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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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"Frictionless Metal Co. Nickel Genuine St. Louis" - What have I found?
Q. I'm looking for information on Frictionless Metal Co. Nickel Genuine St. Louis,U.S.A.
A metal bar,size 1.5" x 9" and approx. 4 lbs.
I found this buried on a gravel road.
hobbyist - Lufkin, Texas
2007
A. The Frictionless Metal Company manufactured bearings at the end of the C19. These were probably white metal (lead-tin) but without more information, it is impossible to say anything else. If you can tell us the exact dimensions and weight of the bar, the density can be calculated and then we may be able to guess the metal For a start, what is its colour and is it hard or soft?
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2007
Q. Is this really from the Mackinaw Bridge when they built it? I am a retired Ironworker from Detroit and have always admired the Mackinaw Bridge,but it was erected before my time but its always interesting to find things out about the past. So I got this Bar at a garage sale in Northern Michigan last summer.I was told it was used when they spun the cables on the building of the Mackinaw Bridge in the 50's.It is 9"long and about 1-7/8" wide and 3/4" thick.It weighs 3 pounds.Moulded on top is FRICTIONLESS METAL CO. nickel GENUINE ST. LOUIS, U.S.A. Just trying to find out if it really came from that era, I might want to donate it to the bridge museum or something.Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Ken ShinskyHobbyist/Retired Ironworker - Livonia, Michigan
2007
Q. I've also found a metal bar that has Frictionless written in script and the stamp Patented on one end and the dates April 7, 1891, April 5, 1832 and April 9, 1801. It was buried in the yard at my house in Haverhill, MA
I looked up Frictionless and found out that the Frictionless Metal Company was founded in Chatanooga Tennessee in 1891 by a man named Buek.
Do you have any more information on what this is?
- Haverhill, MA USA
July 11, 2009
Q. I bought one at a yard sale last summer also.
John vanveen- Denton, Texas
July 23, 2009
Q. Frictionless Metal Co. Nickel Genuine St. Louis" - What have I found? I also have one. anyone know what it is?
mike armani- san diego California usa
July 24, 2009
A. Hi, folks. This is not an authoritative reply based on real library research -- just what I think I found out from the net :-)
The Frictionless Metal Co. was apparently a foundry with multiple locations including St. Louis and Chatanooga. Their specialty appears to be low friction babbitt metal, for use in babbitt metal bearings. They sold out to The Federated Metals Division of American Smelting and Refining Co. in 1951.
But I would assume that the bars which are marked nickel are in fact nickel rather than babbitt metal. Nickel goes for something like $7 per pound (ignoring possible collectible value). Nickel is a hard bright metal but is probably heavily tarnished to a yellowish tint. The bars you have would not seem to be functional objects, but blocks of the metal, which the buyer would presumably roll, or melt and recast, perhaps mixing with other metals to make alloys like stainless steel.
If someone can do Archimedes experiment and tell us the density of the metal, that would help to ascertain that it is nickel.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
July 24, 2009
Q. Frictionless Metal Co. Nickel Genuine St. Louis" has anyone found out if these bars have any value?
Mike Armani- San Diego, California, USA
August 7, 2009
A. Hi, Mike. If they are nickel, they're worth about $7 a pound. As collectibles, they are worth no more than people offer to pay for them. So far, with this letter placing no. 1 on google for a couple of years, there is no indication that that anybody wants them. But put it on eBay or Craigslist and see what happens. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 15, 2009
Q. "Frictionless" metal bars have 2 of them, maybe 5 lbs each. Nickel. Bought at yard sale. Who buys these or what are they worth?
John Clary- Portland, Maine
December 4, 2012
Q. I have a bar of metal. Stamped
FRICTIONLESS METAL CO.
BEARING VICTORY METAL
ST. LOUIS U.S.A.
Can anyone give me some information on the type of metal this might be?
- Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA
February 13, 2013
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