags stored in seperate slots in an ammunition chest.

FourBee · « **Reply #18 on:** October 16, 2009, 05:54:49 AM »

Boom J:
Exquisite display of Talent.
Thanks for showing this fine piece of craftsmanship.
4B

Cannoneer · « **Reply #19 on:** October 16, 2009, 06:49:26 AM »

Thanks FourBee.

Quote from: Double D on October 15, 2009, 07:11:01 AM

Seeing the powder ladle begs the question, were the shafts marked in some way so the loader could tell top and bottom when it was rotated?

The Gunner's Glass by William Eldred

Let your right hand man bring your ladle and your sponge and place them on the right side of your peece between the wheel and the carriage and stand you on the same right side; then let him provide a fit shot for the peece and lay it ready; let your left hand man provide two wads of ocam, hay or straw and wind them as round and tight and place them between the spokes of the wheels that the wind blow them not away, and then let him fetch the budge-barrel with powder, then to lay your peece to pass to load, let your two assistants one on the right side, the other at the left, be ready with their levers - handspikes - to press up the peece to discharge the coyne and stand you with one leg within the carriage and the other without, but not both legs within the carriage, as that is unseemly; the coyne being discharged, draw back so that the peece may lie level or a little higher at the mouth than at the breach, then your peece being put back, which must first be done is ordered to load.

Then comely and gracefully take up your ladle and put it into the Peece, and turn and move it too and fro, to search if there be any stones or gravel in the same, that you may bring it out with your ladle, and so clear the Peece, and when you have well cleared the same from stones and gravel with your ladle, set by your ladle in his place, take your sponge in comely manner like a soldier, and sponge well your peece.

Then let your left man bring the budge-barrel, with the powder, and hold it up as high as his knee or waste, keeping the same, holding one hand under the leather to keep the powder that it scatter not least any be lost, then thrust in your ladle and fill the same at 2 or 3 proffers, your laddle thus filled, let your assistant with his hand strike off the loose powder.

Then with a steady hand put your ladle with the powder into the peece, keeping the thumb of your left hand close to the Peece, put in your Ladle with powder at three motions, and always carry a steady eye upon the ladle staff, as you put it in, that in no wise it may turn aside, till you feel the Ladle stop at the end of the chamber.

Then fix your thumb of your right hand on the upperside of the ladle staff, and empty your ladle clean, by turning your thumb that you fixed on the uppeside, with the ladle staff, till your thumb and staff that was uppermost before, is now undermost and so your ladle shall be clean emptyed, then withdraw your ladle a foot, and shake the same so that no loose powder may remain behind in the ladle, and the ladle thus emptied, bring it gently out, and take heed you shame not your self in bringing some powder out again with the ladle, which is imputed a great shame to a Gunner.

Double D · « **Reply #20 on:** October 16, 2009, 08:23:31 AM »

Thanks, that is a "comely" answer!

Victor3 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 16, 2009, 11:23:28 PM »

Quote from: Boom J on October 16, 2009, 06:49:26 AM

Then fix your thumb of your right hand on the upperside of the ladle staff, and empty your ladle clean, by turning your thumb that you fixed on the uppeside, with the ladle staff, till your thumb and staff that was uppermost before, is now undermost and so your ladle shall be clean emptyed, then withdraw your ladle a foot, and shake the same so that no loose powder may remain behind in the ladle, and the ladle thus emptied, bring it gently out, and take heed you shame not your self in bringing some powder out again with the ladle, which is imputed a great shame to a Gunner.

The Gunner's Glass by William Eldred, Rev 1

It has been comely and gracefully noted that by using a sharpie for to note the uppeside of said ladle staff with a lovely black mark, you need not note where the hell the thumb of your right hand is fixed, greatly reducing tendency to forget where said uppeside was when lead balls are zippingly moving near your shameful skull...

(I'd bet a buck that the 1st thing a gunner did was mark the staff)

Zulu · « **Reply #22 on:** October 17, 2009, 04:50:15 AM »

Boom J,
This really is a piece of art work. I appreciate the effort that goes into trying to make every detail perfect.
This will be admired far beyond any of our lifetimes.
Zulu

Cannoneer · « **Reply #23 on:** October 17, 2009, 05:55:10 AM »

Thank you very much, Zulu; coming from you, I consider that high praise indeed.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #24 on:** October 17, 2009, 06:17:33 AM »

Why not find a trophy shop and have an engraved brass plate made. I do it all of the time for my sculptures and they are also appreciated on the fish effigies I do as commissions for the international catch & release community. I had one done for the Lion's Paw.

rc

cannonmn · « **Reply #25 on:** October 17, 2009, 06:30:46 AM »

Thanks Allen for the very interesting link. I went to the attacked site and found these interesting pictures, Smoke and Fire!

http://www.dimacleod.co.uk/history/ecwshots.htm

BTW I borrowed your earlier link to The Gunner's Glass, and will put it on the CMH site, a few of them might like it.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #26 on:** October 17, 2009, 09:11:12 AM »

Quote from: cannonmn on October 17, 2009, 06:30:46 AM

Thanks Allen for the very interesting link. I went to the attacked site and found these interesting pictures, Smoke and Fire!

http://www.dimacleod.co.uk/history/ecwshots.htm

BTW I borrowed your earlier link to The Gunner's Glass, and will put it on the CMH site, a few of them might like it.

Well Doug, I guess I'm going to have to take it light, in my plan of attack , concerning the severe teasing I was about to deliver unto you, concidering the fact that it would now be hypocritical of me, because of the silly error I recently made in confusing Chill Wills with Slim Pickens.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #27 on:** October 17, 2009, 09:43:09 AM »

Quote from: thelionspaw on October 17, 2009, 06:17:33 AM

Why not find a trophy shop and have an engraved brass plate made. I do it all of the time for my sculptures and they are also appreciated on the fish effigies I do as commissions for the international catch & release community. I had one done for the Lion's Paw.

rc

Rich,
I think that's exactly the way I'm going to do it, and I've got a blank brass plaque laying around here somewhere, so all that will be needed is to have it inscribed.