Strange wheel made out of lead

paleomaxx · Jun 13, 2017

I found this a few weeks ago and forgot about it in my random metal pile. I thought it was a zinc wheel off a toy canon or something, but it's made of lead and extremely soft so it being off a toy doesn't make a lot of sense. I found it in a hill-side dump that I briefly explored. There was a ton of glass and pottery shards which suggest it was an 1860-1890's dump and I found several huge 2-foot sections of lead pipe as well. One thought was a flywheel, but most of the weight is towards the center and a flywheel would need the weight distributed around the edges so maybe not. Any thoughts?

david680 · Jun 13, 2017

Wheel from a toy wagon or carriage.

eyemustdigtreasure · Jun 13, 2017

My guess it's a wheel off a toy wagon.
Nice Find!

I have a "grill" (?) to an (automobile?), that is made up from lead.
Perhaps, the lead toy wheels made less noise on wooden floors...??
Anyway, here's my relic.

4x4x4 · Jun 13, 2017

....It appears to have a "D" shape axle hole.....flywheel from old toy steam engine ?

ecmjamsit · Jun 13, 2017

I was thinking old gyroscope. Maybe just a toy?

vhs07 · Jun 13, 2017

eyemustdigtreasure said:
My guess it's a wheel off a toy wagon.
Nice Find!

I have a "grill" (?) to an (automobile?), that is made up from lead.
Perhaps, the lead toy wheels made less noise on wooden floors...??
Anyway, here's my relic.
View attachment 1461767

Your's is whats left of an old lead cell of a Lead Acid Battery

DCMatt · Jun 15, 2017

Found these some years ago. They were ID'd here as being from a crank telephone magneto. Not exactly the same as yours, though...

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/150466-wheels-pulleys-cogs-crank-telephone-magneto-gears.html

paleomaxx · Jun 15, 2017

That's too funny; I have one of those telephone magneto's sitting on my desk at work. It actually still puts out a pretty solid charge, but I use it mostly for demonstrations or just to fidget with. That's cool that you've dug some parts of them up though. I don't think the lead would do too well in a system with actual torque since it's so soft. It's looking like the toy cannon wheel is a solid guess. From a simpler time when you handed pure lead to your kids and said "have fun!" :laughing7: