Here is another link to a cannon/carriage build of a British 6 pounder (scaled down). The barrel is 35 inches in length and 1-1/4 bore, wheels are 30 inch diameter and overall length is 74 inches. Lots of pictures, fun read............................
http://www.kingsnavy.com/Basher/Basher.htm
Dewayne
Thanks for the link, it had alot of good stuff in it. That is one of the cannons that just look akwardly small to me, but it still helped w/ some ideas. if i am going to go w/ 48 inch wheels i will probably want the trail 6' 6" esp since i want more of a flat spot up top. I just dont like the way some of these 18th centry trails angle straight downward... it seems that would be putting ALOT more stress on the cap squares that what needs to be there. I have some cardboard that i am going to try and cut some trails out of and see how the look. I really wish i could find a lumber supplier that i wouldnt have to laminate with, but i have tried countless places and nobody has what i want.
Indygunworks,
Actually what you need to do to end up with a carriage that looks and functions properly is scale it to the dimensions of your barrel as compared to the full size model you intend to replicate (lite 6 pounder). Don't fret this, you are in the right place
, many here, myself included, will help you with the math to come to an accurate scale for your barrel. It is always better to put it on paper and prove your design before buying material or spending many hours working on parts that have to be "scrapped". The cannon in the link above is "small", but the carriage is scaled appropriately to its barrel. It is also a good example of what can be done with common tools and materials in the home shop on a budget. Laminating wood parts in cannon carriage construction is common practice these days, and when done right will work fine. A good source for thick cut wood (over 2 inches) is mantle boards.
You stated in your first post that your barrel was 46 inches long. Is that total length (including cascable) or length of barrel only (breech to muzzle)? Could you post another picture of your barrel (looking straight down with enough clarity we can see the numbers on the tape) with a tape measure next to it (starting at the muzzle) so we can see the total length, and list the muzzle and breech diameters. With this information it will be easy to calculate things like trail length and wheel diameter. The best part is if you don't like the scale you can always "tweek" it
!
Dewayne