Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum
Relic Discussion => Artillery => Topic started by: 24thMichigan on March 14, 2016, 02:03:29 PM
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I recently acquired a 6.4" Parrott Bolt (wide bottle top) that was described as "mint" in reply to my initial inquiry. Upon receipt and close examination, I observed what appeared to be a lathe dimple or sprue mark with file marks on the top of the bolt. I was preparing to clean up the bolt and removed some surface rust on the top center. This revealed a hole filled with what appeared to be bondo. Thinking the worst, a huge casting void dummied up with filler and hidden, I started chipping the bondo away. This revealed a perfectly centered, 1/2" diameter hole, drilled 3 inches deep into the bolt. The hole appears to have been there for a very long time; the bondo, obviously more recent.
I have no idea what this hole is or what purpose it might have served. If you look at pages 293 and 294 of Mr. Bell's book on heavy ordnance, the bolts depicted there show circular marks on the top center that are the exact placement and size of the hole in my bolt. Several suggestions have been made as to why this hole is present:
-Attachment point for counter weight
-Drilled by some unknowing person who thought it needed deactivating
-Anchor point for display of stacked projectiles
-Drilled for proof of solid, non-expolsive status
-Drill running to create lathe dimple and the machinist went on a coffee break?
Other than this hole, the bolt is in fact near mint. I'm attaching a photo of the hole and would appreciate any thoughts or ideas that you experts may have on what this is. Thanks.
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I was thinking someone of very little knowledge was attempting to disarm a solid shot, LOL. ::)
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Very well could be! I am going to see if I get any replies identifying it as something that is known or intended. If not, I will plug it with period iron. No big deal as I can refinish it and it will remain in my collection, but I hate surprises like this. Especially when I pay top dollar.
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Wow, on the top of the bolt. That's got to be the worst place for such a hole to be for a shell collector. You didn't want to get your $$ back? I know the rest of the bolt may be mint, but that would be a deal breaker for me.
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Wanting to get my money back would in many ways be futile, due to so many factors:
1. This was a long-distance deal.
2. Shipping for a return would be prohibitive.
3. The hole was not obvious, even with close inspection by a trusted 3rd party.
4. The hole was not noticed by me until I started a light cleaning and discovered well-disguised bondo.
5. The hole appears very old; I would not in good conscience allege that any of the parties I dealt with altered it.
6. I have restored/preserved quite a few shells and am confident I can make this disappear with a solid plug of period iron. The fix is not an issue as I do not intend to sell the bolt and if I did, full disclosure of the hole would be made.
7. I highly doubt that the party who sold the bolt would make any adjustment or refund and I have no desire to fight that battle long distance.
Am I happy about this? No! If I had discovered the hole prior to purchase, it would not necessarily have been a deal breaker, but I definitely would not have paid the price I paid for this bolt. I buy from trusted individuals (Mike and Carl are two of the best) on a regular basis with nary an issue. I deviated from my normal buying practices on this one. Lesson learned.
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It would not be a surprise at all for it to be an effort by someone or an EOD team to disarm what they thought was a shell. I have seen several bolts drilled -- one with the proud stamp of the EOD team that drilled the hole!
If threaded, it might be that someone used it as a gate closer weight, although it seems heavy for that use.
It's still an original bolt!
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Thank you Jack! If I could ask you one more question...... I have fabricated a plug that fits precisely from period iron (a shell fragment) and am confident I can make this hole completely disappear with NO bondo, filler, paint etc. Should I plug it or leave as is? My instinct says plug it because it will look really good and I'm not trying to hide anything. I appreciate your opinion. Also, the hole is not threaded.
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I know you asked Jack but another option (and my preference) to consider would be to create the pin as you are that fills the hole to the point of being mostly unnoticeable but is still removable in case you should ever find that they made some shells that way.
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Great idea Carl. I was planning on finishing the bolt and just leaving it out for now in case I learn more. I worked that piece of metal by hand for 2 days and the final fit (1/4 inch) will require a tap in. I don't think it's coming out after that! The strange thing is how precise that hole is drilled....definitely wasn't a hack job. Thanks for your input.
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Concur, in this case plugging with a piece of iron presents no issue. It's an improvement over bondo...... right? :)
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Sir,
I apologize for being late on my input but just released from hospital. Some rifled solid shots , primarily the British armor piercing variety can have provision for inserting a hardened chilled rod in the nose. That being said for the record I don't believe your bolt intended to use such a rod.
I , like the others believe it to be and attempt of rendering safe by an unskilled and untrained Army EOD effort.
I have seen evidence of the Army drilling solid spherical shot believing them to be live shells. Definitely more room for training to reflect a more professional approach. That applies as well to civilian police bomb squads.
Kind Regards,
John
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John and Pipedreamer, thank you for your input.
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I would not think you would be able to extract the rod without drilling it out (or using a bolt removing bit) if you have to tap it to get it in.
Your call on what to do, but I would probably just leave it alone and attribute to an ill-advised EOD drill-in.
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Thank you Jack. I made the decision to install the plug and did so yesterday. I figure it is not a big issue as far as effect on the bolt value and the intent is not to hide anything but to restore the bolt to it's original configuration as close as possible. It worked better than I anticipated with just enough JB Weld mixed with period iron shavings to blend the repair. I still need to file the top of the plug and refinish the bolt top, then it is done. Nothing on the bolt top has been altered. I took progress photos and will post then here upon completion as they may prove helpful to someone attempting this type of restoration.
On a related topic (probably a good subject for another post), I know everyone has different views on how to preserve and/or restore projectiles. I for one hate rust and have a pretty good understanding of the difference between rust and "patina." My methods are based on a lot of study and experimentation with iron preservation, which I believe should be the primary goal. I guess the bottom line is, when I see some projectiles or fragments from old collections (Gettysburg, just as an example) that have been sitting there rusting away and almost gone because they are being kept "as found," I invariably ask "Why?"
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I'm adding photos of the plug installation on this bolt. All comments and opinions are welcomed.
1. Iron plug epoxied in place.... JB Weld Steel Epoxy with iron filings mixed in was used. The plug was purposely left proud of the bolt surface allowing me to file and shape it to the desired level. The chisel or file marks on top are pre-existing and not as deep as they appear in the photo.
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2. Area around the plug taped off for filing/grinding.
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3. Plug has been filed and blended with the top of the bolt. I created a lathe dimple rather than leaving the plug flush for three reasons: I have seen it on other bolts; A flush, flat plug surrounded by file/chisel marks did not look correct; The dimple shows exactly where the plug is placed if needed for future reference.
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4. Two coats of Gempler's rust converter have been applied and will be followed after 48 hours with a coat of Renaissance Wax. I have found that although it is advised to apply Gempler's only over rust, it bonds tightly with porous bare iron. In this case, it might be necessary for me to apply a small spray of black paint on the dimple area for accurate color match, as it is not absorbing as well on the plug surface area. I think it turned out pretty good. I will post a photo of the complete bolt once everything is dry.
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That came out really good. Thanks for sharing.
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Super, I like it! Good job. I want to see the finished product when you are ready.
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Finally got it done. Here are photos of the finished bolt. It was necessary to use some matte paint on the top section as I was not getting good absorption with the Gempler's there. I believe this is due to the bottle top plate being steel, not iron, therefore not as porous? The finish on the rest of the bolt is just Gempler's (tannic acid) with a top coat of Renaissance microcrystalline wax applied to the warmed bolt.
I am satisfied with the result and don't think the repair is glaringly noticeable. A lot of work for a top dollar "mint" projectile!
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Photo 2
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Excellent work. I have a few dozen I just picked up I am tempted to send to you to beautify!
The nose of these bolts is not steel, but rather iron that has been "chilled" and hardened almost to the hardness of steel, but it is not technically steel. Still, that does explan the difficulty you had getting the patina match.
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Thanks Mike. That's cool as long as you pay shipping both ways!
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A beautiful naval shell. I have always liked seeing the progression of Parrots evolve as the ironclads evolved. That can opener cutting edge was designed to cut through iron plate rather than bounce off, as many of the rounded end Parrots did, particularly if they struck at an angle.
Can't imagine what it was like to be inside an iron clad when one of those hit.
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Probably sounded like a giant bell!
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Fantastic job! ;)
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Beautiful! Turning a disappointment into a triumph bro.....
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Thank you!