✅ SOLVED Some type of metal fragments

[Unclegreene]

So i was metal detecting in my front yard and i came across these small pieces of metal, all in separate spots. Unfortunately I do not have a scale to weigh them but they feel quite heavy for their size. They are also not magnetic.
The photos below show the fragments before i cleaned them and after while they were slightly dampened. The following link has something that looks similar (slag). Do you think this is the same thing or do you have any other suggestions as to what it could be?

 

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[burglarifyoulike]

Probably items that were in a fire and melted, I'm guessing

 

[Breezie]

They look like lead fragments/dropping from lead soldering; perhaps when old plumbing pipes were soldered together. WELCOME to the forum. Breezie

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Hope you do not have old copper water pipes and that was used to solder them.
If so get them tested for lead which is toxic - The romans liked it in their goblets as the wine taster sweeter.
But then you know what happened to their empire.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Definitely melted metal from a fire. Most often nowadays, "drippy" metal blobs like those are from are melted aluminum cans. But you say they are heavy for their size, which excludes aluminum. So, they are most likely lead or lead-tin solder. Pure lead is heavy but thin pieces are soft, easily bend-able. Lead-Tin solder is also heavy but is much harder. In the time before aluminum cans became commonplace, "tin cans" (actually, tin-plated iron/steel sheetmetal) had lead-soldered seams, and in the 20th-Century, lead-tin soldered seams, which when placed in a hot-enough fire would melt to form driplet-blobs like what you found. A campfire or trash-burning fire isn't hot enough to melt iron/steel (approximately 2,795-degrees Fahrenheit), but it can melt aluminum (1,220-degrees Fahrenheit) and pure-lead and lead-tin solder (variable, but melt at less than 1,000-degrees Fahrenheit).

 

[Unclegreene]

the original builder of the house was a slate roofer.... they dont seem to be lead (i studied plumbing in Highschool) but then again ive never delt with lead thats been buried. when tapped together then tend to make more of a ringing noise.

 

[mical66]

try to melt one of them and see ?

 

[AU Seeker]

If this was found in an old area that may have had machinery worked on it could be babbitt, which is a bearing material, in the old days when a bearing had to be replaced the old bearing material (babbitt) was removed and a new bearing was poured through a hole in the bearing cap and in this process some of the molten babbitt would leak out he sides and or over flow and drip to the ground.

Modern automotive engine bearings are still made of babbitt, but it is a thin coating on a steel shell and thus can be replaced without the pouring process.

Also there are many different metals/alloys used in babbitt and different formulas/combinations/alloys of metals were used for different applications.

Babbitt (metal) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[bigfoot1]

may I recomend something....go to hardware store,or paint store,get a lead test pen,then hit up the pharmacy and get a nickle test pen.These will REALLY compliment a jewlers test kit.must have items for trasure seekers.just sayin....and welcome.

 

[bevo]

If it bends, its lead.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Hope you do not have old copper water pipes and that was used to solder them.
If so get them tested for lead which is toxic - The romans liked it in their goblets as the wine taster sweeter.
But then you know what happened to their empire.

Every home built before the 1980s in the US has lead soldered pipes. It wasnt banned until about 1985. Its suggested if you must drink tap water, let it run for a couple minutes.

I agree with the others melted aluminum, lead solder or babitt. It seems thats all I find is melted blobs ..

 

[Ism]

It looks like molten droppings of copper/brass.
If its copper and you found it near power lines, it could have been caused by a powerline short or break.
That can cause an arc flash which blasts molten copper wire and will cause the little blobs you found in your yard.
Another copper/brass possibility is drippings from brazing.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

A few thoughts here: I need to be careful about using the "J" word here because it may appear offensive but thats what it is...basically worthless melted blobs. Throw them in the "junk" bucket for recycling.

For a more positive ID try specific gravity testing in water.

You may also try melting one with a torch as someone said.

The only thing you may want to be concerned about is if the blobs contain silver content. To test for silver I have instructions on how to make your own acid test solution here: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/13479-silver-aluminum.html

Like I said I find melted blobs here in Florida all the time. I am almost an expert on melted blobs of Junk lol and I always have my test solution close at hand.

ADDED note: Melted blobs of cast aluminum or pot metal will appear heavier than thin aluminum used in beer and soda cans.