Please help identify this lead....thing...

[sureYnot]

I have enough lead, I didn't need this thing. Curiosity won out. Didn't hurt that it's 20 lbs and the guy only wanted $12. Unless it's poisoned with zinc, it's pretty much a no-loss.
But, whatever it's made of, what in the world IS IT?
I tried google image search from every angle. Nothing.
Best I can think is some kind of piston or plug. Those holes for the pin are so high, it couldn't withstand much pulling force. Maybe even too weak to be able to pull a jammed plug.
It looks built to take one heck of a forward pounding. So, leaning towards piston. Or some kind of ram? For what? Pile driver, maybe? It would be easier on the wood than iron, I suppose.
I told the guy I'd come back and tell him if I found out what it is.

I can scratch it with my thumbnail and curl up a shaving with a standard #2 pencil. A COWW ingot will scratch it. But a telecom cable sheathing ingot will not.

[Delkal]

Its not a piston. A piston wouldn't be tapered and would have smooth wear from where it moved in the cylinder. And it wouldn't be hollow with machining to specific shape to hold something. The top slot is also machined where you can put another lead block on it and still put something thru the holes for transport.


My guess is it is a lead holder to transfer some isotope or other radioactive stuff........maybe even a retired nuclear core . But this is just a guess

[Hannibal]

I'd guess a weight for an olde skool fire door in an industry building of some type.

Typically hung with a cotton rope. Rope burned through, door slammed shut.

[Winger Ed.]

Gate closing weights looked like that too.

[Delkal]

If it was just some kind of weight why would it be cast hollow inside to hold a specific shape? Pretty sure if we could figure out what fits inside that is the answer.

[sureYnot]

If it was just some kind of weight why would it be cast hollow inside to hold a specific shape? Pretty sure if we could figure out what fits inside that is the answer.

Going down that path... the shape of the holllow may indicate it was meant to spin. Perhaps to clean and / or reshape lead water pipes?

[Delkal]

Going down that path... the shape of the holllow may indicate it was meant to spin. Perhaps to clean and / or reshape lead water pipes?

Could be. A round hollow for the main shaft to fit and a key to turn it. Can you see any wear inside? Or turn marks on the outside from when it was spinning?

[dtknowles]

I think it is a plug to plug a well. Drop it in the hole and twist and press until it is sealed then cast a concrete cap over it.

Tim

[poppy42]

I think either Winger Ed is on the right tract A way to close the gate or raise or lower something. Orrrrr It’s some type of mooring anchor! Looks to me like it might’ve spent considerable time submerged in water.

[poppy42]

I guess I should probably elaborate a little bit more on my previous post. Obviously I’m not talking about the mooring for a battleship! Many times when you have waterfront property it’s too shallow to actually Moore Your boat right up to the edge of your property so you sink a mooring anchor so many yards offshore with a float on it so that you can tie your boat up. Possibly a small sailboat or even some type of dinghy. The machined rectangular sections look as if you could attach a post of some sort to it.

[sureYnot]

Could be. A round hollow for the main shaft to fit and a key to turn it. Can you see any wear inside? Or turn marks on the outside from when it was spinning?

No wear inside whatsoever. All sharp corners. The shoulders on those tabs on the side show equal wear on both sides. No real evidence of spinning on closer inspection. Whatever it was doing, I think we've ruled out it's being a moving part...maybe. All wear being external, could have all come from just being around in junk piles. Sitting at the bottom of the river with some plastic stick jammed in it would explain that as well.
dtknowles and or poppy 42 may have something there. I could see it anchoring a bouy, for sure. Well cap that hasn't been used yet, also fits the observations so far.
I'm not far from the Tennessee River. Local conservation officer may recognize it, if that's where it came from.

[Uncle Grinch]

I think it’s a counter weight that goes in the bottom of an alien flying saucer. It keeps it centered while the spaceship spins.

[redhawk0]

I think it's a clock weight from a large clock tower.

[Finster101]

I think it's a clock weight from a large clock tower.

A very real possibility.

[gunther]

Pretty sure it's an radioactive isotope shipping container. They are about as pure a piece of lead as you could find. Take the picture on your cell phone and show it to an x ray-tech at your local hospital. Be nice, and they may find you some more of these. They are not usually return-shipped because of the weight, they get tossed or given away.

[racepres]

Pretty sure it's an radioactive isotope shipping container. They are about as pure a piece of lead as you could find. Take the picture on your cell phone and show it to an x ray-tech at your local hospital. Be nice, and they may find you some more of these. They are not usually return-shipped because of the weight, they get tossed or given away.

The Isotope Containers that I used to get, all had a Cap. None were nearly 20 lbs, and all were same size, But, all came from same source. Some isotopes must be different, due to very Few were Pure Lead...the majority were Painted Orange, and were a Quite Hard Alloy, Harder than COWW...But...again, those were the ones I was sourcing!!
Sure look like a Mooring Anchor to my eye...

[BP Dave]

I agree with sureYnot that it doesn't look like it could take much abuse suspended by the holes at the top, and with Winger Ed and others that it looks like a gate weight of some sort. Any chance it's a counterweight on a lift gate (sort of like a railroad or parking lot single-arm gate)? That might explain the relatively pristine inside, because once pinned in place, it doesn't move on the bar, but also the external markings, weathering, and abuse.

[Dusty Bannister]

Pretty sure it's an radioactive isotope shipping container. They are about as pure a piece of lead as you could find. Take the picture on your cell phone and show it to an x ray-tech at your local hospital. Be nice, and they may find you some more of these. They are not usually return-shipped because of the weight, they get tossed or given away.

This is the link you are looking for to determine if you have an isotope container or not. And it is not one of these.

http://www.fellingfamily.net/isolead/

[country gent]

I believe its a balancer weight for a door or parts on an assembly line. Heavy parts are suspended from a balancer to make them weightless for the workers.

[jsizemore]

Does it weigh 62.78 lbs?