Unknown 5 LB. 4 1/2" Silver Metallic Ball Discovered In Ground In Texas In 1973

Here are pictures sent in to the Coast To Coast with George Noory website (used to be Art Bell Show), of an unknown metallic sphere ball discovered in Texas in 1973. This ball has strange properties such as it never rusts, and is not magnetic however a magnet will stick to it, also it is cool to the touch. Anyone have any ideas what this could be? Might be extraterrestial.

www.coasttocoastam.com...

[edit on 10-11-2005 by CONZPIRACY]

[edit on 10-11-2005 by CONZPIRACY]

I presume it would attract a magnet regardless if it is metal though im sure someone will prove me wrong lmao..Dont see any reason why it would be extraterrestrial from whats been written about it

lol, the list of possible explanations for that thing are endless...

I think ive worked out what it is......its a probably from a giant pinball game that the Ancients used for fun thousands of years ago..

It really does look like a giant pinball huh? Maybe that's exactly what it is. LOL! Although I prefer to think that it has much more significance than just some pinball.

Certainly is a puzzling one..cant think of any process of hand that requires something like this.Wonder if it solid or its hollow ? Its probably part of a giant perpetual motion machine that got buried long ago....

Looks like a huge ball bearing.

I dont know much about heavy equipment, but is there anything out there that would use huge bearings like that?

Puzzling thing is why has it taken so long for this to come out in the public if it was found in '73 ?

At 5 pounds its Not hollow . and if a magnet sticks to it ,It must have some steal content in it .As thats the only meatel magnets will stick to .
as to its not rusting part thats easy to explane Stainless steal will not rust . so the ball baring idea is the best or a device that used it for realy close meserments .

Wouldn't a ball bearing that used to be part of a machine have more wearing marks on it? Wouldn't big ones like that be made out of carbon steel or other stronger materials instead of stainless steel(to reduce wearing on the bearings)?

This thing looks perfect with just some spirals on it like it needs a pollish.

I've been looking on google and haven't been able to find any applications for such large ball bearings either.

How would you go testing something like that?

Find out what metal it is first i guess.

How could find it's insides without cutting it in half?

Would an x-ray produce anything?

I guess, if we go that route, UFOs could use giant ball barings, they are all based on rotation and 360 degrees in their design.

My guess is one of the two (seeing as this is in the Texas panhandle):

1. The inside ball of a large ball valve either taken out of the production line prior to being final machined, or intentionally held to where the ports don't show.

OR

2. An actuator ball used in well completion tools. It would be dropped down a well to actuate a tool in the string. If the ball is to be permanent (i.e. it opens production ports and remains in its final position from then on) it would be made from a stainless or other non-ferrous material which would mean it would not be magnetic.

Those are my guesses.

By the way - ball valves can be real big:



[edit on 11-10-2005 by Valhall]

Ah Valhall interesting post.I had wondered what the connection could have been to where it was found but couldnt engage my brain to think enough.

I say it's a hoax...just somebody wanting attention

Hi,

i started a thread like this ages ago because I found it quite interesting too.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

It was starting to gain interest but I it fizzled out a bit. I feel I do have some valid views and facts that might interest some.


(edit to fix link)


[edit on 10-11-2005 by pantha]

The first thing that sprung to mind was a french boule ball, but it seems too big to be that , but there is an italian version of boule or Petanque (another name for boule) . This is called Bocce. The balls used for Bocce are 4 1/2 inches in diameter, so the size fits. It's just the weight that may not fit. Bocca balls are usually made from resin or wood,and are solid and weigh from what I've read about 2.2lbs approx (I think) , but I did find this picture of metal balls so I don't know if they are heavier or maybe the metal versions are hollow to give them the correct weight?

Originally posted by Valhall
My guess is one of the two (seeing as this is in the Texas panhandle):

1. The inside ball of a large ball valve either taken out of the production line prior to being final machined, or intentionally held to where the ports don't show.

OR

2. An actuator ball used in well completion tools. It would be dropped down a well to actuate a tool in the string. If the ball is to be permanent (i.e. it opens production ports and remains in its final position from then on) it would be made from a stainless or other non-ferrous material which would mean it would not be magnetic.

Those are my guesses.

By the way - ball valves can be real big:

Well I guess that works too

I just got done taking apart and inspecting a bunch of CV joints yesterday and that thing looks just like the metal balls they use. But much larger of course.

Thats what got me started on the bearing idea. I think your on to something a little more plausible though.

... if it is related to this thread that I started eons ago.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Although my mystery ball seems to have other unique characteristics not found in this particular sphere. Interesting though.

Its a Dragon Ball! If you find 6 more of those you can summon a dragon from Namic and make three wishes!

If it's part of a ball valve it would be impossible to photograph without showing the ports and pivot axle hole.
Unless . . . it was removed from the manufacturing process prior to drilling the ports . . . and the ports are probably done prior to final machining and polishing.

Fwiw, ball valves - on and off valves for liquids or gas (in vapor form) can be quite large.
I visited one of California's Aqueduct system pumping plants and the ball valves there were from 6 - 10' in diameter.
They may have been larger, but they were a couple of stories up off the basement floor and judging the size was difficult.

4 1/2" in diameter doesn't strike me as being overly large for a ball out of a large ball bearing.
This site lists ball sizes to 6".
www.redhill-balls.cz...

I would not be surprised to find them in sizes up to 12-24", but most times bearings in very large sizes are a babbit type bearing.

Babbit type bearings are a lead/tin alloy that's poured in a receptacle and hand scraped to a final finish size for the shaft.
You'll find these in locomotives, large generators, pumps, motors and similar.

A roller bearing has more load bearing capacity than a ball bearing and could be somewhat smaller in roller diameter for the same axle/shaft size, but the babbit bearing beats the ball and roller bearings in pure weight carrying capacity.
Babbit bearings have been around a long time and once you get to a certain size - whatever that is - they are more economical to manufacture and use than a ball/roller bearing.
They can handle dirtier lubricating oil as well due to their embedability properties.
A piece of grit will sink into the soft surface of the babbit - and will scratch or gouge the shaft - but it's able to remain in service with no problems.
Not true with roller and ball bearings.
Once grit gets in them, the roller or ball will stop rolling - much like a chock under a wheel - and in most cases the bearing self-destructs not long after.

There are stainless ball - and roller - bearing alloys that are very rust resistant.
More than likely this is simply a ball out of a large roller bearing.

I note the comment about the ball being non-magnetic, but a magnet will stick to it.
That statement is a bit at odds with itself, but there are stainless alloys that are mildly magnetic and that's probably what's going on here.

Magnets will not stick to stainless steel sheet metal unless the alloy is a cheaper grade which means less chromium and nickel in the alloy.

Try a magnet on most kitchen stainless sinks and you'll probably find it mildly magnetic.
Try the same with a piece of higher quality stainless and the magnet will not stick.

The magnet test will easily differentiate between common bolts and stainless because stainless bolts have a higher quantity of chromium and nickel in the alloy.

Here's some info on the metallurgy of stainless steel: en.wikipedia.org...


[edit on 10-11-2005 by Desert Dawg]