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Offline paulj84003

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cast iron balls
« on: February 14, 2009, 04:19:58 AM »
Has anyone tried the cast iron balls sold by King Architectural Metals, for cannon balls. they have stores in Baltimore MD, Dallas Tx, LA CA. I have used a number of their cast iron spear points etc making wrought iron fences gates . I am not sure how perfect the balls  are, as far as size and roundness. I have attached a scan. It is from catalog 35 which is the 2008 catalog. Phone number 800 542 2379.  I am well satisfied with the parts that I have purchased from them, but have never purchased balls.  Paul
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2009, 07:58:05 AM »
Here is the web page for the King Metals balls.  The only problem with them is they are sized by inches and fractions (e.g., 1 7/8") instead of by weight (6 pounder, etc.)
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Offline paulj84003

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2009, 10:53:57 AM »
The weight is in the third column  Paul J
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2009, 11:16:53 AM »
That's true but they aren't sized to fit cannon sizes like 6 pounder, etc.  A 12 pounder would be about 4 1/2", for example.
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“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”--Winston Churchill

Offline Artilleryman

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2009, 12:36:10 PM »
Some of the balls come with square holes.   Weld a square bar between two of them and you have bar shot. 
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Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2009, 01:57:30 PM »
     Good idea Artilleryman, or, if you wanted to carry away twice as much rigging and sail from an attacking Pirate ship, you could make some expanding bar shot.  Sorry Tropico!  We will call them Brigands from now on.  Just weld a square steel bar into each and heat the free ends to orange heat and wrap them around the other's straight section in a loose loop shape that will allow them to slide apart as they fly toward the "Brigand Ship".  The ones I saw at Fort Conde in Mobile, AL back in '77 were made with just a half ball on each end.  Never read any description of these in action; maybe they work, maybe not.

Regards

Tracy and Mike

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Offline Artilleryman

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2009, 02:12:12 PM »
Quote from: seacoastartillery on February 14, 2009, 01:57:30 PM
      The ones I saw at Fort Conde in Mobile, AL back in '77 were made with just a half ball on each end.  Never read any description of these in action; maybe they work, maybe not.

Regards
Tracy and Mike

Half ball on each end is easier on the gun and carriage that a full ball on each end.  I made up and fired the half ball type with a solid bar between them for the sound crew of Master and Commander.  We didn't have a target to fire at as they were just interested in the sound of the projectile in flight so I don't know how accurate it was.  However, in observing the flight of the projectile it seemed to fly on line.
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Norm Gibson, 1st SC Vol., ACWSA

Offline GGaskill

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2009, 02:39:16 PM »
However, in observing the flight of the projectile it seemed to fly on line.

I assume it rotated about an axis perpendicular to the long axis to some degree.
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“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”--Winston Churchill

Offline Artilleryman

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2009, 03:31:29 PM »
To me it looked like it traveled sideways with each end moving up and down slightly.  It may be that it was spinning.  It went at least 600 yards down range before it hit the ground.
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Offline cannonmn

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Re: cast iron balls
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2009, 07:53:21 PM »
I'll have to get a few for trials.  They'd sure work great for grapeshot if nothing else, provided their sizes would fit the stand you wanted to make.

The 4" size is pretty close to the approx. 4.1" I need to shoot an 8-pounder gun.  I don't think I'd want an undersized iron ball bouncing down a bronze bore, but with a well-designed sabot it may work.
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