Antique weight? Depth Finder? No one seems to know...

I am curious if anyone knows what this was used for? It appears to be a hanging scale slotted weight but I have yet to find anything comparable online. It weighs 43 pounds and is over 100 years old. The only marking left are a -3W which makes me wonder if the dash is a 4 or if that's a coincidence. 43W=43 pounds. This has been a mystery for 2 generations, we know that it was considered to be special by our Grandfather but not why.. there is a memory as a child where an explanation included a rope and piano wire. Any suggestions or guidance is greatly appreciated!

 

Could be a windmill weight.

 

Interesting! I hadn't thought of that.. I will look into it. Thank you!

 

I think you got it springfld, here's a somewhat similar one:
http://www.antiquemystique.com/this-is-an-old-monitor-windmill-weight-shaped-like-a-football-measuring-18-quot-in-length.html

 

You guys are good at this! I don't know how windmill weights worked. The item I have has a definite slot but I don't see that on the windmill weight in the picture?

 

Windmill weights can have many different forms since there were many different makers who didn't want to be accused of patent infringement by having their products look too much like someone else's product.

 

Never heard of a windmill weight, but I guess it would be consistent with your childhood memories of piano wire and rope. Nice slide show here (doesn't include yours):

http://www.farmcollector.com/equipment/counterbalance-weights

(Still not really seeing its application myself.)

 

Good point!

 

Thanks for the link! I wouldn't have put together the rope and piano wire... Very interesting! Thank you all so much!

 

Hi,
When I was a kid a neighbor had his fathers cast iron bull windmill weight. He had it mounted on a projection from his garage. He said it weighted 50 lbs. It was the only one that I have ever seen. I have seen "newer" fake ones.
greg

 

I have found a few concrete windmill weights in this football shape. The following site says:

"Concrete Football. A great piece of American folk art. It was used as a counterweight in a windmill. Most windmill weights you see are cast iron, and in the from of farm animals. The horse, rooster, Bull,etc. There were only two windmill weights made in concrete. One is the football shown here and the other is the Civil War battleship Monitor, a very rare form."
http://industrial-antiques.com/windmill-weight-concrete-football/

I worked with the pics markings hoping to make it all out. There seems to be a word before the dash. I was hoping to see a maker's name. The last of your pics, close-up, of the mark, cuts off the beginning of the mark. I haven't had any luck. Sometimes I think it is "...TWT-3WT" then at other times "...TMT-3WT," "...TWE 3WT," ".ATWE-3WT," ...? Anyways, am included my edited versions in hopes someone can make heads or tails out of the markings.

--- Susan

The 3rd posted pic of the whole weight. I have cropped it down to the markings.


The 4th posted pic, close-up, of the markings. The beginning of the markings is missing.

 

Thanks so much !! I really appreciate everyone's efforts on this!

 

But I bet that "Everyone" is more appreciative of you posting it, so that "They" could squirrel out the information.................some of "Everyone" simply LIVE to do this sort of research and those of us that know nothing LIVE to learn what they know and uncover.................and so generously share.................