A brass punch?

[gary s fl]

Detected this brass punch looking object in front of a 30s-50s era house in central FL. First thought was plumb bob, but ruled that out. Too crude with nothing to attach a string to. Best guess is it's a piece of brass junk or a crudely made DIY punch that was cut from a longer piece of stock using a cutting torch except that the point isn't blunted and anything but a wooden or rubber mallet would have smoothed the striking face. That, or the guy lost it in the front yard before he had a chance to use it. It does seem a little short for it's thickness to be a punch. The point looks as though it may have been brazed on. Non magnetic. 4" x 7/8" x 13/16". Weighs 12.3 oz.

 

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[rick67]

Looks like a picket from a fence or gate to me.

 

[relic nut]

Could be the end off of old copper soldier iron http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-VINTAGE-...-BLOW-TORCH-STEAM-FITTING-STEAM-PUNK-OLD-TOOL

 

[gary s fl]

Thanks relic nut. Does look a lot like it except for the applied tip with the excess roughness, and the evenness of the casting or cutting on the end opposite of the tip.

 

[gary s fl]

Could be, but it would have been a very costly and extremely heavy gate or fence even then. Thanks

 

[bradyboy]

the tip / pyramid end seems odd to me, looks like it was added to the square bar, Yes?
is it possible that you have 2 separate materials?
Why wouldn't this pc be shaped from a single bar?
I believe there a very limited metals that can be brazed together
Have worked with metal work, I think you have a fascinating find
did you test both ends with magnate?
Grounding rod?
Brady

 

[sutphin]

Try taking a file to the side of the point if it is a copper soldering tip you will know.I use soldering irons of this type in the roofing trade.Where the bar meets the head it is rough around the edges never noticed copper iron to look like that but there is always a first time and also where the bar for the handle attaches there seem to be no attach point. vanzutphen

 

[gary s fl]

Bradyboy. The tip does look like it was brazed to the main stock. The thickness of the joint is approx. 1/8" on three sides and a little over 5/32" on the fourth. I tested the body and the tip with an earth magnet and both tested negative (non-magnetic). The sides of the tip aren't exactly symmetrical as can be seen in the photos, but that's probably the case with many of the old copper soldering irons. I just don't think it was a soldering iron because of the applied tip and the overall coarseness of the body and tip surfaces, and the braze joint. There also isn't any unusual heat discoloration on the tip or body and they appear to be made from the same type of metal. It's possible it was the end of an early type of ground rod though I've never seen one shaped like this.

 

[gary s fl]

Sutphin. I may eventually do as you suggest if no one can solve what it is. I hate to alter anything I dig up unless I have to. Thanks

 

[sutphin]

I do know if they are not used for a time they will have the green patina, I would file a tiny spot where the handle connects for if it is an iron you will notice right away.It just looks different but is very close for an original.

 

[dieselram94]

Ok, I'll tell you exactly what that is. It's an old time soldering iron. The large pyramid part is a heat sink and would be heated very hot and the pointy rod part would carry the heat and is the business end of it. Occasionally I still use one of these. Cool find.


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[Ant]

The soldering rods that I have used were all solid, that looks like a decorative rot iron fence tip with a facade, jmo though.

 

[EasternShoreMetal]

Whatever it is, somebody used it as a splitter or something, the blunt end has been struck, and more than once.

 

[relic nut]

Hard to say what this is . Home made for sure. I would not think part of rot iron fence because it is not iron. I would not think this is a high value relic and would do what Sutphin suggest to know what kind of metal it is. I would want to know what it is so I could relate it to the history of the property, but that is just me . People do a lot of things to shoot there needs. We may never know what this is. That is what makes this hobby fun

 

[gary s fl]

Thanks guys for the input. Easternshoremetal, I think if the blunt end had been struck with something hard it would have flattened the many mini-dimples on the face. The excess metal sticking out from the two of the sides on the blunt end is different than the rolled over metal that often happens on larger steel chisels that are heavily struck. This excess metal appears to have been in a molten state when it was fused to the one side. The photos show where I filed both of the molten excess metal and the main stock. Both the main stock and the excess metal edges appear to be the same color which is closer looking to copper than brass. If this item had been part of a old soldering iron, wouldn't the copper iron have been brazed to the iron extension part of the handle? Can copper be fused to iron without using a brass welding rod? Do they make copper welding rods? Relic nut, your probably right that it isn't worth much if anything as a relic. I posted it mainly because it was an odd find. Again, I really appreciate all the input.

 

[relic nut]

gary s fl, I think this is a cool find. Still think it is an old soldering iron. Look at the pics, you can see how some are fastened on each side of iron. How I dont know, but seems to match yours

 

[EasternShoreMetal]

Thanks guys for the input. Easternshoremetal, I think if the blunt end had been struck with something hard it would have flattened the many mini-dimples on the face. The excess metal sticking out from the two of the sides on the blunt end is different than the rolled over metal that often happens on larger steel chisels that are heavily struck. This excess metal appears to have been in a molten state when it was fused to the one side. The photos show where I filed both of the molten excess metal and the main stock. Both the main stock and the excess metal edges appear to be the same color which is closer looking to copper than brass. If this item had been part of a old soldering iron, wouldn't the copper iron have been brazed to the iron extension part of the handle? Can copper be fused to iron without using a brass welding rod? Do they make copper welding rods? Relic nut, your probably right that it isn't worth much if anything as a relic. I posted it mainly because it was an odd find. Again, I really appreciate all the input.

I see what you mean with that closeup. I also went back to your earlier one, looked at the enlarged image of the flat top, and can see a ridge around it. I thought at first it was rolled from being struck and hit with something pretty rough. So much for all that.
Might not be worth much, but I love trying to figure out puzzle pcs. This is an interesting one. Other than perhaps a home made solder iron, not sure now.

 

[Ant]

IMO looking from my phone that is not mushroomed from being hit with a hammer, it looks nothing like the head of a used chisel, punch or drift.

 

[Tony in SC]

So do I. I think it is one that been cast but not smoothed out yet. The handle holes would be drilled in the sides. A brass or copper punch would be useless. I still use these old soldering irons in my hobby. Tony

gary s fl, I think this is a cool find. Still think it is an old soldering iron. Look at the pics, you can see how some are fastened on each side of iron. How I dont know,View attachment 1089793 but seems to match yours

 

[unclemac]

...pretty clearly the point of a blacksmiths soldering iron .....