Iron spike

[IronSpike]

Found this iron spike/tool or huge square nail in the woods. Any ideas what it is?

 

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[seger98]

Welcome to Treasure Net, is it all square? I've found a few things that kinda look simular that I believe surveyors use!

 

[dozer dan]

looks like part of a wedge and feather. you drill holes in a big rock in a line,
there would be 2 long pieces of flat iron (feathers) inserted into each hole,
then the steel spike (wedge) you have pictured, would be driven down between
the 2 flat pcs and cause the rock to split along the line of holes.
primitive but effective way to cut rock.

 

[lumbercamp]

Might be a cribbing spike to fasten logs together.

 

[kuger]

I have dug some big square nails but that takes the cake!!!I really like it,that would look awesome in the corner of my display room!!!

 

[deepskyal]

Any old retaining walls around there?

We used some pretty big modern spikes to build walls from RR ties.

Al

 

[IronSpike]

The spike is tapered.

No visual walls at location (small hilly forest with a rocky creek nearby). In past and now have gotten very few signals, but now also better access due to season. I'll check location some more as to whether this a fluke.

I like the Wedge & Feather explanation.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Good call on the railroad spike. http://images.google.com/imgres?img...=130&prev=/images?q=railroad+spike&hl=en&sa=G

 

[kuger]

That doesnt look like any railroad spike I have ever seen?Its 2 feet long!!!The link has a picture of a spike that is tapered differently?This one looks just like a giant square nail

 

[bradyboy]

agree with the feather thinking
Maybe for splitting / spreading granite or slate slabs?
Brady

 

[dozer dan]

i see the green check mark, but what was the right answer?

the one in the picture above has a head on it.

the one in the link looks like it was just mushroomed from hammering.

 

[IronSpike]

I'm not sure we'll ever be able to establish 100% positive ID. As far as I'm concerned your explanation Wedge & Feather makes the most sense.

Thanks Dozer Dan for the ID

 

[kuger]

For what its worth I have used feathers and I am pretty sure what you have is not.

 

[aa battery]

just saw this and i found 1 just like it last year at a WW2 airbase. Mine was a couple inches shorter and i thought it was a tool

 

[IronSpike]

Yeah, but then again this spike appear to be before your time

I'll remove the check mark. What's your call: square nail?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Awfully large nail but thats what it looks like. It resembles some smaller nails I found. I think its still a mystery as to its use.

 

[IronSpike]

Big Cypress you may have nailed it and that it will remain a mystery

aa Battery do you have a picture of your nail/tool?

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

The spike is tapered.
No visual walls at location (small hilly forest with a rocky creek nearby). In past and now have gotten very few signals, but now also better access due to season. I'll check location some more as to whether this a fluke.

I found one that looks exactly like that a few days ago.... And there was "No visual walls at location (small hilly forest with a rocky creek nearby)." Same as yours. Now, is that a coincidence? The one thing I can say that was different is that there was an old bridge that crossed the creek there at one time. The rock for the foundation of the bridge is still there. I hope that might add a little light on the situation.

DANGLANGLEY

 

[IronSpike]

Might be a cribbing spike to fasten logs together.

That's it Great ID lumbercamp

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,311541.0.html