More broad axes, iron and a question

[lumbercamp]

I found my first broad ax in 1976 and it took 32 years before I found my 2nd in Jan. of this year. I posted it on Tnet when I found it. I found another yesterday at a mining town and another today at an old sawmill site. Other items found were.
Two ?? made from horse shoes, a handle from a machine and two more??
Log chain. I wasn't going to post this since I find so many and show them on Tnet. But I look at all the pennies that you guys post on here so I'm making you look at my chains. lol...Anyways
A 6" dia. ladle. Don't know what they would be casting at a sawmill.
A neat Champion 6 Lever lock
Question. The next item I think is a belt that ran the blade at the sawmill. It is 1/4" thick x 6 1/2" x 8" and has copper rivits in it. It is very wet. I have it in a plastic bag in my refrigerator. How do I preserve it when it drys out?

 

[seger98]

I wasn't going to post this since I find so many and show them on Tnet. But I look at all the pennies that you guys post on here so I'm making you look at my chains. lol...


That's funny, nice finds! The belt thing, I take it that it's leather? I'm guessing here, but maybe some vasoline?

 

[fibberjibber]

Very nice stuff lumbercamp!! First off, the horseshoes were re-forged on one end to make hangers out of them. The spike end would pound into a log wall inside a hut or building. I run across many examples of those kinds of hangers (but never out of a horseshoe!!) dating from mid 19th century back to colonial days. Farms and log camps widely used these locally made hangers up to the 1890s when the Sears catalog really mass marketed other implements.
If the strap is made of leather it probably connected two ends of linen or canvas webbing that would have made the belt. I agree that is probably what it is. I do not know off hand what the protocol is for drying it but slowly in the fridge is probably a good bet. I do know that after it dries there are a few good leather treatment products that you could purchase from any local farm or horse tack store. The treatments will turn the leather a slightly darker shade but I doubt that will matter much in your case. For museum pieces, we use a more expensive product that doesnt change the color shade. I would suggest browsing some of the museum curation web sites for recommendations if you don't come up with a better answer on here.
Great finds and I hope you come up with many more! You should find some nice watches, lamp parts and tools
-eric

 

[wwwtimmcp]

might be right about the horseshoes made into hangers or they might be hoof picks for draft horses. if a rock gets wedged between the frog and horseshoe you can cripple a horse. draft horses being so big they might need a hoof pick that large.

also some teemsters would clear mud from the hooves so the hoof didn't soften and throw a shoe.

 

[civilman1]

I can see hanger's but then again the pick make's sense too??Nice find's Lumber...Congrat's on the broad axes and HH!!