Carriage Gun Rigging

[allanyed]

Welcome to MSW Michael.  It would be nice if you would post a little intro about yourself in the new member section.

 

Regarding your question, Caruana gives similar dimensions and is specific that these are circumferences.   For breechings he has a table on page 385 in volume II of The History of English Sea Ordnance for various years from 1723 to 1765 as the sizes changed, especially in 1747 so the era is part of the equation as well as the gun size.

 

Allan

[Gregory]

Lavery says the following about breeching and tackles..

 

There are tables in various references, giving rope and block sizes.

Someone else may provide more detailed information.

 

PS

 

I see post #12 in this thread has a table of rope sizes.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Gregory

[Dr PR]

Thanks to everyone for contributing to this discussion! There is a lot of good information here!

[dafi]

As this topic came up newly, I can add some better pictures of Thorsminde, taken this summer :-)

 

Fascinating to see the 1812 mounts. A total of 3 are on display in 2 rooms. I had to climb a little behind the display, but fortunately no one complained 🙂

 

You can see the mounting holes of the cheeks in the front and on the side.

 

In the last picture you can see a label on the axle. I also never noticed the doubling up under the axle, possibly to serve as a slide if a wheel is damaged in action.

 

In another room is another carriage. What is fascinating here is that two layers of paint seem to have survived: Ochre over red.

 

You can see the play of colours here. Red and ochre paint?









More difficult to see, the inscription of the rear end, to be read from the left: St. George

[dafi]

The interesting thing is, that the carriage is exactely identical with the drawing from Mr. Rivers sketchbook and showing Victory´s carriage.

 

 

XXXDAn

 

 

[allanyed]

THANK YOU for posting these photos Dafi.   The details that can be seen are terrific, including the cleats which we rarely see on model carriages.    These show up on paintings of Victory but not sure they are even on the replica carriages today.   I am not sure when they came into use, as the earliest I can find is 1795, in Caruana's English Sea Ordnance volume I page 382. These drawings also show the breast at the front of the carriage.

Allan

 

 

 

[dafi]

On 9/21/2021 at 5:24 PM, allanyed said:

I just noticed something on the painting I posted above which gives me pause.   There is a double block hooked to the carriage which means there is a double block at the bulkhead as well, but even then it appears that the line starts at the double on the carriage.  This would have the loose end coming from this block which would be in the wrong direction.    From everything I have found to date, there were never two double blocks, even  on 32's which were the largest guns on Victory.   So much for accuracy on this painting (which was done quite a few years after Trafalgar) 

Just realised on a picture I posted in the Gibraltar thread, that there too were double blocks hooked in the back of the carriage. Here clearly the standing part comes from the other hook. More intriguing in your picture is the use of a cablet as breeching line.

[dafi]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:56 PM, dafi said:

... More intriguing in your picture is the use of a cablet as breeching line.

 

Just realised, that todays Constitution has cablets as breeching lines. Surprising, as they are meant to be more stiff than normal right handed lay, therfor more danger of breaking under the violent bent at the breech. Par opposite the Victory has (or at least had for a long time) lefthanded breeching lines, probabely as they are more flexible, means less breakable and also better absorbing the shocks. Any Idea of that?

 

XXXDAn

[mtaylor]

That could be intentional for "viewing purposes".   Gives a more rounded shape to look good.