Surely, somebody knows what this is....

[FlyingProspector]

When I dug this out I thought for sure, no question it is a rail car wheel because it was caked with hard pack dirt. But when I got it home and cleaned her up it doesn't look that way at all. Its pretty heavy for its size at 10.6 lbs. My best guess is an engine pulley for maybe a tractor or something. You tell me!!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

When I dug this out I thought for sure, no question it is a rail car wheel because it was caked with hard pack dirt. But when I got it home and cleaned her up it doesn't look that way at all. Its pretty heavy for its size at 10.6 lbs. My best guess is an engine pulley for maybe a tractor or something. You tell me!!

looks like iron junk to me Most guys would have hit the top of that with their digger, seen that it's large junk, and just covered the hole back up. But then I bet we've all passed some caches doing that (durn those hubcaps anyways! haha)

 

[gleaner1]

There are not one, not two, but three distinctly different hunks of crap depicted in your pics. Which exact hunk of crap would you like assessed? And quit calling me Shirley.

 

[FlyingProspector]

Umm... So I know it's junk. Just wondering if anyone knows what it is. Like, specifically, not generalized as junk if that makes sense. And damn it Shirley you're looking good these days.

 

[radioham]

Looks like a mine cart rail where ...

Bested guess ...

 

[radioham]

Looks like a mine cart rail where ...

Bested guess ...

Looks like a mine cart rail wheel ...

Darn spell check on my phone...

 

[wvwildman]

its a harmonic balancer of a engine

 

[GroundSnooper]

its a harmonic balancer of a engine

Dead on assessment ! On second look it appears to thick to be a balancer. :-/

 

[radioham]

Looks like a harmonic mine car wheel balancer

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I think I got it figured out flying-prospector: It's one of those tteeeensssy little nuts that go into fine swiss watches!

 

[phishisgroovin]

looks more like a PTO belt pully off an old tractor that powered farming impliments to plow, chop, bale hay or whatever.

 

[olfacere]

Well, we can say that it definitely goes onto an axil and it definitely has bearings inside of it. I'll bet that thing was pretty greasy when it was working. It looks like the outer body is tapered, but there also looks to be a small ridge in the middle of the taper. I would wager that the function of this thing will be told be the sides of it.

 

[cudamark]

Looks too thick to be a crankshaft harmonic balancer and I don't see a keyway but that might because of the layers of corrosion. If it has a layer of rubber between the center hub section and the other ring, I'll change my mind and agree but I think radioham has it sussed....an ore cart wheel......or maybe an overhead trolley wheel.