What Is This Artefact?

[StringJunky]

A friend of mine who is cable and pipe layer discovered this object whilst digging. It's heavy for its size and appears to have copper in it judging by the greenish mottling...possibly a bronzey material: you can see the metal a bit better in the bottom picture It might have had a tang or handle judging by the broken protrusion. It's about 3 inches long and was found in England. Any ideas?

 

 

 

[JohnB]

What it is, sorry but no idea.

 

It's certainly interesting though.

 

Judging from the lack of oxidisation I'd say fairly recent and probably cast in a metal compound die. (Although good quality sand casting can't be ruled out.) I agree about the probable handle or tang.

 

Combined tongue depressor and medicine measure for an 18th Century physician?

[StringJunky]

What it is, sorry but no idea.

 

It's certainly interesting though.

 

Judging from the lack of oxidisation I'd say fairly recent and probably cast in a metal compound die. (Although good quality sand casting can't be ruled out.) I agree about the probable handle or tang.

 

Combined tongue depressor and medicine measure for an 18th Century physician?

 

That's a thought because the lip at the end is not worn so that may eliminate it being a craftsman's tool unless it was fairly unused when it was 'lost' . What's the best way to clean it up or would you leave it alone? Where would you research it?

Edited April 14, 2011 by StringJunky

[imatfaal]

Intriguing - please do let us know if you get anywhere. I wouldn't know where to start - but what about this sort of place http://www.papawswrench.com/vboard/index.php its an antique tool forum.

 

[guesswork] some form of smoothing tool? I could imagine using it to create a smooth semi-circular depression; I would use my finger - the smoothing action of the pad of the finger would be simulated by using the rounder side (ie third picture) and the slightly more gouging action of a finger/fingernail would use the flat angled tip (ie picture 1). As I said I would use my finger for an odd job - but a workman might want/need something a little less delicate. [/guesswork]

[JohnB]

Cleaning the artifact can be done with "Brasso" or a similar product. If needed you could probably get by with some light sand paper (200 grit+) Remember it's probably brass and therefore quite soft.

 

Now as to what it is, that's been bugging me because it looked familiar. I think it's a foundry tool, specifically a mouldmakers tool.

 

When casting a compound sand mould you have two metal frames. Frame sizes vary but are basically the 4 sides of a box about 5 inches high with a couple of bars welded across so they keep their shape under pressure. The top frame usually has some lugs to align it properly with the bottom frame. The pattern is placed on a table with the bottom frame over it upside down. We then pour casting sand into the frame to fill it and pound it down with a stamper, something like a small sledge hammer but you use the top of the head, not the face to strike. Once the sand has been stamped and leveled off with the frame the whole thing is turned over.

 

The pattern is now visible but totally inside the sand. We now need to remove some of the sand so that the pattern can be removed. Basically removing some sand until you get down to the halfway mark on the pattern so that it could be removed. Then we dust the surface of the sand and place the top frame in position. We then place a round tube where the pour hole will be and fill the frame with sand and tamp it down. Once that is done, we lift off the top frame and remove the pattern and the tube.

 

Once this is done, runners are cut in the sand of the lower part to allow the metal to run from the pourhole to the mould. There may also be spots where the sand has stuck to the pattern and small imperfections need to be filled and then smoothed over for a good cast. There also needs to be a hemispherical hole made in the lower mould directly under the pour hole to prevent erosion of the lower mould by the molten metal.

 

All this mucking about loosens the sand and gives a rough finish so there are many tools of many shapes used to both cut the runners and smooth the finished mould. I think your artifact is one of these smoothing tools.

 

If you look at this pic on Flickr you will see a number of similar tools from the foundry trade. They are usually double ended simply to reduce the number of tools in the cupboard. Yours would appear to be a combination of ideas from the lower part of the picture. All of those tools are for freeing the pattern and cutting and smoothing runners. The width and depth of the runner is dependent on the size of the item to be cast and metal being cast.

 

While you item doesn't show much wear, these tools last for decades of normal use. However being cast means that they are vulnerable to sharp knocks from being hit if there is a flaw in the casting. Foundrys have sand floors so dropping things doesn't do much damage. It was quite possibly used for years before being damaged.

 

To check, I would find a local foundry that does sand mould casting and go and ask them, or a college that teaches metal casting.

 

Cheers.

[StringJunky]

Thanks John..I'll tell my friend and also get it off him to clean it up then put pictures on that forum link imatfaal posted to see if we can get confirmation. I Will post back if I know more. I'll put the pictures on here as well cleaned up.

[StringJunky]

I think I know what it is: a bricklayers pointing tool. I can't get the light to take a good picture of it cleaned up at the moment, but it's solid brass with a silvery coloured plating...nickel?.

 

It's from a remote airbase and my friend said it did have brick buildings on it. What period would a tool made with that technique would it be from is my next question? You were correct John with it being a moulding tool but most likely for a bricklayer I think...would you agree?

Edited April 17, 2011 by StringJunky

[JohnB]

Quite possible. The rounded end would serve well for smoothing the cement between layers of bricks.

 

The plating worries me a bit because it would wear off rather quickly and be thus rather pointless, but it would make the thing look pretty when sold.

 

The plating can give you a hint as to the age. Clean with a solvent like methylated spirits to remove the dirt and get a good look at the plating. If it appears to have a bluish tinge to it, it's probably a nickel or nickel-silver, if it has a yellowish tinge it will be a chrome plate job.

 

If it's from an airbase, when was the airbase commissioned? That would give you an "earliest possible" date. The airbase could be new which would put the artifact from say the 60s, or it could be built on an old RAF base and be from the 30s. The chrome/nickel question can help here as nickel was more common in the 30s and chrome more common after the 50s.

 

Looking at Google images for bricklaying tools there are some that are quite similar to the artifact. The thing is that like the casting tools, none seem to have that turned up end the artifact does. It makes the identification more interesting. So far all the pics I've seen for both theories are "almost but not quite" which arouses curiousity.

 

Keep us informed.

 

Cheers.

[michel123456]

I think I know what it is: a bricklayers pointing tool. I can't get the light to take a good picture of it cleaned up at the moment, but it's solid brass with a silvery coloured plating...nickel?.

 

It's from a remote airbase and my friend said it did have brick buildings on it. What period would a tool made with that technique would it be from is my next question? You were correct John with it being a moulding tool but most likely for a bricklayer I think...would you agree?

 

If it is plated brass it is unlikely to be a tool IMHO.

 

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the materials make me think of plumbing.

 

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maybe part of an old garden watering system

Edited April 18, 2011 by michel123456

[imatfaal]

"pointing" at least in the UK, can leave a nice smooth arc in the mortar - which is what your tool would leave. Pointing normally creates a little tip in the mortar so that a drip forms and fall off, but there are forms that would work with your tool. Your tool could well be for making an semi-circular depression - often called "handling" or brush-handling" (cos you can use the handle of a paint brush).

 

But as Michel said - there is no way this would be plated brass, unlikely even to be brass.

[michel123456]

It is a schmilblick.

 

Or a frying pan handle.

[StringJunky]

Michel

 

Until we know what it is, it's definitely a schmiblick! You occasionally bring up some interesting foreign (to me) words That I have to look up.

 

Here’s the pictures of it cleaned up...I’ve lost a lot of the silvery coating or it may have corroded away but it’s evident on the tip. There appears to be a red/brown colouration (layer?) in it as well. It’s definitely solid brass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It came the from the ground of RAF Alconbury which has been around since 1938 and is now used by the USAAF but not as a flight base. It opens up the possibility of it being something used in that field of occupation.

 

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=raf+alconbury+map&psj=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=RAF,+Alconbury,+Huntingdon,+Cambridgeshire+PE28+4DD&gl=uk&ei=gYqsTd_wOo6XhQeoopHDCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ8gEwAA (Google Map)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Alconbury

[imatfaal]

Isn't brass often used instead of iron for the manufacture of tools when it is imperative that no sparks are generated? ie when working with kerosene or explosives on an airforce base a lack of sparks might be a very good idea