✅ SOLVED Looks like a piece of lead ball

[Nepa-Will]

Found this what looks a part of a round lead ball. Looks like it was hollowed out on one end. Any ideas?

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

I have a partial idea. When casting lead (plumbers and shooters) a cast iron pot is/was used. The unused lead cools and takes the shape of the pot. And lead does not stick to cast iron or steel/stainless steel (handy to know).

But someone would have had to cut a slice off the piece (easy enough - I have chopped up lead with an ax & hatchet and even a hand-plane). The hollow is a little more difficult. Possibly something was tossed in as the lead was cooling or it was dumped out before fully cooled and rested on an earlier pot molding() Or someone left the drossing spoon on top as it cooled.

Molten lead is fun to play with - steel floats on it.

 

[Nepa-Will]

I have a partial idea. When casting lead (plumbers and shooters) a cast iron pot is/was used. The unused lead cools and takes the shape of the pot. And lead does not stick to cast iron or steel/stainless steel (handy to know).

But someone would have had to cut a slice off the piece (easy enough - I have chopped up lead with an ax & hatchet and even a hand-plane). The hollow is a little more difficult. Possibly something was tossed in as the lead was cooling or it was dumped out before fully cooled and rested on an earlier pot molding() Or someone left the drossing spoon on top as it cooled.

Molten lead is fun to play with - steel floats on it.

I think you are right. Makes a lot of sense. Especially being that there is an pump house that dates back to the late 1800's within a 100 yards of where I found it. Thanks for the info on casting lead. It's always great to learn something new.