Building 18th Century Naval Artillery by Damian Siekonic

Artillerymen, reenactors, historians and cannon enthusiasts of all types will enjoy and appreciate this workshop book for building naval artillery. It is full of drawings, photographs and instructions that take the reader step-by-step through the process of constructing appropriate wooden carriages for naval artillery. The author, Damian Siekonic, has extensive experience building naval carriages for 18th century cannon. Carriages he has built have seen regular use aboard tall ships, at historic sites and in film. This book draws on a decade’s worth of research and practical hands-on experience with functional naval artillery.

 After a brief introduction and a helpful page on naval carriage nomenclature, the first section deals with making the carriage. Siekonic explains in detail how to make plans for a carriage for any size barrel. He then explains how to make the wooden components, how to make the iron components and then how to assemble it all into a working naval carriage. While sticking to original designs, Siekonic keeps it practical by explaining how to fabricate each piece using materials available at any lumber yard. At the end of each subsection, the author gives a helpful summary and technical tips plus leaves some space for the reader to add his own construction notes.

Since no cannon is complete without its various tools and accessories, one section deals with gun tools, most of which also have to be custom made. Includes instructions and illustrations for making the sponge/ram, the worm, the linstock, the slow match, the priming wire, the tompion, a block and tackle and many more tools for loading, shooting and cleaning a cannon. Capping off this section are several pages on the smallest classification of muzzleloading cannon, the swivel gun, in which the author discusses mounts, hardware and tools.

Also contains an appendix that includes charts, tables, plans and a glossary of artillery terms. Contains 88 technical drawings and 41 color plates.

 Click here to read a review of this book.