Midwinter calling, day 38

Storage issues

The carpenters never saw the iron cannon in use although they heard it, and don't really understand what it is they have built, and I make final assembly with the help of Alith and Gunhild. A strange cart? Wooden frame with axle for the wagon wheels, gun shield, ramming rod, cleaning swab, wooden mallet, ammo boxes, etc. To me it looks like a pretty nice cannon in early 20th century design, even though it has a couple of more modern additions. This is just a 'small' bronze cannon with 75 mm caliber, with a cannon length of 1.6m. It sort of annoys me more than it should that I don't know which weight class it will be. With padding, it will be possible to shoot round lead balls that weigh about 2.4kg, but since a round iron ball would have only weighed about 1.6kg, is it technically a 3.6 pound cannon? But the barrel is rifled and those projectiles are much heavier at about 4.2kg, so is it a 9 pound cannon? Or does the rifling make this a 9 pound gun?

The finished cannon barrel probably weighs 380-400kg or so, which is much more than I thought it would - silly me and math - and the whole cannon seems to be around 700-800kg. I need to build a better scale for weighing big cumbersome stuff. The cannon is bigger and heavier than what I intended to build, and it was also unexpectedly expensive, but I'd rather have an expensive cannon than something like a boring statue, even if there will probably be a statue in the future. Jane wants to try sculpting in clay and using a potter's wheel, something she has only tried and will be completely different from painting. I guess she too wants more leisure activities and hobbies. Come spring, I need to make another building close by for my sambos and Jane's hobbies.

But a more powerful cannon is probably more 'useful', and this one is still small compared to what was used in war or on ships, because some of those got damn big and heavy, even with round iron cannonballs. I don't actually remember what was used in most cases, but I have heard of things like 24 and 32 pounders. The historic ship Vasa had 11 kg cannon projectiles, which is 24 pounds. So this is small. But how much powder should I use? Should I use the same math from the rifles? Even though they have a far longer barrel compared to caliber? How do black powder scale? What did they use historically? I don't know, but this whole cannon and design is on the 'looks to be right' line, so I guess 10% or so of the projectile's weight will be 'fine' since I won't go for maximum power, which is still more powder than I planned to use due to the weight of the projectile. That's like 100 rifle shots for one cannon shot. I don't really want to spend that much powder to test the cannon and ballistics, because I rather use that black powder to hunt or build fireworks off. At the same time I have to shoot a few shots to see that the bronze cannon truly works and to roughly adjust the sight and make a ballistic table, because an expensive cannon I haven't tried using without the sight adjusted is more useless. Still, it might blow up, and the flint lock is made to work with a pull string, so I will attach a very long string and stand well clear diagonally behind some thick wooden protection, and just like on the iron cannon, the first shot will be a wooden plug so the pressure will not be so high. Then there will be increasingly powerful shots ending in a too powerful shot.

The bronze cannon is something completely different from the iron cannon in looks and of course quite advanced, especially for this era when it might be the first of its kind. Not only with the flintlock on a cannon, but also in the overall design, the rifling and the sight. There is even a small plumb bob to check angle and slope. The barrel can be adjusted a lot in height with a wheel at the bottom; from negative 8 degrees to positive 20 degrees. There is even a limited fine lateral adjustment of a few degrees, since just 5 degrees off center gives right/left 40m at 500m. For larger adjustments I simply have to move the rear end of the whole cannon.

This cannon has been given a thin sloping wooden shield across the front, mainly because I think it looks cooler, but it is something to take cover behind against arrows, and I can paint my logo on the shield. The cannon is far more like an early 20th century field cannon than a classic galleon ship's cannon. To make it more practical there are ammo boxes on the sides that can be removed, as well as a protective box for the flint lock, and a mold and tools for projectiles. The cannon has a removable front wheel pair with braces and harness for horses, aka a 'limber', where there is room for three extra ammo boxes, plus a shovel, axe and sledge and a pair of wooden ramps as recoil ramps to put in place and hammer into the ground. Someone can sit on the boxes to drive the whole cannon wagon. I've even added four long planks with wheel groves to be able to roll the cannon over short ditches, mud or up low ledges. But for now, the limber is stored in the stable, with empty ammo boxes.

In addition to eight black powder charges, each ammo box has six solid projectiles and two wooden cannister shots, each packed with 100 musket balls and sawdust. I believe it was called cannister if they were in metal containers and grapple if the shot was large balls between wooden discs. Eight shots doesn't sound that much in a battle, but each ammo box weighs 30kg, and pretty much the practical limit to be lifted and carried by one person. If I have spent this much effort, time and silver on a cannon, it should at least be ready for use, hence the two ammo boxes on the cannon, and up to three more on the limber, for a total of 40 shots. Eventually. In addition to three overcharges to test the strength, I have also finished a few test charges of black powder and projectiles, one of which is a cannister shot.

Unfortunately, I didn't plan anything when it comes to storing the cannon, and I can't put the cannon in the basement as the door isn't wide enough, and the slope there is also too steep, too narrow and the cannon is too heavy to be outside. For obvious reasons, I don't want the cannon standing outside. Sure, the cannon is made to be assembled, but it's quite a lot of work to do that, and just lifting the cannon barrel into place in the stand is a pain and requires four people, with poles and straps, plus someone rolling the stand under the cannon. It is hardly something that is done quickly. The cannon could be on my ship and the crane could lift it up and down disassembled, but sea battles hardly happen here and the cannon is unnecessary cargo, and the cannon is dangerous, so I want some control over it. The iron cannon with cement balls, stones and shot is much more flexible and lighter, and will be brought along on the ship. The iron cannon is also rear-loaded, which facilitates fixed installation if needed. The iron cannons cart is similar to this, but much smaller and lighter.

In the absence of another place and me being too lazy to take it apart, the guards help me roll the cannon inside and we place it in the great hall beside the mezzanine stairs where there is plenty of space and it's a straight path from the door. In order to avoid damaging the floor, the weight of the wheels is distributed on the thick planks with wheel groves, which also made it easy going up the entrance stairs. I made the planks for uneven terrain, mud and small ditches, but they work for this too, and a couple of blankets underneath avoid making marks. Once in place, the cannon actually looks pretty cool with the barrel pointing towards the entrance. My choice of storage place is not appreciated by my sambos, because the cannon is not beautiful and we're going to have wedding guests. Shit, I might have to move it before then. I hardly object to have it covered with a large blanket while I fix the last details, and until I solve a better permanent storage. Jane immediately understands why I keep the cannon here, and have already promised to keep her mouth shut about what it is, but her honesty about it not fitting in helps sell it to sambos. Alith and Gunhild know what it is, and the 'gold cannon' is so much more impressive than the iron cannon, but I've got them to keep quiet. Fortunately Kari takes their giddiness as they're just having fun. I really want to paint the cannon. Make it more military-ish. Swedish M90 could look nice, but I should probably match their future uniforms. For now it's 'camouflaged' as a strange wagon project.

That camouflage didn't last. Kari recognised the flint lock when I test fitted and tinkered with it, and understood that what I built is a huge thunder weapon and not a new carriage, and she quickly inform the others, to completely different reactions and protests. They don't buy my careless excuse that it is just a 'small cannon', and Kari points out that the bronze cannon is not small. It's huge and heavy. Unexpectedly, Jane comes to my rescue when she casually says that the cannon seems small compared to the once she's seen. Jane gives me more than a few snide remarks, and comments that it doesn't match the interior decor, and that most medieval men are content with a couple of armours. This doesn't even match the swords on the wall. Kari don't find it funny, and doesn't like the cannon because it is obviously dangerous as hell. And ugly. This is not a stable. Kari is not amused, and I bet she will keep her eyes on my projects from now on.

Alith and Gunhild, on the other hand, don't complain at all, and eagerly anticipate the future tests. They saw what the iron cannon did to the targets, and these projectiles are far more impressive. How loud will it be?! How powerful?! How much smoke?! They are impressed as hell that we can have a siege weapon indoors. They love it. Ciara is quiet and seems curious. I'm also curious how good it will really be, and I want to mark the distances on the sight and so on. Unless the cannon explode or something else happens. If that happens Kari and Ciara will not let me get close to future cannons.

For now, this is a temporary location, and when I'm done with the last tinkering and Hrappr has finished building the targets, we'll shoot the test shots, and then we will plan for the future storage. As I leave, Jane follow along to give me helpful suggestions:

"Why not oil all the wood like the floor? It will look better and protect against rain. Oh! Lets wrap parts of the cannon in dark blue cloth like the couch and add padded seats on the ammo boxes? Yellow tassels and everything. Maybe a couple of pillows too? I can paint some decorations! Pink flowers! No-one will ever suspect the purpose!"