Armstrong RML Model cannon. Assembly -1
by John
Not much happens in each workshop session. I am still a bit unsure whether I should only post when some significant progress has occurred, or whether the minute daily progress is enough. Whichever occurs depends on my mood. At the moment I am posting daily progress. If it is just too trivial and boring, well, hang in there. No doubt there will be big significant gaps in the future.
Today I thought about how I would assemble the chassis for the Armstrong cannon. And I decided to do some woodworking.
So, I machined a block of wood, exactly the size to separate the chassis girders.
Wood has an advantage over aluminium or steel. Apart from being cheap, it is slightly compressible. Here, I have accurately machined a block of wood, and by adjusting the tension in the G-cramps, I can adjust the distance between the girders to exactly what I want. And using the granite setup block to keep the upper girder surfaces exactly parallel.
Getting those girder surfaces exactly parallel, on a granite setup block.
Then I marked out one of the end pieces, filed out the girder flange recesses, and fitted it into place.
The end piece will eventually be riveted into place, using an angle bracket. The dented girder corner top right, occurred when I dropped the girder onto the workshop floor! Or maybe it was a Russian shell hit.
So, not much to show for a 6 hour workshop session, but actually, some decisions made. And more small steps.
And a BIG discovery! Another Internet search has shown some more of this exact cannon at Warnambool, Victoria. And from the few photos on the net, those Warnambool cannons are more complete than the ones which I measured at Port Fairy!
Ah. Fuck this virus. I want to go to Warnambool.
johnsmachines 
I’ve greatly enjoyed seeing the small chunks of progress and I’m glad you express your frustration with how little work seems to gets done, I feel the same with my own engineering projects.
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Thanks John. Makes me feel a bit better.
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I am fascinated by the daily updates. I too am amazed by the time it takes to do a small amount of work, it seems that the set ups and stuffing about trying to find tools that I have only just used takes longer than the actual job!!. The meticulous care and accuracy you display is a credit to you, for me, right is right, not “she’ll be right” or “it’ll fit where it touches” is not good enough.
Shame about the dented girder end, no doubt it will be dressed out.
Sorry to ramble on, but thanks for the explanation re the holes for the loading protector plate at the muzzle end – it had never occured to me that a muzzle loader would have rifling, since found out that the round to be loaded had shallow lugs to engage in the rifling so it makes perfect sense to have a protector plate to avoid damage by ham-fisted gunners.
Looking forward to further progress reports.
Thanks, Chris C.
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Thanks for the feedback Chris.
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I’m pretty sure checking our cannons for model building is one of the exemptions – it would have to be a total prick of a little official to knock you off for that.
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Yeah. We have got them….
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