First a small introduction to who I am. In 1978 I formed the 1777 period Lamb’s New York Provincial Artillery in the midwestern states. I not only command this unit still, but also command the French unit called Lauzun’s Legion, a segment of artillery of the 1781 period.
With the many conditions we face weatherwise while firing artillery, the use of quills has worked very well, not only for their speed but for safety as well.
Period Quills
The early quills were just that, made from the tips of goose feathers. Thus the name which we now apply to them.
The illustrations of this type of quill show how it was constructed. First the quill is cut into about a 2-inch length. Next the quill’s cut end is cleaned out and left with about a half-inch or less of the cut end shaved in half leaving a lip (Figure A). The tip of this quill is then cut so that just a small hole is left at its base. The next step is to bend the tab at the top backwards forming a lip (Figure B).
Now here is where I cheat a little. Taking a little white glue I coat the bent back tab and sprinkle some 4F powder on it. The final step is to fill the remaining portion of the quill with 4F powder. You may lose a little out the bottom at first but a slight tamping down will stop this.
For those who tend to carry this loose I suggest mixing a thick paste of linseed oil and 4F powder. Application of a small quantity at the top of the open end left to dry will keep the loose powder from coming out.
The bent portion of the quill will keep the powder from falling down some cannon’s vent, as well as making the glued-on powder accessible to the linstock’s fire. Figure C is a front view of finished quill.
The drawback to using quills is they are not cheap unless one has access to goose feathers.
Modern Quills
Following is a list of things you will need to manufacture these quills. Strange as it may seem, these quills are as fast as the Civil War friction primers and much cheaper.
I use tracing paper, as it is thinner. This step is necessary only if you do not have access to paper straws.
Needed supplies: tracing paper, two-sided tape or stick glue (Scotch), scissors, 3/4-inch self-stick circles (usually found in sheets), 1/8-inch Scotch tape, hole punch, small darning needle approximate diameter 3/64 inch, knitting needle smaller than the cannon’s vent, (approximate 1/8 inch diameter) and white glue.
Construction of the paper straw follows unless you have access to paper straws:
Cut the tracing paper into 2-inch by 5-1/2-inch pieces.
Place the two-faced glue along the areas marked in Figure 1.
Next take the knitting needle and at a slight angle overlap the knitting needle with the small tip and roll up towards the glued top. This forms the basic straw body as shown in Figure 2.
Now that the straw has been made, use the scissors to cut both fragile ends off and cut in half, as shown in Figure 3.
Next take the circles and punch a hole in their center, then cut one edge as shown in Figure 4. (This is optional if you prefer flat. I prefer the cone shape.)
Fold one part of the circle over the next to make a cone shape. One cone should have the sticky side inward, the other outward.
Later the two glued cones will be stuck to each other, as show in Figure 6.
Now take the straw and make three cuts at one end and bend back the three pieces to form a star-like effect as shown in the top view in Figure 5.
The final step in forming the quill follows. Take the cone with the glued inside and run it up the straw till it rests against the split end of the straw. Lining up the holes, take the other cone, which has the sticky outside, and put them together as shown in Figure 6.
The final product should look like Figure 7.
The next step is to take some white glue and coat the top of the cone and dip it into some 4F powder and let it dry.
The next step uses the two-sided Scotch tape. Coat one sticky side except for a half-inch with 4F powder. It should look really dirty but not solid black.
Affix the sticky side that is untouched by the powder to the darning needle the long way as shown in Figure 8.
Now run the darning needle with the powdered tape down the quill from the cone side as shown in Figure 9.
Leave about 1/8 to 1/4 inch above the top of the cone and snip it off even with the base of the straw as shown in Figure 10.
I know this looks like a lot of work, but several people sitting together can make about 70 to 100 in about an hour. Even more could be made if you have paper straws already and if you do not split the circles and form the cones.
These quills are hot enough when fired to burn through the foil on a poorly punctured cannon round.
Any questions can be forwarded to LAMBSARTY@aol.com