Bronze Ball? No longer a mystery.

[mikusek]

I found this in North Central Iowa on a slope just west of where an old farmstead used to be. At the time, there was still a pump standing. In the immediate area where I found this object, my Dad and I had found several small celts over the years, also several coins from the 1800's in the area where the house/yard probably was located.

This object is 1 3/4 inches diameter, it appears to be solid brass or bronze, it is heavy. I haven't weighed it. It has several dents. There are no makers marks or lettering. I have shown it to several archaeologists, no one could identify it with certainty, maybe I should have sought out a historical archaeologist.

One said he thought it was a ball for a small bore rifled cannon, the others had no idea. There are no rifling marks on it. He said he couldn't confirm his opinion.

John

Thanks to olroy70, TheCannonballGuy, & bigcypresshunter for the answer.

 

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[mikusek]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

I will have to re-weigh the object. It has me intrigued.

No attraction to a strong magnet at all.

I can take it to the super market tomorrow and see what their scale says, not sure of their accuracy at checkout and doubtful the meat dept. would weigh it.

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

The Produce (fresh fruits & vegetables) Department at a large grocery store will usually have a couple of publicly-available weighing scales, which are at least more accurate than a typical household bathroom scale.

 

[dozer dan]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

Just a couple questions,

Did you find 2 of them?

How cold does it get where you found it?

Have you ever noticed any "brass monkeys" in your area?

 

[olroy70]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

I am sticking with my original thought.

The check valves had to lift several pounds of water to the surface, especially if it was a deep well. Any leakage would not be efficient. Softer would be better for a good seal. Was trying to remember if they are different weights. Been a very long time since I worked on those things! (avoid it!!!!!!!!!! )

olroy!

 

[olroy70]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

Just a couple questions,

Did you find 2 of them?

How cold does it get where you found it?

Have you ever noticed any "brass monkeys" in your area?

I can tell ya the story of brass monkeys, dozer dan!!!!!!!! was a sailor, also!

Long ago, and far, far away!!!!!! olroy

 

[mikusek]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

ME BAD. Oh me so bad........ The Post Office lobby was open today, so I weighed the ball again. No distractions or people around, and took my camera along. A simple mistake doing it in a hurry the other day, that will teach me to look more carefully.

This can probably be marked solved. My attempt at a simple balance beam scale was not accurate at all last night. Here's a photo of the scale read out at the Post Office. Now I think the thing will make sense with the calculations you have done. I am going to try a 100 lb pull magnet and see what that does.

No attraction at all. Not even a whisper. Should it be considered "solved"?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

Mikusec, we humans actually do possess the power to choose between having a positive or negative emotional reactions. Hearing the news of your doubling-the-ball's-weight error, I choose to feel nothing but relief. My reasoning for that choice: Now I won't have to go through various sets of very-complicated calculations to figure out which one of the metals that weigh more than lead could have been inside your copper-looking ball.

A positive side of your error is that a bunch of TreasureNet readers got exposed to learning about the Specific Gravity of various metals, and now know how to figure out what the metal balls they dig are made of.

And thanks to Kieth-TX, I (as the Cannonball Guy) now have bookmarked the nifty website with the formula and data for accurately calculating the Volume of spheres - and the Density of various metals in American pound measurements.

Also as a result of your error, BigCypressHunter is about to get his question answered. He asked how metal balls get "clad" (thickly, not just thinly, as in Electroplating) with a different metal. The ball (or other object) inside a mold, and the outer coating is cast around it. (That method is also how various "bullet-shaped" iron/steel artillery projectiles got "clad" in a different metal.)

That is also why, if Mikusec's ball had actually been a "clad" ball, it could have showed a moldseam-line encircling its "equator." (I should mention here that solid cast single-metal balls -- like cannonballs -- also tend to show a moldseam-line encircling their equator.)

But, as it turns out, there is now solid evidence that Mikusec's ball is not a "clad" ball. Based on his correction of his error about its precisely measured weight (his new photo shows it weighs 13.70 ounces), my new calculations say it is a solid brass ball.

Kieth-Tx had already done the calculation for the precise weight of a 1.75"-diameter COPPER ball. His calculation said approximately .900 pound (14.4 ounces). That is heavier than Mikusek's 1.75" ball, despite its copper-looking appearance.

So, I used the formaula at the website posted by Kieth-Tx (thanks again, Kieth~) and used it for a solid BRASS ball. The answer is .855 pound (13.68 ounces) which is only .02-ounce off from the weight of Mkusek's ball.

I also have the answer for why Mikusek's solid-brass ball shows a copper color where it got nicked by his calipers. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc (typicaally, aboout 75% copper and 25% zinc). I've dealt with brass-sabot artillery projectiles which were excavated from very-wet environments. The decades of constant exposure to lightly-acidic water often "leaches" zinc molecules out of the brass's surface, but the copper in the brass is not affected. So, the brass's exterior will look quite coppery. But if you put a deep gouge in it, you'll see the brass's actual color.

 

[mikusek]

Re: Bronze Ball? Still a mystery? surface looks like copper where caliper scratched

To: TheCannonballGuy

Thank you for your efforts. And for the explanation of why brass can appear to be copper. It's no longer a mystery. I will mark it solved.