tms wrote:
Hey Zulu,
Looks good. I am confused though as to why the trunions are off center?
Also, the bore inserts added to the molds look as though they're permanent sleaves, is that so? I assume that this will be a shooter.
Cheers,
Tom
Ps. What inscription will be on the barrel? Surely something if only the date of casting.
Tom,
I was curious about the below center trunnions also. I have a book called Treatise of Artillery by John Muller. The original book was written in the mid 1700's.
I did some investigating.
This is actually a pretty good read.
It appears below center trunnions served no purpose and actually attributed to carriage failure.
Here is the first sentence modified a little so it can be read.
"The method of placing the trunnions so that their axis touches the lower surface of the bore, as is practiced all over Europe, is so absurd, that it is amazing no author or artist has thought proper to change it."
Another sentence.
"To prevent these pieces from breaking their carriages is easy, if we dare break through old customs, by making the axis of the trunnions to pass through the center line of the bore,as may be seen in our constructions hereafter."
I have always thought there was something wrong with below center trunnions. They just don't sit a carriage very well.
I once built a naval carriage for a guy that had an original carronade that had below center trunnions. I had been down this road before. I told him up front that the gun was going to sit high on the carriage. He said build it anyway. When he got it, he was quite disappointed. Even to the point of being mad at me.
He is the only mad customer I have ever had so far.
Zulu