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 Post subject: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:41 pm 
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Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:48 pm
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Location: Cypress, TX
Wow! This place is falling asleep!
Just to wake everyone up, here are some boring pictures of a Prairie carriage I am making for someone.

Wake up!!!!!!! :shock:

Zulu

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A lot more metal work to do. Still working on it.
Zulu

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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 6:44 pm 
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Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Hey Zulu,

Very cool, as always. The Howitzer doesn't look like one of your concrete castings, is it a shooting model? As I remember, the Howitzer had a unique chamber at the end of the bore that allowed for a faster pressure build up. How is this one bored/chambered?

Cheers,
Tom

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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 9:21 pm 
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Location: Cypress, TX
Tom,
The barrel is a real barrel belonging to a customer. It is a half scale Pack Parrott barrel.
It is going on the Prairie carriage.
Historically, that carriage was broken down and packed on mules.

This barrel does have the smaller powder chamber you speak of and fires golf balls.
This carriage is bigger than the Napoleon carriages I have been building.
It has 20" wheels.
The Napoleon had 15" wheels.

I still have a lot to do on it. I just needed to wake up the forum. :lol:
Zulu

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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 12:15 pm 
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Location: Cypress, TX
Making some more progress.
Fitting some of the ironwork is tedious and requires a lot of fine tuning.

Far from finished.
The nastiness on the wooden trail is certainly blood, sweat, and beers. :lol:
It will all sand off!

Zulu


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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:55 am 
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Location: Cypress, TX
Finally got this one finished.
My customer won't pick this up until Christmas sometime so I have been working on some other stuff at the same time.
It has turned out pretty nice!

It is called a Pack Parrott barrel on a second model prairie carriage. All in 1/2 scale.
It is 1.75" bore
The gun plus carriage weighs 75 lbs.
The wheels are 20" tall

Enjoy the pictures.
Zulu


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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:11 pm 
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Location: Rochester MN USA
ZULU: Would you show some more detail on the elevating screw please? Do any of your customers ask for their units to be less pristine and look more "used" hot so much a " studio" distressing but a "been in the mud" kind of look?
As always very beautiful pieces well executed!

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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 4:24 pm 
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Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 12:01 am
Posts: 2056
Location: Mountain City, Texas
Michael, I wish I could say "Don't know how you do it"....but I can't.....I DO know how you do it....you work hard applying a myriad of skills, exceptional focus on detail and a passion for perfection. You are a true craftsman and I wish I had gotten to know you when I lived near you.
That carriage is really fine...great example of your integrity. I DO have a question,though....How do you get such a uniform finish on the metal components?
Thanks for waking me up but.....I'm still searching for the 'boring' part....

Don


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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 5:44 pm 
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Location: Cypress, TX
newtooth,
I'll get a closer picture of the leveling screw when I get a chance.

Don,
I have to admit that spending a lot of time on a little detail just doesn't bother me. Even when it's too much time. :-?
The uniform finish on the metal is a closely guarded secret that I will now share.
It magically comes from a spray nozzle on the top of a can called "Rusto-Leum Flat Black".
Don't let anyone else know.

Zulu The Guardian Of Paint Secrets

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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:34 pm 
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Location: Skagit Co WA
I'm assuming you do all the wheel work yourself as well? I admire that. I have an old book, The Practical Blacksmith, that describes putting the iron rim, the tire, on wood spoked wheels. Quite an art in and of itself.

Well done!

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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:22 pm 
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Location: Cypress, TX
Dennis,
I do not make the wheels.
They can be purchased for $350 a pair. There is no way I could do them for that.
There is way too much involved that requires special jigs. You could never do it for only one pair of wheels.
Zulu

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 Post subject: Re: Prairie carriage
PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 9:39 am 
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Location: Cypress, TX
newtooth wrote:
ZULU: Would you show some more detail on the elevating screw please? Do any of your customers ask for their units to be less pristine and look more "used" hot so much a " studio" distressing but a "been in the mud" kind of look?
As always very beautiful pieces well executed!



newtooth,
Here are some poor pictures of the leveling screw. I just can't get good pictures inside the house.
It is 1/2" round bar that I threaded and welded the 5/16" round bar handles on to. I drill a hole in the top of the threaded
rod, push a section of 5/16" bar through it and weld it in place. Then I drill another hole through everything and repeat the welding.

The trail is slanted but the leveling screw is perpendicular to the ground, so the hole that it goes into has to be drilled at an angle.

I take a 1/2" square nut and weld flat bar on each side to make the female receiver.
Works pretty good.

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I have had a few customers want their carriages to look old. It is harder than making them look brand new. If you beat a piece of wood up with a chain, it looks like that is exactly what you did.
You always have to hit it with something different and never more than a few times in a row or you develop a pattern.
Here is one I tried to age. My lovely assistant did the faux paint job.
Zulu

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