what is this chunk of iron?

[John K Jordan]

I found this chunk of iron outside in the dirt. I thought it was a brick until I picked it up! Our farm is a part of what used to be a larger farm, probably going back for at least 80-100 years so this might be old.

It's obviously broken off at a through hole, about 7" long, tapered from 2x3" at the tip to 2.75x3" at the broken end.

iron_chunk2.jpg iron_chunk1.jpg iron_chunk3.jpg

I have not yet tested to see if it is cast iron, steel, or wrought iron but it appears to be sand-cast.

ID? Guesses?

JKJ

[Shawn Pixley]

Looks like a piece broken off of a piece of pig iron to me. I used to live near a steel mill (reclaim to pig iron, not a rolling mill) and the pig iron looked like that.

[Wayne Lomman]

Looks like pig iron to me too. Cheers

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Perhaps a window weight.

[Bill Orbine]

Being on the farm, my guess is a broken off tractor weight.

[John K Jordan]

Looks like a piece broken off of a piece of pig iron to me. I used to live near a steel mill (reclaim to pig iron, not a rolling mill) and the pig iron looked like that.

Would the pig iron have a cross hole cast 7" from the end? For lifting or something? I found this near where I graded for my sawmill over 10 years ago. I'll keep a lookout when I move the mill and cut the ground back some more - maybe I'll find the piece it broke from.

JKJ

[Bill Jobe]

John, that looks vaguely familiar. Would you mind posting a head-on shot of the broken end?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Looks like half a hammer.....or one somebody tried to make, then found out why cast iron makes a crummy hammer...

[Bert Kemp]

I did an image search on Google it said it was an Air Rifle

[Michael L. Martin]

Looking at the taper makes me guess it is part of a leg from machinery/equipment related to the farm. But that's it...... a wild guess.

[Kev Williams]

I'll throw my wild guess out--

Some sort of anchor? The hole's the right size for a piece of rope or cable... what it could be anchoring, no clue

found this pic...
anch.jpgno cigar, but close maybe? To hold down a windmill or something...

[Bill Jobe]

A combination clapper for a large bell/air rifle.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I did an image search on Google it said it was an Air Rifle

Must be true...if you read it on the internet!

[jared herbert]

It might be a lug that broke off a steel wheel on an old time tractor or steam engine. I have found similar things on our farm land and have seen lugs like that on steel wheels on tractors that have been on display. Given that you found it on farm land makes me think that might be what it is. Jared

[John K Jordan]

It might be a lug that broke off a steel wheel on an old time tractor or steam engine. I have found similar things on our farm land and have seen lugs like that on steel wheels on tractors that have been on display. Given that you found it on farm land makes me think that might be what it is. Jared

Maybe I'll dig around and find more pieces. When we bought this place I did spend some time with a metal detector to find the gold the guy buried 50 years ago. I found some rusted tools, bottle caps, and some very nice pieces of antique barbed wire. And some pennies up by the house where the last guy parked his car.

JKJ