Cannon Balls!

[ricky5042]

Hi All
here are a few pics of my first attempt at casting prb for my .665" cannon
The mould is a jeff tanner mould and it seems to work perfectly!
Let me know what you think of the close up pic please

Rick

 

[rafterob]

Looks like you've got a lot of balls :grin: H ave fun shooting them.

 

[ChrisPer]

For a cannon? That lot should last a while.

Your close up is a nice pic but the flaws I can see are hard to figure. One looks like a split due to cold shut or a shrinkage pipe, another as though there were a grain of sand in the mold that the lead couldn't wet.

On the other hand, the ball appears shiny and to have filled the mold out generally so you are likely not too cold in the metal.

My suggestions: fill the mold in a smooth continuous pour, making sure that no slag or grit is involved. A bottom pour pot like the Lee electric pot is helpful, but a good closed-spout ladle like the RCBS lead ladle should work fine too.

If you fluxed the lead with borax, the borax might create those flaws. It isn't right for this job. Use a little piece of candle wax for flux (be aware it bursts into flame, don't put in a lot).

 

[ricky5042]

Hi ChrisPer
Thanks for the input
At present all I have is a standard soup ladle and even when I flux it, there still looks like there is some crud in the pour!
I do flux and scrap off the manure from the top of the lead!
I am looking into getting an electric pot or an RCBS Lead Dipper.

Rick

 

[ChrisPer]

The ladle will be the reason. I don't have a Lee production pot, just the RCBS ladle, a small stainless saucepan and an LP gas camping stove. The floaters don't present to the pour when you use the nozzle style lead ladle.

But this is minor - let us hear how firing the cannon goes!

 

[ricky5042]

Hi
Iv just ordered the RCBS Dipper so the next ones should be better
I will indeed keep you informed as to how they did when I fire my cannon

Rick

 

You may want to weigh those one by one. You don't want any voids/air pockets ruining your day.

 

[ricky5042]

Hi
Iv weighed a few with some old scales and they were within .1 of a gram! but I have just received some franklin arsenal 750 digi scales so I will weigh the rest and see if there all the same/similar weight

Rick

 

[Col. Batguano]

close enough.

With artillery, that counts!

 

[ricky5042]

Hi all
Iv re weighed the balls I cast from my jeff tanner mould and here are the results from the 50 I weighed!
Scales are Frankford Arsenal DS-750 Electronic Powder Scale.
The balls are .650"
Highest was 408.0gns
Lowest was 397.5gns
The majority were between 404.0gns to 406.5gns
which I didn't think was to bad
what do you all think?
Regards

Rick