anyone know what this is?????

[jeremiah212]

i detected the yard of an old home(150yrs) ....in 2 hours i found 1 quarter one penny and about 60 of these odd looking thingamagiggers..they where everywhere. so many i got mad an went to another site instead

can't figure what there for..anyone seen them befor?





all of em look exactly the same with the same bend.

 

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[jeremiah212]

well they sure ruined my hunt today..can't even discriminate em out cause they ring too high ...thanks for the info.

 

[jasonbo]

also looks like a roofing nail

 

[jeff of pa]

also looks like a roofing nail

This is what I have been told in the past they were.

However I like Doc's answer on this one, Because I never found one with a Point. Plus they seem too weak for being hammered.

 

[PBK]

also looks like a roofing nail

Jasonbro is right. It's a blunt-end cap nail used in roofing. However, all the ones I've seen were copper, not aluminum. Some years ago, a large c. 1900 school in my hometown was reroofed, and the ground was littered with them. Unfortunately, because they are nonferrous, they were missed by the magnet drags used to clean up after the job. They also had octagonal caps exactly like the one found by Jeremiah212; however, the caps on modern ones I've seen (examples below) are mostly square, diamond, or round in shape, and the cap is often plastic. No doubt there are various other nails, tacks, fasteners, etc. which resemble them, but I have no hesitation in saying what this one is. Being copper, the old ones ID as a good target, and I have dug plenty of them both at that school and at numerous other sites, all late 19th to early 20th century.

By the way, there was no insulation in that school building, unless that's how you classify wood, plaster, and bricks. There was no ductwork of any kind either— no air conditioning or ventilation except open windows, and only steam radiator heating. I ought to know: I spent four years there.

 

[blurr]

Its a tack for holding insulation inside a formed a/c duct, spot welded to the metal, insulation inbetween.

Doc

I almost hate to admit it, but I kinda agree with doc. I have seen similar insulation tacks before, although the flat part was made of plastic. The only question I have is why is everyone bent the same way? Either way, must have been quite frustrating.

John

 

[blurr]

PBK,

skipped right over your post. roofing nails huh? I guess I haven't seen any quite like that before, but that would explain why there were scads of them all over the place. Good guess buddy!


John

 

[blurr]

Its a tack for holding insulation inside a formed a/c duct, spot welded to the metal, insulation in between.

Doc

I almost hate to admit it, but I kinda agree with doc. I have seen similar insulation tacks before, although the flat part was made of plastic. The only question I have is why is everyone bent the same way? Either way, must have been quite frustrating.

John

They were bent because they had a poor ground for spot welding the tack. Put too much pressure on it and bent it without making the weld. Try straightening one out and hitting it with a hammer and tell me they were roofing nails.Generally this type of ducting is fabricated on the jobsite, you have to accurately measure the runs inside the house and build it on the spot. The point is generally blunt because you need a good contact point to do the electric spot weld. Ducting can be anything from galval um to stainless steel, generally fiberglass blanket insulation cut to size and glued in place then tacked, then you assemble the channeled pieces of duct and hang in place for air feed.

Doc

Settle down doc, trust me no one would try to tell you anything. I didn't know what they were. After looking at the site you linked to, it does appear to be what you said it was. CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'll get you another time :P :P

John

 

[downindixie]

All the ones I have found were made of copper with the head of it less than the size of a dime and a 1/16" diameter and about 3/4" lenght.Some of the ones I have has the name "eternit" on the head.I don't believe that they were welded to anything(too small).My thought was that they my have been used to spread plaster or asbestos.They would be driven slightly into wall then covered with asbestos.Google "eternit",alot of entries about asbestos.

 

[chong2]

possibly luminary tingys, the go under candles

 

[diggummup]

All the ones I have found were made of copper with the head of it less than the size of a dime and a 1/16" diameter and about 3/4" lenght.Some of the ones I have has the name "eternit" on the head.I don't believe that they were welded to anything(too small).My thought was that they my have been used to spread plaster or asbestos.They would be driven slightly into wall then covered with asbestos.Google "eternit",alot of entries about asbestos.

These were probably used in siding.In a 1937 issue of American Builder,eternit asbestos and portland cement brick-type siding shingles were available from Ruberoid.Copper nails were used in slate roofing also.Here's some contact info.for Eternit Slates,which now makes Fiber-cement tiles.----Eternit Slates
Excelsior Industrial Park
P.O.Box 679
Blandon,Pa.
19510-0679
Phone number-1-800-233-3155 I'm sure they could answer your question.

 

[diggummup]

Correctomundo Doc! I am answering in response to the reply I have qouted.Yes Doc, you were correct on the original photo posted.These items may "resemble" each other in physical appearance,however the application of each is totally different.They're also each made with different materials.This explains why the ones PBK and downindixie found were made of copper.That explains why the ones pictured originally were made of aluminum.Just a miscommunication between 2 items that are similar in shape,size and appearance.Glad to clear things up.This should end this.

 

[downindixie]

I can't find anywhere that jeremiah212 says that the pictured piece is Aluminum.

 

[downindixie]

Well,I did send an email and waiting for a response.The reason that I suggest something different is because I find these in yards of older homes which do not have any duct work.Since they are found in yards I suspect that they were used on the outside of the house rather than inside.These houses were made of wood.I'm thinking old and not modern.

doc said "Figured it would have been brought up if otherwise".Well I'm bringing it up!

 

[jeremiah212]

there made of copper i hit one with a wire brush on a rotory tool to be sure and all the same shape size and wieght none have sharp tips there all perfectly flat.and there all bent to the same angle

because there copper i went back and dug the rest out..i have a total of 244 of these things

thanks for all the replies!

 

[Michelle]

Well my sig other says that this tack could have been modernly used for most any of what has been said already...he says older days one type was used for tar paper on roofs...much more like a nail head...another type was used in concrete forms to secure insulation...the other was used on aluminum duct insulation the softer kind of tack...so, you are all heros...Oh yeah, the ones that were found where they couldnt have been used...they were the ones that got tossed into the road to flatten your tires...but being aluminum they only bent over! Good work guys

 

[PBK]

Well, son of a gun... they're copper... and it seems they're used for roofing, too.

I'll bet Jasonbro and Downindixie are as amazed to hear that as I am!

 

[PBK]

Now that you hit it with a brush it does copper, but still much too soft to be driven by a hammer. It even looks like the pin was driven thru the plate at the head.

Maybe it was hammered. Maybe it wasn't. However, the fact that copper is "much too soft to be driven by a hammer" will come as a distinct surprise to the manufacturer of the products shown below. Otherwise, I'm sure that they would never have posted the following statement on their website:
http://www.slateandcopper.com/product-index.php?product-type=copper-nails

"The Copper Nails pictured here are solid copper. Why is this important? Because, Copper Nails have a longer life expectancy than other types of nails. Copper Nails are used for a variety of reasons and situations. The Roofing Nails are mainly used for copper flashing applications, and during Slate, Tile, and other roofing installations."

 

[Michelle]

PBK...You are so good!

 

[lucky1777]

You really hit the nail on the head PBK. You sure are the sharpest tack in the box. I could go on, but I see no need. Great job......