Two Metal Mysteries

[MarkDz]

Hi... I had these two mystery finds for a while and would like to get some opinions on them.

• The first is a thin brass or copper sheet-metal piece which is semicircular and has circles cut out of it. Someone suggested it might be an engine part, such as a gasket for a steam engine (there was railroad activity nearby). Another possibility that it was related to a nearby Indian village (as Indians traded for copper in colonial times and made decorations out of it). Any guesses? The pic has a 6-inch ruler for scale.
• The second is a lump of rusty iron found not far away. It is mostly spherical but slightly deformed. I thought it might be a cannonball but it only weighs about a pound. It was on the surface of a field which saw railroad and probably mining use. There was also a Revolutionary War camp in the area as well as the Indian village. Any guesses on this one?

Any info would be much appreciated...

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[osage express]

Your first photo is part of a head gasket.Osage

 

[AU Seeker]

The thin brass or copper item appears to be a head gasket, IMHO, the ball is most likely a milling ball from a ball mill.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

haven't seen a mill ball with surface irregularities. maybe out of round...but these things crush rock all day long...most are smooth..

 

[bradyboy]

I'm thinking its a gasket, but due to the shape, not sure I would say head gasket
BradyBoy

 

[recondigger]

Get all the crust off the ball and you will be able to tell better what it is

Dig until your arm falls off

 

[MarkDz]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I appreciate the honesty.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

As Recondigger indicated, you'll need to remove all the rust-crust off the ball, and then measure its diameter and weight precisely. Then check the data from the Ordnance Manual's historical artillery projectiles charts (cannonballs, Grapeshot balls, and Canister balls) to see if there is a match-up for your ball's precise diameter and weight. For example, 2.04"-diameter and weight of 1.14 pounds matches up with a Revolutionary War era 12-pounder caliber cast-iron Grapeshot ball. But a 2.00"-diameter, 1.4-ounce ball would be a (civilian) Tumbler-Mill's steel ball. www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

Also, the article here is very educational about Artillery balls and non-Artillery balls: SolidShotEssentialsMod

 

[bryanleemc]

The gasket. Because of the size and curve, it could be a gasket between motor and tranny. Not sure about the sphere...