Shadowing the Shell Hunter

A ten-inch confederate cannonball, likely fired during the Battle of Battery Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina.

A collection of hotchkiss shells now rendered harmless.

Simons Young’s now-inert parrott shell, unearthed during a home renovation.

The Big Iron Man uses a wire bruch to polish a disarmed shell.

A shell under water during electrolusis.

One-half of a confederate cannonball.

Each barrel holds a single disarmed shell during the electrolysis process.

The Big Iron Man in his workshop with a rare set of 485-pound union cannonballs.

Historic photos in his collection show a fearsome arsenal.