Hello there...I have a large block of metal and was wondering if anyone out there knew what it was. I was thinking it was some sort of scale weight. It's 8x6x4 and weights 47lbs. Has a rectangular hole that goes all the way through, a screw hole in the front and embossed numbers of 564.

It has a nice ring to it and was thinking it could make a nice "poor mans anvil". Of course it'd also be nice to know what kind of metal it is as well. Any ideas??

sure looks like a scale weight or could be a counter weight for a handle on a press or something along those lines

good chance its cast iron

Yeah, ... looks like a counterweight that can be locked in place with the set screw.

You see that sort of thing a lot on bending brakes.

Ditto on the counter/scale weight. Most likely cast iron, drill small hole as a test, if you det a grey graphite like powder its probably cast iron and unsuitable as a decent anvil however if you get shiny shavings it would in all likelihood make a decent "poor man's anvil, good luck.

Probably a counterweight and not a scale weight.  Scale weights of a similar nature tend to come in 7, 14, 28, and 56 lbs....corresponding to portions of hundredweight (cwt) measurements.  Back in the good old days, many goods were sacked at hundredweights...from potatoes to grain so you find a lot of scales designed for that measurement system.

The only scale weight I can see with the oddball 47 lbs is barley where a bushel officially weighs 48 lbs. by US standards.  I suppose it could have been a scale weight used in brewing or some specialized operation like that but it would be a bit of a long-shot.

Greetings 762, 

Your iron block might just be an add on weight for a small tractor. 47 pounds does not seem like a break or shear counter weight. Just guessing .. Door stop? 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

I have seen them that big on wide sheet metal brakes. 

Great, thanks for the info everyone!