What is this? [Moel Fferna] · AditNow Community

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joso
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

7 years ago

I was in Moel Fferna the other day when I came across some strange protuberances on a length of wire rope. On looking around I saw that they were present on a few of the steel ropes.

My first thought was "why are there clams growing down here?" - or perhaps mussels. Iron mussels.

I have a photo which might help illustrate what I mean...

https://imgur.com/a/fz5mKxx

Obviously, since they were everywhere, they must be common, I had never noticed them before. Any info?

Thanks

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joso
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

7 years ago

Ah, in case anyone doesn't see the similarity to clams:

https://imgur.com/a/GnLS4Pk

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

7 years ago

There are very common, I believe it something to do with impurities in old iron where it's subjected to continual moisture.

Seen them on rails in almost all slate mines.

A friend took one and it frozen and sliced then looked at under an electron microscope.

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

joso
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

7 years ago

Thanks. Any images from the electron microscopy?

They are so odd looking, having what looked like a hinged double shell with the ridges characteristic of a clam or mussel. Full of weird brown juice too :lol:

Also puts me in mind of oak apple galls.

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

7 years ago

Sorry, no, was over 8 years ago and I seem to remember she sent me a photo of the slice, but I can't find it now.

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

legendrider
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

7 years ago

Seen these quite a lot on old ironwork underground, especially in damp conditions

My thoughts are they could be bacterial in origin; Fe-oxidising bugs colonise the artefact's rusty surface, and form a little vesicle. the bacteria make a living nibbling away at the unoxidised iron, assisted by condensing water vapour, and depositing their waste Fe3+ at the margins - which forms the hard clamshell-like nugget.

MARK

festina lente[i]

joso
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

7 years ago

I love it! I can't seem to find any other reference to this sort of construction on a casual search but perhaps someone out there knows more...

johnwin
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

7 years ago

I just looked up Google images and Wikipedia for Rusticles. They occur on wrecks such as Titanic and are caused by action of bacteria. they often have a grain like wood and are porous. Similar?

tracyclimber
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

7 years ago

Most Cornish mines have them.
If I could work out how to put images up, I have some good ones of them!

joso
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

7 years ago

#10

If you have photos on your computer you can easily upload to Imgur.com like I did above.

I found this on AditNow:

https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Photo/Rusticles_96288/

These ones at Moel Fferna weren't fragile, they were quite robust, seemed to be hollow and filled with water and made up of segments/rings as though they grew like molluscs. I wonder why they form that shape instead of stalactite-form.

Very interesting anyway, thanks all.

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

7 years ago

#11

Uploading images is - I hope - relatively straight forward.

Find the mine in question then go into the correct album, for examples:

https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Album/Photographs-Of-Moel-Fferna_1468/

Then click on the "Upload Photos!" link.

Harder on a phone, and not as easy as drag and drop into Facebook or wherever, but then I don't have the resources of Facebook or wherever!

Added benefit of unloading to AditNow rather than linking from elsewhere is that the images are then correctly catalogued in the relevant mine and available to be searched for by other people.

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

tracyclimber
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

7 years ago

#12

okay, when I get a second spare, I can start to put a couple up on each of the Cornish/Devon ones I've heard about (as they are all inaccessible now....)