We are back with another conversion from Billy Hill. This time Billy is showing how he corrected the wheels on his BMC Cannon. Billy has titled this BMC AWI Cannon Wheel Correction
BMC AWI Cannon Wheel Correction
When the BMC Yorktown playsets first came out over 15 years ago, I was delighted to find that BMC had taken the trouble to “dish” the wheels on the cannon, instead of using the flat style that most manufacturers use. My delight was tempered by the fact that the wheels were dished in the wrong direction. At first, I just set them aside in disappointment, but I soon realized that if I could come up with a simple way to correct the problem, I would have an inexpensive source of artillery for conflicts ranging from the early 18th century through the Napoleonic Wars.
Due to the shape of the mounting pins and the holes through the wheels, simply reversing the wheels did not work. There was also a danger of snapping off the mounting pins when removing the wheel. I came up with the idea of punching out some discs from plastic card and pushing straight pins through them and through holes drilled through the center of the mounting pins, then bending the pins over inside the gun carriages and clipping them off. The discs held the wheels firmly against the carriage and they still turn. Now I have several dozen cannon painted for a variety of 18th armies. If you have a stack of these reversed wheel cannon in your scrap pile, here is a way to make them usable.
BTW, Americana has taken over the molds and corrected the problem with the wheels, but the cannon barrels seem even flatter than the ones from BMC.
You DO go all out! Your observation is corroborated by my own humble experiences with these cannon. The Americana guys got the construction correct, possibly by accident, but they ARE a bit flatter cannon barrels.
Thank you very much Greg!
Didn’t Bill Nevins cover this awhile back? As for me I would just buy correct cannons
I already had these. Better to find a way to fix them than let them lay in a box, or throw them out, no?
Come on, Pjri, you’re losing the spirit of a brilliant conversion!
And who could fail to be impressed with those color selections in the top photo? Something like that adds beautiful color to an already colorful 18th century battlefield. I like the whole concept of what Mr. Hill, Liska, Borris, Nevins, and other converters are doing. If I had the patience and skill I’d be doing it myself.
Totally agree; and the color schemes are accurate with various armies of the times. I, for one, ALWAYS enjoy the efforts of those more dexterous than I with the knife.
I know looking at their pix has encouraged me to go for it. I hope to post some pix of my own first efforts at conversion online soon.
Not at all his work is great and it makes him happy
Thanks for showing us your techniques for making a more realistic looking cannon. I like the idea of the plastic disks & straight pin application. Will you paint them after they have remodelled?
Happy Easter!
You’re welcome Michael! If you look at the top photo, you will see that I DID paint them.
I really like the painted cannons in the top photo. Well done. I noticed the wheels were inverted on my BMC cannons as well. This will be a good way to fix those cannons. I have also had problems with the axle breaking. I used a small nail to replace the whole axle. I used a drill bit to cut into the plastic to get a more solid and get the look of the hub to be more corrected when the wheel was reversed. These look a lot better and allow the wheels to turn. What I did basically to fix some cannons that broke.
I also noticed the Americana barrels are kind of flat, but it is most noticeable when you look at the piece separately close up. Painted on the carriage, they look much better.
I haven’t repainted these cannon, but I really like the look of your paint jobs, Billy! The light blue cannon with black trim looks like the original and reproduction cannons I have seen for British and American sides of AWI. It looks like these are all brass barrels from the photos.
Carriages are gray, not light blue, I believe.
Jon, Some of these guns are painted for use as Napoleonic war artillery. From left to right, apple green for Russia, medium blue for Prussia, ochre for Austria, red and light blue for Continental Army [lt blue or red depending upon source of tubes, period & unit]. My French and British guns are derived from AiP. Gribeaval System, olive, British, grey blue. Gribeaval guns were painted grey until the 1790s. I haven’t got ’round to doing any grey Gribeavals yet. See this pic for French & British cannon & howitzers, flanked by Marx AWI cannon.
http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/BillyHillRN/media/18th-19th%20Century%20artillery%20park/AiPampMarxrepop4_zps43af3801.jpg.html?sort=9&o=7
I looked for the Bill Nevins’ article but never found it; but I am glad to see Billy Hill’s article. Maybe Pjri was referring to Nevins’ work on caissons and limbers for CW Marx recasts and copies?
Jon, PJR is correct. I did a similar post. It may have been on a different forum, as it was a while back. I have some Men Of ’76 cannons that I reworked that I should take some pix of. I’ll try this week.
It always helps to have different methods or opinions. Billy Hill does excellent work, as do several others here.
Except for Liska, who made a salad head Confederate. LOL LOL LOL