I know, I know, just like ya'll said, "cannons aint safe. Y'll shoot yer eye out!" Well actually I didn't blow up the cannon. Here's what happened. I decided to try out a new milling method for my BP. I shoot by weight, 6oz/3# ball. The new BP batch is decidedly more powerful. The stats on the cannon make it presumably impervious to BP. Even if you filled and corked it. Anyway, In my store we receive large objects that come on skids made of 3"x4"x8'. This is a soft fir of some sort. I mad the cheeks, trunnnion mounts and trail by laminating this stuff. Well the new BP had so much force that the cheeks tore from the trail and shattered the trunnion mounts. Sound worse than it was. But it's time to rebuild. What wood was used in the Civil War cannons? I'd guess some kind of Oak or perhaps Maple. When I need to learn stuff I know here is where to ask. So a little help please. And Merry Christmas!