Author Topic: Quill Container?  (Read 1081 times)

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Offline TAUREANHARE

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Quill Container?
« on: December 21, 2011, 06:24:00 AM »
Howdy folks, help me out here if you can.  Artillery quills work great but I'd like to know what was actually used to carry them back in the day.  I've seen and used some things that work well enough and look authentic but this is something I'd like to know for sure.  Thanks! RPG

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2011, 02:13:45 AM »
TAUREANHARE

WELCOME to the board.  Don't have an answer to your question, but SOMEONE here WILL.

Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline flagman1776

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2011, 02:29:23 AM »
"Back in the day" is too vague. 
I have looked back through my selected photo copies but have not located an artillery pouch in Newman's  book on Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.  I would not build based on memory.

I seem to recall a belly box (waist belt box) of leather like a dragoon's cartridge box but the wood block drilled for quills instead of paper cartridges.  I think it had double leather flaps or perhaps interior flap of oil& waxed linen for water resistance.  The outter flap resembled Civil War styles cartridge boxes but with out the US plate.  That general style survived into the cartidge era.  I have an original 1880s box that I converted by making tin tubes for dragoon pistols for an 1830's personna.       

Offline TAUREANHARE

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2011, 03:01:46 PM »
Gentlemen, Thanks for your welcome and response.  I've been watching this forum for a few years and admire the collective wisdom.  My time periods of interest roughly coincide with flintlock firearms.  European activities in North America up until the American Civil War.  Of course, global influences on artillery during these years is also of interest.  My introduction to quills included a carrier made of a brass cylinder of loose quills covered by a brass cap with short tubes on the sides sliding over the suspension rope for the whole affair.  Nicely assembled and certainly safe in a firey environment but I seem to have problems using it.  We use welding gloves in our crew and I'm having to slip them off and on during procedures.  I have more than once slid off the carrier lid and had quills flying everywhere.  The question came to mind:  What did necessity, trial and error evolve to for a functional means to handle quills?  My limited research hasn't been all that fruitful and I appeal to the bretheren for help.  Again, my respect and humble thanks to all responders.

Offline ironball

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2011, 03:42:19 PM »
I'm betting they didn't use welding gloves, so anything authentic is going to impossible for you to handle. In a campaign situation, a watertight container would be a must, but I think a simple wooden box was more commonly used to kick the British out of the colonies.
Never let the people with all the money and the people with all the guns be the same people.

Offline ironball

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2011, 03:44:24 PM »
[
Never let the people with all the money and the people with all the guns be the same people.

Offline Artilleryman

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2011, 04:23:47 PM »
I don't know how accurate it is but Round Shot and Rammers shows a tube pouch that looks like the civil war friction primer pouch.
Norm Gibson, 1st SC Vol., ACWSA

Offline flagman1776

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2011, 08:47:53 AM »
I've perused my copy of Round Shot & Rammers. 
pg 65 Shows a "British Gunners pouch & belt"  which appears to be an over the shoulder configuration.  On the next page, the text notes Brit & US artillery used quills & tubes when available.  (Rev War)
pg 81 Shows a primer pouch & belt which appears as a simple pouch on a waist belt c 1812.
pg 118 Shows a gunners tube pouch for a waist belt which most resembles my converted piece with the shaped outter flap.  A larger gunners over the should bag is also shown.   Union/CW

Offline threepdr

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2012, 05:18:21 PM »
Howdy folks, help me out here if you can.  Artillery quills work great but I'd like to know what was actually used to carry them back in the day.  I've seen and used some things that work well enough and look authentic but this is something I'd like to know for sure.  Thanks! RPG
I use one of these Rev War tube boxes with my 3 pounder gun.  Install a block of wood inside with holes drilled to hold the quills.  A leather waist belt supports it with the belt going around the outside of the box.  Mine was drilled to hold 40 quills.
You can buy them from this tinsmith.
http://www.cg-tinsmith.com/index.htm
See my history and archaeology blog at:  http://erasgone.blogspot.com/

Offline flagman1776

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Re: Quill Container?
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2012, 05:11:46 AM »
threepdr,
I like your quill box.  I am scratching my head trying to recall where I saw documentation on something similar.  I started adapting a tin box for this purpose...  soldered on brass hinges after stripping the paint...  but the available box was a poor shape.   Can you give me a referance or at least a direction to start looking? 
What are the dimensions of your tin box? 
Thanks,
Russ
 
 
I use one of these Rev War tube boxes with my 3 pounder gun.  Install a block of wood inside with holes drilled to hold the quills.  A leather waist belt supports it with the belt going around the outside of the box.  Mine was drilled to hold 40 quills.
You can buy them from this tinsmith.
http://www.cg-tinsmith.com/index.htm