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Offline dynomike

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My first cannon ball
« on: March 17, 2009, 02:01:09 AM »
Sunday i poured my first cannon ball from wheel weights. From the looks of it i have more to learn.
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Offline cannonmn

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2009, 02:06:22 AM »
Is that a 13-incher?  What'd you use for a mold?
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Offline Rickk

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2009, 02:22:28 AM »
It doesn't look all that bad to me.

It does take a few pours to get the mold hot. The first few are almost always a bit messed up (wrinkles, incomplete fills, voids). Once the mold gets hot they will look a lot better.

Also, don't look for the same surface finish on a cannon ball as on a 30 caliber bullet. It just isn't going to happen, nor does it likely matter. Also, keep in mind that you arn't running them thru a sizing die to make the outsides nice and shiney. A bit of surface frosting on a cannon ball is no big deal.

Weight the finished batch and look for statistically lightweight fliers that probably have voids inside.

I started painting mine blue. I did this for 2 reasons. Firstly, once painted your hands arn't contacting lead any more. Secondly, blue is easier to spot when you go looking for them. The reason for this is that is is pretty rare in nature to find anything on the ground that is blue, so if it is blue it is probably your cannon ball, or one of my missing tools (I paint just about everything blue).

Once painted, any surface frosting is invisible, and minor wrinkles don't seem to be as obvious  ;)

Rick
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Offline Victor3

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2009, 02:45:42 AM »
 That one looks better than any I've ever tossed back into the pot.

 I always set my mould on top of the pot to pre-heat it as the lead is melting, or use a propane torch.
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Offline Double D

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2009, 03:11:27 AM »
What are you using for a mould?
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Offline dynomike

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2009, 08:44:19 AM »
I am using a Tyee aluminum fishing weight mold it was advertised as 2 1/4 but it is 2 1/8. I think we are going to cut it out bigger later on. Still just getting started. Later i will get me another one for zinc. By the time i realized i left some info out on the picture it was to late.
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Offline brokenpole

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2009, 11:25:22 AM »
Here is a funny story for ya.

I have a 2 pound cohern (never could spell that) mortar I got in the early 90's.  I can't even remember who I got the thing from.  I had a friend that had artillery he got from this person.  Anyway...back on point.

The range I was shooting at didn't want me to shot pure lead ball.  So I was using 6.5 ounce juice cans filled with portland cement.  I came across a 2 lb sinker mold in the Dixie Gun Works catalog and decided what the hell.  I got it and started casting portland cement round balls.  Man can those suckers fly...lol.

So I guess my first was a cement ball.
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Offline Ex 49'er

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2009, 02:10:01 PM »
Cement balls probably take a long time to dry, eh? Did they break up when they hit?
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2009, 11:25:40 PM »
Cement balls probably take a long time to dry, eh?

Cement sets before it dries; in fact, it will set under water even.  A plain cement ball would dry pretty quickly; the cement filled cans are the ones that take a long time to dry out.
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Offline Double D

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2009, 03:03:54 AM »
I'm not sure I would want to shoot a cement ball out the bore of my cannons...scour factor!
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Offline brokenpole

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2009, 08:56:39 AM »
Actually they hold up really well.  Never had one turn to dust on lift off or when they go splat.

Yes it does take the cans a lot longer to setup than the balls do.

I use about 130 gr FFG and it wings them out there around 200 yds.  I did shoot one once that I lost sight of.  Decided not to repeat that trick.

I have also never noticed any damage to the mortar from launcing them.  If steel cans filled with cement don't I really don't expect the solid cement shot would.
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Offline Double D

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2009, 09:30:09 AM »
Cement is more abrasive than aluminum or tin.
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Offline dynomike

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2009, 10:44:22 AM »
You said you were shooting them through a morter. Wouldnt it be a little different shooting through a cannon and i assume you were using an aluminam mold. I hope i can get 200yds. with lead.
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Offline armorer77

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2009, 11:27:40 AM »
I found that pre-heating the mold to 540 deg. before starting to cast gives good results from the start . Armorer77
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2009, 12:22:45 PM »
Quote from: armorer77 on April 08, 2009, 11:27:40 AM
I found that pre-heating the mold to 540 deg. before starting to cast gives good results from the start . Armorer77

That makes sense, I heat moulds for lead alloy bullets to at least 400dF +  (measured with a thermocouple inside).
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Offline armorer77

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Re: My first cannon ball
« Reply #15 on: May 09, 2009, 11:57:36 AM »
Hi , I started casting today and noticed that I had to start at 540 deg. but as I kept casting the Temp . went down to 350 or so then leveled out . all while getting good GB sized balls from wheel weights . Armorer77
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