Artillery Tools

[emike123]

[redbob]

What were the reamers used for?

[6lbgun]

The one on the left is a tap.  The one on the right is a reamer for wooden fuze plugs.
Dan

[redbob]

Thanks.

[emike123]

You guys are speedy.  I was having difficulty getting photos to show up on another part of the website and thought I'd test it here, but now I am inclined to leave this pictures up to show some of the many, many different real artillery tools.   These recently came available as part of a larger relic collection.

[CarlS]

(I moved this to the Artillery section since it fits there and some people may not see it in the Miscellaneous section.)

Very neat tools.  This is an area I'd very much like to see more information on in the reference books.  It would be good to better understand what is really a period artillery military tool and what is just a non-artillery tool from that period or a fake.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

The Large "T" handle tooll at right is for the bormann Fuse..  Mike what is the spread in inches of the "T" handle tool at left?
John

[emike123]

It is a CS fuse wrench made to fit the spanner holes in the Bormann underplugs as shown on page 151 of Jones' fuse book.

I have never been an artillery tool collector but I have come across a few in my travels.  I know Dave the Plumber collects these things, and others do too.  It would be nice to have pictures as Carl suggested of real ones since the reference books are so anemic on these.

[emike123]

Here are a few more that were in that recent group.  These are all legit ones, but several of these have been reproduced for sale elsewhere.  You see repro tow hooks and even the stadia sights.  Lately some folks have been selling surveyor's stakes (look like a metal shish kabob holder with the wire formed in a circle end at one end) as vent picks.  Tom Bailey pointed these phonies out on a seller's table at Dalton and you see them on ebay.

So as Carl wrote above, it would be good to get more pictures of legit ones if folks have some.  I have a couple more, but am by no means an advanced collector of these as others are.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

A handsome collection Mike, May I suggest a stick-on dot iwth letter or number so members can help I.D. them I have seen you focus better.
John

[emike123]

Resolution, at least for this group picture, will have to be what it is for now John given the 3' wide size of this case and space available here, but I can give you digital, numbered dots:

[emike123]

I expect more questions will be coming so to anticipate at least 3:  #4 is for the Schenkl percussion fuses, #5 is for watercap fuse adapters.  #1 looks like a common watercap fuse wrench but is actually for the Parrott fuse.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Thanks Mike, much better. #3 is a ring guage for shot and shell diameter checks; 13 &14 I believe are screw extractors for removing unfired projectiles or debris from the cannon. Not sure if that is the correct name; I believe the "T" and ring handles are cannon vent cleaners, not sure of proper name as I am not a cannon man. #2 appears to be a cannon range and sighting tool.  Someone please step in and give us proper names.  Thanks.
    3 foot wide wow no wonder you had trouble focusing.  It doesn't look that wide.
John

[6lbgun]

Nice looking stuff Mike

#10 looks like CS twisted wire Gunners Gimlet.

     I do have some thoughts on numbers 7, 8 and 9.  The only gimlet that I have found in any manual from 1849 to 1865
that has a T handle of wood, brass or lead is a Fuze Gimlet.  It is listed in the 1849 manual and Benton's 1862 course of instruction for academy cadets.  It is listed in no other manual after 1849 except Benton"s.  It's diameter is .20, to large to to enter a .175 cannon vent.  It was to be used to bore into the side of a wooden fuze, not to clean out a vent.   They were common wood working tools obtainable at any hardware store. It is my belief that other than this fuze gimlet, none of the other T handles gimlets are artillery related.  I had at one time one of each type show that were among my father's tools.
They were purchased in the late 40's or early 50's.
God Bless
Dan
     .

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Thank you dan, I knew someone would rescue me. I should think a fuse gimlet would be short and not requiring great length. I believe the wood working gimlet sets were to start a hole for a wood screw. Now days a drill tool makes the hole for the screw threads, screw body and counter sinks in one operation.
John