SOS Build Log - page 6

HER ARTILLERY

The Sovereign of the Seas was the most powerful ship in the world in her time primarily because of the awesome firepower of 102 cannons she was armed with.

Sovereign of the Seas had 118 gun ports and only 102 guns. The shape of the bow meant that the foremost gun ports on the lower gun deck were blocked by the anchor cable. Consequently, the fore chase – the guns facing forward – occupied the next ports. 
By 1642, her armament had been reduced to 90 guns.^[1] Until 1655, she was also exceptionally large for an English vessel; no other ships of Charles were larger than Prince Royal.

 There were numerous sizes and functions among the 102 guns she carried when she was launched in 1637.

The larger guns represented on this model are seen mounted on the waist deck, each rigged with block and tackle. 

These cannon would have been about nine feet in length

Each of the larger cannons seen on the main weather deck (waist), are mounted with block and tackle rigging as seen here.  Also, mounted above each of the gun ports I have added the swab and ram used by the gun crews.

 
 
 
 
There are 23 of these smaller demi-cannons are used on the forecastle, half, and quarter decks.
Note the difference in their carriage design.  More like field artillery pieces, with only two trucks (wheels).
These are short range guns, and were generally loaded with bags of pellets that would scatter like buckshot.

Each of the carriage trucks are turned from a solid piece of walnut and then detailed by adding the axle hub and pin.

There are three types of cannons and carriages represented on this model as seen on the four weather decks.

I first intended to create the cannons by casting them in plastic from molds created from a wooden turning 

After painting the the plastic cannonswith metallic gold, I did not like the result, so I purchased real brass cannons seen in the above photos.