parsonwalker
Bronze Member
Had a good day in the trenches with a couple of bullets, a shell frag and some bullets in wood - 4 "bucks" (from buck-and-ball loads) and a .69 cal roundball. All these were from union trenches, presumably from the trees soldiers would pile on top of earthworks.
I've never seen a "how to" regarding preparation of BIW for display, so I thought I'd share what I do.
When you find a piece of wood in a trench or on a battlefield that produces a signal, a bullet inside is likely. But what do you do to display it? In the old days, some guys pried the bullets OUT! But they are worth far more, and are far more interesting, still in the tree.
Here's how one was found. It's the wood under the shovel.
Let's start with a "buck." Looked like this when found:
Gently brush loose dirt away and look for a natural crack, or a good place to split the piece WITH the grain.
Start splitting or "peeling" away the wood, looking for the bullet. You don't want to CUT it,as you might cut the bullet, destroy the patina, and expose shiny lead. You want to SPLIT or PEEL the wood away in VERY thin strips until the bullet is exposed. Just a tiny thin sliver at a time. Patience here will pay off later.
The wood splits better after it has had a few days to dry out, BUT you run the risk of the shrunken wood allowing the bullet to fall out. I like to expose the lead when the wood is still damp. You have to choose a time to QUIT which might be difficult. You want a good display, but go too far, and it falls out. I chose to quit here:
Some people might think this is a lot of trouble to go to for just a buck, but I love ANY bullet in wood from a trench. Here's another, before and after:
And here's the .69 cal ball, in the process, and where I stopped:
I will let these dry out for a few days, and then CAREFULLY immerse them in SATIN FINISH polyurethane to stabilize them. remember, once dry, the bullets may be loose and ready to dislodge. I made a tiny "cradle" out of screen to immerse them in the poly. They look good in your display!
Here's my take for the day-
I've never seen a "how to" regarding preparation of BIW for display, so I thought I'd share what I do.
When you find a piece of wood in a trench or on a battlefield that produces a signal, a bullet inside is likely. But what do you do to display it? In the old days, some guys pried the bullets OUT! But they are worth far more, and are far more interesting, still in the tree.
Here's how one was found. It's the wood under the shovel.
Let's start with a "buck." Looked like this when found:
Gently brush loose dirt away and look for a natural crack, or a good place to split the piece WITH the grain.
Start splitting or "peeling" away the wood, looking for the bullet. You don't want to CUT it,as you might cut the bullet, destroy the patina, and expose shiny lead. You want to SPLIT or PEEL the wood away in VERY thin strips until the bullet is exposed. Just a tiny thin sliver at a time. Patience here will pay off later.
The wood splits better after it has had a few days to dry out, BUT you run the risk of the shrunken wood allowing the bullet to fall out. I like to expose the lead when the wood is still damp. You have to choose a time to QUIT which might be difficult. You want a good display, but go too far, and it falls out. I chose to quit here:
Some people might think this is a lot of trouble to go to for just a buck, but I love ANY bullet in wood from a trench. Here's another, before and after:
And here's the .69 cal ball, in the process, and where I stopped:
I will let these dry out for a few days, and then CAREFULLY immerse them in SATIN FINISH polyurethane to stabilize them. remember, once dry, the bullets may be loose and ready to dislodge. I made a tiny "cradle" out of screen to immerse them in the poly. They look good in your display!
Here's my take for the day-
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lets say Virginia, to let me come hunt with them!
