# What is this large metal object? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708 "2005-04-10T22:35:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muerte\_Viscosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Muerte\_Viscosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muerte_Viscosa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/1 "2005-04-10T22:35:12Z")
Last summer, we were digging a hole in our yard to install an artificial pond and unearthed this: [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sci_girl/DCP_2872.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sci_girl/DCP_2872.jpg) [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sci_girl/DCP_2874.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sci_girl/DCP_2874.jpg) It is very heavy and seems to be made of solid iron. It is 47" by 6." Our lot was once part of a greenhouse/truck farm operation. I’m pretty curious as to what this thing is, and I’d appreciate any help in identifying it. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/2 "2005-04-10T22:44:46Z")
Part of a railroad track? Sorry, I got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/3 "2005-04-10T22:44:59Z")
It appears to be an I-beam (portion thereof) with a reinforcing web at one end. Perhaps it once held a festoon trolley, or other suspending/hoisting mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/4 "2005-04-10T22:48:48Z")
I’m gonna go with danceswithcats on this one, my first guess was construction (or demo) garbage. How deep was it? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/5 "2005-04-10T22:54:44Z")
It could also be part of a truck frame. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/6 "2005-04-11T01:09:07Z")
Looks like a spare tire holder off an older pickup. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/7 "2005-04-11T02:05:13Z")
Part of the I-Beam suspension on an early 70’s Ford pickup truck would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/8 "2005-04-11T02:34:59Z")
It looks to me like the bottom (buried) part of a steel fence post for a wire fence. Was it in the ground vertically? Someone could have been lazy when then pulled the fence out and only cut off the post at or just below ground level. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-large-metal-object/298708/9 "2005-04-11T04:04:38Z")
> [@Ex\_Chemist](#): > > Someone could have been lazy when then pulled the fence out and only cut off the post at or just below ground level. They cut an I-beam because they were feeling lazy!?!? It’s too big to be a [Ford I-beam](http://www.procarcare.com/images/shar/encyclopedia/88488p17.jpg) (#9 in the link.) It isn’t bent either. All the same, it’s not just a run of the mill I-beam; it tapers towards the bottom, and it looks like the top is boxed or the web is thickened with a hole in the end for a bolt or pin.