Bomb Vessel Granado 1742 - Cross Section - 1:32 Scale - Scratch Build by DocBlake [COMPLETED BUILD]
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I like your section very much 
lovely workmanship, but how would the crew run the cannon back for loading?
Thanks, guys! Appreciated.
Some of you have noticed the odd relationship between the center gun port and the mortar pit. I puzzled over that myself. First of all, the guns, barrels, mortar etc. in my post above are just sitting there...not glued in place, so I may change the final arrangement. The way the center port sits relative to the pit doesn't allow room to use the inhaul tackle to load the cannon. Nonetheless, there is a gun there, based on Lightly's model which has been on permanent display at the NMM in Greenwich. Below are three photos. The first clearly shows a cannon in the right lower corner without enough room to be hauled in for loading due to the mortar pit. The second photo (hard to see) shows a cannon in that position AT AN ANGLE! Could the gun have been turned and run in for loading at an angle to clear the pit? If so, why was this arrangement used in the first place? A design flaw? The third photo is my model with the gun at the center gun port placed at an angle, as discussed above.
This odd placement may have had something to do with the fact that, although built as a bomb vessel, Granado was initially fitted as a sloop of war! She was converted back to a bomb vessel later in her career. Perhaps the odd center gunport was a vestige of her sloop days? Who knows!
My two cents:
During service time as a sloop, these mortar boxes were not installed
During the service as bomb vessel she was armed with only 8 times 4-pdr guns, which were relatively light and were relatively easily moved (like shown in two photos Dave showed already)
In addition these guns were only for self-defence, f.e. against a possible attack by gunboats. Usually these bomb vessels were never sailing alone - their purpose was only to sail to a fortress of the enemy for bombardements over weeks or months. The main self protection were usually done by other ships of much higher rates.
See the history f.e. of the Granado with the listing of some siege, raids and attacks she participated
British bomb vessel 'Granado' (1742)
British bomb vessel 'Granado' (1742). Dates of service, name changes, previous and next incarnations, dimensions, armament, commanders, officers and crewmen, actions, battles, sources
threedecks.org
f.e. the raid at Saint-Malo in 1758 this was the ships list of the british participants
I carefully laid out the location for the inboard and outboard scupper ports. The scupper tubes, made of lead on the real ship, were made of blackened brass tubing and glued into place.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
Maybe the small cannons were there to shoot for or aft at angles to ward off small vessels?
Very good solution - looking very good
That's some beautiful work Doc. Looking back I should have done another section instead of or before starting Le Rochefort !
Thanks guys!
I fashioned and fitted 2 swivel gun pedestals, one on each side to the model. These are located over the main mast channels and pass through them. Granado carried 12 - 1/2 pounder swivel guns, each 3 feet in length. The problem is that there is no commercial source available for a half-pounder swivel in 1/32 scale! I'd have to make my own.
I was able to find some brass cannons at Model Expo that were 1-1/4" in length. If I cut off the cascabel they were 1-1/8" - exactly three scale feet. Perfect. The only problem was that the Model Expo cannons had no holes for the trunnions drilled into the barrels. I build a simple jig to drill out the trunnion holes and then turned to fitting the handles.
The first step was to remove the cascabel with a sharp pair of Xuron cutters. I then used the disk sander to smooth and flatten the breech. I drilled a straight perpendicular hole in a piece of hardwood, just a bit slammer in diameter than the cannon barrel. Using a "force fit" I was able to wedge the barrel in the wood so it wouldn't spin when I drilled the hole for the handle. The handles themselves were 3/64" diameter brass rod cut to length with a 90 degree bend at the end. I put a few drops of CA glue, allowing each to dry before adding another, to form the "knob" at the end of the handle. This was painted flat red.
The mounting brackets were made of sheet brass cut to shape and then silver soldered to a length of 1/16" brass rod. Holes were drilled for the trunnion to pass th
rough the brackets and the barrels. The gun was held together with gel CA glue.
I fashioned and fitted 2 swivel gun pedestals, one on each side to the model. These are located over the main mast channels and pass through them. Granado carried 12 - 1/2 pounder swivel guns, each 3 feet in length. The problem is that there is no commercial source available for a half-pounder swivel in 1/32 scale! I'd have to make my own.
I was able to find some brass cannons at Model Expo that were 1-1/4" in length. If I cut off the cascabel they were 1-1/8" - exactly three scale feet. Perfect. The only problem was that the Model Expo cannons had no holes for the trunnions drilled into the barrels. I build a simple jig to drill out the trunnion holes and then turned to fitting the handles.
The first step was to remove the cascabel with a sharp pair of Xuron cutters. I then used the disk sander to smooth and flatten the breech. I drilled a straight perpendicular hole in a piece of hardwood, just a bit slammer in diameter than the cannon barrel. Using a "force fit" I was able to wedge the barrel in the wood so it wouldn't spin when I drilled the hole for the handle. The handles themselves were 3/64" diameter brass rod cut to length with a 90 degree bend at the end. I put a few drops of CA glue, allowing each to dry before adding another, to form the "knob" at the end of the handle. This was painted flat red.
The mounting brackets were made of sheet brass cut to shape and then silver soldered to a length of 1/16" brass rod. Holes were drilled for the trunnion to pass th
rough the brackets and the barrels. The gun was held together with gel CA glue.
Very nice work. Was it typical to paint the knob at the end of the swivel handle red?
Thanks, guys!
Progress report: I installed the boarding stairs, sweep port lids and the swivel gun pedestals. All that is left on the outside are the channels, deadeyes and chain plates!
Progress report: I installed the boarding stairs, sweep port lids and the swivel gun pedestals. All that is left on the outside are the channels, deadeyes and chain plates!
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
Great work on swivel cannons. A question where did the balls and powder for these guns get stored on board
Thanks Kurt!
The powder for all the arms on board would have been stored in the magazine…the powder room specifically. There wound be no lanterns or candles there, and no ferrous metal of any kind. Any spark could send the ship to the bottom of the sea. The filling room floor was lead, and gun powder kegs had copper hoops holding them together to avoid any accidental sparks! The shot would be stored in the hold, wherever there was space, or in a shot locker if it had one. The Bomb Vessel had a shell room to store the mortar rounds, however.
The powder for all the arms on board would have been stored in the magazine…the powder room specifically. There wound be no lanterns or candles there, and no ferrous metal of any kind. Any spark could send the ship to the bottom of the sea. The filling room floor was lead, and gun powder kegs had copper hoops holding them together to avoid any accidental sparks! The shot would be stored in the hold, wherever there was space, or in a shot locker if it had one. The Bomb Vessel had a shell room to store the mortar rounds, however.
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Dear Doc
Wonderful work on swivel cannons,
I'm following after your great work on this project from the beginning, and I would like to express my admired to the top quality you achieved in this beautiful model
great idea with the gun barrles and a wonderful result - I like your swivels very much
Thanks, guys!
I'm essentially done with the model. I added the channels, deadeyes and chainplates to the outboard bulwarks, rigged the long gun and added various casks and buckets to the main deck. I puzzled a while about how the mortar on the rotating "Lazy Susan" was rigged. There are eight attachment points for block and tackle on the mortar pit walls, and four on the mortar itself. It would require only two sets of block and tackle to maneuver the mortar to any point in the 360 degrees around it (except directly forward or directly aft: "You'll shoot your mast out, kid!" LOL!).
I added the mortar tackle and then addressed another question about the mortar. Why no shell rack for the mortar shells near the mortar pits on the main deck? Surely the bombs weren't left to roll around the deck, unrestrained! The shells would need to be brought up before a siege began, so I designed a small shell rack that would fill the bill. It's not glued down, so if you all think it's too "busy" let me know!
I'm essentially done with the model. I added the channels, deadeyes and chainplates to the outboard bulwarks, rigged the long gun and added various casks and buckets to the main deck. I puzzled a while about how the mortar on the rotating "Lazy Susan" was rigged. There are eight attachment points for block and tackle on the mortar pit walls, and four on the mortar itself. It would require only two sets of block and tackle to maneuver the mortar to any point in the 360 degrees around it (except directly forward or directly aft: "You'll shoot your mast out, kid!" LOL!).
I added the mortar tackle and then addressed another question about the mortar. Why no shell rack for the mortar shells near the mortar pits on the main deck? Surely the bombs weren't left to roll around the deck, unrestrained! The shells would need to be brought up before a siege began, so I designed a small shell rack that would fill the bill. It's not glued down, so if you all think it's too "busy" let me know!