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Paper mache grenades


MorganTyre

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The following is a quote from "The Sea Gunner" circa 1691:

There is good use made of Hand-Granadoes in Assaults and Boarding of Ships; these are made upon a Mould made of Twine, and covered over with Cartridge Paper and Musket Bullets cut in two, put with Past and bits of Paper thick on the out-side. After you have doubled the Shells, past on some at a time, and let it dry, and put some more until it be quite full; then dip it in scalding Rossen or Pitch and hang it up and it is for your use: But you must have the innermost end of the Twine left out, and before you pitch it you must draw out the Twine and stop the hole, and then pitch it.

To Load them, fill these shells with Gun-Powder, then make a Fuze of one pound of Gun-Powder and six Ounces of Salt-Petre and one of Charcoal, and fill the Fuze; then knock it up to the head within one quarter of an inch, which is only to find it by night.

Stop the rest of the holes well with soft Wax; your first Shells must be coated with Pitch and Hurds lest it should break with the fall; and be sure when you have fired the Fuze, suddenly cast it out of your hand, and it will do good execution.

I think I remember these being discussed in the old grenade thread but I don't recall anyone having made any. These seem cheap, easy to knock together, and documentable from a period source. Has anyone tried making any? The description just sounds like simple paper mache.

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sounds like something m'self and a friend used to do with small balloons filled with black powder for really BIG fireworks!!! we didn't include the halved balls though( for obvious reasons) We just would use about a thick paste of paper mache made from tiny confetti sized shredded office paper and wheat paste applied about an inch thick allover the balloons allow to dry for several days until we were quite sure the paper was totally dry. We would paint them black with a red band around them. When we were ready to make one hell of a few BANGS we would then make a hole with an icepick and insert 3 inches of fuse ...light them and toss them as far as we could out into a field and wait for the sound and fury.....BOOM!!!!!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
The following is a quote from "The Sea Gunner" circa 1691:

There is good use made of Hand-Granadoes in Assaults and Boarding of Ships; these are made upon a Mould made of Twine, and covered over with Cartridge Paper and Musket Bullets cut in two, put with Past and bits of Paper thick on the out-side. After you have doubled the Shells, past on some at a time, and let it dry, and put some more until it be quite full; then dip it in scalding Rossen or Pitch and hang it up and it is for your use: But you must have the innermost end of the Twine left out, and before you pitch it you must draw out the Twine and stop the hole, and then pitch it.

To Load them, fill these shells with Gun-Powder, then make a Fuze of one pound of Gun-Powder and six Ounces of Salt-Petre and one of Charcoal, and fill the Fuze; then knock it up to the head within one quarter of an inch, which is only to find it by night.

Stop the rest of the holes well with soft Wax; your first Shells must be coated with Pitch and Hurds lest it should break with the fall; and be sure when you have fired the Fuze, suddenly cast it out of your hand, and it will do good execution.

I think I remember these being discussed in the old grenade thread but I don't recall anyone having made any. These seem cheap, easy to knock together, and documentable from a period source. Has anyone tried making any? The description just sounds like simple paper mache.

Note, it should me mentioned I'm talking about replica grenades - not actually live with gunpowder. I'm thinking crushed charcoal to get the look of the gunpowder. I think I'll try my hand at a few.

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Note, it should me mentioned I'm talking about replica grenades - not actually live with gunpowder. I'm thinking crushed charcoal to get the look of the gunpowder. I think I'll try my hand at a few.

sure...take all the fun oughtta bein a pyrate!?!?! -_-

i was kinda thinkin fer display purposeses..... :blink: ....tho tryin one out!?!?!.....hmmmm -_-

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