Musket Ball Mold... ++Updated Picture++

[Swartzie]

I was out this morning looking for signs of a military expedition that came through the area in 1764 http://www.ohiohistorycentral.com/entry.php?rec=485&nm=Bouquets-Expedition. Think I may have found a mold for making musket balls. Pretty cool. I included a 1/2" rifle ball in the picture right next to the mold. Found the ball last summer about 100 feet from the mold. So, I think I may be in the right location. It's on public hunting ground too which is really good. Unlimited access. Also, included a picture from a Revolutionary War collector's book. It resembles the third one from the left. There was also an expedition through here in 1778 so it could even be from that. She's a bit crusty. I'll try a bit of electrolysis on it.

-Swartzie

Update: Ball mold has been cleaned as much as I can comfortably clean it. Any more cleaning will have to wait until I get more experience.

 

[Imnengr]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Nice! That's a cool piece of history. Let us see it cleaned up. How deep was it buried?

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

That will clean up very well!

 

[2bits]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Bullet molds are an excellent find! Good luck on the rest of that area.
HH

 

[Brian(upstateNY-Central Fla.)]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Looks good

 

[romeo-1]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Great find...something on my list for sure!

 

[mainer]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Sweet find, sure would love to see it cleaned up.

 

[vayank54]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

That's a nice one and like has already been said should clean up well.

 

[jgas]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Nice, very nice.... jgas

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Outstanding !!

Keep @ it and HH !!

 

[NHBandit]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Very cool find. Soaking in a mix of 1 part molasses to 5 parts water works amazingly well on steel & iron. It's used fairly commonly by car restoration guys on really rusty engine parts, etc. It's the phosphoric acid in the molasses that makes the magic. Take a trip to your local feed store and get some & try it on some of your rusty junk steel first. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

 

[Swartzie]

Re: Musket Ball Mold...

Nice! That's a cool piece of history. Let us see it cleaned up. How deep was it buried?

She's cooking in the electro tank right now. I'll post a picture once it's clean. It was only 4-5 inches deep. From now on I'll have to be extra careful digging iron out there. I have a tendency to get careless after digging junk for a couple hours. Now that I'm pretty sure I'm in the right spot it'll be slow and easy digging.

-Swartzie

 

[Swartzie]

Update: Ball mold has been cleaned as much as I can comfortably clean it. Any more cleaning will have to wait until I get more experience. I would hate to ruin such a cool find for me.

-Swartzie

 

[{Sentinel}]

Thats a GREAT find to a Colonial and Civil War relic hunter such as myself. I am pretty much an expert on electroylsis

so if you need any help or pointers on how to 'cook' it don't hesitate to ask....I even have photos of some of the

tanks that I've set up that can help give you a real sense of what it looks like better than just describing it to you.....

Anyway, congrats and good thing you dig those nice IRON signals.....I try to tell people all the time that there ARE

nice iron relics to be had....this's just an example of that

 

[bradfish31]

I found a musket ball mold very similar to this today at Fishdam Ford in Chester, SC. It was about 4 inches down. This was my first time out to a skirmish site with a detector and I am now hooked for life!

 

[Valley Ranger]

Neat!

 

[CSA2K]

Very cool!

 

[Giant056]

Awesome score on the bullet mold I've always wanted to find a bullet mold

 

[panhandler]

lol the phosphrus in the molasses allso doubles the size of flower Buds

 

[CMDiamonddawg]

Great relic , hammer that area for more stuff CMD