Keith
Hunter
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 1,002 
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Post by Keith on Feb 17, 2020 0:17:09 GMT -7
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Post by artificer on Feb 17, 2020 6:30:49 GMT -7
GREAT Post, Keith !!!
Had not run into much on Sheep Foot Oil before. I wonder if it is still available to be purchased.
I REALLY enjoyed the description of how they kept the bores of the great guns free from rust at sea and that was and is NO easy chore to do to this day. .
I was wondering, do you happen to have anything on what they made the black paint from. with which they coated the outsides of the great gun barrels? I ask this in part because on active duty, I was an Ordnance Officer for a U.S. Marine Artillery Battalion (even though I was Enlisted) and keeping rust off the guns was a real chore even in Southern California, let alone when they took them aboard ship.
Gus
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Post by brokennock on Mar 3, 2020 22:50:31 GMT -7
Great topic. I note that nothing is mentioned on how to best remove the oily rust preventing substances from the bore when it is time to shoot. I imagine it would take considerable time to clean out a bore filled with lard.
I also notice that they plugged both holes of the cannon. I do the same with my flintlock guns. I plug the flash hole with a toothpick coated with my oil and beeswax combo and the muzzle gets corked if I anticipate long storage, if I'll be shooting or hunting within a week or so, a balled up piece of flannel or old chamois shirt is stuffed in the muzzle, balled up so as to create a tight fit. This also serves to catch any excess oil that may be in the bore as my guns hang on the wall at a slightly muzzle down angle.
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Post by hawkeyes on Mar 6, 2020 6:14:44 GMT -7
Phenomenal post Keith, thank you for sharing my friend.
Article 172 caught my eye, I'll have to try this with my foot oil. I've used ballistol for years and love it. However, to maintain a more period approach I've exclusively switched to pure foot oil and haven't looked back, foot oil and mink tallow for me! Also been using tow and worm through the years, I'll never go back to a jag and patch.
Have you tried the method described in article 172?
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Post by hawkeyes on Mar 6, 2020 6:36:27 GMT -7
Great topic. I note that nothing is mentioned on how to best remove the oily rust preventing substances from the bore when it is time to shoot. I imagine it would take considerable time to clean out a bore filled with lard. A wonderful mild abrasive is purely water mixed with wood ash, this works to remove light rust spotting very well and for polishing. |
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