Share your favorites on Show & Tell

Estate sale find.

In Tools and Hardware > Show & Tell.
Tools and Hardware230 of 9815recovered iron railing partsVintage pocket knife
4
Love it
0
Like it

dav2no1dav2no1 loves this.
WatchsearcherWatchsearcher loves this.
fortapachefortapache loves this.
vetraio50vetraio50 loves this.
See 2 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 2 years ago

    srarman
    (10 items)

    I aquired this item at an estate auction yesterday. It measures 6 inches long and the diameter is 3 inches. It weighs 7 pounds. I can tell by looking into the hole that the steel shell is about 3/8 inch thick and it is about 3/4 full of lead. There are no markings visible. I would like to know what it's purpose is. Thank you in advance for any serious comments.

    Unsolved Mystery

    Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.

    logo
    Tools and Hardware
    See all
     Elegant small bearded hatchet / axe combined with curved adze blade by mapsyst
    Elegant small bearded hatchet / ax...
    $87
    9pcs Keys BIG Large Antique Vintage old Brass Skeleton Lot for DIY Making Lock
    9pcs Keys BIG Large Antique Vintage...
    $8
    Antique Brass Double Front Mount Coat Hook Porcelain Knobs old classic vintage
    Antique Brass Double Front Mount Co...
    $6
    Vintage Wood Choping Axe Hatchet Head Viking Axe
    Vintage Wood Choping Axe Hatchet He...
    $52
    logo
     Elegant small bearded hatchet / axe combined with curved adze blade by mapsyst
    Elegant small bearded hatchet / ax...
    $87
    See all

    Comments

    1. AnythingObscure AnythingObscure, 2 years ago
      At first glance I'd have guessed a plumb bob, but that's probably too easy and your dimensions would make it somewhat too big for most of those, which I'd also think would more likely have some kind of maker's info visible. SO -- I'll now wonder if it could be a pendulum (or counterweight?) instead, from some kind of large (tower?) clock or clock-like mechanism where it wouldn't necessarily have been intended to be seen, thus maybe explaining both why it isn't decorative/decorated and why it would be made to have the lead inside it as means of 'tweaking' its precise weight...?
    2. srarman, 2 years ago
      The idea of it being a tower clock weight is intriguing. I'd thought of it being a large fishing net sinker but a counterweight is another possibility. Thank you for your input.
    3. Watchsearcher Watchsearcher, 2 years ago
      I think AO idea sounds logical. The hole could permit incremental increases in weight as necessary to achieve different weights.
    4. AnythingObscure AnythingObscure, 2 years ago
      That's exactly what I meant by that 'weight tweaking' comment, Watchsearcher. There's lots (comparatively) of machinery made for all sorts of purposes out there in the world, that otherwise includes in its mechanisms *some* variety of a part, the weight of which needs to be reasonably calibrated to some exact-ish amount, in order to allow the rest of the machine to perform some kind of an accurately repetitive (usually) motion. Clocks are easy examples to cite, also scales, but there are no doubt many more especially in industry. Making that key part to allow it to have a little extra weight added to (or removed from) it somehow (the lead on the inside here, that's one of the common ways to do it) accomplishes that engineering need handily, and/or can also allow periodic re-calibration if needed over time.



    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.