what's this

[SparkyTris]

this is not necessarily in any way electrical. and is therefore completely off topic. I would very much appreciate the moderators indulging this post though, I am after exposing it to the particular flavour of brains on this forum that may be able to pass informed comment.

it was found with a metal detector in the garden of a 1930s house in the scottish borders.
I think the dinks in it have probably been caused by a motor lawnmower.

the blue substance in the 'female' end of it appear to be nylon or plastic of some kind.
body is mostly nonferrous.
there may be traces of a ferrous metal in the nose of the male end of it. (rusty deposit)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Miniature drill bit holder?

 

[securespark]

Huh?

I reckon that is only part of the object.

It contains copper, has an easy-to-grip exterior and appears to be threaded internally.

Could it be part of a writing implement?

Could the blue stuff be wax?

It may not have originally been part of the item and could have been added later.

 

[EFLImpudence]

A dart ?

 

[JohnW2]

A dart ?

It could be, but I'd be more inclined to suggest a "Pin Vice" (I think that's what they're called), essentially the "Miniature drill bit holder" that has already been suggested. There is one in my late father's 60-year-old toolbox of 'precision tools'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A dart ?

Of course.

What's broken off the sharp end is the point of the dart, and in the other is the remains of the shaft.

I couldn't think of anything other than a pin vice, but I was concerned that I couldn't see any way to open/tighten it.

 

[pete50]

A cheap and nasty dart at that. One of those with plastic flights. This one had gaudy blue plastic flights.

 

[powersurge]

My Mother had a set just like that, From the 50's Called them Brass Bullets they were about twice the weight of modern darts, and would destroy a modern cheap and nasty dartboard ina few games!

look at the unicorn set on here:

 

[SUNRAY]

My Mother had a set just like that, From the 50's Called them Brass Bullets they were about twice the weight of modern darts, and would destroy a modern cheap and nasty dartboard ina few games!

look at the unicorn set on here:

I thought it was only me that remembered when darts were a proper weight.

 

[SparkyTris]

Dart. amazing. Thanks.

 

[SimonH2]

Called them Brass Bullets they were about twice the weight of modern darts

And when I was at school, we used to saw the point off and turn a short parallel section on the nose - the right size to be a tight for for those caps that came in red rings and made a much bigger and more reliable bangs than the paper strip type. Cut the rings up to get individual caps, and you've got a semi-precision, short distance, bang delivery system - so you could give someone a good "surprise" without having to creep up behind them

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Easier to make some nitrogen tri-iodide, I would have thought.

 

[EddieM]

Easier to make some nitrogen tri-iodide, I would have thought.

Indeed quite hard to make, unless one was thinking it could be made with iodine and ammonia, which unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) doesn't result in NI3

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Iodine and ammonium hydroxide, IIRC

 

[EddieM]

Sort of, but it makes adduct of NI3 and ammonia NI3.NH3 which is good enough for "snappit" like behaviour.