Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum
Relic Discussion => Artillery => Topic started by: 6lbgun on July 12, 2012, 01:00:05 PM
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I have a 24lb shell that I have a question about. The hole for the wood fuse adapter is straight, with no taper. The shell's surface is pitted, so the measurements given may not be right on but are very, very close.
Diameter 5.67"
Weight 16lbs 9oz
Wall thickness 1.5".
Fuse hole diameter .752" non tapered
Thanks in advance for your help.
Pete,
In the subject "Rev War Cannon Balls" you mentioned that you could determine whether a 12lb shell is a polygonal by the weight The gentleman that I bought mine off of said that it may be a poly. The wood fuse adapter is present. Any help would be appreciated.
Weight 8lbs 10.6oz (+ or _ .1oz)
Thanks
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6lbgun,
Are you sure the fuse hole is clean and devoid of rust and concretion? Wood fuse shells are often disarmed by through the fuse hole and this can be done with a masonry bit that would leave a rather smooth and straight sided hole. If it's a shell the fuse hole should be tapered. I am at work so without any books but looking at the sizes and weights on the civilwarartillery.com website it is pretty close to what would be expected. If you can post an image that would help too.
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Carl,
The hole is not clean and has corrosion. The corrosion is consistent through out the length of the hole.
Even with the corrosion I should still be able see a measurable difference between the top and bottom using inside gauges and a mic.
My pic is to large to send. Don't have a clue on how to fix that.
Thanks
Dan
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Hello,
In a private email 6lbgun sent me a picture of his shell and indeed the fuse hole doesn't look to be filled with concretion, etc. Iron looks in pretty good shape. I am afraid I can't answer that one.
(http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o556/Sitherwood/Forum_Images/Cannon_Ball_Straigh_Fusehole.jpg)
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6lbgun wrote:
> Pete, in the subject "Rev War Cannon Balls" you mentioned that you could determine whether a 12lb shell is
> a polygonal by the weight. The gentleman that I bought mine off of said that it may be a poly. The wood
> fuse adapter is present. Any help would be appreciated. Weight 8lbs 10.6oz (+ or _ .1oz)
A shell's weight can be influenced by various factors, such as the presence or absence of a metal fuze, presence or partial or complete absence of its powder charge, and "Graphitization" or other types of corrosion.
You said your wood-fuzed 12-pounder shell's fuze is present. A wood fuze adds very little weight, but its presence can indicate that some or all of the bursting-charge is still inside the shell. Has your shell been drilled and pressure-flushed for powder removal? Also, is your shell heavily pitted, and is its iron body "Graphitized" at all? The answers to those questions are important, because based on the weight info you posted, compared with the weight data I've compiled, your wood-fuzed 12-pounder is not a Polygonal Cavity shell, it is an ordinary Common-Shell (simple spherical cavity).
By the way, please permit me make a small correction to what you said about your 24-pounder shell's wall thickness. It cannot have 1.5-inch-thick walls. If it did, it would weigh about 21 pounds, not the 16 pounds 9 ounces you reported. Doing the math of your 24-pounder shell's diameter-to-weight ratio, its shell-wall thicknes is approximately .9-inch. You must have meant the depth of its fuzehole is 1.5 inches.
I think the answer to its non-tapered fuzehole is that it is from the Colonial era and/or it may be foreign-made.
Regards,
Pete
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Pete,
I stand corrected about the thickness of the shell. I stated that the wood fuse adapter was present, not the fuse. The adapter has a taper and does not appear to have been drilled. The enterior is clean with no remains of powder. I can see into the shell but not enough to see if it is a poly. Since I have never looked into a poly shell, perhaps I am seeing enough of the enterior through the fuse adapter but am not aware of it.
The shell is smooth with very little pitting, iron is solid.
Thank you
Dan
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Dan,
posted images mean alot on here with regard to getting answers.
If you go to www.Irfanview.com and download the free image viewer and install it, The "Image" toolbar will allow you to reduce/resize the image size to around 600 p;isels wide for use here on the Fourm. Besides that the software will view most know image, video and music files. It is FREE. with free updates.
Regards,
John
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Hello,
I posted an image of 6lbgun's shell above. It sounds like from Pete's and John's comments they don't see it. Is it not visible?
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John,
Thanks for the tip on the pic program. Here are two pics of the possible poly.
Dan
Carl,
I think they may be refering to the 12lb not the 24lb.
Dan
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Did you use the Irfanview software to reduce them?
In the top image I think I seethe letter "G" or is it my low vision?
Will the fuse adapter come out? if so you should be able to run your finger in and feel any poly sides.
John
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JOhn,
Ooops... you are right!
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John,
Yes, I used the Irfanview software that you sugested. Thanks!
Yes, It is a G (Maybe a C?)
No, I haven't tried to pop the adapter out. I don't want to destroy it.
Dan
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Dan,
Perhaps a closeup of the letter might give Pete an opportunity to comment.
Since you are already in the doghouse try putting your shell in the freezer for a while it might make the wood contract enough to allow you to remove it. Can't hurt it.
Regards,
John
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John,
This as close as I can get. The important area where the cerif would be on a G, has corrosion. Probably a G. Don't think sherical shells have been found with a Tredegar mark C. Wonder what Mike thinks, got it off of him.
I'll try the freezer technique when I get a chance.
Thanks
Dan
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Thats a nice cannon ball!
When you got it from us, and even now with all this magnification, I did (and still do) not see the "G" spot (pardon the double entendre). There appears to be something there, but it does not look like a typical Selma "G" for size, not having a cross hatch and most significantly, and finally the location seems a bit far removed from the fuse hole for your normal "G" marked shell.
I think you might be able to pry the wood fuse adapter free with a pen knife along the outside edge, but Pete has already answered that the weight is inconsistent with it being a polygonal so such efforts will most likely prove fruitless. A polygonal would be a few ounces heavier, but the good news is it is almost certainly completely empty to be so light.
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Mike,
Really didn't notice the stamp until I took it out into the sunshine for pics a while ago. After looking at it through a glass, I feel that it is a stamp of some kind and not pitting or flaking that looks like a stamp. When and where it was stamped, I have no idea.
Could be a C or a G. I was wandering about the size of it too. (I guess size does matter) ::)
I'm not going to try to pull the adapter out. Some guy whacked it in there 150 years or so ago, and I don't feel right pulling it out just to satisfy my curiosity. It needs to stay where it is.
Thanks to all.
Dan