11/1/19 Report - Variety of Dug Spikes and Some Thoughts On Why and How They Are So Often Broken. Higher Surf Today.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Broken End of Bronze Spike

The discussions of Troy's find made me wonder about broken spikes.  I started to look at the ends of some broken spikes to see what the ends looked like.   And then I started to wonder why so many of the spikes we find are broken.

Like I said yesterday, I couldn't find the specific examples I wanted but had plenty of others.   Here is a broken bronze spike.  As you can see, the broken end is just a little irregular.  I don't know how much it got smoothed down by the years in the surf, if much at all.

Below is the other end.  It appears that is the head. although there is not much of one.

Head End of Broken Bronze Spike.

Broken iron spikes appear sharper, although they are often encrusted and some of that roughness might be created by electrolysis or cleaning.

Uncleaned Encrusted Iron Spike.

It seems to me that iron spikes are often heavily encrusted - more than bronze spikes.  I found the one above when looking for a similar one that I already cleaned.

Double-Clinched Spike and Broken Iron Spike.

The iron spike on the right in the photo above is a broken iron spike that has already been cleaned.  You can see how sharp the break is.

Bronze is stronger than simple iron, but weaker than carburized iron.

It is amazing to me that so many spikes break like that.

Here is a bronze rod that broke in two places.

Opposite Ends of Spike Broken Twice.

One end of the broken bronze rod shown immediately above is very smooth while the other end is more irregular - more like I would rightly or wrongly expect.  The end shown on the left is kind of scooped out.

Bronze is more dense and brittle than iron, and iron is more easily bent.  It also melts easily in a pot over a fire, so it might get smoothed out by any burning after a wreck.

Here is the photo of spikes found by Jerry P. that I showed yesterday.

Variety of Spikes Found by Jerry P.

In the above photo you will see broken spikes that appear to be very much like the one I just posted.

In the top left grouping, you see three that appear to be broken at nearly the same length.

Shipwreck spikes can either go completely through or the end can be hidden in the wood.  Those that go through are often clenched over.

While often appearing on the boat or ship as ‘straight nails’ to finish with their ends ‘short’ or ‘blind’ within or beneath timbers; large nails—that pass ‘straight’ through frames and strakes—can be found with the projecting end bent once, to become ‘turned nails’ (single-clenched) or twice to become nails that are ‘hooked’ (double-clenched), back into the timbers. Sometimes nails are hooked over quadrilateral washers called roves. They also appear in the lapstrake or clinker form, though this tradition exhibited a once unique form of clenched fastening, the lapstrake rivet. This was a nail with its projecting end nipped off after it passed through the strakes, to be peened or deformed over a rove.*  

*(See http://www.maritimearchaeology.com/information/reference/fastenings/)

Back to my original question, "Why are so many dug shipwreck spikes broken and how does it happen?"

Notice the two-piece bent spike in the upper left of the illustration of Jerry P's spikes.  That might provide a clue to one way spikes get broken.

I made a little illustration using Jerry's photo.

How Spike Can Get Bent When Two Beams Pulling Apart

The illustration above shows how I think a spike might get bent and broken by beams pulling apart either during wrecking or salvage.

I think the most likely breaking point is at the bottom of the straight segment.  It might break there either when the beams pull apart or later after being exposed.

Below is another image of a bent broken spike.

Bent Broken Spike.

Here is another way I think spikes might get broken.  Some spikes are clinched spikes.  They are bent over where the point protrudes from the wood.  I think a clinched spike might tend to break where it was bent over, perhaps when the bottom piece of wood gets pulled away.

Some spikes are doubled clinched.  I showed one of those above.  That one did not break at the bend, but the head was pulled through instead.

If you look at the double clinched spike, it looks like a weak point has been formed at the end of the vertical straight segment.  It looks like it could easily break there.


Here are some excellent thoughts on the subject by Joe D.


I am guessing that spikes could break, and bend for several reasons!

#1- Ships wrecked, and breaking up!

#2- Removal for salvage by sailors or Indians, twisting the boards apart on shore!

#3- Heating from ship's fire or, being worked!


Troy's item could have been repurposed after breakage, or just "sea polished" after years in the ocean! The few spikes i have are from an 1800's wreck aren't quite as smooth as his!

All conjecture of course!

Thanks Joe.

If you have an additional thoughts on how and why so many spikes get broken, let me know.

---

The National Hurricane Center map is showing a little activity.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Could we get aThanksgiving storm like the legendary storm of 1984.  Some chance, but very slim.

Today we should see a higher surf and the wind coming from the north for a short time.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

The tides will be decent too.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net