Best tool to grind rust off a cannonball

[Iron Patch]

Getting rid of the rust on the outside won't fix your problem. You have to stop the rust on the inside. There's only two ways I know of to do that, electrolisis or fire. You can perform electrolisis on it for a few days and will convert the rust inside and out. Or you can heat the ball till it is glowing cherry red make sure to heat it all the way threw. Absolutly never heat a ball that may have powder left in it. There is a chance that the cracks could get worse if you try these techniqes, but they will definately get worse if you do nothing. If you just clean the outside and donn't stop the rust inside you will eventually have a 3 peice ball . Doing nothing like some people suggest would not be an option for me.

yes, I was sort of thinking that's the case, but really question if it will hold up to electrolysis. I guess I might as well take the all or nothing approach and do it because it probably is the only chance i have.

 

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[Davers]

Good Luck with stopping that " from the inside out thing" seems to me it would be a real pain.

and as for the Rust-Oleum product .( I would not want a black Vintage Cannon Ball)

Sounds to me like you got the right idea ; just get what rust off that you can , and seal it using the method you like best.

It should last long enough to pass on to the Gran Kids. Or at least until you accidentally drop it on a concrete floor. lol

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Hey IP,
just a thought, not sure if it would work on cannonballs..... Nice cannon ball, btw.
Vinegar. I use vinegar to soak decades of rust off old horse shoes. Cleans them back up to the original metal.
I soak them overnight in a 5 gallon bucket, then hit em with a wire brush.
Like I said, don't know what it would do to your cannonball, but it's sure great on horse shoes.

 

[Davers]

Is the ball a Solid Shot or did it once contain powder?
I,m assuming it's Solid.

 

[Iron Patch]

Is the ball a Solid Shot or did it once contain powder?
I,m assuming it's Solid.

yes, it's solid.

 

[Davers]

IMP.
Electrolysis will remove 99% + of the rust.
If it were mine & being the" worry wart" that I am.
The only reason I would not try electrolysis is that I would not want to Drill a Small hole in it to get a great connection .
I would (try) to get a Good connection without doing that ( maybe by stuffing the stranded copper wire into the largest crack or flattening the end of half ( of one of the mouths of the alligator clips ) & sticking it in one of the cracks, For a good connection..(I Would Not Think ) it would make any of the cracks any larger.

Then after the process ,( I would) use a wire brush (tooth brush style) and get all the rust out of the cracks as possible ,then seal it with (Tung oil).
Then again the Apple Cider Vinegar method " may" work just as well ( just take a-lot longer).
So it's up to you ..
I wish you success ,using whatever method you choose .
Good Luck.......
Davers

 

[golden ray]

If the balls came from salt water (got all mine from the FL. keys area) you will
most likely be able to save only 1 out of 6. The years of soaking up water & salt
will defeat you. The best method I ever found was to place them on a brick in
the toilet tank. 3 months or so will usually be enough time to flush out most of
the salt. When exposed to air is when the cracking/splitting starts. I spray any
good ones with a poly spray, let dry, and display or place in my fish tank.

 

[Dug]

IMP.
Electrolysis will remove 99% + of the rust.
I would (try) to get a Good connection without doing that ( maybe by stuffing the stranded copper wire into the largest crack or flattening the end of half ( of one of the mouths of the alligator clips ) & sticking it in one of the cracks, For a good connection..(I Would Not Think ) it would make any of the cracks any larger.

Davers

I picked up a large metal C clamp from the flea market and removed the small pad from it's support ball, backed the screw shaft out, sharpened the ball to a point and re-inserted the screw shaft and use it on large objects that I don't want to drill holes in.

I had a 32 pound solid shot that I thought I had run through electolysis enough. Even tapped it with a rock pick hammer listening for dead spots. I lacqured it and put it in my display cabinet. About 2 years later I was dusting out my cabinet and much to my horror discovered several eruptions. Had to remove the lacquer and do it all over. This time instead of lacquer I used crystalline wax that I bought off ebay (noticed a lot of museums use it, probably for good reason). Heated up the ball in the oven and then used a small propane torch to melt the wax on like water and then wipe it off excess with a dry rag. Just like my intention of living forever, so far so good.

 

[Tnmountains]

It's a French 12 pounder. My gut feeling is even is sealing it will not stop the cracking like it would with something like pewter, but I'll try.

I.P… I see your concerns. As the rust continues the ball will expand for sure. I know you have used electrolysis a lot as I have. I have been finding that instead of cooking the ball you may want a liquid that will penetrate the cracks and clean it to bare metal. I have been experimenting with simple white vinegar on heavily rusted canister shot with great results. It would permeate the cracks and gently clean it out to be sealed. Here is results on a recent find and encrusted item. It did perfect..

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/c...olysis-vs-apple-cider-vinegar-vs-vinegar.html

Man that piece sure could split .

 

[Citiboy289]

I totally agree with hvacker...you will ruin it by trying to make it 'prettier'. Consider the frequent error of shining up old silver coins with silver polish...a beginner's mistake.

That rust indicates its authenticity and age.

AVOID THE URGE DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO IT --- Or just wipe it with a HOPPS 9 silicone cloth they are usually in the sporting good department

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Getting rid of the rust on the outside won't fix your problem. You have to stop the rust on the inside. There's only two ways I know of to do that, electrolisis or fire. You can perform electrolisis on it for a few days and will convert the rust inside and out. Or you can heat the ball till it is glowing cherry red make sure to heat it all the way threw. Absolutly never heat a ball that may have powder left in it. There is a chance that the cracks could get worse if you try these techniqes, but they will definately get worse if you do nothing. If you just clean the outside and donn't stop the rust inside you will eventually have a 3 peice ball . Doing nothing like some people suggest would not be an option for me.

Wouldn't heating it to a glowing cherry red just make it expand and then contract and just make the cracking worse, that was a technique I used to use for removing rusted on bolts when I worked in an auto shop and if it is rusting in the cracks it would seem you need to treat with a liquid rust inhibitor that can get into the cracks.

 

[pwcguy]

Wouldn't heating it to a glowing cherry red just make it expand and then contract and just make the cracking worse, that was a technique I used to use for removing rusted on bolts when I worked in an auto shop and if it is rusting in the cracks it would seem you need to treat with a liquid rust inhibitor that can get into the cracks.

There is a chance of the crack getting worse. Proballly the same chance that would have if doing electrolosis. I think that heating it converts the rust more thoroughly but with larger items you might not have the equipment to get it that hot. There is no way to get a liquid rust inhibitor to penetrate all the way through. I would do electrolosis on this item. I wouldn't drill hole in it though. Just take a C-clamp that will fit aound the ball and pull the woble plate off and file the screw to a point then clamp the ball. I've done this on several items now and it works great. and to the people that think this ruins an item or that it's just done to make it look pretty, your wrong. It's about preserving history. Ithink if nothing is done to this cannon ball it will fall apart. Maybe not tomorow but maybe in six months maybe six years.

 

[pwcguy]

I.P… I see your concerns. As the rust continues the ball will expand for sure. I know you have used electrolysis a lot as I have. I have been finding that instead of cooking the ball you may want a liquid that will penetrate the cracks and clean it to bare metal. I have been experimenting with simple white vinegar on heavily rusted canister shot with great results. It would permeate the cracks and gently clean it out to be sealed. Here is results on a recent find and encrusted item. It did perfect.. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/c...olysis-vs-apple-cider-vinegar-vs-vinegar.html Man that piece sure could split .

The vinegar soak looks like a easy method with nice results. I'll have to try it on some items. Have you had any results that you were less than happy with using the vinegar?

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

There is a chance of the crack getting worse. Proballly the same chance that would have if doing electrolosis. I think that heating it converts the rust more thoroughly but with larger items you might not have the equipment to get it that hot. There is no way to get a liquid rust inhibitor to penetrate all the way through. I would do electrolosis on this item. I wouldn't drill hole in it though. Just take a C-clamp that will fit aound the ball and pull the woble plate off and file the screw to a point then clamp the ball. I've done this on several items now and it works great. and to the people that think this ruins an item or that it's just done to make it look pretty, your wrong. It's about preserving history. Ithink if nothing is done to this cannon ball it will fall apart. Maybe not tomorow but maybe in six months maybe six years.

Thank You and I agree on the preservation to leave the rust on it would be letting it continue to deteriorate.It needs to be preserved so future generations can learn from the past.

 

[Tnmountains]

The vinegar soak looks like a easy method with nice results. I'll have to try it on some items. Have you had any results that you were less than happy with using the vinegar?

Only using the apple cider vinegar. It was a bubbly foaming black mess. I am going to do an enfield lock plate and a trade axe next. I hope to pull out some writing. I have over cooked with electrolysis and think as others mentioned that just plain vinegar is very kind to the piece you are restoring. Its slower but it has never over done anything yet. Not all iron is equal is why I am becoming a fan.

 

[Citiboy289]

You can always try this Restoration Projects I have had success with Locks,, and pistol frames, Its listed under RUST/ Molasses

 

[Frankn]

The easy way.
Soak it in water for a week.
Use a steel welders wire brush on it every day.
At the end of the week, bake it in the oven, below 212 for a couple of hours.
Coat it with the Rustoliem rust killing primer. About 3 coats.
Finish it with several coats of flat black Rustoliem paint.

Thats how I finished my blacksmith ax head. Frank...

 

[mountainplayer]

I'm not certain that this video is going to show the right technique for your piece, but it seems like it's worth considering. You might even consider contacting Beau and asking for his advice. Dude seems to have a lot of experience in preserving iron relics.



MP

 

[Mach1Pilot]

I also like the vinegar thing... Once i had a small Wisconsin single cylinder engine that was locked up.... soaked it in kerosene, PB blaster,and other pentrating fluids without success over the course of about a year. Someone told me about vinegar... so I filled the top end through the spark plug hole with white vinegar. After about three hours, I could turn it over by hand!

Maybe - just maybe - it could get inside those cracks and stop the rust. Hope you can keep it in one piece!

 

[mope540]

I'm by no means an expert on restoring CW relics, and you have something that is definitely a keeper and worth saving.....but i will mention that muriatic acid will remove every bit of that rust scale. I have used it for many years to descale automotive parts for restorations...works like a charm on brake drums. Mix the acid 50/50 with water in a 5 gallon bucket and carefully lower the item into the solution...it may take hours, it may take a day, but the rust will be gone. After soaking is complete rinse it well and dry it immediately afterwards, and coat it. Pitting will be present where the rust has eaten away the metal.