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Anybody know about cannonballs?

 
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Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 1:33:58 PM   
amblypygi


Posts: 622
Joined: 4/6/2004
From: Western Massachusetts
Status: offline 		I think that's what this is but I don't know. Any clues appreciated.

Sean




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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 1:47:07 PM   
Staunton Dan


Posts: 2249
Joined: 5/5/2005
From: Batesville, VA
Status: offline 		I have never seen a solid shot cannonball with a square hole in it. Looks like it may be something else but I don't know what. They would make good boat anchors though.

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 1:52:59 PM   
JOETHECROW


Posts: 9282
Joined: 9/3/2005
From: Northwestern Pa. (Near scenic Lake Perfidy)
Status: online 		Counter-weight?

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 5:36:37 PM   
CWBookAuthor

 

Posts: 248
Joined: 7/5/2007
Status: offline 		If it's a 32-pounder, its holes must have been done later. but I believe it's a corner piece for gates or walls. It does, however, have the appearance of a 32-pounder.

Mike


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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 5:43:42 PM   
Staunton Dan


Posts: 2249
Joined: 5/5/2005
From: Batesville, VA
Status: offline 		Can't see how you could drill a square hole. Had to be cast and that would rule out cannonball in my way of thinking.

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 5:47:42 PM   
lobeycat


Posts: 6697
Joined: 9/8/2003
From: RED SOX Nation
Status: offline 		Ye 'Ole Smithy could pound a square hole through it. They were all "cast" wheren't they?

< Message edited by lobeycat -- 7/29/2010 5:48:52 PM >

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 5:51:25 PM   
cc6pack

 

Posts: 1147
Joined: 7/12/2003
From: Mableton, Ga.
Status: offline 		My shot table shows 6.25 inch diameter and 32.4 lbs for a solid. I agree not a cannon ball. There is a small tolerance for the shells but not as much as you indicated.

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 6:30:37 PM   
Staunton Dan


Posts: 2249
Joined: 5/5/2005
From: Batesville, VA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: lobeycat

Ye 'Ole Smithy could pound a square hole through it. They were all "cast" wheren't they?


I should have said that the square hole would rule out a cannonball and that the square hole was cast into the object. I would have to agree with you that all were cast. Sometimes my tongue gets caught over my eye teeth and I can't see what I'm saying.

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 6:48:07 PM   
Erik T

 

Posts: 118
Joined: 7/4/2010
From: Toronto
Status: offline 		maybe an old wrecking ball with a hole in the center for a bolt (possibly a square one.) or one end of an old dumbell?

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 7:22:19 PM   
lobeycat


Posts: 6697
Joined: 9/8/2003
From: RED SOX Nation
Status: offline 		If I had to guess, I'd say it is a bloody cannon ball modified for another purpose. throw a micrometer on there and I'd further guess it's closer to 6 1/4'' than 6 1/2"

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 8:44:47 PM   
Steve/sewell


Posts: 3622
Joined: 1/23/2010
Status: offline 		The ball does fit the criteria of being a cannon ball in outward appearance. Could it have been cast round and solid like a cannon ball and cut afterwards with an acetylene torch. The metal does look like it was melted altered at the square openings surface on the sphere it is shiny new looking on the edges of the opening.Just a thought

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 9:14:22 PM   
RED Matthews


Posts: 2268
Joined: 8/2/2008
Status: offline 		Well here I am again with a still different thought.  I have an old large still-yard some where out in my barn that was used to weigh beef cattle and heaven knows what else.  This could have been a sliding ball weight for something like that.  At one time I had a wooden box salesman's sample of a wagon scale setup.  It is now somewhere in the Smithsonian, but I think it had ball slides on it also.  RED Matthews


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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 11:15:39 PM   
amblypygi


Posts: 622
Joined: 4/6/2004
From: Western Massachusetts
Status: offline 		Thanks for all of the replies. I'm tending to agree that it's probably not a cannonball. I took some better measurements and pictures and they seem to rule out a 32 pounder, which is really all it could be if it was a US cannonball. The hole is weird because it expands inside but not very much. It is also much smaller and less square on one side versus the other. Oh well, another mysterious thing found while looking for bottles, eh? Thanks again for the help.

Sean





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< Message edited by amblypygi -- 7/29/2010 11:17:10 PM >

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/29/2010 11:25:25 PM   
amblypygi


Posts: 622
Joined: 4/6/2004
From: Western Massachusetts
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Steve/sewell

The ball does fit the criteria of being a cannon ball in outward appearance. Could it have been cast round and solid like a cannon ball and cut afterwards with an acetylene torch. The metal does look like it was melted altered at the square openings surface on the sphere it is shiny new looking on the edges of the opening.Just a thought


That shinyness is from me hacking at the rust with a screwdriver. When found it was a complete mass of black rust, what you see here is what emerged after I attacked it. My damn hands are still as black as they used to be back when I still fixed my own cars :)

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/30/2010 12:28:42 AM   
RedGinger


Posts: 6542
Joined: 12/7/2007
Status: offline 		Where did you dig it? Interesting piece.

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/30/2010 1:25:36 AM   
JOETHECROW


Posts: 9282
Joined: 9/3/2005
From: Northwestern Pa. (Near scenic Lake Perfidy)
Status: online
quote:

ORIGINAL: amblypygi




That shinyness is from me hacking at the rust with a screwdriver.




TAP,...TAP,...TAP...........BOOM!

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```````````````````````````````````
In the woods we return to reason and faith.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/30/2010 3:21:26 PM   
Poison_Us

 

Posts: 2801
Joined: 5/27/2009
From: Savannah, Ga.
Status: offline 		I want to say that possibly they were shackle weights...prisoners tied to their heavy balls on the chain gang.. Have no idea why whey would have square holes...  The only reason to have square holes is to not be able to turn the ball.  The ends don't match so they can release the rod that made the hole easier.  If they were made after casting, this process is called Broaching.  I just can't think of a reason for them to have square holes.  They are already round, so if they turned it wouldn't make any difference.  Unless they fit onto a square peg of sorts, making the fit firm with the taper...but why..






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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/30/2010 8:26:07 PM   
surfaceone


Posts: 5758
Joined: 12/9/2008
Status: offline 		Hey Sean,

Cool mystery find. sir. Could it be half an example of Bar Shot?

"Chain shot and bar shot were most often used in naval applications. Chain shot, pictured at the top, consisted of two balls of shot that were joined together by a chain. Bar shot, pictured at the bottom, consisted of two spherical balls of shot joined together with a bar. The principle of these types of shot was that they could be fired at the masts and rigging of ships and their whirling action would inflict severe damage." From.


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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/30/2010 11:18:17 PM   
Nickevlau

 

Posts: 191
Joined: 4/11/2010
From: Minneapolis, MN
Status: offline 		That was my first thought as well, just didn't know how to explain it.

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RE: Anybody know about cannonballs? - 7/31/2010 2:35:01 AM   
GuntherHess


Posts: 11468
Joined: 12/13/2004
From: Frederick Maryland
Status: offline 		I think Joe was correct, it is a cast iron counter weight.
I have seen a number of these at early southern homes.
They were called cannon ball gate weights.
http://www.luxuryhousingtrends.com/archive/2007/09/cannonball-gate/
Used to automatically close heavy gates.

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