Coehorn Mortar

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Finished cutting in the blocks for the coehorn tubes. Fun fact these two tubes are from LaPan, and are sequentially numbered!


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I'm just waiting on the historically correct linseed oil paint to arrive, which should be here this weekend. I've never used it before, lays on the same as modern paint, just has a longer drying period. If it stinks too much to pain in the workshop it'll be put on hold until warmer weather where I can paint them outside.

Once that's complete I'll mount the hardware that my blacksmith is working on and they'll be ready to go.
 
Your wood base looks good! I don't care visually for a base made from modern cut dimensional lumber.

Agreed and I didn't want to have that as historically they were all hand sewn pieces. And for what they were they were relatively disposable pieces of equipment that wouldn't have been perfectly made, especially when seeking replacements while on campaign.
 
Beds are primed. Decided to skip the modern home depot paint and went with the more historically appropriate linseed oil based paint. To mix up the primer it is 70% linseed oil and 30% paint, boy is it soupy (see the splatter on the flag :rolleyes: ) and takes about a full week to dry.

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Very cool- the hardware looks great.
I am wondering how these were adjusted for distance. Was there a wedge used under the tube or stuff used to prop up the base?
I have seen videos from the N-SSA of how accurate these simple things were!

Variations in powder charges and wedges were used to adjust the angle of the barrel.
 
I chose to number the blocks, 4 & 5 even though these are the only two I have. Despite having purchased the tubes separately and one in Mass and one from way up in Maine they are sister Coehorns from the LaPan foundry. No's 34 & 35 ! Who knows how many years ago they were cast and separated by several hundred miles but got them back together, which I think is pretty cool.

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While LaPan's tubes are not 100% historically accurate to what a real tube would look like, mainly in the cypher and some other small details they have a very close likeness. Combined with the two new historically correct blocks and hardware they look pretty darn good and should make good talking points at displays and be great for static firing demonstrations.

Onto the next project!


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