Author Topic: Ball Mold (Read 2675 times)

Powder keg · « **on:** March 05, 2005, 11:26:53 AM »

Hello All,

I found this chunk of metal in my scrap bin. I decided to chuck it up in my lathe and carve some metal off of it. Low and behold there was a cannon ball mold inside it. It's a good thing to. I needed one that size, 2.600".

Really I just wanted to see if I could do it. I used the same incremental cut method I used on the outside of the beer can mortar. The only difference is I used a .250" radius boring bar to cut down on the "steps" left by the cutter. You can see them in the first picture. Had problems with chatter, so I had to run the lathe really slow. To finish them I used a home made scraper, and scraped the steps out, then I used some emery and cleaned out the scraper marks. I'll cast a ball or two later and post some pictures of that to.

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Here is the nearly finished mold. I still have to drill the spru hole and countersink the hole.

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Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2005, 12:46:21 PM »

Powder Keg -
Thanks for the pictures! I really like the lockup method you used for the two parts. It's your fault, I tried it on a couple of 3/4" pieces of 1.75" diameer 1144SP. (Understand that I am NOT a machinist and while I do a lot of design work, the hands on of cutting parts is being learned now.)

I cut the shaft part to 1.500 and .050 long on the end of the rod; and the socket to 1.502 diameter about 30 thousandths deep. Could be a little tighter, but not by much. The two pieces swivel SO smoothly!

Two things will come of this. First the original idea of doing a 1" sphere mould and second will be a couple pair of these will become part of a sphere cutter attachment to make the mould.

Just a couple of simple cuts on each piece - but it's some of the first precision work on mating parts I've done.

I've got enough stock in each piece to mill a couple of slots on the flat ends to hook up to a set of 4-cavity Lyman or RCBS handles.

Who ever even thought of NOT posting pictures??!!!

Powder keg · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2005, 03:08:59 PM »

Hey, I had a chance to pore some lead today. In the first picture you can see my portable foundry setup.

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I fired it up and in no time the lead was ready to pore.

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Here you can see the first pore. looks like I missed the hole a little:o)

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I broke open the mold and there was the nicest looking cannon ball I'd ever saw. (to me at least!)

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Here is a nice close up of a brand new cannon ball.

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Here are three that are finished. I ended up with five today. the other 2 are still to hot to touch.

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This is the first time I have pored lead. Some things I learned are. First wait 5 minutes or so and keep the shrink cavity full. ( A couple of the balls need some body work.) Second I warmed the mold but it still wasn't hot enough. I got some lines on the first ball. Third this is fun! I have some extra lead, I think I'm going to pore some more tomorrow. The finished size is 2.590" - 2.585" , so I got about .010" - .015" shrinkage. Also they are relatively round. within .005 or so. I think they are around 3 pounds. Where IS that darned scale? When the "person who finds things" gets home, I'll post an official weight. Not to bad for government work, me thinks. Later,

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2005, 03:36:21 PM »

GOOD JOB!

Generally your alloy (wheel weights are most common and are harder than pure lead) will be about 700 to 800 df when you pour. The mould should be at least 400 dF to eliminate wrinkles. WW shrink less than pure lead. Having a large volume of alloy in the sprue is good - some of it will be sucked into the mould as the sphere cools. If it's not available you will get occlusions inside and the round will not be uniform. Some folks will cool the mould with a damp sponge, but water and heat make steam very quickly and you stand the chance of warping the mould.

Again, very good job!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2005, 03:42:40 PM »

Now I know wht to do with that old lawn mower frame! And those 20 left over fire brick and the $5 yard-sale propane fish/turkey fryer and that 14ga steel that someone at work gave me.

KEEP THE PICTURES COMMING!

Powder keg · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2005, 03:53:52 PM »

Last fall I started to get ready to cast some aluminum. I've pored some ingots is about all. The weather turned bad and I haven't got the sand prepared yet. I wanted a furnace that was portable and tall so I wouldn't have to bend over alot. I don't know much about the lead I have, this stuff was already pored into ingots.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** March 05, 2005, 04:29:19 PM »

Air cooled lead will be softer than air cooled wheel weights. A quick indication is to scratch with the finger nail - lead is easy.

Pure lead is great for muzzle loading - and is harder to come by than wheel weights, therefore costs a little more even though the tin and antimony that wheel weights have are more expensive per pound.

Powder keg · « **Reply #7 on:** March 05, 2005, 07:21:55 PM »

Well my little postage scale maxes out at 3 pounds. Looks like I'll have to use the UPS scale at work on Monday:o( The lead seams pretty soft. I can scratch it easily. Mabey I'm just really tough. Later

Cannonmaker · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:00:59 PM »

When I cast lead I plan on casting three of four ball's before the mold is hot enough to produce a good ball. The first few I drop on a board then put back into the pan to be remelted. When they appear to be what I want I then drop them into a deep tub ( about 8 feet away) of cold water. One must be very carefull having water around molten lead. The two don't mix. I preheat the led on a camp stove, then with a ladle transfer to the pot. I also put into the pan some Parifen Wax to help with the impurities.
I would love to have one big melting pot for this, Powder Keg has quite the idea with his.

Powder keg · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2005, 05:40:50 PM »

Hi, I cast some more ball's today. I have about 14 total. One of the large bricks of lead I have is really brittle. The surface is gray with no oxidation. The smaller bricks I have cast really nice. They pore nice and are shinny when I open the mold. That large brick dosen't pore very good and looks frosted when I open the mold. I added 1 part brittle lead to 2 parts soft lead and the alloy is better.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2005, 01:02:24 AM »

The frosting is OK. Beign brittle it has more tin and antimony in it. The fronsting has no effect on accuracy of cast bullets. Bringing the temperature down a little often gets rid of frosting witht he trade-off of not filling out as well.

14 rounds eh? That's enough for an urban redevelopment project.

Powder keg · « **Reply #11 on:** March 07, 2005, 02:22:41 PM »

Hello, I weighed the balls today. They weigh in at 3.73 pounds. Thats around 26,110 grains! Not your average muzzleloader! Now all I need is a carriage for my barrel. Later,

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2005, 03:02:49 PM »

You better build a good strong carriage for a lead ball that heavy and that big. Sir Isaac is gonna do everything he can to break things...you need some white oak!

Have considered casting zinc or aluminum with that mould?

Powder keg · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2005, 04:56:15 PM »

I have considered casting aluminum. I've done a little sand casting with aluminum and it is a fun metal to work with. Where can you find Zinc? I would like to try that. When you weld over zinc coated bolts it's fumes are really toxic. Does it fume much when you cast it?

GGaskill · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2005, 08:58:00 PM »

Try a diecasting supplier or a diecaster. Zinc melts, depending on the alloy, from 728Â°F to 810Â°F, which is within the range of most electric lead melters. However, once you have melted zinc in your lead pot, do not use it for lead again as the zinc will contaminate the lead and make it hard to cast. This restriction is more applicable to bullet casters than cannon shot casters.

Aluminum melts at a significantly higher temperature which would require a different melting process. Many home casters will melt aluminum in a steel pipe "crucible" but iron contamination of aluminum results in porous castings and is to be avoided for anything of a critical nature.

Powder keg · « **Reply #15 on:** March 08, 2005, 03:55:12 PM »

Hi,
After work today I decided to try some aluminum balls. They worked out pretty good, me thinks! It took me an hour to pore 5 balls. In the first picture you can see all five balls. In the second picture you can see a close up of one of the balls. Sorry no picture of the pore. My camera lady was at work. After the sprue was cut off they weighed in at .865 Pounds or 6,055 Grains. Lots lighter than the lead balls. I still have to file the rest of the sprue and the parting line off to clean them up. This is the first time I've pored aluminum into a steel mold, I've only done sand casting. this worked out pretty good.

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Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2005, 01:03:57 AM »

You had a very productive day of pouring!

As you know, zinc is about as strong as brass and weighs about as much as steel.

How much did the aluminum shrink?

My experience in having zinc balls sand-cast was that they would have many pockets and voids.

Powder keg · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2005, 05:12:26 PM »

Hello, I decided to polish one of those aluminum balls. Can you guess which one it is? Oh, incase anyone cares the mortar is still a beer can mortar. Those balls are recycled beverage containers. Probably 40 or 50 per ball. I'll have to keep track next time I pore some pigs. Later,

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Third_Rail · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2005, 05:47:53 PM »

It's almost a crime to shoot a ball that pretty! Great job, great photos!

Powder keg · « **Reply #19 on:** March 09, 2005, 06:11:53 PM »

Third_Rail, Thanks for the complement. I don't think my wife will let me shoot it now, anyhow.

Cannonmaker · « **Reply #20 on:** March 09, 2005, 06:38:16 PM »

Hay Powder Keg, Don't you sleep at nights?

While I have Built four sets of implements ( ramrod/sponge and worm) you have built a motar, mold, Led and Al balls, to top it off you even polished one. It looks good. now that spring has broke the farmers are keeping me busey latley.

Powder keg · « **Reply #21 on:** March 09, 2005, 06:50:47 PM »

No time to sleep. To busy. Still have a couple of ball molds to make. About a dozen barrles planed. I'm working on a 3/4 scale mountian howitzer, for my personal collection. I've also got a 24 pounder to finish up. I'm planing on posting pictures of it soon. Better go, Things to do

Harold V · « **Reply #22 on:** March 31, 2005, 06:27:27 PM »

Quote from: Powder keg

Hello, I decided to polish one of those aluminum balls. Can you guess which one it is? Oh, incase anyone cares the mortar is still a beer can mortar. Those balls are recycled beverage containers. Probably 40 or 50 per ball. I'll have to keep track next time I pore some pigs. Later,
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You're doing something right! Very nice job on all of your attempts, particularly the aluminum balls. It's somewhat unusual to see cast aluminum without porosity. Are you doing anything to control it?

How are you melting beverage cans such that you're getting a good recovery? I would assume you add them to molten aluminum. Are you losing much to dross?

Very impressed with your ball mold and your manufacturing method. Very cool! Any trouble opening it once the ball is cast?

Thanks,

Harold

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #23 on:** April 01, 2005, 12:53:12 AM »

Harrold V -

WELCOME to the forum!

You're doing it right - lots of good questions. That's what makes the world go 'round here.

And you're near the heart of Leinenkugel country too!

Powder keg · « **Reply #24 on:** April 01, 2005, 01:04:23 PM »

Hello Harold,

Thanks for your kind words. I always try to do a good quality job. Today I did an experement, I melted 100 beer, Errr, Beverage containers. After the melt I had 28.7 ounces left. I just start adding them to the crucible. It looked like about half was skimed off the top as dross. I read somewhere that to help keep porosity down in a home type foundry, that you need to melt the aluminum and pore it into ingots first then it's Ok to remelt and pore it into youir mold. I don't know if this is true, but that is how I started doing it and it's been working good for me. Also my mold opens OK with a good whak with a brass hammer. Later,

Harold V · « **Reply #25 on:** April 01, 2005, 07:41:28 PM »

Quote from: Cat Whisperer

Harrold V -

WELCOME to the forum!

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I've enjoyed model cannon since being a young boy, making my very first one from a piece of water pipe and using match heads for powder.

Kids do really dumb things!

This forum looks like a great place to spend a few evenings. Hopefully I'll eventually be able to contribute something of value. Right now my shop is out of service and I'm building a new house. I don't expect I'll be back on my machines for at least another year.

Harold

Harold V · « **Reply #26 on:** April 01, 2005, 07:56:15 PM »

Quote from: Powder keg

Hello Harold,

Thanks for your kind words. I always try to do a good quality job.

You're very welcome. You earned every bit of it through your workmanship.

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Today I did an experement, I melted 100 beer, Errr, Beverage containers. After the melt I had 28.7 ounces left. I just start adding them to the crucible. It looked like about half was skimed off the top as dross.

That's about the best anyone can do. I'm not surprised at your loss. Can't help but wonder if selling the cans as scrap and buying other (heavier) scrap might be a bit more economical.

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I read somewhere that to help keep porosity down in a home type foundry, that you need to melt the aluminum and pore it into ingots first then it's Ok to remelt and pore it into youir mold. I don't know if this is true, but that is how I started doing it and it's been working good for me.

Don't fix it if it ain't broke! You're castings look as good as anything I've ever seen cast.

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Also my mold opens OK with a good whak with a brass hammer. Later,

Chuckle! Hey, so long as it works, go with it! I figured it wouldn't open easily, but your system seems to work real well.

Thanks for the kind reply.

Harold

Double D · « **Reply #27 on:** April 02, 2005, 02:37:53 AM »

Harold V. another new face that we are glad to have. Welcome. A whole year without being able to make chips. We'll be your support group.

Harold V · « **Reply #28 on:** April 02, 2005, 10:54:17 PM »

Quote from: Double D

Harold V. another new face that we are glad to have. Welcome. A whole year without being able to make chips. We'll be your support group.

Chuckle! What would be even better is if you guys showed up and finished our house!

Seriously, when I closed the doors on my shop (way back in '83) I was so burned out on machining that I couldn't stand the sight of the machines. It's taken lots of years to get to the point where I can run them for pleasure. Making your intended hobby your full time job (and I really mean full time, 7 days/week for years) is a big mistake.

It's going to be a shear pleasure to get back on the machines for hobby use, not for gain. Building some nicely detailed cannons sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

Thanks for your welcome.

Harold