Unknown Brass Item, Found in a tight area of Treasure

[kevin.guitars]

I found this in a small (25' x 50') area where I've found CW officer belt buckles, bullets, casings, slave shackles and a ton of iron spike nails. My MD buddy thinks it is from an old lathe because of the wheel bearings. I think it is an old oar holder for a boat, or some kind of cannon/gun rest. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I registered to this forum so I can get help with this (i've been reading it for a couple years though)!

Location is in Tampa FL. 2 miles from Macdill AFB, 1 mile from the port of Tampa, 1/4 mile from Hillsborough River, and 1/2 mile from Lowry Park (documented location of Andrew Jackson and Teddy Rossevelt army camps).

 

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[kevin.guitars]

nhbenz if it is what you say, where are the rivet mounts for the missing cutting wheels? How old would you date this?

 

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[kevin.guitars]

Last pic before I get a camera, with a quarter for scale...

 

[vpnavy]

Nice finds kevin.guitars! I will also follow this thread for the metal holder identification...

 

[releventchair]

Fabric roll support for working with textile. i see no other use than low speed dispensing.
For fabric or paper.
(Textile roller support).

 

[DCMatt]

I think dennco & ben are on the right track. It could be the bottom half of a bench mounted pipe cutting or other machinist device.



This one is hinged on one side but it has similar rollers on the bottom and the cutting edge on the top part.

DCMatt

 

[Creeker]

Shot in the dark but could it be something like this to support a glass blowers blowing pipe?

 

[Docpr]

Appears to be a steady rest for a lathe.....center rest when turning long pieces....gun barrels?

 

[kevin.guitars]

Wow guys I can see all the theories. My MD buddy said it was probably a lathe of some type. Can anyone date this? The lathe/pipe roller sounds and looks right, but what about it being made of brass? And what of the round base with 2 rivet holes? I think we are getting close guys, I have had this for about 3 weeks exhausting myself researching ideas. WHAT IS THIS?!

 

[releventchair]

Heh,heh. Mounted across the side rails of a wagon a roll of canvas or paper which wrapped and had use for umpteen other purposes and could be covered when not in use. As a tail stock holder for a turning lathe,is the top missing? Too stock would need to be brought to area. A lot of weight for raw stock and complementing equipment. Portability would suffer. Specific width between rollers for consistent diameter of what rest on them. Non height adjustable.
What went on in area going to relate,likely. Shackles for slaves or prisoners hints at free labor and possible need for clothing,or canvas shelter. A quarter master could be breaking bulk items down for distribution. I don,t know what a printing press would involve..a sutler could have a tailored set up too.

 

[bigfoot1]

do you know if there was a telegraph line run nearby,old main road?The wire wheels rested on rollers on back of wagon.even today they are similar for electric company spool trailers.Anything else found indicating a trade?

 

[calisdad]

My first impression was a lathe support but I really think releventchair nailed it with 'textile support'. It could even have supported a rope or line spool. Any shipbuilding in the area?

 

[kevin.guitars]

Oh my I do know there was a telegraph line that ran nearby. If there is an approximate date on the item I can tell the relative history of the area I live in. CW, Indian War, Spanish-Am, WWI, WWII history in this area. Also pre-civ history, however I don't see this as being that old (pre-civ). I live in a historic area of Tampa, there is history all around, I just need a timeframe to give details of the area.

 

[kevin.guitars]

I live about 1 mile from the old Tampa Armature Works factory in historic Ybor City. I know that when that factory was operating, my property was a tomato farm (circa WWII era)

 

[bigfoot1]

telegraph lines were happening from about 1840s to very early 1900s.this was their hayday.

 

[kevin.guitars]

Turn of the century in my general area was army camps and farmland. I live 100 meters from Dale Mabry Hwy named after a WWI airforce pilot KIA. Mid 20th century, the highway was built on land purchased from Dale Mabry's father under contractual agreements the highway be named after his son. The highway was built to connect Macdill Airforce Base to the rest of the Tampa area and beyond. Teddy Roosevelt is known to have come through this land with the Rough Riders. Building army camps in the surrounding areas during the Spanish-American war (1898).

 

[bigfoot1]

communication wire dispenser for military camps also possible I suppose.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

The shape of it just screams "musket rest" to me, but I've never seen one with the rollers in it......

 

[kevin.guitars]

NOLAKen that is what Ive been thinking. the bearings throw me off too. maybe a small cannon swivel rest?

 

[kevin.guitars]

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[BosnMate]

I'm posting just to be able to keep an eye on this thread. My first thought seeing the photo was oar lock, which I'm sure is wrong, with the quarter in the photo it looks too small. I'm more inclined to think it's a support for something that is turning. In those days, when a pipe was threaded it is clamped into a vise and held solid while the threads were cut. So it seems more like a tail stock or support on perhaps a wood lathe The wheels are made of the same brass as the rest of the thing, so that rules them out as cutters, but also rules out use on something high speed. I have no idea, not even a swag.