Is this a cannonball or mortar?

[AH1WCobra]

Hey y’all! I found this object while taking the dog for a walk on the beach. Wasn’t even searching for anything. It was sticking out of the sand about 2 inches in the surf. I excavated it carefully and brought it home. Knocked off some of the visible rust and then soaked it in vinegar for 24hours prior to scrubbing with a stiff bristle plastic brush. It has sparked some major interest with me as I’m certain it’s Civil War Era based on where it was found (near a coastal civil war fort) but decided to join this group to seek some guidance.

It seems that measurements determine everything so here’s what I’ve been able to gather
Diameter 7.8 inches.
Weight- 44.2 pounds (standard bathroom scale)

Im in need of advice as to ways to seal it to prevent further rusting. I’d like to restore to the best way possible and hold onto it as a piece of history.

Any information from the experts is greatly appreciated!

 

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[Retired Sarge]

Our very own TheCannonBallGuy has a very informative page, hopefully he'll bless us with his vast knowledge, by answering your post. In the meantime peruse his page for information.

SolidShotEssentialsMod

 

[DCMatt]

Our very own TheCannonBallGuy has a very informative page, hopefully he'll bless us with his vast knowledge, by answering your post. In the meantime peruse his page for information.

SolidShotEssentialsMod

I agree. The CannonBallGuy is our expert. I'll let him make the final determination. But those numbers look favorable to me...

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I'm not an expert on artillery of that era, but I'll say it's the real deal... as I recall the two divots on either side mean it's a ball for a mortar. those divots are where soldiers would use a pair of tongs to lift it into the tube

 

[smokeythecat]

Oh it's real all right! Great find! NOW, this was a saltwater beach, correct? So what you need to do is immediately put it in fresh water, like a bucket full. Go buy a saltwater hydrometer (from a tropical fish store or off the net) and change the water every week or so. When the hydrometer reads zero for a few weeks in a row, then you can start the final preservation process. All salt water iron gets salt in it. When the item dries, the salt expands and your shell will crack apart and eventually turn to dust. This desalination process will take numerous weeks, but at the end you will have a nice item, not a pile of dust.

 

[A2coins]

Dang thats a cool find or should I say bang!!!!! Thanks for sharing that find how did you get the dog home while lugging that lol Great find and welcome to tnet Tommy

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The original time-period (from the civil war) diameter-&-weight chart helpfully posted by DCMatt proves your find's measurements match up with an 8"-caliber mortar roundshell. It had a paper-bodied burning timefuze held by a wooden plug... which has mostly rotted away, allowing plenty of seawater into the shell's bursting-charge cavity, completely ruining the gunpowder there. You can safely dig out the remnants of the wooden plug, and flush the ruined powder out with a garden hose's nozzle.

Your next question will probably be, is it a yankee or Confederate one. The answer is, both sides used exactly the same form for their 8" mortarballs. Sometimes, the shell's very-exact discovery location can indicate which side fired it.

That quest is sometimes complicated if the shell came from a coastal fort which the sea has washed away. For example, at Charleston SC, the famous Confederate Fort Wagner seen in the movie "Glory" has been reclaimed by the ocean. Another famous example, Confederate Fort Fisher in North Carolina has lost 80% of its beach fortifications to hurricane erosion.

However, at Fort Fisher, only the Confederates had an 8" mortar. So, if your 8" mortarball came from there, it has to be a Confederate one.

By the way, Smokeythecat gave you very important advice. (Thanks for doing that, my friend.) Longtime saltwater exposure causes iron relics to corrode very badly after they are removed from the saltwater environment back into the air. So, please follow her advice. It can take more than a few months to get all the salt out of the iron.

 

[A2coins]

Good info CBG the shot heard around the tnet lol I admire your expertise on artillary some day I hope you can ID the cannonball I plan on finding. Great post.

 

[AH1WCobra]

That’s the advice I’ve been searching for! Will do right away. Thank you! And recommendations for what to do after the meter reads zero?

 

[AH1WCobra]

Dog was super curious bout it. Something bout the smell I guess. She’s pretty good of leash so she just stayed close by.

 

[AH1WCobra]

Thank you for all the help in the seek of information. It came from Pensacola FL. There are three Civil War forms located in that area. FT Pickens, Barrancas and McRee. Occupied by the Union up until the South succeeded from the union. At which point, the Confederate militias moved in and occupied Ft McRee and Barrancas. The Union side moved their supplies and hunkered down in the fortified Ft Pickens for a period until the engaged the Confederate forces in a two day artillery battle. I believe the round may have been shot from the Union side toward the Confederate forces that were occupying Ft Barrancas. There is no way of knowing this for sure obviously, but it would’ve made sense and been completely possible. Open for thoughts and discussion on this scenario.

 

[Mr. B]

It sure looks like a fused ball, which means it probably has some powder in it. You tube has a great series on how to dis-arm them and preserve them. You will find the info you seek on Aquadigger. It is really fun site for all who love metal detecting.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

AH1WCobra (the civil war 8"-caliber mortarball's finder) wrote:
> Any recommendations for what to do after the meter reads zero?

Remove the ball from the freshwater bath, PAT it gently with a towel (do NOT scrub dry), and allow the iron to dry out THOROUGHLY, for at least 48 hours in a warm room on a tabletop (not down on the cool floor). Then, spray 4 "moderate" (not too thin, not too thick) coatings of MinWax Fast-Drying Polyurethane (Satin Finish, not Glossy), each coating being done about 30 minutes apart. (Available at WalMart for $7.50 per spraycan.) Note, because it's a ball, you'll have to do half of it at a time. To do the coating, lay down a spread-out newspaper, and set the ball upside-down (with the fuzehole downward) on a milkjug's soft plastic screwtop. Apply the 4 coats to the upper 2/3rds of the ball. About 2 hours after the final coat, turn the ball over and spray 4 coats onto the other half of it. (Remember, wait at least 30 minutes between each coating.)

It's VERY important that you use Polyurethane, rather than "simple" varnish, or lacquer, or clear-coat, etc. Unlike other coatings, Polyurethane is a true Oxygen-proof Sealant. Unlike other coatings, when Polyurethane has dried it has no micro-pores, which allow oxygen and water-vapor (humidity) to get through the coating.

I've been using true Polyurethane to coat my "cleaned" excavated iron relics for 40 years, and none of them have shown any deterioration under the 4 "moderate" coats of Polyurethane. Other people have had trouble, because they used only 1 or 2 coats, which were too thin.​

 

[XLV]

Wish i still had a photo of the mortar that was used as a flower stand at the old homestead in New Jersey .....great find

 

[thursdaythunder]

What a great find and a cool piece of history!
Congrats..thx for sharing.

 

[smokeythecat]

Remember, it won't be ready for a coating until the first couple months of 2020 if you want to do it right. Smaller pieces take a month or so, but a biggie like this will take longer.

 

[AH1WCobra]

Thank you for the restoration guidance. I’ve immediately placed it in a bucket with fresh water. Unfortunately, it has already started to crack and “she’s”what looks like to the outside layer. I’m hopeful that it doesn’t break down any further. I’ve replaced the water every couple days. I’ve noticed that the surface of the water gets a sheen on its surface that resembles that of an oil slick but with a metallic look. Any idea what that’s from. I’ve also noticed that the surface is starting to get some surface rust even while under water. Should I leave that while it’s soaking?
Any thing else I should be doing while it’s soaking in the fresh water bath? I’m ordering the salt hydrometer off Amazon.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The "sheen" on the water is composed of oil and iron-oxide. Scrub off the surface rust, because it contains some of the salt coming out of your iron ball's micro-pores.

Civil war artillery projectile collectors remove the salt from saltwater-found iron projectiles by applying VERY-LOW AMPERAGE Electrolysis to it, for approximately one year, replacing the water at least once a week.

If you've never heard of doing excavated-iron relic preservation by Electrolysis, you can learn about it here:
Using electrolysis to remove rust - Home use low DC current to quickly remove corrosion from iron. This is not for long term preservation of salt infused iron.

For treating "salt-infused iron" you use very low amperage, for a year.
Read this article:
Texas A&M Conservation Research lab - A wealth of information on conservation of iron and many other materials.

 

[submariner]

Wow, what a find, and a great deal of info from you knowledgeable folks . in this post.

 

[xaos]

Thank you for the restoration guidance. I’ve immediately placed it in a bucket with fresh water. Unfortunately, it has already started to crack and “she’s”what looks like to the outside layer. I’m hopeful that it doesn’t break down any further. I’ve replaced the water every couple days. I’ve noticed that the surface of the water gets a sheen on its surface that resembles that of an oil slick but with a metallic look. Any idea what that’s from. I’ve also noticed that the surface is starting to get some surface rust even while under water. Should I leave that while it’s soaking?
Any thing else I should be doing while it’s soaking in the fresh water bath? I’m ordering the salt hydrometer off Amazon.

Not sure what you have done so far.

Okay, it is cracking, but is it fizzing at all?

if it is fizzing, get it outside and away from anything...that means it is still loaded, and there is a reaction with the air, saltwater, and the gunpowder.

Remove the ball from the freshwater bath, PAT it gently with a towel (do NOT scrub dry), and allow the iron to dry out THOROUGHLY, for at least 48 hours in a warm room on a tabletop (not down on the cool floor). Then, spray 4 "moderate" (not too thin, not too thick) coatings of MinWax Fast-Drying Polyurethane (Satin Finish, not Glossy), each coating being done about 30 minutes apart. (Available at WalMart for $7.50 per spraycan.) Note, because it's a ball, you'll have to do half of it at a time. To do the coating, lay down a spread-out newspaper, and set the ball upside-down (with the fuzehole downward) on a milkjug's soft plastic screwtop. Apply the 4 coats to the upper 2/3rds of the ball. About 2 hours after the final coat, turn the ball over and spray 4 coats onto the other half of it. (Remember, wait at least 30 minutes between each coating.)

The ball appears full, what about the process of removing what it is full of !?!?! Saline goes to 0, and the gunpowder? You gonna leave it full, and let it explode sometime later ?

AHIwC...The artefact looked like it WAS in very good shape....

on the shipwrecks forum, the is a professional restorer that has detailed the restoration of several of these types of grenades from a saltwater environment... rather than hack it, I suggest you add a thread to the shipwreck forum, and ask toms advice (before you blow yourself up)

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/s...-grenade-step-step-princess-maria-1686-a.html