Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,813
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
- Tractor
- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
I've asked this on another forum I visit daily.... but since this forum is the first one I ever joined, I figured I'd bring the question here.
1. I inherited a cannon.....yes, a cannon. It's been in the family for probably 50 years, possibly more.
2. As a kid, we'd fire it with rags stuffed down muzzle. Since then, Dad has acquired 10 cannon balls
3. Dad (92) hasn't fired this in years/decades. Somewhere along that path, someone put a ball down muzzle and forgot about it.
4. Today, ball is stuck with dirt, possibly corrosion? Used to be airtight BUT I'd been spraying it with PB Blaster and forcing air into ignition hole (no breech to access behind ball, muzzle load only)
I'm looking for ideas. I want to preserve the ball that's in there if possible so drilling into it is my last resort. Right now, the ball DID free up but as I was working it, it rolled deeper in and is again stuck. This time, it's NOT airtight so when I pressurize the air behind it, the air simply escapes instead of actually budging the ball.
I had an idea (picture below) but glue a "cap" onto it and then have the cap to grab onto and wiggle/pull.
One question I have is, will something like superglue stick to (what I'm told is likely to be) a lead ball?
Then... if yes, what would you make the "cap" from? I have other balls to form it with.
Barrel has pointed in various directions, including down. Ball isn't moving. I've tapped on sides but don't want to hit too hard and dent/mar the outside of barrel. You can see the crud that was in there. Most of that is cleaned out now (at least on the exterior side).
1. I inherited a cannon.....yes, a cannon. It's been in the family for probably 50 years, possibly more.
2. As a kid, we'd fire it with rags stuffed down muzzle. Since then, Dad has acquired 10 cannon balls
3. Dad (92) hasn't fired this in years/decades. Somewhere along that path, someone put a ball down muzzle and forgot about it.
4. Today, ball is stuck with dirt, possibly corrosion? Used to be airtight BUT I'd been spraying it with PB Blaster and forcing air into ignition hole (no breech to access behind ball, muzzle load only)
I'm looking for ideas. I want to preserve the ball that's in there if possible so drilling into it is my last resort. Right now, the ball DID free up but as I was working it, it rolled deeper in and is again stuck. This time, it's NOT airtight so when I pressurize the air behind it, the air simply escapes instead of actually budging the ball.
I had an idea (picture below) but glue a "cap" onto it and then have the cap to grab onto and wiggle/pull.
One question I have is, will something like superglue stick to (what I'm told is likely to be) a lead ball?
Then... if yes, what would you make the "cap" from? I have other balls to form it with.
Barrel has pointed in various directions, including down. Ball isn't moving. I've tapped on sides but don't want to hit too hard and dent/mar the outside of barrel. You can see the crud that was in there. Most of that is cleaned out now (at least on the exterior side).