what are these things?

[superslinky]

I found these big metal pipe-vent things laying next to the local recycling center metal drop-off bin. They were too cool to be melted down so I adopted them for garden sculpture. They're VERY heavy. I'd say around 300+- lbs. each. I could barely load them onto my truck using 2 wooden ramps and my old skateboard. They are hollow but completely made of metal - maybe iron? My guess is they were used on the venting of a huge boiler for a building or on a blast furnace or maybe for some plumbing system. Can any of you gearheads tell me what they may have been used for? I'm seriously interested to know their original purpose on this earth. There are no id marks or company name that I can find on them. My neighbors and friends ask me and I tell them I have no idea what they are. My wife says they look like big metal uvulas.

 

[dreamingmuscle]

I found these big metal pipe-vent things laying next to the local recycling center metal drop-off bin. They were too cool to be melted down so I adopted them for garden sculpture. They're VERY heavy. I'd say around 300+- lbs. each. I could barely load them onto my truck using 2 wooden ramps and my old skateboard. They are hollow but completely made of metal - maybe iron? My guess is they were used on the venting of a huge boiler for a building or on a blast furnace or maybe for some plumbing system. Can any of you gearheads tell me what they may have been used for? I'm seriously interested to know their original purpose on this earth. There are no id marks or company name that I can find on them. My neighbors and friends ask me and I tell them I have no idea what they are. My wife says they look like big metal uvulas.

That's what they are you nailed it LOL JK.

Maybe tie down points for a big ship???
________
Jaguar X-Type history

 

[trythis]

Well, I can tell you they are upside down!
No, really, they are beautiful, glad you saved them. No idea what they are, but they might have a bit of heat exchange function. ?? very cool though.

 

[e-tek]

An IUD for the 50 foot woman?

 

[rwhite692]

Those look like heat exchanger elements for a very old boiler.

 

[Keep]

Those would be cool on either side of a driveway with some lights mounted.

Cool find.

No idea what they might be.

 

[PaulR]

Those are the totem-pole base mounts of the Great South American Mongo Ball tribe. You've got quite an acheological find there my good man.

 

[larry_g]

What industries are near you? Is there a refining plant near? Are all 3 ports connected? As set are the top and bottom ports connected by the outer ring and the center port used as a injection point for fluid passing from bottom to top ?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[falcon428]

Heat exchangers out of old furnace, usually wood or coal fired furnaces.

 

[superslinky]

Thanks for the posts everyone. I LOL'ed at the funny ones but I'll go with heat exchanger out of an old furnace. They are hollow and yes all 3 ports are connected. They prolly came from the local college - the biggest industry in this small town. Keep - funny you should mention lights 'cuz I had thought of rigging them up with lights on the inside to illuminate. Either that or just have a small spot shining up on them to make them pop at night.

 

[jsaw]

Heat exchangers out of old furnace, usually wood or coal fired furnaces.

Yes it is a heat exchanger. I had an old coal furnace that I burned wood in. The heat exchanger looked just like that.

 

[Bellicose]

An IUD for the 50 foot woman?

LMAO Can ya imagine how her Gyno' would feel 'bout putting that in.

 

[Kevin54]

I want a couple of those Good find and good save. They make great yard sculptures.

 

[Pete H]

They are indeed coal furnace heat exchangers, out of old gravity residential furnaces-what is sometimes referred to as an octopus. That piece sits on top of the fire box-it adds more surface area to extract heat before the hot gasses go up the flue. The cast iron sections of the furnace are stacked up and sealed with retort cement. All of the cast iron parts of the furnace are inside of a round sheetmetal jacket that the ductwork attaches to. Just about every house in any northern city had one of these furnaces in the basement. Many are still in use with gas burner conversions. They make wonderful even, quiet heat-just not very efficient. Often these furnaces are free for the taking, all you have to do is take it apart and lug it up the basement steps. I have had several of them in various shop buildings, you can throw in anything that will burn. I cant believe somebody took them to the recycling center and not the scrapyard.