Cannonball?

[joe_dirt]

I've had this for a few years, I jokingly refer to it as my "cannonball" even though I have no idea if it actually is. I used to work for a construction company and one of the main things we did were clearing jobs for new developments/roads/etc. We also had what was called a "green waste recycling yard" where people, mostly other construction companies doing clearing jobs, would come dump their "green waste", tree stumps, yard debris, leaves, etc, and we would turn it into compost. That recycling yard was where I mainly worked. I found this in a pile of debris one of the many trucks dumped off. So it could've come from practically anywhere in the Southeastern VA area.

It's 2.86" in diameter and weighs 4lbs. Aside from a small gouge, probably from a piece of machinery, it's totally smooth. There are remnants of what appears to have been a black coating of some sort.

I figure I might as well try to finally figure out what it actually is. Thanks

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

According to the historical cannonball size-&-weight data at the following link, your ball is within 2/100-inch of being the correct diamter for a Colonial-Era-to-early-1800s 3-pounder caliber Solid-Shot cannonball. www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

But that cannonball weighed 3.05 pounds (approximately 3 lb. 1 oz.) -- and you say your ball weighs 4 pounds. Please check its weight on a Postal Shipping scale, to get the ball's super-accurate weight. (Typical household bathroom scales are notoriously inaccurate, and therefore are worthless for cannonball-authentification.

 

[joe_dirt]

According to the historical cannonball size-&-weight data at the following link, your ball is within 2/100-inch of being the correct diamter for a Colonial-Era-to-early-1800s 3-pounder caliber Solid-Shot cannonball. www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

But it weighed 3.05 pounds (approx. 3 lb 1 oz) -- and you say your ball weighs 4 pounds. Please check its weight on a Postal Shipping scale, to get the ball's super-accurate weight. (Typical household bathroom scales are notoriously inaccurate, and therefore are worthless for cannonball-authentification.

Thanks for the reply, I kind of assumed I'd get one from you.

Yeah, I'll try getting a more accurate weight. I just used a scale made for weighing babies. My brother had it from when his daughter was a baby. I doubt it's very accurate.

 

[Old Dude]

Good luck on that weight. That is a great find if it turns out to be what TCBG suggested. I hope it really is.

 

[joe_dirt]

Good luck on that weight. That is a great find if it turns out to be what TCBG suggested. I hope it really is.

Thanks, I plan on having it weighed tomorrow, I'll let you know what the result is.

 

[vpnavy]

I sure hope it is a Cannonball - can't wait to find one as well joe_dirt.

 

[joe_dirt]

Well, I just had to go out to run some errands so I took it along with me. I stopped by a nearby UPS Store assuming they would have a pretty accurate scale. They weighed it for me and the result was 4.15 lbs. So my "cannonball" seems to be an imposter. On the plus side the baby scale is accurate...

 

[thinksmooth22]

A ball bearing of some sort maybe ? I found 3 train bearings along a track once . but they were a little smaller.

 

[garren]

If it's not a cannonball could it be a milling ball from a ball mill? I read that these come in various sizes from 2" - 6" in diameter.

 

[joe_dirt]

A ball bearing of some sort maybe ? I found 3 train bearings along a track once . but they were a little smaller.

Yeah, it certainly could be. I really don't know. When I first found it I did a lot of internet searches for cannonballs and viewed a lot of photos. It's interesting just how similar it looks to a lot of those examples. The overall appearance and patina, and the fact that it obviously was once covered in a black coating of some sort. Would they coat a ball bearing? I really don't know.

TheCannonballGuy knows his stuff, so if he says the numbers don't match then I trust his option. So I don't necessarily think it's a cannonball anymore, but I'm definitely curious what it is.

 

[joe_dirt]

If it's not a cannonball could it be a milling ball from a ball mill? I read that these come in various sizes from 2" - 6" in diameter.

View attachment 812838

That could definitely be a candidate. Looks similar.

 

[clovis97]

At first, I wondered if this was a small shot put for kids...but I think it is too small in diameter and too light in weight.

 

[cti4sw]

I had a similar situation as you... my "cannonball" was the right size but not the right weight (1.95"/18 oz). TCBG said the size-weight ratio put the likely composition at cast steel, which is heavier than regular cast iron. In all likelihood, mine is also most likely a ball bearing or mill ball, but that doesn't stop it from being a conversation piece

 

[joe_dirt]

I had a similar situation as you... my "cannonball" was the right size but not the right weight (1.95"/18 oz). TCBG said the size-weight ratio put the likely composition at cast steel, which is heavier than regular cast iron. In all likelihood, mine is also most likely a ball bearing or mill ball, but that doesn't stop it from being a conversation piece

Haha, yeah it's definitely a conversation piece. My guess is it's one of those two things as well.

Thanks for the replies. :thumbup:

 

[gunsil]

Ya, most of the Rev war cannonballs I've seen also had very noticeable seams on them. Confederate ones also often have very noticeable seams while the Civil war era Union ones are smoother. All the shot-put balls I have seen have the weight cast into them, but I suppose this might not be a rule.

 

[joe_dirt]

Ya, most of the Rev war cannonballs I've seen also had very noticeable seams on them. Confederate ones also often have very noticeable seams while the Civil war era Union ones are smoother. All the shot-put balls I have seen have the weight cast into them, but I suppose this might not be a rule.

From the little I've learned I agree with that.

 

[goldnrelics]

nice find there! great job

 

[joe_dirt]

nice find there! great job

Thanks, but just to clarify, it turned out it's most likely not a cannonball. But hey, I'll take the compliment anyway! :thumbup: