Found this on old trail in Canada

[bcboy]

Ok, I was metal detecting on a old trail in Canada that was made in the late 1800's and found this and am not too sure what it is. Someone mentioned to me that it could be a railway anvil but the curve in it is far too small to fit over any train tracks around here. Someone hand ingraved "B17" on the top an it is 2" wide and 4" long and is pretty heavy for its size. Any ideas would be appreciated. thanks

 

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[dugupfinds]

try using your macro function on your camera. Might be able to see it then.

 

[Monty]

Can't make it out? Monty

 

[EDDE]

Can't make it out? Monty

im with monty its got no lips

 

[bcboy]

hope this picture comes out better

heres another picture

 

[dugupfinds]

Thats better, I think I know what the coin is now!

 

[bcboy]

hope this picture comes out better

and here is yet another picture, hope it comes out good

 

[dugupfinds]

Thinking aloud now (might help others):

It looks as though it slotted downwards into a floor stocket with the bowl side up. So maybe part of a heavy industry piece used to run heavy equipment on greased rollers?

 

[dugupfinds]

Most digital cameras will have a macro function. Need to read your instructions on how to use it. But it is really for focussing on small object, allows you to read the dates on coins etc....

 

[The Gemologist]

I give up , darnest thing i've seen in a while, how about nut cracker

 

[bcboy]

Also when I found it with my Garrett Gold Scorpion it was 5" deep and there was not a spot of rust on it so I think its made of stainless steel.Could it be some kind of minning tool?I know its got to be pretty old because the trail I found it on was built in around 1880 and was then hardley used in around 1920's.It was an old wagon road.Ive so far found a horseshoe and a few square nails alond this trail but cant think of why something like this was burried beside this old trail by some traveller?

 

[TreasureTales]

Part of a pipe bender or straightener?

 

[Monty]

Something that big and heavy would make me think it might be linked to railroad rails or something of that nature? Monty

 

[Oroblanco]

Looks to me like a die, for making steel (or other heated metal) round. A blacksmith would call it a lower half of a swage die, but this is not a size that a blacksmith would use - this is industrial size, would be used with huge pneumatic or hydraulic hammers and a half-round upper die. I worked in a steel plant, have seen similar dies to this one. The odd shape is so that it will lock in place on the table of the powered hammer. Pretty strange thing to find along an old trail!

Oroblanco

 

[bcboy]

hay Oroblanco

hay Oroblanco, I think your right about it being some kind of a swage die.I just finnished doing a bit of searching on the net and then on Ebay and so far the closest thing ive come up with is it being a swage block as you said and I found a picture of one on Ebay that looks sort of the same but more modern. Heres a picture of the one that was from an Ebay auction. I would still like to find out for sure what this is and exactly what it was used for. Also, when I dug this up along that trail I also dug up around 6 or 7 rusted chisle heads that were about 4" long and some other rusted metal. I dug up the chisle heads right beside that old swage. I was not sure what those chisle heads were for but im starting to think that they were used for some kind of blacksmith work along with that swage die, if thats what it is? Anyways, thanks for the tip.

 

[Ant]

I thought it was a swaging tool too, one part is missing. Your’s reminds me of the ones I’ve seen when I was a working in the logging industry. They are used to splice, repair or fabricate choker cables/steel braded cable.

The cables to be are put into the swage along with a crimping collar . The top of the swaging tool is then place on top, then the top is struck with the appropriate size hammer causing the collar to crimp/seize the cables together, then two cable clips are installed. I use to work on a chipping crew (Hercules Inc.); we chipped trees up to 25” and logged the rest.

If you search for old rigging hardward or tools you might find something like it.

HH

 

[misplacedrednek]

Looks like a piece from an exhaust pipe bending machine. Notice the piece I circled, these are interchangeable depending on exhaust size.

rednek

 

[dugupfinds]

What I want to know is how it fitted in your finds pouch.