• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Help, what is this thing?

INgunner54

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 16, 2017
227
65
Found this thing in grandparents garage. I've got no clue what it is and didn't want to pitch it until I knew it wasn't important. Dad didn't know, so figured it was worth a shot here. It's cast and has a piece of wood clamped in the bolted end. Any ideas?
 

Attachments

  • 16848509983099157782238686073593.jpg
    16848509983099157782238686073593.jpg
    261.5 KB · Views: 439
  • 16848510199308944673670043783086.jpg
    16848510199308944673670043783086.jpg
    270 KB · Views: 438
  • 16848510356424180690915984735423.jpg
    16848510356424180690915984735423.jpg
    304.7 KB · Views: 421
  • 16848510553484425290040271564949.jpg
    16848510553484425290040271564949.jpg
    223.7 KB · Views: 439
Looks a bit like an old tie rod end, but that would be too simple.

Delete that.

could it be a mold for something? Lead?
Taking another look, I'll bet its a mold for making cast something or other. You can see its got a hinge and a bolt to secure it, so it opens. Looks like the handle would have wood on it to protect the hands of the guy using it from the heat.
 
Looks like a suspension part of an old horse drawn carriage. That doesn't look like a mold as the bolt would take too long to tighten.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lash
No idea, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s a quick disconnect for a front roll bar or some other suspension bit on some type of heavy equipment that may need more suspension articulation at times.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lash
I'm guessing control arm of some sort. You can see that clampable axle end, and the slot is for adjusting a pair of them true to the road.
Best guess, I'd pitch it. (but I took the day off to clean the garage and barn)
 
  • Like
Reactions: ACard and lash
I can't recall the name right now but it's a urn that you fill with metal and then put into the forge to melt.
There is a name for it.....it's just eluding me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maggot
I'm guessing control arm of some sort. You can see that clampable axle end, and the slot is for adjusting a pair of them true to the road.
Best guess, I'd pitch it. (but I took the day off to clean the garage and barn)
Ha, exactly what lead to this thread! We bought their house and I've been trying to unfuck things for the last two days!
 
Ha, exactly what lead to this thread! We bought their house and I've been trying to unfuck things for the last two days!
Maybe they lived through the depression. I bought an old place and in cleaning out the shed I found 3 or 4 broken coffee makers...Instead of just throwing it away, " Better save it, might need it someday" mentallity. I had an old buddy who was OC/Hoarder. When he went to the nursing home and they cleaned out his house they found unbelievable things. 3 dead cats in the freezer...."Just could'nt part with them. Stacks of 50 year old newspapers.


As for me, after y last move, I'm getting rid of stuff like crazy. Unless it's really expensive. 'd rather pay to replace it rather than save it for years and not use it.
 
It's a cast iron connecting arm or drag link from a piece of antique equipment. Hard to date but the nut is square, so that makes it no later than late victorian period in my mind. Probably from farm equipment or a small steam engine.
 
Could definitely be something from an old car, tractor, or buggy. Grandpa was in to all of those things
 
Post it on Reddit. The whatisthisthing sub is amazing at what people can identify

 
It also looks like a pittman arm for a steering linkage. But that slotted hole is throwing me off, so, I am probably wrong. But definitely looks like some suspension or steering part from a motor vehicle. I don't think it is a tie rod end because you would have a hole for the threaded rod to go in that you adjust in or out for alignment adjustments.
 
Looks like some sort of very old steering linkage
 
I agree. Its a dikfur. I think that one was made be the fakarwe Indians from the BFE region of Indiana.

To be exact...

But seriously, looks like some kind of cast pedal or lever. My Dad is also one that never throws anything away. He had a 100 year old barn. Finally had to tear it down and found all kinds of weird stuff... that filled up a dumpster.
 
I agree. Its a dikfur. I think that one was made be the fakarwe Indians from the BFE region of Indiana.

To be exact...

But seriously, looks like some kind of cast pedal or lever. My Dad is also one that never throws anything away. He had a 100 year old barn. Finally had to tear it down and found all kinds of weird stuff... that filled up a dumpster.
Spot on about the first part, you must be some sort of wizard!
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Slash0311
Looks like a suspension part of an old horse drawn carriage. That doesn't look like a mold as the bolt would take too long to tighten.


Yep, it's a Wilson pickett.