I have a full set of images of the Constellation for reference purposes when I visited her back a few years ago, I need to find them if you are interested.
Yes sir I'll take all I can get will pm you an email I can accept large files at
Cannons are coming together slowly but surely. I'll need 8 in full view on the gun deck fully rigged. Time to start on the rigging for them. I'll be pre rigging them will be easier. 
Thanks. . . those look like a flat plate curving over the trunnion and I don't see the hinge or muzzle end locking pin. At your scale those are not that important compared with the presentation of the full ship. Well done. It may be noted that Jean B. in his illustrations of carriages shows the restraining hawser passing through the carriage under the barrel. It is only wrapped around the cascabel when the cannon is not in firing mode. Rich
This build is more of a get back into it build i was off building for 2 years due to cancer. will also serve as a testing ground to sharpen my skills as I'll be trying new things on this build. This build is in preparation for a much nicer POF scratch build of the Constellation. I'll be making alot for this build to make sure my skill set is up to the task .
Before I get rolling on this part of the rigging can you good folks give me some input to what I have here. Does this rope look decent scale wise and would this be a proper way to run it over the Cascabel? Though it's alittle more work I think it looks better then just wrapped around Thoughts? 
First of all, the scale of the breech line is good. I personally have not seen that type of rigging done on the Cascabel though. This image is from my Blandford. NOW, please bear in mind that the scale of these cannons are of such that I can be more detailed. As you see, I only did a 'wrap' one time around the cascabel. That does not mean that all of them are that way. You will also notice that there is a little excess of rope (breech line). It is a fixed length as you are aware that when the cannon fires, the breech line keeps the cannon from rolling back to far (it is like a stop). I also wetted the rope with a 50/50 water-glue and manipulated the rope to make it look like it is laying down (like a real heavy rope). Probably too much sugar for a dime as they say, but like I said, I had a lot of scale to work with so, it was not too much trouble. With your situation, might be different, but at least, if you stay with your cascabel arrangment, try to get the breech line to LAY down and not just be tight. JMHO.
BTW, those cannon barrels are about 4 inches long.
BTW, those cannon barrels are about 4 inches long.
Appreciate the info. That Blandford build looks amazing. I still have mine, unfortunately no progress other then setting the frames.
I've seen a few ships pictures showing this style of rigging over the cascabel and a few drawings of constitution rigged this way, figured I'd give it a shot and see how it looked. In the pictures I posted I have a good bit if excess line to make sure I have enough, I'll shorten that to the proper size once I see exactly where the cannon assembly will be placed on the deck. I like to roll the cannon backwards from the rail to about what would look right after the cannon fired. then measure the distance on a taunt breech line, that way I have the excess that droops to the deck.. I serve in a loop for eye bolt or shackle. constellation used shackles so I'll have to make those. Good idea on the watered down glue to make the rope lay on the deck as it should, will definitely give that a shot.
We are all up to challenges to our skills, at least I am with my macular degeneration vision problems but so far staying away from C except for some skin ones easily removed. Just try to say "Well I tried my best" and accept what is . . we all strive for better work. I hope that it goes well for you. Rich (PT-2)
This is about the smallest I can make the cannon rigging bits.
still seems a bit large to me any thoughts? Fortunately the next time I build this ship as POF these bits may be fine at 1/48 scale
still seems a bit large to me any thoughts? Fortunately the next time I build this ship as POF these bits may be fine at 1/48 scale
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I agree that they are too large for the carriage size. The restraining hawser is not that far out of scale. The lines with these blocks can be smaller as they only serve the outhaul and inhaul functions. If you only had a few to rework you could sand them down and use smaller line but with the large number involved that may be too much of a task. Just a thought. They look very nice though. Rich (PT-2)
P.S.. I came back from firing my cannon at the range this morning is a bit of rain which eventually put a damper on things, particularly the long hanging down 7 ft. target which I placed at 10, 15, 20, and 25 yards with guestimation in which bolster blocks to use. Out at 20 I think that I shot over the top and 25 don't have a clue as the paper had too many raindrops on the face making those dark marks look almost like impacts. Several other club members came over recognizing the sound of a muzzle loader and cloud of smoke. They thought it was "really cool"!!!
Very well done. I particularly like that Norwegian red stripe on the sail. Neat boat stem to stern, keel to topmast with the Norwegian flag proudly floating in the wind. (But then as a half Swede I could always poke a bit of fun back to the Norski by their being too windy to the Swedes. ;-) Rich (PT-2)
Rich (PT-2)
OOOPPPPPPSSSSSSS!!!!!!! ;-( wrong ship/boat for that reply. Sorry. Rich
Appreciate the responce, I will see what I can find these were the smallest blocks I could find. The smaller line I have covered, I have line down to fly tiers thread. Hooks ill try smaller dia brass or music wire. May end up making these blocks I planned to do that on the main rigging will see as thats gonna push some limits in my skillset.
Haven't shot off a cannon in 3 years my brother has a homemade bowling ball cannon We shoot on my hunting property lots of fun.
A bowling ball caliber cannon is light years larger than the small No. 2 shot (0.270 inch averaging 30 grains) that I fire from my bored .280 in barrel. Still that good black powder whosh and not the sharp report of smokeless, lots of more smoke to celebrate the shot. Rich (PT-2)
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Yeah its massive he has it permanently mounted to a trailer. My hunting property is 109 acre 2 large fields surrounded by woods. I have an 1100 yard shooting range with a huge dirt mound for a backstop. I shoot the Barrett 50 cal there. the cannon shoots a 16 pound ball and leaves massive craters in the backstop. Local police come out every time we shoot it off to watch the fun. First couple times they came out were for reports if something exploding. We now call ahead and let them know when we will be shooting it off.
What do you use for propellant? It must be quite a large load as it is usually proportional to the weight of the projectile . Rich
Goex cannon grade using the 25% rule. I wanted to use a bunch of old RS black powder i have accumulated over the years but my brother is the cannon expert and said nope it's his baby. I only store black powder for a year and replace the canister every fall for hunting and target shooting so I accumulated a good bit of old powder. I didnt want to toss it in the trash so we piled it up ran a 6foot length of viso fuse to it and made a massive smoke cloud
I have not heard of Goex as I am new to the cannon but familiar with the club muzzle loaders so I went to FFFg which is just fine for the little guy. I'll probably go through the first pound fairly quickly getting the "sighting in" with the elevation bolsters at my five yard increments out to as far as I can hit paper. Still would like to find a calm pond to see a splash at a maximum range. Fun but it needs safety always and I can't be responsible for what others may do with what I have put up. Rich (PT-2)
FFF is pistol powder much finer grain then RS which is rifle powder. FFF would be perfect for a small cannon. I have a small Keychain cannon I turned on the lathe many years ago it shoots a standard BB uses match heads for propellant used Naval brass for the build. I have not used black powder in it yet.