Seems to be copper, but what the heck is it?

[deepbeep]

Sunday, I hunted an old school foundation. It was in the woods about 1/2 mile from the nearest road. The road that used to pass the school has been abandoned and is now a gasline cut. I was into the woods just off a hey field. I hit a total of about 5 of these in various conditions from smashed to rotted through. This one seems to be intact as original.

It is an open tube with some kind of "crimp" around the middle. Seems to be made of thin copper.

Thanks for looking,
Tim

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[CaptainRobin]

Couplings for copper pipe. Pipe would be inserted into both ends and then soldered for a leak proof seal.

Robin

 

[creskol]

My initial though is a drumstick holder

 

[deepbeep]

Robin,
Nope, these are way thinner copper than a pipe coupler. They also are slightly smaller than 1/2" pipe o.d. Plus, there would have been no interior plumbing in a building from this erea. There was a well in front of the old foundation.

Creskol,
Well, I have to give you credit for imagination....those ARE simular. I really doubt there were drum sticks or a band of any kind at this school though. It was a school that was in operation from about 1880 to about 1920 or so. I found it on a 1912 map, but the road was closed and abandoned in the early 1920's so there would have been no way to get the the school after that time. I could be wrong, but can't immagine anything but readin' ritin' and rithmatik at this school.

Tim

 

[DCMatt]

Possibly an eraser ferrule from those big fat pencils kids used to use in grade school? That might explain why you found many of them.

These are smaller, more modern pencils, but you see the part I'm referring to...

DCMatt

 

[deepbeep]

Matt.....
I had thought of that, and you could be right, but if that is what they are, they were much fatter pencils than typical. But, in early grades, I do remember extra fat pencils so they were easier to hold I think. Did the fatter ones have large erasers too? I can't remember that far back! lol

Tim

 

[traderoftreasures]

yes fat pencil . and yes they had fat erasers . but that may not be it.i don't really remember them being copper

 

[DCMatt]

Matt.....
I had thought of that, and you could be right, but if that is what they are, they were much fatter pencils than typical. But, in early grades, I do remember extra fat pencils so they were easier to hold I think. Did the fatter ones have large erasers too? I can't remember that far back! lol

Tim

I recall them having erasers. I also remember the hand-crank sharpener that could be adjusted for pencil size. Seems like there was a really big hole for the largest size.

As for the metal type could they be brass?

I can't find any info on the Net about the fat pencils. However, I did learn something. Did you know our word "rubber" comes from erasers - an item used to "rub" pencil marks from paper? According to what I read, it was the first practical application for the substance in Eurpoe (1700's).

DCMatt

 

[creskol]

In the photo using the dimes as a scale, it appears as though the tube is at least twice as long as the dime is wide, which would throw it into the 1 1/2 inch (plus or minus) range. That would seem to be a HUGH eraser brass for a mighty big pencil.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Can you get any clues from the other ones that you found? Could they be some kind of electrical crimp?

 

[traderoftreasures]

used to get fat pencils from new salem st. park petersburg, il.

 

[deepbeep]

BigCypress....don't think anything electrical, this place doen't look like it ever had electricity. There were no poles along the old road. The others I found were rotted pretty much clear through, or mashed flat. Nothing was inside any of them except dirt. They gave a solid penny signal. As I dug each one of them, I was sure it was a L.C.! dang it! lol

Tim

 

[DCMatt]

Still thinking about this one... Along similar lines to the "fat pencil", how about an artist's paintbrush? I saw some "high end" brushes that use copper ferrules. Of course, they come in all sizes.

DCMatt

 

[snaps]

Ive got an old pencil and the metal part on top is indeed copper. its 5/8 thick and 1 inch long, but its closed and ball shaped at the tip w/ a copper ring in the center so you can hang it on the wall.Its marked '' B.H. LAU & CO. YORK P.A.