Slightly odd request but I need a couple of largish iron balls for some Science demos I want to do. Needs to be iron and not a problem if slightly rusty. Any ideas?
Iron balls!
- Thread starter Lithril
- Start date
I did think about industrial but they'd probably be stainless and I need iron. Small cannon balls would be ideal, around fist sized but larger isn't an issue.
Didn't think of reclamation yards, I'll have a look around and see what I can find around here.
Well, they are steel. The ones I have at home (Swedish SKF) are magnetic.
Iron as F ( pure Ferrum) will be difficult to source as the majority is alloyed to some degree.
Iron as F ( pure Ferrum) will be difficult to source as the majority is alloyed to some degree.
Maybe try and find some old shot put balls? Google seems to find fancy modern ones but I'm sure the ones we had in school were bare metal. http://www.proathletics.co.uk/throwing-products/shot_put/Turned_iron_shot
http://www.proathletics.co.uk/throwing-products/shot_put/cast_iron_shot
http://www.proathletics.co.uk/throwing-products/shot_put/cast_iron_shot
That might do it if I stripped the paint off.
Janne - Basically I'm going to wrap them in aluminium foil and hit them together, get a loud crack and a spark from an extremely localised thermite reaction, you can also hit them either side of a sheet of paper and burn through it. Been after something like this for a while for some school demonstrations.
Janne - Basically I'm going to wrap them in aluminium foil and hit them together, get a loud crack and a spark from an extremely localised thermite reaction, you can also hit them either side of a sheet of paper and burn through it. Been after something like this for a while for some school demonstrations.
Excellent experiment!
Why not get another piece of steel, like a piece of railway track, or a sledge hammer?
Wrap the sledgehammer head in alu foil, and smack against anither piece of steel?
Why not get another piece of steel, like a piece of railway track, or a sledge hammer?
Wrap the sledgehammer head in alu foil, and smack against anither piece of steel?
Do they need to be fully spherical for that to work? Could you use cast iron exercise weights instead? The flat round types and hit the round edges together.
Lithral ? look up petanque.
Old boules were often made of iron that's been painted.
There's a set in the press but they're so heavy that I'd be reluctant to post them to you.
Thing is though, they're often sold cheaply as a Summer game for beaches kind of thing and maybe someone near you has a set.
Regulation sets are expensive and are hollow and made of steel, afaik.
The only other iron balls that I know of are either the cast ones used for cannons or the ones used in old paint manufacturers....why they used iron I don't know
Anyway, there's someone on eBay selling a set of what looks like rusty boules.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cast-Iro...182994524560?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10
M
Old boules were often made of iron that's been painted.
There's a set in the press but they're so heavy that I'd be reluctant to post them to you.
Thing is though, they're often sold cheaply as a Summer game for beaches kind of thing and maybe someone near you has a set.
Regulation sets are expensive and are hollow and made of steel, afaik.
The only other iron balls that I know of are either the cast ones used for cannons or the ones used in old paint manufacturers....why they used iron I don't know
Anyway, there's someone on eBay selling a set of what looks like rusty boules.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cast-Iro...182994524560?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10
M
How about using some flat strips of wrought iron.
Use one as a striking plate then for the other attach a handle to turn it into an object that looks like a pick axe. You could radius the end as needed and also with the length of the handle it would help generate speed that may help with the reaction.
Just a thought.
Use one as a striking plate then for the other attach a handle to turn it into an object that looks like a pick axe. You could radius the end as needed and also with the length of the handle it would help generate speed that may help with the reaction.
Just a thought.
I see you are from Southampton area, Lithril. On each side of an old fashioned ship's binnacle was an iron ball (Known to seamen as Lord Kelvins balls....) officially corrector spheres. They bolted onto brackets and were adjustable to enable the magnetic compass within the Binnacle to be adjusted. If there is a friendly ship breakers in your area you may strike lucky, or even an antique dealer in nautical items. The balls simply unbolt, you may even be able to borrow them if you explain what you want them for.
Ships binnacles were fitted with soft Iron spheres each side of the mag compass, unless it was an aircraft carrier, which usually had just 1.
Maybe possible to find from a Nauticalia/Junk store.
Ceeg
Maybe possible to find from a Nauticalia/Junk store.
Ceeg
mild setel balls are quite a common thing for fabricators and blacksmiths t put on things like gates 
Here is one supplier:
https://www.brindley-steel-forging.co.uk/acatalog/Mild_Steel_Balls.html
Here is one supplier:
https://www.brindley-steel-forging.co.uk/acatalog/Mild_Steel_Balls.html
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