WASA 1628 Cannon Port by Cpt_Haddock - 1:15

[Cpt_Haddock]

Before getting starting with the Sovereign of the seas and after finding a Wasa cannon in scale 1:15, i decided to try to build a section with a upper cannon deck port. The cannon is missing some details.

 

 

 

I have the Wasa book with nice drawings and first I will try to do a cardboard model to get an idea of the size required and wood needed.

 

 

 

I think it will be quite big - and heavy. I am wondering about what parts will be visible or not. I have cut some wood and dried but now I think I have to re-think the amount of wood and size of planks. I have not given up yet.

 

 

[Cpt_Haddock]

Finished the paper model and thinking about going forward with using wood.

 

Have not yet decided the width - or keeping the deck round cannon holes or not. The section is now from the main mast area.

I have found at least two kit that has a similar design - I think this was Corel:

This below is not a Wasa kit but the above is, but one idea could be to skip upper cannon deck.

 

I have run into some issues though.

 

- The cannon (my) is a lower cannon deck type. It seems that the ship had a similar on upper cannon deck, but slightly lower.

 

As the cannon (my) is on upper cannon deck, the cannon port gets to low.

 

Also, as can be seen below, the cannon port on the ship (wreck) and museum model has different sizes. Some are wider and most on upper deck is more narrow than on lower deck. So I don think i will care less about the size . I could modify the cannon also but.. We will see.

 

 

Here is two ports:

 

 

 

[Cpt_Haddock]

Hi, slow progress but some new:

 

I found some fresh wood that I used but soon realized I had to buy some dried from store.

So I bought Walnut and linden wood. And then I needed a electric saw too..

 

 

 

 

Yes, as the fresh wood got drier it got hard as (apple tree) - not so easy to cut and work with. The linden was so much easier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bolin]

Nice to see you starting to make saw dust 😀
 

I have recently started to read up on the research on Vasa. I’m contemplating to build something similar to what you are doing, possibly a cross section. I will follow closely.

 

Where did you find the gun?

[Baker]

This will be nice to follow.

 

Did you find this link, very helpfull

http://www.wasadream.com/Index/indexenglish.html

 

[Cpt_Haddock]

On 4/2/2021 at 7:05 AM, bolin said:

Nice to see you starting to make saw dust 😀
 

I have recently started to read up on the research on Vasa. I’m contemplating to build something similar to what you are doing, possibly a cross section. I will follow closely.

 

Where did you find the gun?

You are so right, It keep coming saw dust every were even when using the vacuum cleaner insert connected to the saw. The saw was nice but on the small-side for the Walnut - it so much nicer to use the Japanise hand saw - and the mini carpenter's plane I have.

[Cpt_Haddock]

On 4/2/2021 at 9:49 AM, Backer said:

This will be nice to follow.

 

Did you find this link, very helpfull

http://www.wasadream.com/Index/indexenglish.html

 

Wow, that was a fine collection of pictures. I will need them. Thanks!

[Cpt_Haddock]

2 minutes ago, Cpt_Haddock said:

You are so right, It keep coming saw dust every were even when using the vacuum cleaner insert connected to the saw. The saw was nice but on the small-side for the Walnut - it so much nicer to use the Japanese hand saw - and the mini carpenter's plane I have.

Regarding were I found the gun: I found it in my parents garage - like the "pickers" on Discovery channel. I have an idea of making one more gun out of clay for the main deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I put some oak stain on the bright wood and tried to get a different nuance on the horizontal bars. I will have some planking on the "floor" put gaps so the structure underneath is visible.

 

had problem getting the right angles on this part - in the lower picture. The vertical beams are a little convex.

 

 

 

 

[allanyed]

Haddock

I believe the Wasa carried 24 pounders and 3 or 4 pounders thus the size difference in the cannon, the carriages,  and the size of the gun ports as well as the distance from the deck to the the gun port cills and ledges.     I look forward to how the clay cannon project goes as this is a new idea for me.    I can see a clay cannon being made and used to make a silicone mold then casting the barrel in casting resin or pewter which will hold up very well compared to clay, but I still find your idea intriguing and anxious to see the results.

 

[md1400cs]

Haddock

 

Just found your log - this will be great to follow - Having spent years bashing a Corel version, will be nice to see a cross section of this ship.

 

Cheers,

 

[md1400cs]

On 4/14/2021 at 4:43 PM, allanyed said:

Haddock

I believe the Wasa carried 24 pounders and 3 or 4 pounders thus the size difference in the cannon, the carriages,  and the size of the gun ports as well as the distance from the deck to the the gun port cills and ledges.     I look forward to how the clay cannon project goes as this is a new idea for me.    I can see a clay cannon being made and used to make a silicone mold then casting the barrel in casting resin or pewter which will hold up very well compared to clay, but I still find your idea intriguing and anxious to see the results.

 

In 018 I visited the Vaset Museum for a second time. I was very lucky to also spend an hour with Dr. fred Hocker. He showed me one of the research areas where they are prepping additional displays; and we did speak about the odd combinations of guns aboard.

Dr. Hocker said that the king had demanded an additional gun deck be built as well. Turned out that the Swedish navy was short on guns at that time so the Vasa, for its launch, was fitted with several different types guns that happened to be available. 

 

DeAgostini and now the new Artesenia Latina (kit looks very good) are the only Vasa kits that replicate the odd variety of guns that were mounted for its launch.

[Cpt_Haddock]

Hi, I found this page about making cannons for the Wasa museum 1:10 ship.

 

Cannons

 

It fits what Michael suggests, main artillery of 24 pounds guns (48 in all) whereas some heavy 4m (I guess for bottom gun deck) and a shorter (3m) light version for upper gun deck.

On upper weather deck there was some 1 pound falconers (<1m), some 3 pound culverins (3m) and 6 Howitzers [stormstycken] of caliber 20, 42 and 82 pounds (1.7m, 2m and 2.7m length).

 

Swedish war ships 1600-1649

 

 

Ooops!

 

 

 

 

[Cpt_Haddock]

Hi, some new updates:

 

Final gun deck. Some planks not mounted to show whats beneath. 

 

I will have fake vertical bars and after looking in the Backer linked Wasa dream pictures I decided to show a bit of the lower part and diversify the bars a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will also show the upper sides of the bars sticking up above the weather deck. I think I will only have one of the cannon holes on upper deck - not both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will solder them and paint them black.

[Cpt_Haddock]

Some new pictures:

 

I will need a thick rope and some thinner with the blocks.

 

Three twisted fits the cannon trolley hole. Now I need to make a longer one.

 

 

[md1400cs]

Very nice indeed,

Lot's of fun following your log. You are also exploring historical accuracy - certainly helps that the Vasa is "alive".  👌

 

PS: are you planning to also include the needed tools for cleaning, loading and so on.

I don't remembers seeing those bits on display at the museum.

 

[Cpt_Haddock]

Thanks Michael, no i have no plans for the details around the ballistics but some tools and such would be nice.

 

I have been working with the ropes and blocks - was trying the get the right size - but the rope making got  mostly frustrating. I decides to reduce one that I had bought but found out (the hard way) it was twisted counterclockwise compared to clockwise as in all videos I have seen.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made the 8 blocks and then reduced them in size.

 

 

 

Saw some page here on msd about the hooks - four are of "S" and four of "E" type::

 

 

I will make 4 double blocks with short attached hook. And then 4 single blocks with longer rope attached.

 

The trolley needed a plate on each side for the ropes:

 

 

The cannon was missing the end piece - some sort of animal with its front legs around the "ignition hole". I made it out of wood. It will be fragile but I will do.

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Of course i dropped the wooded stick on the floor and the hole thing broke! Only the animals poor back legs was left on the stick.

Well I think I glued it back alright .

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

     

 

Edited June 18, 2021 by Cpt_Haddock

[Baker]

Nice work 

[shipman]

Very impressed.

[Cpt_Haddock]

Found some interesting videos on ways to fix the rope endings, it is very satisfying to get the result. I will use a simple thin wire spun around the end on my build, though. It is easier on the thick wire.

 

 

This is the final cords with blocks. The size for the blocks could have been even smaller in hindsight.

 

 

The cannon is not fixed and quite heavy. The ropes will be drained in wall paper glue and fixed. I will need a way the fix the trolley, I think.

 

The front side before attaching the planking.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 18, 2021 by Cpt_Haddock

[Baker]

Very nice work

[md1400cs]

Very Excellent results. Looks just perfect

 

I very foolishly tried do so same with my 1/75 hahaha

[Cpt_Haddock]

Hi, found another cannon on a local online auction site but did not get it:

If I had bought it I would have placed it on upper deck but that would need some structure to hold the added

weight. My build paused a bit for this. I am sort of glad I can continue with the one I got.

 

Some update in pictures,

 

 

 

 

Made the lion for the lid, found a page from Stockholm were somebody made a big one:

 

https://www.stockholmsförgyllning.se/se/vasa-lejonmaskaron-19936243

 

My lion from "polymer clay":

 

 

and with gold and paint:

 

 

Made the "rings" using the same material:

 

Now working on the cannon port:

 

 

 

[Cpt_Haddock]

Two pairs of dead-eyes with the cord in gray painted metal wiring. I think this will be the easiest way to somehow fix the shrouds.

 

 

 

Put nails in the gate:

 

 

Not much work left I think, I will fix the upper railing and will also have to make the figurine - will paint the boards in blue as my ship though it should be red.

 

 

 

 

[Cpt_Haddock]

I am working on a hammock to put in but apart from that the build is finished.

 

I made the figure in this plastic clay, a man transforming into a dragon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by Cpt_Haddock

[Cpt_Haddock]

P.S.

I read in some book about the Sovereign of the Seas that they did not use hammocks in 1628, it was used later on.

[Cpt_Haddock]

Update: I have found two more replica canons on auction. So now I need some advice what to do. Add more deck or something else?

 

[Baker]

You have two cannons.

Maybe you can build a part of the stern?