A watchamacallit!

[timekiller]

I found this relic digging around a late 1700s homesite on the river. It is made of ceramic, has some kind of metal rod running through it, and I'm thinking it had to do with something electrical seeing as it has ceramic around a metal rod like it's for insulation.

 

[Montana Jim]

Neat... old timey spark plug or insulator?

 

[timekiller]

Neat... old timey spark plug or insulator?

If it is a spark plug, is there a piece missing that would screw into the engine block that would be metal or ceramic?

 

[DaChief]

I was thinking insulator also. Maybe one off an older electric fence?

Check out this link to some photos of some old household insulators.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15077033

 

[trikikiwi]

Looks like part of a modern TIG welding torch (TIG = Tungsten Inert Gas)



Mike

 

[72cheyenne]

I say spark plug with the metal nut and threading removed.

 

[sticksboards]

it is the center of a oldtine sparkplug. they were made to be disassembled for easy cleaning. did it many times

 

[sanford.]

Old spark plugs are often used for sinkers for catfish fishing. Seeing how it was found on a river bank that would be my guess.

 

[Montana Jim]

I found a plug pic from a strange web site... if you kind of look past the odd text, it shows this spark plug that had washed ashore (?) is Deleware.

Source (Scroll Half Way): http://www.rense.com/general66/solid.htm

I compared the two side by side... I think maybe the sinker idea is the best idea.

 

[littleneckhalfshell]

wow, that IS a strange web site!

 

[taz42o]

Very similar to this one.

 

[trikikiwi]

Looks like part of a modern TIG welding torch (TIG = Tungsten Inert Gas)




Mike

Looks like it's a spark plug

Mike

 

[DaChief]

The Spark plug porcelain wins out no question.

 

[steif]

Yep, that's what it is a old spark plug insulator. the early plugs had threaded metal on the bottom to disassemble them to clean or replace the insulator part if needed. it would have had the base that was metal that screwed in the engine and then another threaded piece that slipped over the lower "shelf" on the insulator to assemble the plug together.

 

[trikikiwi]

I had just re-read this thread and visited the site link offered by Montana Jim

I found a plug pic from a strange web site... if you kind of look past the odd text, it shows this spark plug that had washed ashore (?) is Deleware.

Source (Scroll Half Way): http://www.rense.com/general66/solid.htm

I compared the two side by side... I think maybe the sinker idea is the best idea.

I've seen that site before, but had another read anyway; along the way noticing this item



supposedly 100,000 years old.

Then, within a few minutes of moving on to help DD-777 with his search "Pewter - but what?"
I found this



from http://eronjohnsonantiques.com/dynapage/IP15204.htm

stated to be an "18th Century Indian Moghul Inlaid Pewter Candlestick"

Amazing how that design had stayed alive for a previous 99,800 years

Mike