machines which I have made, am making, or intend to make, and some other stuff. If you find this site interesting, please leave a comment. I read every comment and respond to most. n.b. There is a list of my first 800 posts in my post of 17 June 2021, titled "800 Posts"
8 years, ~900 posts. 13gB storage full. WordPress offers the solutions of buying a business package at 3 times the price, or deleting old posts to free up some space. I have removed almost all of my videos, with considerable reluctance, to make space to finish the posts about the Armstrong 110pr model cannon construction. However I still get comments from posts posted when I was a newbie, so I am not prepared to delete any more of them.
Just a thankyou to you, my reader. Questions, comments and communications from you are the grist for the mill of blog posters, and I am no exception. I have really enjoyed the journey. Feeling a bit sad, but I will resume my private diary entries, instead of venting my thoughts on johnsmachines.com
I had said that I would move johnsmachines.com to another platform, but now I am not so sure. Some repairs to my house are my next priority, and that will be too boring to blog. At this time I am not moved to start another model, but down the track, who knows?
I had saved the last little bit of storage space for the final photos of the Armstrong 110pr model cannon. Photos of the finished model follow.
The wooden carriage and traversing platform were stained with Japan black, then several coats of spray lacquer. It will be rubbed with steel wool and wood oil to give it a silky smooth finish.Focussing on the rear tangent sights. I might add some locking screws to the sight posts later, but then again, I might not.About 10º of elevation, provided by removing the quoin, and resting the barrel on the Smith’s elevating screw via the bed. Note the iron binders on the ends of the wooden slides.Top view. Queen Victoria’s cypher, the barrel weight (just over 4 tons), and the proving arrow. No touch hole on the model. This view also shows the asymmetric position of the sights, caused by canting the rear sights ~2º, and moving them 2mm to the left so they are equidistant from the bore at the nearest point.Almost horizontal with the Smith’s screw and quoin elevating the barrel. I will add some ropes and pulleys later. The right gunners’ platform needs to be pushed down a bit to sit in its correct position.From the front. The wheels only contact the slides when the rear is slightly levered up, to encourage moving the carriage from the recoil position back to the firing position. (not that this model can be fired. It has no touch hole). Also note the absence of trunnion caps, which was common in garrison guns.The model foresights were deliberately blunted to avoid observer injury; and left trunnion markings. EOC for Elswick Ordnance Company, barrel number 212, and 1862 the year the barrel was manufactured. Copied from an original Armstrong 110pr.
And that, dear reader, is that. Goodbye, best wishes, and thank you.
I had thought that the 1:10 scale model Armstrong 80pr rifled muzzle loader would be the last cannon which I would make. It is currently being given finishing coatings to the woodwork. Later this year it will be given as a gift to a family member.
To be honest, having made five 1:10 scale model blackpowder cannons, I am ready to move back to my first modelling passion, which is steam engines. I had no real interest in weapons or guns or artillery, except as a means of increasing my understanding of history, specifically military history. I have no interest in firing guns, although I must admit to an illicit satisfaction in watching You Tube videos from USA of cannon modellers who can actually fire their creations.
My interest in cannons started when, as a newbie in CNC machining, and looking around for a project to use my newly acquired CNC lathe in 2015, I made a model long gun.
1:10 scale models of a 1779 24 pounder long gun, and 1804 carronade of the same bore. Making them was interesting, and the associated history was totally engrossing.Then the Ottoman cannon of 1465, again 1:10 scale, over 500mm long.
The Armstrong 80pr muzzle loader, scaled from the originals at Port Fairy and Warrnambool.Another Armstrong RML 80pr. I kept this one.
And the most recent Rifled Muzzle loader, the same 80pr Armstrong Barrel, on a Dwarf carriage, and wooden traversing platform.
Almost but not quite completely finished in this photo. Since then it has been cleaned, stained, and lacquered.
I truly thought that this would be the final cannon which I would model. So I could get back to my model steam engines.
Like this one from 2-3 years ago, now gracing our kitchen, with decorations by SWMBO.
Trevithick dredger engine and boiler, of about 1805. 1:8 scale. The possum and the budgerigar are not real. Neither are the two T. Rex’s fighting on the boiler.
BUT….then my eldest daughter, who has absolutely NO interest in cannons, asked ” are you going to make a cannon for me?” I must point out that this daughter rescues injured animals and takes them to her vet, is vegan, the most pacifistic and socially conscious person that I know. I questioned why she would want a model cannon. “I just do” she replied.
Oh well. I guess that I will be making one final model cannon.
I spent a day searching my books, Google Images, Wikipedia for a cannon which would look interesting as a model, be interesting for me to make, and for which some plans or drawings are available. I offered my daughter the choice of my existing models, but no, she wanted one built just for her.
Then I thought of jefenry, my reader from the USA, who has made several model cannons, including one which intrigued me when I first saw his pictures and videos several years ago. It is a 1:9 scale Armstrong rifled breech loader, 110pr, of 1861. One of the first breech loaders of relatively modern times. (Breech loading cannons have been around since medieval times, but they were less reliable than muzzle loaders, more inclined to explode and kill their own gunners.). The Armstrong 110 pr RBL saw action in several wars, including against Japan, the NZ Maoris. It was the largest cannon on HMS Warrior, but was replaced by the more reliable muzzle loaders.
So that is what I will model for my daughter. An Armstrong 110pr, rifled breech loader, on a dwarf carriage and wooden traversing carriage. Here are some pictures.
110pr Armstrong at Fort Henry, Canada. I presume that the traversing carriage is a reconstruction.And the 1:9 model of a naval version of the gun, which was made by jefenry. Check out the making of the cannon, including rifling, at jefenry.com and watch his video of firing the cannon at https://youtu.be/m3pC0eDvs90
So, my plan is to make a 1:10 model of the barrel, on a carriage and traversing platform like the Fort Henry example above. Not sure how much of the build will be featured on this blog. I am again very close to my WordPress.com memory limit.
According to WordPress Support I cannot insert a table of contents. But this list might be helpful to find an old post. Just do a search on one of more of the words in the title.
Wednesday is always a good day. That is when our model engineering group has its weekly meetings. Mostly a 2-3 hour informal gathering around a large table, chatting about current projects, new tools, the weather, rarely politics or religion. Coffee. And once each month a more formal evening meeting, involving discussion of club business, “models on the table” and usually a guest speaker. Today was the informal 2-3 hour chat variety.
I used the opportunity to ask about methods of making a rectangularish water tank for the Trevithick dredger engine, riveting, folding brass, caulking with solder, etc etc. And Stuart T, knowing that I had to make a stainless steel compression spring for the safety valve of the Trevithick, brought in his tools for making springs.
This is one of the tools. It was designed by Dwight Giles, and made by Stuart.
Published in Model Engine Builder 2007.
The tool is mounted in the lathe tool post. The V supports the chuck mounted mandrel, and the brass washers apply drag to the spring wire. The lathe threading gears supply the pitch to the spring. Looks excellent, and I was hoping that Stuart was intending to lend it to me. Otherwise I would make one of these tools. But why were there two of the tools? “Oh, one is for you! I was making one for myself, and it was just as easy to make two.”
Not the first time have I been the recipient of Stuart’s generosity. When I make the spring (soon) I will take some pics, and post them here.
Later in the meeting, Swen Pettig, recently returned from a fabulous trip to Scandinavia and UK, called for shoosh, and stood up to make a presentation. Some people knew what was coming. I didn’t. But in “recognition for writing about his model making” (now my ears pricked up), Swen had picked up an item in the UK which he thought I might find interesting. Knowing of my current interest, some might say obsession, with Richard Trevithick, he had looked for and found the following item.
A Two pound coin. I did not get the significance, until I looked more closely. Holy Shit! That is a Trevithick engine on the coin. The Pen-y-Darren railway engine if I am not mistaken. Made in 1804. And using many recognisable features which are in my slightly later dredger engine. The coin was minted in 2004, 200 years later. Wow!!
I did not even know about the coin until today. But I am honoured and very grateful for this lovely gift and thought, Swen.
One wag suggested that I should make another gas knob for the engine, and mount the coin in the knob. (thankyou for the suggestion, President Brendan. I will do no such thing). It will be a valued possession.
Incidentally, the reverse of the coin has an image of the Head of State of Australia.
WordPress has increased their annual fees by another 30%. under the guise of a “domain name” fee.
Sorry guys and gals, but I am not wearing it.
Thankyou for following. And a big thank you for those who have commented or liked my posts.
But I am not forking out another 30% per year, on top of a similar increase a year or so ago. They are just, fucking, greedy. too expensive.
.
So bye! ….John.
p.s. when the Trevithick dredger engine is running on steam I will post a video on YouTube and maybe Facebook.
pps. If you want to visit old johnsmachines.com posts, I believe that you will be able to open them by including “wordpress” before the johnsmachines.com
ppps. if you think that this stinks, don’t tell me. Tell WordPress.
johnsmachines 