Tom_Restorer
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- Oct 5, 2009
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- #21
Hi Tom
Is it a hand grenade or an explosive cannonball?
mvh
Rüdiger
It is a hand grenade Rüdiger.
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Hi Tom
Is it a hand grenade or an explosive cannonball?
mvh
Rüdiger
Tom
When you test fire it please collect the pieces and let us look at the results.
Just kidding!!!!!!!!
Wow that is so friggin cool !!! Beautiful piece !! Great restoration work tom.
an amazing find. This was found on land?
I imagine the tar help protect this from the elements, correct?
Any idea on the wood material type the plug is made from?
Concerning the weld, any speculation on how this weld was completed in the 1686 time frame? Today such a weld may be harder due to being heat treated but in 1686 would this welding process be hot enough to heat treat the material as much, or just enough to bond together the halves?
I am guessing the wooden plug was pounded in before filling with powder and the whole thing was filled through the hole in the plug, and the wrap and rope used to help ensure that the detonation blew the cast into fragments (not popped out the plug). Insert plug, fill, wrap and secure... The cast shell looks crude, why the cracks? Intentional weakness? Pretty dangerous looking device
So the wooden plug functions not just to seal the device but to provide a shielded path for ignition down to the center of the black powder charge. I was thinking that it was installed first as otherwise the part that extends into the grenade would compress the charge and might be dangerous - but it would be more difficult to fill with the plug in place. I am guessing oak for the plug, but any hard, dense wood would probably be suitable.
Looks like a ring-porous hardwood, narrow rays of one size. Maybe locust or ash? Hard to be sure from the picture.