Author Topic: Golf Ball Dimple Molds for Molding Cannonballs (Read 1523 times)

muskeg stomper · « **on:** January 25, 2012, 06:51:04 PM »

I see many, many molds on eBay from back in the days when dimples were pressed into golf balls prior to more modern methods. Some of them look quite robust and most are pretty inexpensive. Have any of you folks ever modified one for use in molding your own cannon or mortar balls? Just curious in case I decide to get a golf ball mortar.

GGaskill · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2012, 07:25:59 PM »

What are the moulds made from?

muskeg stomper · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:52:57 PM »

Most appear to be steel or brass with some possibly aluminum. Looks like a guy could file a spout into the edge, sandwich the mold in a vise or something and cast a perfectly sized lead or wheel weight ball.

Victor3 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2012, 12:31:25 AM »

I got one off ebay a couple years ago, intending to modify it for lead. Haven't got round to it yet.

Mine's very hard steel and will require a carbide drill to do the hole. I'm concerned that shrinkage of the lead may not be enough to let the ball fall out of the mould due to the dimples. May have to grind the dimples near the parting line down a little if that turns out to be the case.

muskeg stomper · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2012, 05:07:02 AM »

Exactly the reason that I was asking if anyone had tried it. I'm wondering if the dimples would hang up the ball in the mold. If not, wondering how they fly (do they rise) due to the dimples just like a golf ball.

jamesfrom180 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2012, 05:14:42 AM »

I really doubt a metal ball with dimples will see any appreciable effect from the boundary layer effect. Force caused by the turbulence would not counteract the inertia of the ball. But drag due to sprues and cuts in lead balls has been seen to throw a shot too. I would assume the dimpled balls will be less accurate but will not be near as bad as a regular GB.

Double D · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2012, 06:10:51 AM »

Unless you specifically want the dimple why don't you just order some steel golf balls from Fox or zinc golf balls from Rotometals. You will find both listed in the group buys section of the Cannon classifieds.

muskeg stomper · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2012, 06:50:31 AM »

Simple economics. You can pick up one of the molds for under $50. My supply of WW lead is pretty much unlimited. Yes, I know that I can buy a ball molds for around $95 but since I'm new here, none of you know yet what a cheap B8#!&#^) I really am.

jamesfrom180 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2012, 08:33:47 AM »

I remember being a kid and seeing this done. To finish a molded ball some old timers would use a simple device to roll out the spur or any imperfection on a lead ball. The device was two hard wood plates that had a axle much like a grist mill. You would load about a dozen or so balls into is crank down on a tension screw on the axle and turn the plates. What would happen is the plates would roll much like a bearing on the balls and wear them smooth.

I personally think ordering the cast balls is the easiest or the appropriate mold but I was wondering if you could use this method to "swedge" out the dimples.

Double D · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2012, 09:07:53 AM »

Quote from: muskeg stomper on January 26, 2012, 06:50:31 AM

Simple economics. You can pick up one of the molds for under $50. My supply of WW lead is pretty much unlimited. Yes, I know that I can buy a ball molds for around $95 but since I'm new here, none of you know yet what a cheap B8#!&#^) I really am.

If you are ~~cheap~~ frugal then the steel and zinc balls are what you want. You can shoot them over and over again and no recasting expenses-gas/electric and labor time. No expense for buying a mould either.

You also gain the advantage is half the weight of lead resulting lower recoil and pressure from firing. Pressure and recoil increase wear and tear on your gun.

muskeg stomper · « **Reply #10 on:** January 26, 2012, 09:24:29 AM »

Great points DD!

Frugal vs Cheap - depends if you are talking to me or the wife.

jamesfrom180 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 26, 2012, 09:48:55 AM »

When talking to my wife no matter how frugal or cheep its still wasting money

muskeg stomper · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2012, 09:57:55 AM »

Interested in hearing what folks are using for backstops so that they can recover their cannonballs. I'll project that I'll be shooting into mostly virgin spruce forest or wide open tundra spaces but when I am able, I'll likely shoot in gravel pits so I at least have some chance of recovery. Do ya'll use metal detectors and will they pick up a signal from a zinc ball?

Artilleryman · « **Reply #13 on:** January 26, 2012, 10:10:23 AM »

A lot of our shooting is at a local gun range. Metal detectors don't work because of all the bullets in the backstop. We probe with metal rods and listen for the clink, leave the rod in place and dig to the end of it. If you shoot in a tight enough group you dig till you find the "nest".

Zulu · « **Reply #14 on:** January 26, 2012, 10:18:23 AM »

Metal detectors will certainly pick up zinc. The problem is the ball could be too deep for the detector to see it.
As Artilleryman said, other bullets will hide a signal.
Bring a shovel.

Zulu

RocklockI · « **Reply #15 on:** January 26, 2012, 05:06:19 PM »

Quote from: muskeg stomper on January 26, 2012, 09:57:55 AM

Interested in hearing what folks are using for backstops so that they can recover their cannonballs. I'll project that I'll be shooting into mostly virgin spruce forest or wide open tundra spaces but when I am able, I'll likely shoot in gravel pits so I at least have some chance of recovery. Do ya'll use metal detectors and will they pick up a signal from a zinc ball?

It all depends on what you shooting them from ,if it is a mortar ,yes you can use them over .
If it comes from a gun well thats somthing else !
All I can say is Good Luck recovering these balls . I've been shooting fox balls for a few years now and I recovered one and that was at the last Montana shoot .

Tracy ,Mike and I have walked some 2000 yds or so looking for them ..... nothing ,a few of Seacoasts bolts as they tumble on contact with the earth .

These steel balls will go on and on !
Gary

muskeg stomper · « **Reply #16 on:** January 26, 2012, 05:19:46 PM »

The discussion is all just academic for me at this point anyway. I now have both a 1" bore mortar and a cannon. Still planning to shoot ww lead balls in them for the time being although DD's point about wear & tear on them is a point well taken. Just curious about the golf ball molds in case I find myself upgrading. If cannons and mortars are like the rest of my muzzleloaders, I'm sure that will happen.

Victor3 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 29, 2012, 08:49:12 PM »

This is the mould I have...

Measuring with my calipers, the larger of the two sizes of dimples is ~.015" high. So to fall freely out of the mould, the ball would have to shrink quite a bit.

To line the halves up to pour lead, I was planning on placing them in a V-block and clamping with a C-clamp.

armorer77 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 29, 2012, 10:29:47 PM »

You can count on .010" shrinkage .

carmy53 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2012, 10:18:13 AM »

Just make sure you don't shoot the golf ball too far!!!

Zulu · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2012, 10:29:23 AM »

Quote from: carmy53 on January 30, 2012, 10:18:13 AM

Just make sure you don't shoot the golf ball too far!!!

That looks like it came out of Mike & Tracy's big mortar!

That's what we need for Fort Pallet.

Zulu