3 Mystery Objects

[pcolaboy]

Today I decided to actually sort through my loot that I've found over the last few months and clean up a few pieces. I could use your help attempting to identify.

From left to right lets identify these objects as "A", "B", and "C"

This picture shows the reverse side of objects "A" and "B" with object "C" standing on end to show detail of the threading. Note that this side of object "A" is shown in the condition it was found.

This picture has objects "A" and "B" on their sides.


BACKGROUND
Item A: Very heavy and most likely cast iron. I removed the surface scaling on one side for material determination. Note the inward curve on the left hand side. This item was found near a former brick kiln that was in operation from the late 1700's - mid 1800's. It was buried nearly a foot in heavy peat type of soil.

Item B: This item was found in an area that was used as a shipyard for sailing vessels from the early 1700's until the mid 1800's. It was found approx. 8 inches down in the sand adjacent to old iron ship fasteners such as spikes, rods, etc. It appears to be made of some sort of iron or steel but is rather delicate.

Item C: This item was found in a more residential waterfront area dating from the early 1800's until present. It is most certainly brass or bronze and require no cleaning other than soap and water. Note the initials "HJC" stamped near the top of the nutted surface. I'm guessing it was some sort of water hose nozzle especially since there are threads within the nutted area.

Any ideas on what these may be would be greatly appreciated. My gut tells me that object "A" is probably the oldest of the finds based upon where it was found and its depth within this solid soil type.

Thanks

Pcolaboy

 

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[TreasureTales]

LOL, please don't take this personally BUT I think you have what I would call junque. Scrap value might be something to consider. LOL, your items look so much like the stuff I have in a box in the garage - junque. Please, I mean no personal insults, but sometimes a skunk is a skunk. (Now watch, somebody is gonna come along and prove the things are from the Civil War and worth thousands - just like on Antiques Roadshow, I always get the values wrong.)

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Item C may be old, but it is just an inside threaded pipe fitting with a soldered copper pipe piece; such as from a hot water heater.

 

[pcolaboy]

LOL, please don't take this personally BUT I think you have what I would call junque.

No insult taken!!! It was recommended to me (not so politely) that I thin out my growing heap of "relics" by the domestic goddess. I don't MD just to find things of monetary value but I know that item "A" is very, very old and would love to know what it was used for even if it is a 200 year old piece of junk.

Thanks for the replies

Pcola

 

[TreasureTales]

Thanks for taking my first post in the spirit in which is was given - friendly ribbing.

You're absolutely right, IMO, about the first item being very old. Could have been used for just about anything, though, because it has a generic form to it. The center item reminds me of a wishbone! LOL Sorry I can't add anything useful about your stuff, but it's interesting to see all the varieties of metal whatsits we find in our hunts.
HAPPY HUNTING.

 

[trikikiwi]

Kia Ora pcolaboy, from Mike in New Zealand, great finds but they do remind me of plumbing bits. Article B looks (from the pic) like part of a shackle, Article C - is a crox nut, as used in copper plumbing, with some plumbing still attached. Article A, looks familiar, a counterweight of some sort? again, could be connected to a cistern's plumbing. Cheers, Mike

 

[trikikiwi]

Actually Article B now reminds me of the pivot arm for the ballcock on a cistern. pcolaboy I think you have found what Archie Bunker used to describe as a terlit! Cheers, Mike

 

[jeff of pa]

hand made Fishing Weight.

 

[pcolaboy]

Thanks for the great additional replies.

I certainly think that item "A" was used as a weight of some type such as ballast, counterweight, etc. I think that it may be a little to large and heavy to have been made for the purpose of fishing however, unless it was used to sink a crab trap or net. The item is also too blunt to have been used as a farm tool such as a hoe. I think that I'll never know for sure unless I see a similar one still in use for its purpose.

It's fun to wonder though.

Thanks again,

Pcolaboy

 

[capt_t]

pcolaboy, was thinking "A" might be a crude sounding weight (used in measuring the depth of water on older ships) Photo attached is of sounding weights used by most ships.
capt_t

 

[russau]

the object to the right of the first picture"item C" is a cap that covers a refridgeration valve on a A/C compressor. yep its junk!

 

[Urban Prospector]

Item C looks like a tip for a welding torch , are there holes in the tapered end.Item a is a wedge or cog possibly had a rod going through the hole to lift/push it into position notice more wear on the side w/ contact.

 

[ivan salis]

my guess is that A is a "crude" sounding weight. just my 2 cents.

 

[pcolaboy]

Thanks again for the great replies. Item "A" will be retained as a door stop, Item "B" will most likely end up in the trash, and Item "C" goes in my salvage copper bin.

 

[fyrfighter17]

item b looks like uhmmmm cant think of the name but you solder it to the end of a wire to make a connection you'd loosen a screw slide that piece in then tighten the screw making an electrical connection

 

[Functional]

Item "A" appears to be a wedge, or locking pin, to hold some sort of door closed. To open the door, you insert a bar through the hole and pry up to release the pin/wedge, (and stand back). It could also have been used to hold two halves of a mold together and when removed, the halves could be separated.

Good a guess as any.

F.

 

[pcolaboy]

Item "A" appears to be a wedge, or locking pin, to hold some sort of door closed. To open the door, you insert a bar through the hole and pry up to release the pin/wedge, (and stand back). It could also have been used to hold two halves of a mold together and when removed, the halves could be separated.

Good a guess as any.

F.

Your last suggestion makes more sense than anything else I've thought of. As I mentioned in the first post, the immediate surrounding area of where I found this was an old English/Spanish/American brick kiln that began in the late 1760's and ended operation either just before or during the Civil War.

I haven't been back out to the site in a while due to it's remoteness and lack of time to hike in there but I will be soon.

Thanks again everyone,

Pcolaboy

 

[Kilika]

Item A looks like a counter balance weight used inside a window frame to keep the window open once it has been raised. My house was built in 1914, and had some of these still in place before we replaced the windows. They fit in a groove down the sides of the windows, with a cord attached at the top of the weight, then went through a pulley and attached to the window. Mine were a little more finely made, so maybe yours is dated earlier, but it looks to be about the same size/weight. Mine were also made of iron, not too pretty, but very functional. Just another possibility. thanks for posting pic's.

Kilika

 

[MD Dog]

B looks like an oar lock for a very small boat

 

[bill gent]

cant see but c looks like a percussion nipple for a gun or cannon