Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 12 of 12
-
19th February 2013, 10:37 AM #1New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- England
- Posts
- 4
Any idea what these metal 'soap bars' are for?
I was given these three metal blocks by a friend earlier, they were found in his recently deceased grandfathers house. All three are near enough identical in size, with two featuring similar markings on the top (the wrapped one shares a similar pattern with one on the left) while the third has a rough pimply surface of uniform colour. I would guess the red on the coloured blocks is paint (most/all of the white is), but some of it seems 'underneath' the top layer, like areas have been exposed.
They're all generally quite rough, apart from patches on the underneath (perhaps the 'unused' area?).
We couldn't work out what they might be for, so I've come here to see if you have any ideas? Not sure if this is the right forum, but I had to start somewhere!
For further information, the 'pimpled' block was also wrapped (though ripped, so I liberated it). I don't know if the wrappaging if from my friends granddad or if they were sold like this. My guess is they've been used for *something* and then wrapped in the paper for storage.
Many thanks for looking, and I look forward to your ideas!
Top.jpg
Side.jpg
Size.jpg
Angle.jpg
-
19th February 2013 10:37 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
19th February 2013, 01:28 PM #2Senior Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- ringwood vic
- Posts
- 251
Possibly panel beaters dollies ????
Regards,
Martin
-
19th February 2013, 01:43 PM #3New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- England
- Posts
- 4
Hmm, interesting proposition - googling up what they are, it seems somewhat plausible - though he was no panel beater! A friend had the idea of bench blocks but as far as I know, he was never a carpenter or metal worker - did have a lot of tools though, so plenty of DIY tinkering.
Thanks for the suggestion, for now I think the mystery of soap bars continues!
-
19th February 2013, 02:33 PM #4SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jul 2011
- Location
- Melbourne Australia
- Posts
- 1,128
They surface appearance to me, looks to be cast. I wonder if they are ingots of differing elements / materials. Would the Grandfather have been into foundry casting?
Regards Phil.
-
19th February 2013, 05:03 PM #5GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- May 2003
- Location
- Perth WA
- Posts
- 3,784
Was the grandfather into drafting of any kind?
They remind me of the paper weights used many moons ago but I would have expected those to be more consistent in shape and one of them doesn't fit in with that anyway. With rounded edges dollies is closer but i would have expected a finer surface finish.Cheers,
Rod
-
19th February 2013, 05:18 PM #6Senior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- mid north coast NSW
- Posts
- 148
Iron ore briquettes?
Third time lucky!
I think that these are (sintered?) iron ore briquettes. The one I have from Port Kembla is more pillow shaped and rougher than yours. Google images shows some iron ore briquettes similar to yours.
Graeme
-
19th February 2013, 06:07 PM #7Distracted Member
- Join Date
- May 2010
- Location
- Lower Lakes SA
- Age
- 58
- Posts
- 2,557
Billets. Anything made from them will have aerospace properties.
-
19th February 2013, 06:37 PM #8
Hmm
Bryan might be closer than it would appear at first sight.. I think they could be of extra terrestrial origin, was your grandfather involved in any top secret military organizations?
Failing that I'd be thinking samples of different alloys, probably cast?
Regards
Ray
-
19th February 2013, 07:47 PM #9GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Location
- Mornington Peninsula
- Posts
- 2,746
-
19th February 2013, 10:32 PM #10
Metal soap bars are used for washing metal.
Cliff.
If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.
-
20th February 2013, 02:30 AM #11New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- England
- Posts
- 4
Aha! I'll start using the wire wool to rub down the sheep
Thanks for all the replies, I was going to quote and comment on them all individually but can't work out how to do it!
I quite like the iron briquette idea... but the flat bottomedness of the blocks makes me wonder. From what I can glean on the web, the briquettes are a means of storing (maybe sponge) Iron? So you'd either make them flat on both sides, to maximise storage/transport capacity, or you'd just crank them out rough... or you'd just have a huge rack of moulds for casting and you could make them whatever shape you wanted. Hmmmmm I know nothing!
I'm going to weigh them when I get back from work, see if there's any difference between them. Might try sanding or filing one as well, see if there's any difference in surface underneath.
Will speak to my friend as well, see if I can glean any history on the blocks and any relevant trade/craft history. No Secret Service history that I'm aware of sadly, so they're probably not Russian Space Batons (lol).
Leaning towards this briquette idea, or just as some kind of weight - they do seem to have paint on after all...
Thanks again
-
21st February 2013, 04:53 AM #12New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- England
- Posts
- 4
**UPDATE**
Might not be worth two stars and capitalisation, but I've just been told the owner used to 'make precision instruments'. My friend said he'd ask his mum for a bit more info. Guess that would lean towards bench blocks or similar?
Thanks,
-Ed
Similar Threads
-
Soap finished oak?
By tea lady in forum FINISHINGReplies: 7Last Post: 7th May 2011, 09:31 PM -
Soap
By jimbur in forum HINTS & TIPSReplies: 11Last Post: 1st May 2011, 10:31 PM -
Problem with Soap
By ElizaLeahy in forum WOODTURNING - GENERALReplies: 13Last Post: 3rd March 2009, 09:40 AM -
Soap Flakes?
By Wood Borer in forum FINISHINGReplies: 6Last Post: 12th September 2004, 08:53 AM