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This is the most fun I've had since the pigs ate my little brother ::

Now you've got a tank full of elemental oxygen, yes? Assuming the hydrogen wafts away upwards and leaves the oxygen in the barrel.

And what is all this acid and soda doing to all that black powder presumedly lurking down there?

Of course what's really down there is a few pounds of gold coins, which should be shiny like new when you get them out.

Waiting with bated breath...
 
Black powder? Gold coins? Papers? ::

Probably nothing more than an empty rusty bore.

It doesn't seem very likely it would have been left loaded from the boat, or loaded when it was on public display. Even if it was left loaded, the barrel was probably tilted up, uncapped and collecting rain water. OTOH it's been a toy/ornament for 2-3 generations since then and boys will be boys.

I managed to push, hammer and twist a 2.5" long screwdriver blade in to the touch hole feeling for the suggested spike and I didn't find it :hmm:
 
Oh, what a party pooper. Must be midnight there now - did you just hear something go 'bump' in the garage?
 
Squire Robin,

This has really been one of the keeper threads here. I too am consumed with curiosity concerning what is behind that ball.

Cheers, Bill
 
The barrel., and ball do look alot cleaner now. I think its on its way out! :thumbsup:
 
The barrel., and ball do look alot cleaner now. I think its on its way out! :thumbsup:

Good morning and another progress (or lack of it) report :(

I'm moving house and the guns are in the new house on the other side of town, don't have room for them here. Went over first thing this morning only to find the bulb had gone out.

No current = No rust removal, washing soda doesn't remove rust without a bit of encouragement.

I cut a blade on the end of a 3/4" nylon rod and tried chopping down the side of the ball to help the electrolyte get where I want it, but that didn't help. Finally traced it to the battery charger clip attached to the ring on the cascabel, moved that a bit and the bulb glowed red.

I'll have another look at lunch time :thumbsup:
 
I know cut the barrel down the middle and remove the ball then weld it back together. :shake: Ok on second thought that may not be a good idea :kid:
 
The bulb went out!

Aggghhhhh

Robin you are teasing us man!

GoF
 
We need a web cam setup! :hmm:

Tricky things web cams, but there has been progress :what:

Still stuck so I cleaned it all out with a pressure washer, the electrolyte was clear but lots of black gunge came with it.

The iron bar I am pulling with was eroding at the threads so we needed a new idea pronto. Decided to try pushing it down so we dropped a 40mm iron bar onto the ball and hit it with the sledge hammer. Wonder of wonders, it seemed to move :shocking:

Pulled on it and it came back up and stuck again. Went with the iron bar again and marked it this time, drove the ball down slightly over an inch. Won't pull it back until I've removed the rust ring with electrolysis.

First filled the space below with water, because it's not sealed by the ball anymore, put in the washing soda, turned on the power and left it to fizz. I'll give it a couple of hours then go back for another look :thumbsup:
 
If you don't hurry and get that ball out, I'm going to start calling you names and insulting your gender. You're killing me with suspense. Not that I have any better ideas on how to get it out, I'm just a complainer. I can't help it, it's just the Generation X in me.

SP
 
Well now wait a minute. He's telling us the vent isn't plugged and the ball moves . . . time to dribble some fine powder in that vent and shoot that ball outta there! A little dry-wall patch and some new siding on the garage wall would be easier than all this electrolyticsyssiphus stuff.
 
Go, Squire, GO!!! I have to admit that I was only casually following the thread until you mentioned the ball in it. I was intrigued by how you were going to pull it. Sounds like fun!!

If you can push the ball back an inch, a cylinder hone and a slide hammer would solve the issue fairly quickly I would think...
 
If you don't hurry and get that ball out, I'm going to start calling you names and insulting your gender

It's a girl, 5 lbs, 5 ounces, 3.5" or thereabouts.

You probably aren't going to like this, but underneath it was just a rusty bore. What an anti-climax! Where's me treasure?? :cry:

c9.jpg
 
Hip Hip Hurray. Well done. Now on too phase 2. Lets see some smoke and fire. :thumbsup:
 
YEEEEE HAR again.

Well done :applause:

Two cannons and something to shoot (which should whistle as it flies through the air) - what could be finer :thumbsup:
 
Way to go Squire !!!! I knew you could do it, all you need was me threatening to start the name calling. Are we going to see the ball on E-bay, melted down and made into minie balls, or mailed to me because I'm your favorite?

SP

cigar.jpg
Cigars all around.....
 
Well, There couldn't hae been anything behind the ball after all the gunk you put in there!!!!

Actually, HUZZAH!!!

Cheers, Bill
 
Squire Robin

Is that a solid ball? In the picture it looks like there's a small round plug to the right and a little above your threaded hole. I have a solid 3 1/2 inch ball and it weights 7 pounds, that's a good bit more than yours at a bit over 5 pounds.
 
Is that a solid ball? In the picture it looks like there's a small round plug to the right and a little above your threaded hole.

You have excellent eyesight :applause:

That's actually my first attempt to drill the ball, the bit skated off centre and I had to start over.

A 6 lb cast iron ball would be 3.56" diameter but this one has lost serious weight to rust, must have been down there at least 50 years, maybe 90.

I have found a long iron bar to put down the hole and use as my new anode. Tomorrow I will start electrolysing the whole bore :thumbsup:
 
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