Need help iding this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

[Muddy Treats]

Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

Hello, I'm posting this for a friend. He dug up this very heavy metal bar about 2 years ago. It was located at 1 foot deep next to what used to be a railroad track. The track is now gone. He thinks it is silver mixed with some kind of other metal. We tested it using a silver acid test from a coin store. We think the results are showing there is silver in this thing. I took pictures of him testing some shavings from it. He drilled a hole through it to get some clean shavings from it. It needs a good cleaning. Does anyone know of a safe way of cleaning it? The bar weighs almost 56lbs. It is 10.5 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 1 3/4 inch thick.
Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

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The last picture are the directions for the silver acid test.

 

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[Muddy Treats]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

"the metal is SOFT and very easy to dril through. It couldn't be nickel?

Since it is so soft it sounds alot like "low carbon" or mild steel. Steel with a low carbon content has properties similar to iron. It's cheap compared to carbon steel and is used where hardness is not needed.

I'll check into this too, it makes sense. I'm for certain it isn't worth much at all but try telling him that. haha.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

It looks rusted and pitted. I thought the shavings were from drilling with a case hardened drill bit. If it is ferrous, I wonder what a piece that large would be used for on or near a railroad track?

 

[findstuf]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

It looks rusted and pitted. I thought the shavings were from drilling with a case hardened drill bit. If it is ferrous, I wonder what a piece that large would be used for on or near a railroad track?

I agree, it looks like an old rusted, pitted piece of scrap whatever metal. I still think he needs to spark test it. Just take an angle grinder and grind it.... look at the spark patterns. super easy.

 

[Muddy Treats]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

It is pitted. What kind of spark patterns are we suppose to look for?

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

The spark patterns pictured on the link that Findstuf provided in reply#12. Better yet take and post of picture of the spark test.

 

[boogeyman]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

Anyone thought of a pig? Could be a pig going to or from a foundry?!?

 

[allen_idaho]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

Have you considered Molybdenum?

 

[Rasputin]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

Looks like an old machinist's plate that is corroded and pitted. That's my WAG anyway.

 

[Tnmountains]

Re: Need help id'ing this 55lb metal bar. Thanks!

fyi, if that is tungsten carbide scrap... it's worth about $250. big if. They did use tungsten carbide tampers on r/r.

EDIT: it's soft?, there are only a handfull of metals with a specific gravity that high. Are your dimensions and weights correct? or are they rough guesses?

The tampers we used on the RR were pointed or serrated.I am wondering is it was not maybe in the shock sytem of the RR car ?lol I do not know for sure,Hope he sells it for lots of money though.
TnMtns