Folks, how do I clean these?

[scottfromgeorgia]

Did some digging on the site of the new high school just a few blocks from the Confederate ramparts here in Atlanta. Another digger found a canister ball.

These bits and pieces are washed down to the concretion. What is the easiest way to clean them further to see what's inside?

[Steve Phillips]

I suggest a rock tumbler with rough gravel and water.

[divedigger]

get Carl to show you or explain how to clean with electrolysis

[Selma Hunter]

Scott,

Try this just for fun.  Get a 64 Oz bottle of full strength coca cola.  Submerge a piece of your iron overnight.  Re-fresh coke and repeat.  Let me know how you make out with that one. 

[pipedreamer65]

Just for you Scott, I suggest a hammer and chisel, followed up by some fine dental tools.  Shouldn't take too long

[scottfromgeorgia]

THanks, folks... I don't know about the Coke, though.

This red clay concretion is hard as rock - quite difficult to chisel off particularly when the pieces are small.

[speedenforcer]

put them in your bbq grill on your hot coals

[scottfromgeorgia]

Why?

[speedenforcer]

not nearly as good as electrolysis but will work h heard about it and tried it. it works ok.

[Jim Martin]

then i quench them in old motor oil.  works pretty decently.  i would not do this on nicer pieces  if there is a fuse or sabot. quenching turns lron dark

[scottfromgeorgia]

OK, for you rascals sniggering about my little lumps of clay, I found this today at the same site.

My question is this: is it an iron case shot or a Hotchkiss cannister shot? It fits perfectly into the depressions left on a Hotchkiss base, but I can't find the exact dimensions.

[emike123]

The Hotchkiss canister come with several different balls in them (all the same in each round).  The smallest shot I know of in a 3" Hotchkiss canister is 0.65" lead balls, then 0.80", 0.95" and 1.15" iron balls.

[scottfromgeorgia]

Thanks, Mike. My ball seems to come from a Confederate 12 pound shell. See pic - this Reb 12 pound sideloader has case shot exactly the same size.

[scottfromgeorgia]

Sorry, I realized later that my example above is bogus. If you cut through a shell, you can slice through the case shot at any point - and this ball might not be cut exactly at the half way point. So measuring it is pointless. Sorry!

[speedenforcer]

Nice side loader 1/2 shell