Author Topic: 1/4 Scale Mountian Howitzer (Read 1757 times)

rustychips · « **on:** May 05, 2011, 12:41:42 PM »

Hello, I'm new to the forums but have been lurking for a while, I've been working on a 1/4 scale mountain howitzer for a while, first I must apologize for the lack of pictures from the start, I made the barrel and some of the wood parts before my brain kicked in and said "hey knuckle head get your camera" so I took a group shot of what I have done so far and I did a few of the process of making the carriage wheels. I post more when I get more done, somehow a full time job and house related stuff keeps getting in the way.

David
West Central Indiana

gcrank1 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 05, 2011, 12:55:00 PM »

Looks like a nice bit of work!
I will be following this with interest, glad you grabbed the camera.

JeffG · « **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2011, 01:23:02 PM »

Very nice, keep it coming!!

rustychips · « **Reply #3 on:** May 05, 2011, 01:49:50 PM »

Here are some pictures of a Coehorn Mortar that I made a while back before I found this great forum, it is almost 1/3rd scale, the barrel is out of 660 bronze and the bed is white oak. the bore is 1.625 in diameter. Not sure if it should be fired? I suppose blanks would be OK, don't know much about shooting projectiles out mortars but it does look nice sitting on my bookcase.

Max Caliber · « **Reply #4 on:** May 05, 2011, 02:19:26 PM »

rustychips, very fine work.

Max

Double D · « **Reply #5 on:** May 05, 2011, 02:24:13 PM »

Quote from: rustychips on May 05, 2011, 01:49:50 PM

Here are some pictures of a Coehorn Mortar that I made a while back before I found this great forum, it is almost 1/3rd scale, the barrel is out of 660 bronze and the bed is white oak. the bore is 1.625 in diameter. Not sure if it should be fired? I suppose blanks would be OK, don't know much about shooting projectiles out mortars but it does look nice sitting on my bookcase.

Open the bore up to 1.72 and shoot golf balls in it....

dominick · « **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2011, 02:52:44 PM »

I think ping pong balls are 1.625" or slightly smaller. They can be filled with cement or bondo.

jeeper1 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 05, 2011, 03:26:29 PM »

Ping pong balls are 1.5 inches in diameter. I have been known to launch them out of one of my 37mm launchers in the past.

BillinOregon · « **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2011, 03:52:31 PM »

Rusty: Hey it's NO FAIR having the right tools for the job, dang it!
You do very nice work.

Rayfan87 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 05, 2011, 04:04:51 PM »

Rusty, what size is the powder chamber on your mortar?

irishman · « **Reply #10 on:** May 05, 2011, 04:17:24 PM »

Nice machine work and woodworking too.

Michael

rampa room artillery · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2011, 04:59:56 PM »

that is sweet looking, you must have alot of time in those guns. keep it up, wow,

rustychips · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2011, 03:58:37 PM »

Thank you for the words. Rayfan87, the bore on my scaled down mortar approximately 1.180" long the chamber is tapered some, .855" diameter at the big end and .526" diameter at the small end, this is taking the original mortar chamber and scaling it down by 2.85, it's an odd scale because my bronze was right at 2.50" in diameter and I wanted to keep it as big as I could.

David
West Central Indiana

rustychips · « **Reply #13 on:** May 08, 2011, 07:27:13 PM »

Had a little time tonight after work to start on the spokes, they all have a 1/4" X 3/8" long round tenon that will fit in the rim or if I have spelled it right the felloes. I took a piece of 2" dowel and milled a slot to give the spokes the proper offset, then hose clamped it in place, then using a 1/4" plug cutter which has a slight taper I cut the tenon then used a part off tool to remove the remaining wood. For multiple parts jigs or fixtures is the only way to go for consistent parts, as always I make a few extra just in case of an oops and for test cuts. Got two days off so hopefully I'll get more done.

David

Zulu · « **Reply #14 on:** May 09, 2011, 02:56:50 AM »

Amazing ingenuity!
Zulu

rustychips · « **Reply #15 on:** May 09, 2011, 03:55:52 PM »

just a few pics of the hubs being milled, I know it should be a tapered socket but on this smaller scale a mortise is easier. the last shot is kind of a assembly of what I have done so far. the hub rings I made out of aluminum for lack of anything else the right size, they will be paint black in the end.

David

rustychips · « **Reply #16 on:** May 29, 2011, 02:32:23 PM »

As a machinist that's my trade, as a woodworker I can hold my own but when it comes to doing a tutorial with pictures I fall flat on my face, accept my apology for the lack of pictures, this is what I have done so far, I still need to trim screws to length, radius some of the corners on the wood, come up with some lynch pins to hold the wheels on and of course it needs a paint job, metal bits will be black, wood pieces will be olive drab, the barrel will remain brass with a little more shine. I still need to find some pictures showing the various metal pieces that hold chains and what not and I need to remember to locate and drill the vent hole, for some reason I have not done that yet.

David

Rayfan87 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 29, 2011, 03:01:32 PM »

Wow, that's amazing work.

BoomLover · « **Reply #18 on:** May 29, 2011, 06:48:19 PM »

Rustychips, that is very nice work! Kudos! BoomLover

brokenpole · « **Reply #19 on:** May 30, 2011, 02:48:15 AM »

Rusty,

Have you read where there is a picturew worthy of a calendar thread. We all put pictures in the thread and then we vote on which ones get to be on the 2012 calendar. I think the last picture of the assembled gun and carriage would look great in a calendar!!!

keith44 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 30, 2011, 05:27:00 AM »

Yes, image #0890, Rustychips, is definately a contender for the calender.

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #21 on:** May 30, 2011, 05:52:26 AM »

Wowee!!! That is a beauty. I love the little details. Fantastic job there, Rustychips!!!!!

Cannoneer · « **Reply #22 on:** May 30, 2011, 06:26:13 AM »

rustychips,

You've done a truly admirable job on both the mt. howitzer, and the coehorn mortar.

rustychips · « **Reply #23 on:** June 02, 2011, 08:38:43 AM »

Here is the complete cannon (almost) still need to make the loading tools and the leather straps to hold things on it, this has been one of the most involved projects I've done in quite a while, my camera didn't reproduce the olive drab very well in person it is quite a bit darker, I'm not sure what the next project will be but I've been thinking about a _______________fill in the blank.

David

Zulu · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2011, 09:41:03 AM »

Nicely done!
Zulu

gcrank1 · « **Reply #25 on:** June 02, 2011, 10:00:26 AM »

Kudos on your attention to detail!
Did you research the OD paint color or get a reference for it and the 'circa' it was used? Im looking to find something close to proper for my 3 1/8"x 36" bore field piece if this would work.

Double D · « **Reply #26 on:** June 02, 2011, 01:42:50 PM »

Quote from: gcrank1 on June 02, 2011, 10:00:26 AM

Kudos on your attention to detail!
Did you research the OD paint color or get a reference for it and the 'circa' it was used? Im looking to find something close to proper for my 3 1/8"x 36" bore field piece if this would work.

Here is a link with several paint formula. http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,75517.msg465582.html#msg465582

rustychips · « **Reply #27 on:** June 02, 2011, 02:48:17 PM »

If you call doing a Google search for mountain howitzer carriages research then I guess I did, I looked at so many pictures of "olive green" carriages that I came to one conclusion, there are as many different shades of "olive green" as there are pictures of carriages. I found some that looked like split pea soup green to as dark as almost black, the paint I used was from Lowes and it was straight olive green, as I said in person it is about three shades darker than what my camera reproduced.

David