Stone ball mold

[peter]

Antique french ball mold

[Tim Crosby]

 That's neat, have you ever tried it out? Be interesting to see what you'd get. What size it?

    Tim

[Tanselman]

Very interesting ball mold with great color and condition. It makes me wonder how they got the molten lead all the way down to the bottom holes/molds without having it start to set up. That's a long way [and narrow track] for molten lead to travel, so I'm wondering if they warmed/heated the mold before casting??? Shelby Gallien

[peter]

Shelby When you put them togheter its wide enough to pour lead in

[Daniel Coats]

Looks great thanks for letting us see it! Must be quite a bit of cleanup after a pour.  Grapeshot for cannon maybe?

[MuskratMike]

WOW! A true piece of history for sure. thank you for sharing it with us.

[acorn20]

A very unique find indeed.  I also had thoughts of grapeshot.  Thanks for posting.

[mr. no gold]

Be nice to know where this very unique mold turned up. It could be indigenous to the New World which could put it back in the 17th or 18th century. The stone could probably be sourced as well. In some respects it appears to be made by a Euro individual, but some features might be indicative of American Indian work. Great find! Thank you for showing it,
Dick

[Hungry Horse]

That reminds me of a soapstone button mold I saw in a museum, that had been found in a revolutionary war campsite. I was so intrigued that I went home and made one. It was surprisingly easy, and made nice pewter buttons. The real trick to these stone molds is to give them a long slow warm up before you pour molten metal into them.

  Hungry Horse

[Tim Crosby]

  I an beginning to wonder if it has anything to do with making shot for a gun of any kind. The depressions in the mold, the haves don't look to me like they would make a round ball, not deep enough, at the bottom, last hole, there is a small cannel like the ones that join the other cavities making another spru that would have to be cleaned up. All together a Lot of work to get then cleaned up and round enough to even use as Buckshot. Could it have used to make weights for fish nets? 

  Tim C.