[Rod]

Recently on a prospecting trip we found this odd tool - anyone know what it is?

It's about 2.5 feet long with an odd top, looks like a giant blow gun needle made of iron, about 5/8 inches thick near the top and tapers to a point

[Adam]

Is this a contest question ?!

Beats me Rod.....sure is a cool find though !

[Kelly]

Peace pipe?

[Dangerous Dave]

It's a water fountain.
Rare, but some of them still work.
You wanna look for a near-by odd shaped rock to step on and make it work.

Be sure and mark it on your map, DD

[ARIZONA GUIDE]

Is it threaded on the end we are looking at.

[gotgold]

WAG here, how about a "Blowpipe" used when testing mineral samples!

[russford]

Excellent guess Gary. I would say that, or melting bullion.

....... rf

[gotgold]

Excellent guess Gary. I would say that, or melting bullion.

....... rf

Thanks Russ,

I do know that field testing was done by the ole' timers without having the 'modern convenience' of a forge to supply oxygen to the sample. This was a means of 'roasting' the sample to a temperature beyond the melting point of the suspected mineral content.

Some primitive hot 'barn burners' were utilized to say the least!... A long 'straw' was probably needed to supply the oxygen to the source mineral, because anything made of iron would quickly heat up over a short distance!

Ya just gotta remember not to 'inhale' with your Lips still on that "Blowpipe" thingy....

I've seen tailings from the 'in house mine assayer', where one could see the pockets or voids in the host rock that contained the mineral. Some assyers took a further step and soaked the sample in a solution of cyanide before discarding it just to better define the value.

Gary

[Rod]

Good guess on the blow pipe but it was never hollow, its solid, no threads

[NEWBIE]

Post it on the findmall forum in the "WHATZIT" forum, someone there will probably know.
http://www.findmall.com/list.php?40

[Redneck]

It looks like something that mechanics would use to spot a problem in a hard to reach area like a knocking rod or piston i have heard of something like that from my father of corse he never had any thing quite like that he used a cut off pool stick. Hell it could be used for anythingalso.

[gotgold]

Good guess on the blow pipe but it was never hollow, its solid, no threads

AARRRGGG.......looks like my WAG has been shot clean out of the water by the captain.

Another WAG...How about a part from an old bedframe???

Gary

[Hal]

Ornamental bird bath??

[Rod]

How about a part from an old bedframe

Damned good guess Gary - but why do you say that?

Have you seen similar parts on an old bed?

There is an old, early 1900s bead frame in the area - long forgotten - in fact the mine in the area is long forgotten - not on any map of the area

[Clodhopper]

It might be a golf tee used by giant anti-magnetic aliens.

[Lizardchaser]

A::: Device used to make a hole(sharp end) to insert a B cap into a red POP stick. Top end used to tamp stick into hole????

B::: A candlestick holder L-if-I no
Nick

[russford]

Well, if the stem is solid, my second guess would be a mold for pouring molten gold buttons.

...... rf

Hey Rod, want to sell it?

[sawmill]

Horn from a anerexic unicorn?

[Ted]

Hey guys.

My first guess was that this thing is a spoke of some kind.

I also like the button mold idea.

Russ, I've got it so I'll bring it by sometime and see what you think.

Ted

[gotgold]

Another thing came to mind, that being a tamping rod for a 'charge'. But I've never known these bars to be out of metal.

The pointed end would have been used to punch a hole in the charge to insert the cap, and the bugle end would have been used to insert and tamp the charge.

Gary

Damned good guess Gary - but why do you say that?

Have you seen similar parts on an old bed?

I've have a number of pictures on the computer of old bedframes that others have taken while exploring, it's a matter of finding them.

Also some of the books I have show pics of similar stuff.

Dang, sitting here typing this another thought just hit me, how about a 'dip stick' for checking the oil.

[Rod]

I don't think it would have been a button mold, would not make sense to make it so long plus if you spilled where would the over flow go?

Candlestick holder - maybe in a shaft - but I don't think that was its original purpose by design

I'm just babbling thoughts here - feel free to tell me to shut the hell up

[Randy Wright]

prehistoric bidet?

[caldave]

I think it is a New Mexico Mining Candle Holder. It's a small image, maybe Rod can enlarge it?

[Rod]

I can enlarge it but it won't look good

[Grubstake]

Its the first prototype of a lower leg, for a hip replacement, the hip ball fits in it and they shove that into your leg for the ball on your hip to fit in? Just kiddin, A guy I know was dredging on the merced rivere, did find a metal hip joint replacemet, while dredging, he turned it over to the cops, they have serial #'s and said they could trace it. I think they prob. did but we never got there results. Grubstake

[Reno Chris]

Candle holders are not more than about a foot long. A two foot long candle holder would be in the way.

Can you get a better photo?

I could be a spoon. Thats a tool old dtimers used to clean out drill holes and tamp down dyanamite. I have an old one - its just shy of two feet long.

Here is a picture of some old mining tools I own. The long narrow skinny thing just below the pick is a spoon.

Chris

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 

[Kelly]

Mabey a tie rod off an old truck.

[Rod]

Ted has the relic and here are some up close pics he posted at www.goldplacer.com

[Kelly]

How about a tamping rod for the powder in the drill holes?

[Clodhopper]

I noticed a little design imprinted on the pointy end, could that be a clue?

[caldave]

Rod, I agree,I tried to enlarge my image and it looked like crap.
Reno Chris. That is the best image I cound get, they offerd no other shots.

After looking at the enlargements I can see that it does not look like my image.

[ARIZONA GUIDE]

I see a #5 on the inside of the opening Both ends look very used bit the poity end lokks as if it has been used banging on somthing from the rounded smashed look. Maybe they used the open end to push dynomite down the holes. I guess the only thing throwing me is it beein iron i would be afraid it would spark and blow me up with explosive on the other end.

Another thing is the small pointy end also seems to be shiny and not rusted on the end. Could it be pluged with lead or mercury.