What the heck are these?

[imdoc]

Hi everybody. My name is Doc and my parents recently passed away and I was given the job by all the brothers (there are 5 of us) to figure out what some of the stuff they left to us is. This is my first quest, to find out what these balls are. I weighed them on a set of postal scales and they weigh 1 3/16 lbs. I took these pictures so you can see what they look like. I'm hoping somebody can tell me what they are all about. I saw another post where the balls similar to this ended up being balls for a stop valve on a pump. I'm hoping you can give me insight on this as well! Thanks for all your help...

Doc

 

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[ObsidianQueen]

MUSKET BALLS! possibly. thats just what came to mind first. could just be some old ball bearings though

 

[daroofa]

Grinding media maybe...?

 

[MObushwhacker]

1 3/16. lbs, Man thats a big big musket

MUSKET BALLS! possibly. thats just what came to mind first. could just be some old ball bearings though

 

[GaRebel1861]

1 3/16. lbs, Man thats a big big musket

Your darn right that's a big musket!!!!

 

[mo dirt diggin]

According to the tape measure it is right at 2 inches in diameter !

 

[imdoc]

Yep..if it's musket balls I wouldn't want to be either the one firing the gun or the one being fired upon! That would be more like a cannon. I'm really at a loss as to what these things are. They would make good paperweights except they keep rolling off. :O

 

[aka da Prof]

how many do you have? if brass they could be part of a check valve??

 

[PYRATE]

My dad had brass balls too!

He always said it was because he was born during the depression & raised during WWII

 

[AU Seeker]

What they're made of would be a very important fact in determining what they are!!

 

[bluehunter1973]

one valve engines used two brass balls and an aluminum ball about that size.

 

[trol]

Nice.....

 

[imdoc]

Ummmm....I don't know what they're made of but they are heavy. I assumed it was bronze but ...... Maybe I'll just beat them with a hammer until they have flat spots and use them for paperweights! lol

 

[DoubleUgly]

On the first and second photos, is that just a spot of corrosion, or a place where it might've been cut?

Reason I ask, is sometimes old steam tractors used brass weights on their governors.

 

[imdoc]

I believe it's just a spot of corrosion but it's hard to say for sure. These things really have me baffled.

 

[imdoc]

After looking again at the last pic I posted there are two marks that look like maybe something had been welded or soldered there like the pic of the governor you posted. Or maybe I'm just seeing things..