weighing loads in 18th century?

[CrossXstix]

If I remember right, from what I read many, many moons ago, the weight of powder was set by the weight of water, because it was said that water weight was consistent. Water was weighted on a pecise scale, then poured into a volume container and marked. Then powder was poured in until it reached the mark. Various weight volume containers could then be produced. May or may not be true, but sounds fesable. X. David

 

[George]

That would probably work, because water weighs the same as black powder. You wouldn't have to worry about powder blowing up while you worked making the measures, at least.

Spence

 

[tenngun]

Yup. Powder was often sold ' by the pint' 2 lbs powder. But be carful. I was once told by an historian that they shot an ounce of powder under an ounce of shot, that would be 430 grains of powder, whew. He was from Spain and had some trouble with ounce and ounce. Also he had never shot a gun in his life. Was pretty sure that a musket ball fell to the ground at 100 yards. He's response to my experince was that modern ml couldn't be compared with ' real guns'

 

[coloradoclyde]

Ummm! you guys aren't' making sense....or I'm missing something.

The old saying is..."a pint's a pound the world around." not 2 pounds :shocked2:

Converting back and forth from weight to volume is going to get you in trouble.... serious bakers measure flour by weight not volume because the granulation size, air volume and moisture content all vary.

As for water and powder weighing the same... :hmm: I'll have to look into that.....

 

[tenngun]

I spent about 6 weeks in the Bridger national forest in Wyoming after getting out of the navy. I didn't want to carry lose cans so I poured 8 lbs in to a gallon antifreeze jug. Not hc but water proof. It's not quite 1:1 but it's close

 

[George]

As for water and powder weighing the same... :hmm: I'll have to look into that.....

We'll expect a report. :wink:

I'll go first. I have an antler tip measure which holds a weighed 88 grains of 3F. I filled it with water and weighed that, came to 88+.

Spence

 

[Zonie]

... I didn't want to carry lose cans so I poured 8 lbs in to a gallon antifreeze jug. Not hc but water proof. It's not quite 1:1 but it's close

Sounds like a good way to kill yourself.
Antifreeze is poisonous. Even the residue after rinsing a container out can ruin your kidneys.

Anyway, back to the weighing subject.

Yes, the old phrase is, "A pints a pound, the world round." but I don't know why anyone would use water to figure out the volume needed to measure black powder.
The old balance beam scale and measured weights to be used on it has been around for centuries. :hmm:

 

[coloradoclyde]

As for water and powder weighing the same... :hmm: I'll have to look into that.....

We'll expect a report. :wink:

I'll go first. I have an antler tip measure which holds a weighed 88 grains of 3F. I filled it with water and weighed that, came to 88+.

Spence

Indeed ...I am curios.. :grin:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I didn't want to carry lose cans so I poured 8 lbs in to a gallon antifreeze jug

Let's see .... :hmm: you said:

Yup. Powder was often sold ' by the pint' 2 lbs powder.

There are 8 pints to a gallon.....
A Gallon of water weighs 8.43 pounds
If we eliminate the .43 pounds for easy math
8 pounds /8 pints = 1 pound per pint
Not 2 pounds per pint....

I think your dyslexia got the best of you... :v

 

[coloradoclyde]

Sounds like a good way to kill yourself.
Antifreeze is poisonous. Even the residue after rinsing a container out can ruin your kidneys.

Indeed...back then it was probably ethylene glycol.. very toxic.

Today it would probably be propylene glycol.. which has been approved as a food additive.
Because of its low chronic oral toxicity, propylene glycol was classified by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) for use as a direct food additive, including frozen foods such as ice cream and frozen desserts.

Of course I have to ask " what the "f" is "low chronic oral toxicity" :shocked2:

 

[tenngun]

I spent about 6 weeks in the Bridger national forest in Wyoming after getting out of the navy. I didn't want to carry lose cans so I poured 8 lbs in to a gallon antifreeze jug. Not hc but water proof. It's not quite 1:1 but it's close

I missed typed it was one pound per pint, sloopy fingers

 

[coloradoclyde]

I figured that was the case.... it happens to all of us.... :thumbsup: :haha:

 

[George]

I missed typed it was one pound per pint, sloopy fingers

That's good, because 2 pounds can be dangerous. :grin:

THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
"July 24, 1736
Charleston, South Carolina
On the 8th Inst. a sad Misfortune happened at Wiltown, Mr. Welsh who kept Store there, having weighed two lb. of Gun -powder and put it in a Paper upon the Counter, another Man came in to light his Pipe and letting some of the Fire upon the Paper, the Powder in it, went off immediately and set one Barril with Powder which was under the Counter and another over against it in Fire at once, which blew up the House, whereby Mr. Welsh and a Boy were kill'd, and a great many Persons that were then in and about the House, miserably hurt and burnt."

How did he weigh it? :grin:

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

Spence......You never cease to amaze me with your quotes.... :hatsoff:

 

[George]

Should have used that one in the recent thread where some were arguing pipe smoking isn't dangerous. :grin:

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

Sadly, I know more people who have died from smoking related diseases than Guns, wars, and cars.... :td:

 

[tiger13]

I missed typed it was one pound per pint, sloopy fingers

That's good, because 2 pounds can be dangerous. :grin:

THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
"July 24, 1736
Charleston, South Carolina
On the 8th Inst. a sad Misfortune happened at Wiltown, Mr. Welsh who kept Store there, having weighed two lb. of Gun -powder and put it in a Paper upon the Counter, another Man came in to light his Pipe and letting some of the Fire upon the Paper, the Powder in it, went off immediately and set one Barril with Powder which was under the Counter and another over against it in Fire at once, which blew up the House, whereby Mr. Welsh and a Boy were kill'd, and a great many Persons that were then in and about the House, miserably hurt and burnt."

How did he weigh it? :grin:

Spence

That's all for that one boys.... :hmm:

 

[Dean2]

... I didn't want to carry lose cans so I poured 8 lbs in to a gallon antifreeze jug. Not hc but water proof. It's not quite 1:1 but it's close

Sounds like a good way to kill yourself.
Antifreeze is poisonous. Even the residue after rinsing a container out can ruin your kidneys.

I think you need to re-read what he posted. He put 8 Lbs of gun powder in an old antifreeze jug. Unless he is using the powder like pepper I have no idea how that could ruin his Kidneys or kill him.

He was attempting to provide evidence that 8 lbs of powder weighs about the same as the 1 gal liquid volume occupied.

 

[tenngun]

... I didn't want to carry lose cans so I poured 8 lbs in to a gallon antifreeze jug. Not hc but water proof. It's not quite 1:1 but it's close

Sounds like a good way to kill yourself.
Antifreeze is poisonous. Even the residue after rinsing a container out can ruin your kidneys.

Anyway, back to the weighing subject.

Yes, the old phrase is, "A pints a pound, the world round." but I don't know why anyone would use water to figure out the volume needed to measure black powder.
The old balance beam scale and measured weights to be used on it has been around for centuries. :hmm:

Going back in history we see the use of things any one could try as a basis for weights and measures. A cubit or a talant as an example. The yard or the fathom would vary from person to person. Water will vary in weight from pure water to creek water to salt water, and temp, but in practical terms using an ounce of fluid as a basis for a pound was an easy way any one any where could check out a weight. Thus it would be easy for a mind to switch back and forth from a pound to a pint.

 

[Zonie]

You are right about tenngun pouring powder into the anti-freeze jug.

I'm not sure why I got the idea he was talking about water. I guess it is because several other posts were talking about water and it's weight.

Or, it might have been a brain fart. :redface:

Those things have a bad habit of sneaking out just when you don't suspect it. :shocked2: