Author Topic: Except fer the wheels ..... (Read 1204 times)

Calamity Jane · « **on:** November 08, 2003, 12:13:36 PM »

IT'S DONE !!!!!

I'z the proud Mama of a 1/3 scale 6-pounder! :shock:

Ya kin drop by me Web page at http://www.geocities.com/winnonad/index.html 'n' see bigger pictures.

I wanna thank you fellers fer all your help along the way.

I got lots of good information from the experienced hands on this board and I'm right proud of how it all turned out.

Winter has set in hard up here (which is why I finally got around to hand-making them dadblasted $#%$$% chains) so thar won't be much cannon shootin 'til spring. Maybe by then my friend will have finished my wooden wheels and I can put them steel wheels back on my gun cart!

It's been a long haul! It waz last winter when the insanity came upon me 'n' I decided to build a cannon. I started collecting material in April and making chips in May, so I guess I have about 1,000 hours and around $500 in this little feller. I am sure PROUD of it and happy with the way everything turned out.

Come next spring, when the Cowboy Action shooting season starts up again, it's going to get lots of range time and travel quite a few miles (assuming our Canadian Firearms Center staff can figger out howinhell they'z gonna register it :wink: )

Thanks agin fellers fer all the help, it is appreciated more than you'll know.

Humbly,

Double D · « **Reply #1 on:** November 08, 2003, 01:06:58 PM »

Madam,

It's bee-you-tee-full, well it will be when you get wheels....you have fail in one thing however...a picture of it firing and in recoil! My arm won't reach to MB, but give yourself a pat on the back..CW is head out of town today for 2 weeks, so he'll past his congrat's when he get back if he doesn't see it before he leaves.

What was the bore on that again?

Here's a thought for you, are shetland ponies about 1/3 scale?

Calamity Jane · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2003, 04:12:08 PM »

The bore's 1.015" for a 1.000" ball.

Shetland ponies iz a bit big but I think them "miniature" horses iz about the right size :shock: DANG!! That means I'd have to build a limber to!

BTW: the plans refer to the D rings and a couple of the hooks as being for a "hand spike" - what is that? What is it used for? And where can I find a picture of one?

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2003, 05:01:53 PM »

Well, I'm not on the road yet. Maybe in MN on the 17th maybe after T-day.

Good lookin' iron!! But it's winter, and skids or skiis would be appropriate, don't you think?

Double D · « **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2003, 05:54:20 PM »

Handspikes are long handles used to lever the gun around for aiming. Visit some ot the websites up on the resource board and you will see some. I think either Steens or Paulsens has pictures.

Calamity Jane · « **Reply #5 on:** November 09, 2003, 05:53:03 AM »

Thanks DD. Paulsens had a picture - now I know why there's a hook fer the hand spike - 'cause they got a ring ta hang 'em by!

Guess I'll haffta make a couple hand spikes along with a little bucket (once I figger out how to make a 1/3 scale bucket!)

Question on "lock chains" - it looks like they are ment to secure the wheels to reduce the recoil distance but wouldn't thant be awfully hard on the spokes?

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 09, 2003, 07:31:25 AM »

If the chains are tensioned first, the recoil would have less effect on the chain ripping into the spoke.

Max Caliber · « **Reply #7 on:** November 10, 2003, 08:21:57 AM »

The primary use of a lock chain is to add breaking effect when going down hill. The chain would be locked through the spokes of the wheel causing the wheel to skid along the ground, slowing the forward movement of the piece. They were also sometimes used to hold a cannon from rolling away when sitting on sloping ground while unlimbered.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #8 on:** November 10, 2003, 11:39:51 AM »

Welcome, Maxcaliber, to the forum!

Question (asked from ignorance): you say that the PRIMARY use of the chains is to keep the piece from rolling or for assisting in providing drag when moving down hill. This I can easily see from having helped my step dad years ago with the horses when haying. But WAS it a common practice to chain the wheels on the cannon when FIRING? Not something that I've experience with - as 105mm and 155mm howitzers don't have chains for the wheels at all.

Max Caliber · « **Reply #9 on:** November 10, 2003, 01:39:37 PM »

I have never read anything that would indicate that lock chains were used to check recoil. Locking one wheel of a full scale cannon firing live ammo would create an interesting recoil situation to say the least. I am sure that under battlefield conditions where difficult terrain existed all manner of things were tried to keep cannon under control during recoil.

I also grew up around farm wagons and there was a term called "rough locking" where a pole was put through both rear wheels when going down a steep grade.