Hey Travis = 1830s Cabin Spike

Here's an 1830s Cabin spike Travis (the very top one in the pic)...

Notice how long/narrow it is and how the R&R spike under it has a "head" VS the cabin spikes have no heads

the 3rd spike down is a "barn spike"

and the last one is the spike I found in the field today that you asked if it was a cabin spike = BIG difference!

Very cool! I found one of those (top row) last year, but thought it was a long chisel... Thanks for the info! I found a short thick spike last week that is similar to a rr spike but the head isn't off center like a typical rr spike. I'll try to get a pic of it on this thread tomorrow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2015 01:20AM by triplehooked.

You call that a spike? This is a spike!

We dig those alot down this way ..But we dont call the cabin spikes...

Down this way those are harrowing spikes used in fields ..the fall out and are replacable..no heads on them..1800s type..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We dig those alot down this way ..But we dont call
> the cabin spikes...
>
> Down this way those are harrowing spikes used in
> fields ..the fall out and are replacable..no heads
> on them..1800s type..
>
> Keith

Keith

up here in the north everything "moves" due to freezing/thawing and frost upheaval

if you remember when I was down there hunting that one home site with you - I asked what you'all used as foundations on your old homesteads and you said that you'all just lay some blocks on the ground and build on top of those??

Well - up here you can't do that unless you want your house to fall over!

We anchored the cabins in place with those big spikes by locking the 1st few logs/rows high with them and then the logs got a bit smaller in diameter the higher you built it
(meaning - log cabins weren't built with like ONLY 8" diameter logs from the ground up) they started with big fat ones and then went smaller as height increased

also - for houses themselves (once we started building them here in Michigan around the 1850s) -- we used "Fieldstone" as a foundation stacked about 2 ft high or so around the entire perimeter and then wood planking on top of that and then the framing on top of the planking but with huge "cornerstones" set in each corner as anchor points for the foundation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2015 01:54AM by MichiganRelicHunter.

Down here on a cabin they had stacked cornerstones but no underpinning if it was a longer cabin it had a center pile of stone too.....so the house was raised about 2 ft or so off the dirt..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2015 01:58AM by Keith Southern.

Here's a couple of the spikes/tools/large nails I've found recently. I'm still looking for the unusual rr spike, might have left it at the site. Also, since we are talking iron, have to give some other iron relics their due...lol. Here's a few of them. Didn't include the axe collection, think I'm up to a dozen or so, but I have to keep a sharp eye out as the wife likes to sneak them into the trash....

Cool stuff Travis

I like diggin iron relics

the 1st piece/spike thing in the picture I believe may very well be what Keith was taking about b/cuz it's over 12", is barely tapered and has a "blunt" tip

the 2nd one is definitely a cabin spike (notice how it's tapered and how pointed it is -- looks just like the one in my pic above)

that 3rd one? (maybe a post/beam barn spike to pin some heavy duty beams together) or the like = pretty cool - never seen that exact one/type before



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2015 06:34PM by MichiganRelicHunter.