Clara's Barbie (1/6th-scale) inspects the 1/12-scale Cannon:
The model is an emulation, rather than an exact detailed copy. An artist-friend will assist me with the more advanced artistic details, the King's head and the Dolphins. Interestingly, the use of bolted artillery-strakes on the wheels is period-correct, whereas the continuous iron tires on the movie gun are not; it seems that welded tires on wagon wheels didn't come into use until the early 19th century.
One "Gotcha!" on making model cannons; the trunnion position relative to the bore. This got me, as I have it ingrained that cannon trunions are centered on the bore-line center; this is only true since Master Gunner John Mueller of Woolwich Arsenal re-designed cannon in 1756 and moved them up, from the traditional position of being centered on the lower line of the bore. The movie gun is similar to the tradition, and I didn't realize this until after painting up the completed barrel, and studying the movie again, when it was too late to change it.
The carriage and wheels are all made from scraps of Douglas Fir; the main length of the barrel too, with the breech and muzzle swellings of scrap pine. Spokes are poplar, and the hubs pine.
Trail-armor and strakes are all fabricated from "Simpson Strong-Ties" construction straps. The miniature lag-screws used on the armor were ground from slotted, hex-head#8 sheet-metal screws, and linoleum nails provided the rest of the studs for the armor. The rings are bent from coat-hanger wire.
Cheers,
The model is an emulation, rather than an exact detailed copy. An artist-friend will assist me with the more advanced artistic details, the King's head and the Dolphins. Interestingly, the use of bolted artillery-strakes on the wheels is period-correct, whereas the continuous iron tires on the movie gun are not; it seems that welded tires on wagon wheels didn't come into use until the early 19th century.
One "Gotcha!" on making model cannons; the trunnion position relative to the bore. This got me, as I have it ingrained that cannon trunions are centered on the bore-line center; this is only true since Master Gunner John Mueller of Woolwich Arsenal re-designed cannon in 1756 and moved them up, from the traditional position of being centered on the lower line of the bore. The movie gun is similar to the tradition, and I didn't realize this until after painting up the completed barrel, and studying the movie again, when it was too late to change it.
The carriage and wheels are all made from scraps of Douglas Fir; the main length of the barrel too, with the breech and muzzle swellings of scrap pine. Spokes are poplar, and the hubs pine.
Trail-armor and strakes are all fabricated from "Simpson Strong-Ties" construction straps. The miniature lag-screws used on the armor were ground from slotted, hex-head#8 sheet-metal screws, and linoleum nails provided the rest of the studs for the armor. The rings are bent from coat-hanger wire.
Cheers,
