Skip to main content

Lead

Society: ASME Main Category: Mechanical Sub Category: Manufacturing Era: 1800-1829 DateCreated: 1807 New River Trail State Park Austinville State: VA Zip: 24312 Country: USA Website: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/manufacturing---1/-63-jackson-ferry-shot-tower-%281807%29 Creator: Jackson, Thomas , Watts, William
This facility was typical of others in the country that made small spherical lead shot for the fowling pieces of frontier settlers. Smelted lead from the nearby Austinville mines was melted at the top of the tower and poured through a sizing sieve to produce small droplets. Surface tension caused the molted lead to assume a spherical shape that solidified during its 150-foot fall. The shot was then collected in a water-filled kettle at the bottom of the shaft. The "drop process" was patented in England in 1769 by William Watts, a craftsman of Bristol, England.
YearAdded:
1981
Image Credit: Courtesy Wikipedia/Dr00bie (CC BY-SA 3.0) Image Caption: Jackson Ferry Shot Tower Era_date_from: 1807
Subscribe to Lead

Innovations

This facility was typical of others in the country that made small spherical lead shot for the fowling pieces of frontier settlers. Smelted lead from the nearby Austinville mines was melted at the top of the tower and poured through a sizing sieve to produce small droplets. Surface tension caused… Read More

We hope you enjoyed this essay.

Please support America's only magazine of the history of engineering and innovation, and the volunteers that sustain it with a donation to Invention & Technology.

Donate

Stay informed - subscribe to our newsletter.
The subscriber's email address.