Sabots - Back to the drawing board

[Evil Dog]

For a while I thought that I may have had it figured out.  Decided that I wanted to try some sabot mounted rounds in my 2 1/4" bore half scale Napoleon (Hern Iron Works).  Accuracy with a cast zinc ball has been problematic to say the least.  Noted that a 2 1/2" wood hole saw would cut out nice wood plugs just a bit over my bore diameter.  Could glue 2 or 3 of them together and then run a bolt down the center, mount in my 1950s vintage Craftsman drill press and sand them down to size.  A good idea anyway.... in practice they aren't what I would call square, instead they seem to lean a bit off vertical when set on a table.  So...... have a small wood lathe coming from Sears.  Should be fairly easy to turn them squarely then.  Once down to very slightly under bore diameter would be drilling a 1 1/4" depression for centering the ball on the sabot.





How to mount the ball to the sabot though?  Had thought of either masking or electrical tape but that would alter the outside diameter of the sabot.  Thinking of just gluing it to the sabot with either silicone sealer or liquid nails (or some other some such).

Any suggestions?  Thanks.

[Rickk]

never tried sabots, so these are just thoughts....

I use masking tape (1.5 layers) to hold the charge to the bottom of the ball in my Hern mortar (the charges are really light and it is hard to get them to go in straight any other way). The tape leaves the ball at firing. If you want them to separate, this may be a good way to do it.

If you want them to stay together, how about a drywall screw thru the bottom of the sabot and into the ball?

BTW, what is your ball diameter?

[Michael Az]

You could make the sabots square on the drill press without a lathe.
Put your arbor through the sabot hole and mount in the drill spindle. You will need to get a lathe turning tool {$4 - $5} and grind it so you have a cutting edge. Mount the cutting tool in the vise so the sharpened edge of the tool is sticking out horizontally. You will want to align the cutting tool so it is centered with the sabot. With the tool touching the sabot, raise the spindle until it clears the tool and then move the vise in so it will be taking a small cut when you lower the spindle. Clamp your drill vise to the table and start the spindle and you can now make a square cut on the sabot. Warning, a drill press makes a poor mill but for this job it will work as there will be very little radial pressure on the spindle. Drill presses aren't set up for making radial cuts and the morse taper will release from the spindle if you try this with steel or take too big of a cut even in wood. But in this case it will work, just take small cuts.
Michael

[Kansas Boomer]

Have been using the wood sabots in my 1" bore cannon for sometime now. Very pleased with them. Accuracy is improved, and loading is easier. I use a large counter sink to make a divit for the ball, and 1/4" masking tape to hold it on.  Boomer