Finished just in time for the Yorktown Heights Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 25, 11:00 AM in Yorktown Heights, NY. Our BSA troop 164 trailered the American Legion - Yorktown, NY Post #1009 restored WWI cannon as a float in the parade. A small ceremony was held at the Legion hall following the main ceremony at the Gazebo. Thank you to everyone who came down to remember and honor our Veterans who gave "Their last full measure of devotion!" Thank You!
May 24, 2015: Final preparations.
Packing the wheel bearings with grease for final wheel assembly, and painting the stand posts outside the American Legion hall.
May 22, 2015:
Mr. Gavigan assists with the final modifications. We cut off the old axles and retrofitted new stub axles onto the old chassis using a threaded screw through the axles square inside stub. Final attachment was made with a few spot welds.
May 19, 2015:
Some last minute measurements and adjustments, in the dark, with Mr. Gavigan.
May 18, 2015
With Aron, knocking off the old hubs.
May 17, 2015
May 17, 2015: With family friend and Master Mechanic Vinny Gavigan. Mr. Gavigan helped me figure out how to retrofit the new wheels onto the old gun carriage chassis.
May 16, 2015:
May 16, 2015: Retrieving the Cannon from On The Line Auto Body shop, and trailering it to our house for final assembly.
May 14, 2015: Painting the cannon.
May 11, 2015
May 11, 2015: Painted the steel wheel rim and hubs black rust inhibitor paint, with help of patrol mates and Eagle Scouts, Aron, Tyler and Emerson!
May 13, 2015: Repairing the cracks and gaps with welding
May 11, 2015: Checked in on the painting and consulted with Benny. With Tyler too! The cannon with epoxy primer.
May 10, 2015
Applied a second coat of stain to the wooden wheels with the help of scout dad, Mr. Wenzel and my dad.
Progress: Updated May 9, 2015
May 9, 2015: More work on my Eagle service project cannon restoration. Stained the wheels with one coat this afternoon with help from young scout, Ben! Coming along GREAT! Will do 2nd coat tomorrow.
Progress: Updated April 30, 2015
April 30, 2015: "WE GOT WHEELS!" The wheels arrived today! The cannon should be finished painting next week! We'll have a wheel painting day next weekend and assembly day the following weekend. Still hope to have it completed by Memorial Day!
Progress: Updated March 29, 2015
March 29, 2015: More progress this weekend. I have decided to forego the original idea of rattle-can spraying the primer and paint. Because of the 365 day a year weather punishment the cannon will take, I have negotiated a deal with a local body shop to paint the steel with an autobody finish after welded repairs are made. Several coats of poly primer, several coats of OD paint and a flat clear lacquer finsh coat. Hopefully this will ensure a longer lasting restoration. The brass details will be highly polished before applying a clear coat. Next stop is our garage while awaiting the wheels; contracted for an almost exact correct replica pair of mountain Howitzer wheels from a shop in Ohio who has them on hand and will adapt them to fit the cannon. I am still a little short on my fundraising goal for the wheels, so spread the word. Thanks to ALL who have generously donated!
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March 21. The sand-blasting is nearly done. We did a preliminary inspection, wrote down some serial numbers and other markings, and agreed to a finer blasting to smooth finish some of the brass fittings. Removing the old paint and rust with soda -blasting revealed some neat brass details, lost beneath the multi layers of brushed on paint. I hope to keep the brass intact with some sort of sealer and just painting the raw steel.
Day 2, March 14, 2015, in the RAIN! So glad after watching the weather forecast that we decided to load on Friday afternoon, so we only had to drive it over and unload it at the sand-blasting shop in Mahopac on Saturday morning during a continual downpour.
On March 13, 2015, a group of fellow scouts and parents met at the American Legion to remove and load the cannon onto a trailer for transport to a shop for sandblasting.
Let the restoration begin!
Stay Tuned!
Stay Tuned!