Industriana

DaveP · Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:39 pm

What do you make of this? It weighs in at 865g and made of lead. It has taken a beating but it was reasonably crude when made as not all of the recesses are exactly the same size. Mounted on a square shaft so appears to be some form of gear.
Lead would be an odd material unless it engaged with something softer like wood. I'm wondering if it's something to do with milling or canals ; the Wey-Arun canal is next to the field.

Easylife · Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:47 pm

I guess you couldn't miss that target!

It'll make a good door stop.

DaveP · Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:49 pm

Easylife wrote: ↑Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:47 pm I guess you couldn't miss that target!
It'll make a good door stop.

At the moment lead is £1/kg so it'll make about 86p

Unless, of course, it's a late Medieval wotsit.

Easylife · Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:53 pm

I first thought a weight, but then why would it have the recesses?

Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:27 pm

The recesses look as though it's either the hub (pun fully intended) for spokes or it's a cog of some kind, but being made of something as soft as lead rules both out, I'd have thought.

DaveP · Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:58 pm

figgis wrote: ↑Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:27 pm The recesses look as though it's either the hub (pun fully intended) for spokes or it's a cog of some kind, but being made of something as soft as lead rules both out, I'd have thought.

Agree. There are 5 recesses about 1cm deep. It feels / looks more like a cog but it's the lead that has thrown me as well.

Bors · Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:55 am

I`m sure I can hear it crying out to go in the scrap - Lead bin

Dave The Slave · Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:41 pm

Industriana, what a great word ?
Having watched every episode of Tim and Prunella`s Great Canal Trips, possibly off one of those cranking handles for opening lock gates, given the find location ?
Certainly different.
Cheers,

Dave.

DaveP · Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:58 pm

Dave The Slave wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:41 pm Having watched every episode of Tim and Prunella`s Great Canal Trips, possibly off one of those cranking handles for opening lock gates, given the find location ?
Certainly different.
Cheers,
Dave.

I know what you mean but it's the lead that doesn't appear to make sense. All ideas the are humanly possible appreciated

The Wey-Arun canal was opened in 1816 to carry goods and materials from London via the Wey at Guildford to Portsmouth as a secure route during the French wars. It closed in 1871 due to the new railway taking most of the freight. In that period everything would have been made of cast iron or steel. So this humble item, no more exciting than a button, doesn't seem to make sense.

A bit of local history for anyone interested:
https://weyarun.org.uk/qr/haybarn-swing-bridge

Dave The Slave · Sun Mar 28, 2021 2:39 pm

DaveP wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:58 pm I know what you mean but it's the lead that doesn't appear to make sense. All ideas the are humanly possible appreciated

The Wey-Arun canal was opened in 1816 to carry goods and materials from London via the Wey at Guildford to Portsmouth as a secure route during the French wars. It closed in 1871 due to the new railway taking most of the freight. In that period everything would have been made of cast iron or steel. So this humble item, no more exciting than a button, doesn't seem to make sense.

A bit of local history for anyone interested:
https://weyarun.org.uk/qr/haybarn-swing-bridge

Interesting link, Dave.
Only other thing i could think of is one of those things off a rigging boat as you wind the rope to alter the sail, if that makes sense.
Being lead, thinking it may have been a quick fix copy, after the original iron piece broke.
Detecting a drained piece of Canal would be interesting, apart from the tons of rubbish in there.
Cheers,

Dave.