Battleship Blackpowder Ignition Pads

[cannonmn]

Although this stuff deals only marginally with blackpowder I thought some of you smoke and fire fans would be interested, so...
Our loading dock is currently cluttered with 3 skids of powder tanks which once held 3 powder bags each for the 16-inch guns on the IOWA class battleships.  The tanks are aluminum, date from ca. WWII, are about 5' long and 2' in diameter.  The lid has rotary bayonet lugs and can be removed with the tool shown in the brief slideshow, which tool I DO NOT HAVE, unfortunately (if you just happen to have a case of those wrenches, please consider sharing!)  Yes the lids can be pounded off with a sledgehammer and wood drifts, but using the wrench is a heckofa lot easier.  Guess I'll just have to find the proper cog, if MSC  has one that will fit, and build wrench around it.  The wrench is about 14 in. long and 6 in. tall, referencing the photo in the slideshow. 
 
Blackpowder: The "ignition pad" on the end of the inert powder bag shown once held 350 grams of black powder.  The primer, somewhat like a .45-70 blank cartridge, would have been inserted in the firing lock on the rear of the huge breechplug.  It was fired electrically, at which point flame and hot metal blew through a hole in the breechplug and obturating mushroom, onto the ignition pad, which by design should have been no more than 4 inches from the mushroom when loading was complete.
http://s17.photobucket.com/user/cannonmn/slideshow/miscforumsetc/forums64/Battleship%20Ammo%2016%20inch%20items

[Tod0987]

Pretty Cool Thanks for sharing!

[GGaskill]

Sorry but I do not have that crank gear drive, but a tolerable one should be pretty easily made if you can generate dimensions for the gear.

[bilmac]

The 155 howitzers used separate loading ammo too. We loaded the projectile, then a variable number of bags of powder, then closed the breech and put a primer that looked like a straight wall cartridge into the breech. The last bag of powder, the one closest to the breech had a red spot on it which we were told held a charge of black powder which was a booster for the main charge.

[Articifer Tom]

Great Cannonman . Do you know anywhere you can get some of those primer charges. The last batch of them, had great mil. grade powder in them , just a PITA to open all the pockets . Also had 155 pads some of them had water staining with degrading . It was not bad  considering it was from the 70's ,and were much easier to open .

[cannonmn]

Do you know anywhere you can get some of those primer charges

The gent I got mine from in KY is no longer with us after 20,000 lbs of blackpowder on his property "went up."   John at Back Creek Gun Shop has gotten it before, I think he only orders it when someone requests enough to justify the trouble and the shipping.  I think his source has a minimum order quantity of 300 lbs. or something like that. Talk to John.

[Articifer Tom]

Sorry to hear about that . I seem to remember hearing that some years ago ,thought it was Goex . Back Creek is where we got ours about 2007-8 . The price made it great , I think  I found on internet the plant that did the dewatting closed.

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

I would LOVE to have one of those cans for my collection!
Where can I get one?

[cannonmn]

Where can I get one?

We have some in our Alexandria VA warehouse @ $440. ea. if you pick them up.  FedEx wanted $165. to ship one to the Midwest, when I checked recently.

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

Where can I get one?

We have some in our Alexandria VA warehouse @ $440. ea. if you pick them up.  FedEx wanted $165. to ship one to the Midwest, when I checked recently.

Thanks.
My wife has relation that lives in Alexandria (?).  We get out there from time-to-time.

[Frank46]

Google boston gear. They should have what you need probably in brass, bronze or steel. Frank

[cannonmn]

Google boston gear

Thanks, never head of 'em, I'll check it out.