found something weird last night. any ideas???

[claytargethntr]

Ok I have a minelab explorer II. I am still learning it. So last night I was at a place I have been going to after work. In a new area I get this very sharp solid signal on the meter. FE is 00 and the Cond is 10. The depth meter reads on the surface but it is 4-6 in down. I am guessing it is about a foot long not sure how depth or width. I started digging it and it apears to be a rock, but the propointer (PI) goes nuts on it as well. I do plan to dig it but will need to take some fill dirt with me. Any ideas what the heck it would be. There is no rust in the dirt around it. The part I saw of it is fairly slick and dark almost black. Open to all ideas. Thanks for your time

Claytargethntr

 

[cedarratt]

I may be a big piece of magnetite? Photos would be helpful also if its black it could be bronze. I want to see photos it sounds really interesting!!!

 

[claytargethntr]

I have about an hour after work to hunt, they close the gates to this place at dusk. I was sure purplexed when I found it. I dug around it a bit but it did not budge, so i figured if i dug it I would leave a huge hole in the ground, so I will take a bucket of fill dirt back and get it dug out. It is truely bothering me. Thanks for all of the ideas. I will post pictures once I get it out of the ground.

claytargethntr

 

[Monty]

Knowing the kind of machine you have it could be that there is a viable target under it or near it giving off a signal. On something that large my Safari would null out unless there was another target. So, I don't have a clue. Do you have a hand held pinpointer to check the sides of the hole or is the pinpointer you mention a feature of the detector? Monty

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Before we go any further, shoot us a picture of what you have and also, what neck of the woods you are from. This could help us ID the rock.

 

[coin1921]

Impossible to ID without a photo, but sounds like it may be a meteorite.

 

[claytargethntr]

ok got it dug up. It is man made, a gear of some sort. It is one large piece of brass (we are thinking) It was in a park, close by there is an old building that from what history I have found they may have produced ordinance for one of the world wars and/or produced explosives for the local mines. It has bolt holes (one bolt left in it) and several teeth that have been broken off. We cleaned a small section with a brass brush and cleaner the brass did show through. I did place a nickel in the pic to give an idea of size. I am guessing it weights 25-30 lbs. When I first dug I could just see part of the top that was broken Which led me to think it was a rock. Too bad it is not a meteorite. but still kinda interesting. Thanks for all of the help.

claytargethntr

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Looks like a piece of a big freaking gear to me.

 

[claytargethntr]

There are two holes not blown out. One has a rusted bolt left in it. Im not sure the best way to determine brass from bronze? But I am guessing it may have been bolted to a wheel and used as a gear (outside of the bolt locations). I am guessing this was used to remove the chance of sparks. As earlier the reading on the minelab explorer II was 00 on the ferris and around 10 on the conductivity. All and all it is kind of funny as I only got my metal detector about 3 weeks ago and am using this park to "learn the machine". I have been finding a few handfulls of clad, 2 gold rings, BUT I never would have guessed this 4 in under the grass where people party and play. Sure made the machine go nuts.. Makes one wonder what else is lurking under there..... Thanks again for all of the help. I am still open to guesses.

Claytargethntr

 

[mickk]

AHA there are 6 higher holes, 3 pairs of two so to speak. The other lower holes look to have been stressed and broken and added later. So Its been used once, and then re bored and used again. It kinda has a fair ground look to it too.

 

[IronSpike]

AHA there are 6 higher holes, 3 pairs of two so to speak. The other lower holes look to have been stressed and broken and added later. So Its been used once, and then re bored and used again. It kinda has a fair ground look to it too.

Could be fair ground Roller coaster ride?

 

[traderoftreasures]

at 1.30 a pound, it's still a nice score. i would say gear maybe ride or train

 

[johnnyi]

Neat find claytarget. You mentioned there was an ordance factory nearby. This is probably a rack gear from a lathe or drillpresses. Although the holes within the teeth do make the teeth somewhat shearable, they may also have been hollowed just to save wartime bronze which was scarce.

 

[IronSpike]

Neat find claytarget. You mentioned there was an ordance factory nearby. This is probably a rack gear from a lathe or drillpresses. Although the holes within the teeth do make the teeth somewhat shearable, they may also have been hollowed just to save wartime bronze which was scarce.

Cool The roller coaster ride is safe then

 

[Kieth-Tx]

Looks like part of a flange. All those look to be bolt holes. Cool find.

 

[cedarratt]

Its really neat what ever it is!!! I think it could be a boiler flange for a steam engine maybe.

 

[claytargethntr]

I could see that being a flange. Could it even be a VERY large bearing from the factory? Not really what you expect when you go to an area figuring you will find coins and maybe the odd lost item. My time up here is short but I imagine there is more in the area. I have not even covered 1% of the area in this beach/park area. I will have to do a little more hunting next summer. The fairgrounds is not close to here and this location I don't think could support a fair/carnival. Thanks again for all of the help.

claytargethntr

 

[intimer]

crazy idea...

in a canning company they have a 5-6 foot diameter door entering a cooker about 20 foot long. the racks of canned food would be pushed in them on tracks then pressure cooked, cooled, and removed. the door was huge being 5-6 foot dia. it had, i think, two hinges and i think 'dogs' like on navy doors. to cinch it closed all the way around. probably had a rubber gasket.

the shape of the flange part (picture one) fits the rubber gasket idea, and the bolts spaced evenly around could have had 'dogs' to latch door.

the only thing the radius that looks like (picture one) would mean a huge door. what do you think if the radius from picture one were to continue how big would be the circumfrance or diameter?

also, would there be some benefit of this flange sort of thing being brass. the guys saying boiler flange may be pointing the same direction, i just don't know what a boiler flange is. but i will be looking it up right soon.

mike