Found these metal balls (52 of them)

C

Coffee Cars & Cash

Greenie
Feb 11, 2009
14
0
A few years back I was driving around in Ames, IA in an area where a man made lake was beginning to be made. I wasn't hunting for anything, just walking around. I noticed something shiny so I dug it up. I found 51 more of these little metal balls. I cleaned them up and have had them sitting around for a long time. I've never known what they are, but always curious to know.

I have asked several people and I always get the same answer. Ball bearings. I always figured they were a bi-product of something being made.

They are slightly magnetic to each other, they vary in size and some have dimples.

Edit: Guesses so far
ball bearings (sizes differing too much?)
mill balls (too small?)
grape shot from a cannon shell


On a side note, has anyone seen a penny with its face popped out like that? :coffee2: - Solved - Magician coin sold in comic book. a dime fits in one side.


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Question: what sort of area did you find these? were they scattered over a larger area, say an acre or in close proximaty? Is their any type of machinery or history to the site?

Sasnz
 

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sasnz said:
Question: what sort of area did you find these? were they scattered over a larger area, say an acre or in close proximaty? Is their any type of machinery or history to the site?

Sasnz
Click to expand...

I found these around 8 years ago. I wasn't looking for anything, just walking around. I didn't even use any digging tools for these, just picked them from the top surface of the dirt.

There was some sort of old business there, but I didn't really look at it. I am sure if I dug around I could have gotten just as many as the guy in the other thread. Mine do look very much like his.

now the site looks like this
22_suburbia1.jpg
 

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Can you identify the type of metal? Did they have rust when dug? (steel or iron) or were they shiny? Older ball bearings would be steel. Shot also steel or iron. If dug shiny or easily wiped shiny they are not iron or steel unless not buried long. Some mill balls have 2 flat sides when made but looks like not all of yours have flats.
 

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What sort of product wold be manufactured/processed in a ball mill with such small balls?

I can understand the golf ball size, but still can't imagine what product they are for.

Thanks
rmptr
 

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taz42o said:
Can you identify the type of metal? Did they have rust when dug? (steel or iron) or were they shiny? Older ball bearings would be steel. Shot also steel or iron. If dug shiny or easily wiped shiny they are not iron or steel unless not buried long. Some mill balls have 2 flat sides when made but looks like not all of yours have flats.
Click to expand...

they aren't rusting. Some of them had lots of dirt caked on, but I don't think rust. I polished them up a long time ago and they have not rusted since.

I don't know metals well enough to know what they are.

No, not all of them have flat sides
 

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They definately look like some sort of alloy. Tin, antimony, lead, silver, copper mixed? Have you tried taking a regular propane torch to one to see if it melts?
 

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I suggest to put one outside for a few days out of the sun, wet it and see if it rusts. Also did anyone suggest trying a magnet?
 

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"Also did anyone suggest trying a magnet?"

That would be the easy way.
As for the balls, Mill is most likely correct, and from the flats on them it was hard material they were pulverizing, most likly some sort of ore and in rock to recover metal from. such is to pulverize it to dust to make getting metal out of raw ore practical. Any gold, silver, copper mines in the area??
 

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Hmmm. Very magnetic?

Sounds like a new project!

Set a good powerful magnet in a tupperware and drag it through the area they were found...

Might gt enough for a couple more years. ;D

rmptr
 

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Every now and then I get a chance to weigh in on something I have a little knowledge of. One of the questions asked here was what product would milling balls be used on? One answer is paint. Where I work we make automotive panels; doors, hoods, etc., and before they go out the door they are painted. It was told to me some years ago that our paint supplier at the time had shipped us a bad lot of paint, and they traced the problem to the fact they had recently changed out the milling balls that grind the dry ingredients before solvents are added. I can imagine there are any number of products that, if they have dry powder at some point of their existence, milling balls of various sizes or consistencies may be used. Just a thought...

Elmer
 

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72cheyenne said:
They look alot like silver solder beads/molten metal that cooled by dropping in water. Just a thought.
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I agree...they look alot like welding slag which dropped into the water from something being welded above.
 

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Welcome aboard, ElmerThudd!

Thanks for the explanation. Sounds good to me!

Seems you're a pretty wise fellow... You're in good company here in What is it?
Some queries are excellent challenges!

Best
rmptr
 

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UncleVinnys said:
That's what we call coprolite - - fossilized dinosaur doo-doo.
Although I'm not too sure about the dinosaur part.
OR the fossilized part either, for that matter. . .

:D



(joke!)
Click to expand...
is there an echo?
 

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