Canon

[selectedgrub]

While looking for some brass I came across this.
Don't know where the trolley went but in memory of my dad I will make another.
I know it's over 40years old.

I would dig some little cast wheels.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Snap - sort of. We have a couple that my dad turned up. Neither he or I have got around to making a trolley (he won’t be – he has been gone over 20 years). They live on our mantlepiece as they are. Just noticed he drilled tiny fuse holes – nice attention to detail.

 

[selectedgrub]

Those, very nice,
I'm wondering now how many lonely ones are out there.

I got my eye on some cast wheels but deciding if the shape would go with a ships type low wooden trolley or the bigger field cannon style wheels.

 

[GrahamGKD]

When I was into model engineering (about 40 years ago) I made a few bits that should have been cast but were just turned and then hand cut (sawed, filed, sanded) from a solid steel - e.g. this pulley wheel). I guess you could do something like that if you can't find suitable castings. Forgive the gungy appearance in my photo - it's not rust but waxy preservative with dust stuck to it.

I'm presuming your cannon is quite small? Mine are about 165mm long.

Did the ships cannons have wooden wheels anyway??

 

[selectedgrub]

Very pretty, you did a dying art.
Yes I think from most pictures I look at the wheels were wooden.

Mine is about the same size as your two.
I'll sleep on it.

 

[Shox Dr]

I love little cannons. I managed to convince my metalwork teacher to let me build one. Told him it wouldn'tfire.

As soon as I got home and my dad saw it, we were outside with powder and ball. It destroyed the Oak carriage Id built for it, we couldnt find the ball in the pile of sand.
All lost over the yrs.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Did the ships cannons have wooden wheels anyway??

They did.
Different size for the weight of the cannon ball, or weight of shot.

The Cannon are mounted on "Trucks" and the Royal nave was the first to mount ships cannons on Short heavy trucks.
The European navies still ship their guns on land based carriages. With long tails. Taking up much deck space.

On the Mary Rose she had a mix of both, land and shore carriages, as she was half way between in her life.

Henry The 8 armours found a new better and cheaper way to cast iron cannons, so he had more.

 

[Gingle]

May be some old metal meccano wheels.

 

[GrahamGKD]

They did.
Different size for the weight of the cannon ball, or weight of shot.

The Cannon are mounted on "Trucks" and the Royal nave was the first to mount ships cannons on Short heavy trucks.
The European navies still ship their guns on land based carriages. With long tails. Taking up much deck space.

On the Mary Rose she had a mix of both, land and shore carriages, as she was half way between in her life.

Henry The 8 armours found a new better and cheaper way to cast iron cannons, so he had more.

You seem to know a lot about this - (being lazy here) any idea what sort of cannon my dad based his on and what sort of truck / carriage they would have been mounted on??

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

You seem to know a lot about this - (being lazy here) any idea what sort of cannon my dad based his on and what sort of truck / carriage they would have been mounted on??

That style could be on a land carriage, think the Battle of waterloo style.
But if you go that way you will need to make a Limber to go with it.

Naval cannon, from about Battle of Trafalgar time will suit it.
The choice is yours.

If land base it would be a dark hard wood with pine elevating wedges. Black metal fixings. Apart from the horse items, they would be polished brass.
Naval carriage would be a short thick truck, painted with a brunt umber colour. as would the wheels would be. The metal finish would be oil and wax, oftern stainedd black.

Then you have the tools for loading etc.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Always wanted to build a full size one 30"by 1" 7/8" bore makes it legally a shotgun. but alas i lack the money, time, metal , facilities and skills to do so

If you can't go big.
Go small.



Or go sneaky.

 

[Shox Dr]

Always wanted to build a full size one 30"by 1" 7/8" bore makes it legally a shotgun. but alas i lack the money, time, metal , facilities and skills to do so

ISTR for it to be classed as a shotgun it must shoot more than 3 balls at a time. Anything less (usually just one ball) would be classed as a Class 1 Firearm. Hence why you cant buy 12bore slugs

 

[GrahamGKD]

That style could be on a land carriage, think the Battle of waterloo style.
But if you go that way you will need to make a Limber to go with it.

Naval cannon, from about Battle of Trafalgar time will suit it.
The choice is yours.

If land base it would be a dark hard wood with pine elevating wedges. Black metal fixings. Apart from the horse items, they would be polished brass.
Naval carriage would be a short thick truck, painted with a brunt umber colour. as would the wheels would be. The metal finish would be oil and wax, oftern stainedd black.

Then you have the tools for loading etc.

Thank You - I've had a look at the carriage and limber type arrangement - looks a bit tricky to make with the spoked wheels etc., especially as I have two to make.

Something like this maybe. I will add it to my list of interesting lockdown projects. The job has already been promoted to several places above house decorating etc.. No welding though, so that is not in its favour!

 

[brightspark]

heres one i have. made the wooden pattern and cast in bronze. the carriage and wheels are made of oak from an old kitchen cabinet door .its about 12 inch long

 

[slim_boy_fat]

looks a bit tricky to make with the spoked wheels etc., especially as I have two to make.

How about gym weights of appropriate size, lathed up and with the writing removed?

 

[jimbo84]

Here's an old one of mine, penny for scale. The barrel would fit a pea down it. The backend pulls out and then pressing the lever springs the plunger back in. Unfortunately the pins that fix the canon to the base have snapped.

 

[selectedgrub]

^^ Beautiful.
And I've got some ideas to boot, thanks guys.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I remember having one of these as a kid, hours of [mostly] harmless fun....

Matchstick cannon

 

[GrahamGKD]

How about gym weights of appropriate size, lathed up and with the writing removed?

Thanks for the suggestion - I think I will go with the Naval carriage with small wooden wheels like Brightspark's. I think they look the part and are also reasonably easy to make.

 

[brightspark]

the wheels are in 2 pieces each glued together so the grain goes the oposite way then drilled and roundhead rivets pushed in to look the part