Mining tool?

[danec71]

Has anyone seen these before. I have found about three of these so far in an old mining area around a cabin and these seem to be where there was a little workshop area. They almost look like some kind a to but there sheared off on one side it looks like and there's no hole for a handle and what's really throwing me up off is the devits that are on the one end.any guesses

 

[jewelerguy]

nothing in the pic to help compare the size to. kinda looks like a tooth from an excavating machine

 

[danec71]

Here you go.sheard of on the back.this site is before turn of century.these are around what I think might have been some kind of black smith area

 

[kcm]

Not sure about the lower pic, but I agree that the top pics look like they're from an excavator bucket - maybe a land dredge.

 

[danec71]

They were working a hardrock claim way up were no machinery could get.they had a mule trail through a steep gulch which now you would never know existed.they did supposedly have a 2 stamp mill up by the mine.maybe some kind of shims for it or something

 

[kcm]

Yep, I could definitely see those coming from a stamp mill. Don't know of these would be the same, but old machinery like that used lots of gears, and many of the gears had teeth that would engage the gears, much like looking into the back of a pocket watch while it's running. Maybe someone with more knowledge in the old mills can help out more.

 

[Bruce R]

I'm thinking it's brass, I doubt that you could mark iron or steel that deeply or cleanly.

 

[danec71]

Not brass.tried to shine it up but just a metal color.definitly very clean punch marks.all of them look like they where cut by some kind of shear on the back but sort of crude almost

 

[Bruce R]

Well, have you tried a magnet ? That's the first test.