Strange metal possibly silver.

[17GoCubsGo44]

Hey y'all! Got another great find with the metal detector. It was inside and wrapped in a half rotted potato sack buried in a flatland opening of the foliage near a creek. It hit with high tones and kept saying silver. Now to some info about it:
It's almost like aluminum but it's really heavy!
A magnet does not stick to it
It doesn't bend (accept for the small end)
I hat a torch on it for 15 min, it got red, but never dripped, melted, our even changed
It looks almost like someone tried to make homemade ingots or some kind of bar was placed on it.

I have pics of the front and back and close ups.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

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[verbious]

Is backwoodsbob the moderator for the "curse of oak island" TV show?

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[mick56]

OP had the metal heated red hot, which means it was over 1000F. Babbitt melts around 600f. Its not babbitt.

 

[17GoCubsGo44]

I don't know if it helps, but here history area. a Potawatomi Indian tribe lived in the area where I was at. It's a town next to a major River. The French has a settlement in the 1600s called "fort Creve Coeur" and "Fort Pimiteoui". Years later, major mining operations were all over the area. then about a hives years later, industrial started mainly for coal.

 

[kcm]

OP had the metal heated red hot, which means it was over 1000F. Babbitt melts around 600f. Its not babbitt.

From what I'm reading, Babbitt metal can melt at an even lower temp (under 500°F). But here's the thing - it was normally coating other stronger metals. However, if the lubricant wore off, then the heat buildup from friction could easily melt not only the remaining Babbitt, but also the base metal that it was with, or even other metals that were with it. The area formerly being mined for coal tells me that there is a very good chance that such bearings may have been used on mining carts or even on the trains that transported the coal. Maybe even on the mining equipment.

The only part that puzzles me is that it was found wrapped in a rotted potato sack. THAT'S weird!


ADDED: When we mention Babbitt, we don't necessarily mean straight Babbitt materials. Any time you have metals melting, they can mix with or become contaminated with other substances that they are in contact with. Use of the word Babbitt simply refers to a commonly known problem of older equipment and trains, which was the meltdown of Babbitt bearings. Still, these bearings weren't made of 100% Babbitt. They were too soft. That'd be like having a fully loaded train running on bearings made of 100% lead.

 

[AU Seeker]

Just take a sample of the material to a good jeweler that has a spectrometer and he can tell you what it is in a matter of minutes!!

 

[Retired Fire]

Its part of a Entry Heat Shield off an Alien Space Craft. Look for the crash site near by. Sorry, I had to.....

 

[17GoCubsGo44]

I'm going to have them test it in a couple of days and I'll post results. If anyone else has any ideas fell free to post them!

 

[BosnMate]

One time I had what was supposed to be a babbitt spoon, and I was cooking fry bread in hot oil in a kettle over a camp fire. I put the spoon into the oil to dip out a piece of bread, and the spoon melted. I have no idea how hot the oil was, or if the spoon was really babbitt, but it sure surprised me. That said, what temperature will oil start to burn? Anyhow, you are right on the babbitt bearings. Every old wagon and buggy with wooden hubs had babbitt bearings, but they were greased, they weren't self lubricating. The grease was really stiff, stringy stuff. Perhaps it was wrapped in a tater sack because it was being saved to use again. Babbitt bearings were poured with the wheel on the spindle. The babbitt was melted and then poured so that the space between the spindle and boxing was filled.

 

[BosnMate]

I just remembered, babbitt and lead are a lot alike, but pure lead will scratch easily with your finger nail, and babbitt is harder, and will not crease, or scratch with the finger nail.

 

[Breezie]

Since you state it is 'really heavy,' and the thin/end area can be bent, why don't you think it is melted lead blobs? Lead melts at 620-ish F, did your torching get that hot?


Breezie

 

[metaldetectinggod]

I would just have a jeweler do a simple acid test only because it was wrapped in potato sack if you cant, throw it into the backyard and do a acid test yourself one day down the road. It does look like a crude something was being poured but they didn't heat the mold up enough and it popped and bubbled all over the mold

 

[NHBandit]

Babbitt metal found near an old abandoned railroad yard. Much harder than lead. Not magnetic.. Didn't think at the time to put anything next to it for size but it's as big as my hand. It about blew my headphones off.

 

[17GoCubsGo44]

Breezie thank you for your input. According to the safety ad in the Lowe's, propane torches burn up to around 3,500°F. Given mine was generic and a few years old, it is not that hot. Even if it was, let's say 1000°F cooler, it still should have melted lead. Plus, we melt lead all the time for fishing weights. This was basically a new tank, on high for 15-20min constant without a single change.

 

[17GoCubsGo44]

Here is a website that explains the melting point of different grades of babbitt.

http://www.belmontmetals.com/product/babbitt-metals/

 

[Backwoodsbob]

Damn dude... Do you know how to use Google ? babitt metal is NOT steel smh.. Can't the mods do anything to stop this guy from posting bad info all over the site day after day ?

Well,that is my bad . Most bearing I deal with are both steel and magnetic except the stainless ones. In the definition given it mentioned bearing and tin as the babbitt. That to is magnetic. I do need to read what I write and what I send. Sometimes their not the same. Now I do stand behind what I said it was . So Damn dude maybe you need a lesson too. Now it was found near an old mining operations. Not a bearing factory. What kind of mine was it. That should settle the issue. Smelting was done more than likely. But it was made to be like I said it was. Study up on on the work of those priest you might learn something. I'm human too


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[Backwoodsbob]

Babbitt metal found near an old abandoned railroad yard. Much harder than lead. Not magnetic.. Didn't think at the time to put anything next to it for size but it's as big as my hand. It about blew my headphones off.

Babbitt or slag?

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[Backwoodsbob]

Low melting temp on babbitt

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[Backwoodsbob]

we use propane to melt gold and silver,platinum . It's a dirty gas but will burn hot enough to melt many metal. It all depends on size of the flame and air to fuel mix.

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[kcm]

we use propane to melt gold and silver,platinum . It's a dirty gas but will burn hot enough to melt many metal. It all depends on size of the flame and air to fuel mix.

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Melting point for gold is 5,376°F, but propane has a MAXIMUM temp (meaning, under PERFECT conditions) of only 3,595°F. ...So how is it you use propane to melt gold? Even when mixing pure oxygen, propane has a temp of 4,579°F.
^^Don't believe this guy - he don't know what he's talking about!^^ (<-- that means ME! )


Wanna try that again Bob?

 

[Backwoodsbob]

Melting point for gold is 5,376°F, but propane has a MAXIMUM temp (meaning, under PERFECT conditions) of only 3,595°F. ...So how is it you use propane to melt gold? Even when mixing pure oxygen, propane has a temp of 4,579°F.


Wanna try that again Bob?

I worked as a jeweler so I know what I'm talking about. Very easy to do. Know you art. I Know mine.

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