Old school medicine ball

Just guessing....I wonder if it is a gadget for cattle to scratch their backs ??? I've seen modern devices that are hung in pastures for cattle to walk under and rub against to scratch their backs. ( some of these actually seem to dispense some sort of insecticide)…
Just a WAG !!

Lawn dart?

quote:

Originally posted by blueye:
Kidney stone, at least that's what it felt like.

No kidding!!

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I have never seen anything like it, but my first guess is that it was used for milling/processing something in a rotary tumbler to break it down into smaller pieces. Around where I live in a 19th century mining town we sometimes find small iron balls that were tumbled with ore in … “ball mills” to break it down for further refining. I have one such ball about 2 inches in diameter.

They are actually called grinding balls, made in a ball mill.I previously managed such a facility, made from 1" through 5 1/2" grinding balls. They are still used to today in breaking down and refining ores.

midevil catapult weapon!

quote:

Originally posted by BigWhup:

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I have never seen anything like it, but my first guess is that it was used for milling/processing something in a rotary tumbler to break it down into smaller pieces. Around where I live in a 19th century mining town we sometimes find small iron balls that were tumbled with ore in … “ball mills” to break it down for further refining. I have one such ball about 2 inches in diameter.

They are actually called grinding balls, made in a ball mill.I previously managed such a facility, made from 1" through 5 1/2" grinding balls. They are still used to today in breaking down and refining ores.

Not doubting you for a minute, but when I google "grinding balls", all I see are smooth metal balls. Any idea if there's an online source where I can verify the existence of the antique wooden, iron studded type?

-Rob

Are the spikes wood or metal (iron)?

If it is a “grinding ball” of some sort, I would expect that it wasn’t intended for breaking down rocky ore material, but rather some other substance, perhaps even plant material. Whatever that material was, it’s quite possible that other methods are used today.

A large medieval flail waeapon.

Try contacting these folks. Betcha they know.

https://laurelleaffarm.com/ite...ls/antique-tools.htm

Thermal Detonator



H&K-Guy

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:
Are the spikes wood or metal (iron)?

Iron - same as the band around it.

-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:

quote:

Originally posted by BigWhup:

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I have never seen anything like it, but my first guess is that it was used for milling/processing something in a rotary tumbler to break it down into smaller pieces. Around where I live in a 19th century mining town we sometimes find small iron balls that were tumbled with ore in … “ball mills” to break it down for further refining. I have one such ball about 2 inches in diameter.

They are actually called grinding balls, made in a ball mill.I previously managed such a facility, made from 1" through 5 1/2" grinding balls. They are still used to today in breaking down and refining ores.

Not doubting you for a minute, but when I google "grinding balls", all I see are smooth metal balls. Any idea if there's an online source where I can verify the existence of the antique wooden, iron studded type?

-Rob

Sorry for misleading you, I was referring to the comment by sigfreud relating to the balls he was speaking of, which are smooth steel balls, as you found.

They are typical placed in large tumblers, (think larger than a concrete mixing truck). along with ore. As the ore and balls are tumbled together the ore is pulverized by the balls into a much finer mixture. That mixture is then ran through a process which separates gold, silver and other materials from the mixture.

I don't know what your find is.

It simulates marriage. You don't put in in your ass, you just imagine if it were there.

I wonder if it's a navel mine?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...l_mine#Contact_mines

quote:

Originally posted by Haveme1or2:
I wonder if it's a navel mine?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...l_mine#Contact_mines

From my original post:

I suggested it might be a salesman's sample of a naval contact mine.

LOL.

-Rob

Early model of the Death Star?

quote:

Originally posted by mike28w:
Just guessing....I wonder if it is a gadget for cattle to scratch their backs ??? I've seen modern devices that are hung in pastures for cattle to walk under and rub against to scratch their backs. ( some of these actually seem to dispense some sort of insecticide)…
Just a WAG !!

That was my guess.