✅ SOLVED It’s killing me....

[LByles]

Y’all might see me here quite often. My OCD goes haywire when I can’t ID something and my imagination likes to take charge on stuff we find! So to all the pros, any ideas? Hunting Civil War and plantation areas. Imagination says something used to mold bullets (thanks to the movie The Patriot lol). Truth of the item?

 

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[broken_detector]

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Y’all might see me here quite often. My OCD goes haywire when I can’t ID something and my imagination likes to take charge on stuff we find! So to all the pros, any ideas? Hunting Civil War and plantation areas. Imagination says something used to mold bullets (thanks to the movie The Patriot lol). Truth of the item?

Not sure but that would have been a hell of a bullet if it was actually a bullet mold. To big I think tho

 

[creskol]

It looks like part of the clamp that attaches a sickle bar mower to the pitman arm.

 

[smokeythecat]

Creskol is correct, it's a modern (20th century) clamp. Similar ones were also used for electrical purposes and another similar use is to hold a large round bearing in place on equipment.

 

[broken_detector]

Or an old tongue or socket wrench

 

[bowwinkles]

How about a plain old vintage automotive ball joint half.

 

[LByles]

Ah the mower thing would make sense. That's why we look to y'all! Google isn't helping me, but could someone show me what that looks like? Just curious.

 

[civil_war22]

I’m going with a socket wrench missing it’s guts. I’ve got one, that is similar in shape, including the hole below. The cheaper ones like those will rust quickly, and sometimes had a plastic handle, with super thin metal under it.

 

[LByles]

Well while we’re on a roll, how about this thing? Found in same area. Been in vinegar for over a week. Just ordered a thing to make an electrolysis tub to clean it up some more.

 

[civil_war22]

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Well while we’re on a roll, how about this thing? Found in same area. Been in vinegar for over a week. Just ordered a thing to make an electrolysis tub to clean it up some more.

That one actually looks like a knife handle. I’d be interested to see what it looks like when it’s cleaned up. If you’ve got an old cell phone charger you can make a homemade electrolysis bath, with that, a washer, and a old plastic coffee container.

 

[LByles]

That one actually looks like a knife handle. I’d be interested to see what it looks like when it’s cleaned up. If you’ve got an old cell phone charger you can make a homemade electrolysis bath, with that, a washer, and a old plastic coffee container.

I had actually found that on a forum here and just ordered two of those chargers that have the alligator clips on them! Finding manual battery charges has been a complete fail. My house smells like nothing but apple cider vinegar and my hands and nails are stained from that and rust lol Hoping I can make this electrolysis work.

 

[Tony in SC]

It's the removable half of a ball joint housing. Used late 1800s up to model T's.

 

[LByles]

It's the removable half of a ball joint housing. Used late 1800s up to model T's.

Any pics of what that looks like?

 

[civil_war22]

I had actually found that on a forum here and just ordered two of those chargers that have the alligator clips on them! Finding manual battery charges has been a complete fail. My house smells like nothing but apple cider vinegar and my hands and nails are stained from that and rust lol Hoping I can make this electrolysis work.

It’s easy to do, and easy to make one. Be sure to well ventilate you’re area of the house because Stainless steel can be used because this material seems to last longer and cleans easier. BUT, concerns have been raised which propose that as the electrode breaks down, the chromium in stainless steel becomes a compound (hexavalent chromium) which ends up in the liquid (or as a gas in the bubbles) and there is the potential for the mist from the bath to become airborne and inhaled. LONG TERM exposure to the skin has been related to skin disorders and LONG TERM inhalation of fumes has been linked to lung cancer. So if you use stainless, the pieces of dirt, debris, and dust at the bottom of your cleaning solution when you dumb it out dump it out in an area away from the house, with your face pointed the opposite direction. You don’t want chromium in your eyes or your lungs.

 

[LByles]

It’s easy to do, and easy to make one. Be sure to well ventilate you’re area of the house because Stainless steel can be used because this material seems to last longer and cleans easier. BUT, concerns have been raised which propose that as the electrode breaks down, the chromium in stainless steel becomes a compound (hexavalent chromium) which ends up in the liquid (or as a gas in the bubbles) and there is the potential for the mist from the bath to become airborne and inhaled. LONG TERM exposure to the skin has been related to skin disorders and LONG TERM inhalation of fumes has been linked to lung cancer. So if you use stainless, the pieces of dirt, debris, and dust at the bottom of your cleaning solution when you dumb it out dump it out in an area away from the house, with your face pointed the opposite direction. You don’t want chromium in your eyes or your lungs.

Good to know! I did see about fumes/gases being flammable as well? I was going to make sure to set it up outside under the carport.

 

[civil_war22]

Good to know! I did see about fumes/gases being flammable as well? I was going to make sure to set it up outside under the carport.

Yep. It’s not like the Hindenburg going up, but it will produce Hydrogen, and oxygen from the bubbles.

 

[ticndig]

or you could use mild steel such as rebar or any old chunk of steel and avoid the toxic soup created by stainless.
I use plain ole rebar scraps , they work good.

 

[civil_war22]

or you could use mild steel such as rebar or any old chunk of steel and avoid the toxic soup created by stainless.
I use plain ole rebar scraps , they work good.

I was going to mention that but I’m eating, you can use copper or even brass, but I’ve had them corrode quicker.

 

[ticndig]

here's some good info

Electrolysis Cleaning Method

 

[civil_war22]

Everyone’s method of electrolysis is different, I have used phone chargers, batteries, and even trickle chargers. I’ve also used different electrolytes as well. Just research, and between trial, and error you’ll get a method that suits you best. I don’t particularly worry about using stainless since I do mine outside, with a trickle charger you’ve got amps that aren’t too high or low, and use a old stainless spoon. Be sure to get rubber gloves. That way you’ll be able to keep hands clean of your cruddy water. Plus sometimes during electrolysis, when you pull them out sometimes depending on what sludge is coming off, or what electrolyte you use it can become slick, and if it drops off your alligator clips you won’t have to get your hands dirty digging down in it