have i found a meteorite? or just a piece of iron?

[welshdigger]

hi guys and gals, i recently got a metal detector for me and my daughter to have a play about with and on our first outing we found few junk bits and bobs but 1 thing thats looks abit strange?
tried to cut it with my grinder and its totaly blitzing my metal cutting disc?
looks like a rock but has a red layer of surface rust type stuff and is really heavy for its size !
have we found a meteorite? or is it just a piece of iron ore?
pics to follow...

[Val Beechey]

Welcome to DW WelshDigger. Great site with lots of help and advice if needed.
Look forward to seeing your pici of the U.F.O.

Val

[Chef Geoff]

Welcome aboard Welshdigger, Your find sounds very interesting and like Val look forward to seeing it. Have you tried a magnet? I wouldn't of thought your grinder would have had too much trouble if it was ore.

[waltonbasinman]

Sounds interesting. Can,t wait for the pictures.

[Techony]

tried to cut it with my grinder and its totaly blitzing my metal cutting disc?

Not being one who usually takes a grinder to my finds, I do like the novel approach 
But please be careful. If it were to turn out to be something important, the grinder solution might not be the best way to retain its value.

Can't wait to see the pictures, it does sound interesting.

Well found

[Chef Geoff]

As far as I'm aware Tony cutting is the only way to truly authenticate a meteorite.

[Jon1987]

Sounds very interesting. Can't wait to see a photo.

[welshdigger]

soz for the delay guys as i went to take a pic last night the batteries went  bloody typical.
charged it up though and took a few pics.
hope these work???













if the pics work you can see the 2 grind marks where i tried to cut it. the first little one was with my grinder with about half an old disc on it and it burnt my disc away and only done a little cut?
so i put brand new cutting disc on and the second deeper cut is how far that one got through before it burnt out?

i know its a bit silly to grind stuff that i found but i showed all my mates and even a few old skool guys who didnt have a clue what it was then i read on the tinternet that thats how they test metals is to look at the sparks?
this is my 1st detector and im a total newbie here and havent got a clue what im doing to be honnest... thats why im here 
hopefully you guys and gals will show me the ropes and help me out with any questions or problems i have.

anyways have a look at the pics( if they worked?) and see if it is just a 287gram piece of old junk or meteorite?

[Napoleon]

look like more  a piece of iron to me than a meteorite but maybe wrong Weslhdigger hope i do because meteorites are very valuable this days .Bravo mon ami.Nap

[welshdigger]

hi ,as i said im a total newbie to this and havent got a clue what it is..neither have a few of the people ive showed?
thats why im here to ask the experts 
whatever it is its going in our little box so me and my daughter can see everything weve found at the end of the summer hols.

[Jon1987]

Have a look at some of these pics and see if any of them look similar?
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=iron+meteorites&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=981&bih=632

[Chef Geoff]

Well it does have the right sort of weight and colour of an iron meteorite, my only concern would be the shape. You have either got to cut through it or seek some expert advice to be sure....well found.

[welshdigger]

yeah it does look like some of those.
it got a dark outer finish thats like gum metal but a real shiny inner?
should i get all the red stuff off it and give it a good sand? or grind it straight through the middlle or anything?

[Chef Geoff]

No I would leave the "crust" on it, now you have started then I would use the same cut but alter the angle so you are only taking the corner off. you need to cut it but do as little damage as possible.
Like this


Great photo's by the way

[Jon1987]

I agree with Geoff. If it is a real meteorite then you need to do as little damage as possible. Try to take off a small corner and see what the insternal structure is like.

If I remember correctly meteors have something called a fusion crust. This is where a crust forms from the intense heat while the meteor is entering the atmosphere.