Steelies !!

[Chad G.]

Anyone have any info on old steelie manufacturing methods ?? I was always led to believe the old hollow steelies were handmade in some manner. But I had my doubts, they all look machine cut & are to round to be handmade I would think. I had this in one of my folders, can't remember where or when I got it, I think off one of the forums ?? Any info would help. I tried to read the pat. number but found it impossible. If you could the date of application and person that applied is right there but still I was unable to find anything else out. There is only one site you can draw this info from, and for the life of me I can't remember. Maybe my mind is going?? After a couple hours of research the links, names & dates kinda get blurred a little bit. Here is the pic of the process & patent applied for drawing. Maybe one of you is a bit better at looking than I am. Certainly a mib related question that needs answering.

[Steph]

US781951A - Manufacture of hollow metal balls. - Google Patents

[bumblebee]

Here's how they make the extremely large ones:

 

 

[Chad G.]

35 minutes ago, bumblebee said:

Here's how they make the extremely large ones:

 

 

That oughta clear out the competition !!

[Chad G.]

9 hours ago, Steph said:

US781951A - Manufacture of hollow metal balls. - Google Patents

Nice job Steph   I couldn't figure out that site for the life of me, to much reading I guess. You just saved me hours of looking again  "Thank you & double thank you" I had someone trying to tell me that they were beat out by hand   you can see the machine made shear cuts & the only way to close up the sphere is in a press. I worked with steel in a shipyard as a fabricator reading blueprints & welding for 13 years & am very familiar with a steel shop, metal lathe & steel shears, plasma cutter (gun), air arc (air carbon arc cutting), steel press  etc... so the reason why I highly doubted the "handmade theory" 

[Ric]

Here's the Specifications Page

 

[Chad G.]

24 minutes ago, Ric said:

Here's the Specifications Page

 

Fantastic Ric, thanks a bunch  Appreciate it !!

[akronmarbles]

I believe this ad is from 1927. 100 for .55c

[Chad G.]

Ads from 1927 Butler Bros. toy magazine with appreciation & permission from Jim Sneed, shoenhut collectors club, oldworldtoys.com, ads for both solid and hollow steelies. Sorry for the blur in the first ad.

1927 -  American Steelie - Hollow steel & solid steel : Parisian Turquoise & American Carnelians

 

1924- onyx American marbles High Grade Cobalt Blue Onyx : Solid Steel

[Mojo]

I have many , 2 off them are not round

[Chad G.]

No real way to tell once the "solid" ones are out of their original packaging, have to be considered ball bearings Brother, keep them well clear of your mibs, they'll scratch them almost on contact. If I were you I'd just toss em or give em to the grandkids for sling shot ammo (value "0") The only "solid steelies" that are worth any money have to be in the original packaging. Unless they're hollow then it's a gimme. The x looking pattern in the first pic is where they closed up the marble. Sizes all the way from pee - wee to around an inch.

One of Steph's threads from right here on MC, if you want to see mare just enter "steelies" in the search bar

LINK : https://marbleconnection.com/topic/7389-steelies/?tab=comments#comment-65670

Another pic from Steph's thread of some solid steelies in original packaging.

 

[Chad G.]

Ball bearings Brother, keep them well clear of your mibs, they'll scratch them almost on contact. the only solid steelies that are worth any money have to be in the original packaging. Unless they're hollow then it's a gimme. The x looking pattern in the first pic is where they closed up the marble. Sizes all the way from pee - wee to around an inch.

Steph's post & a pic from right here on MC, if you want to see more just enter "steelie" in the search bar

LINK : https://marbleconnection.com/topic/7389-steelies/?tab=comments#comment-65670

 

[Chad G.]

Ball bearings Brother, keep them well clear of your mibs, they'll scratch them almost on contact. the only solid steelies that are worth any money have to be in the original packaging. Unless they're hollow then it's a gimme. The x looking pattern in the first pic is where they closed up the marble. Sizes all the way from pee - wee to around an inch.

Steph's post & a pic from right here on MC, if you want to see more just enter "steelie" in the search bar

LINK : https://marbleconnection.com/topic/7389-steelies/?tab=comments#comment-65670

Post of an Ebay sale from yesterday

LINK :  https://www.ebay.com/itm/393302607687?nma=true&si=

[Ric]

I think some of the hollow ones were packaged with old Wolverine toys.

[Chad G.]

29 minutes ago, Ric said:

I think some of the hollow ones were packaged with old Wolverine toys.

Me too, Ric, I tried a search but nothing turned up. I think in some of the older pinball type Wolverine games had them ??

[Ric]

4 hours ago, Chad G. said:

. . . I think in some of the older pinball type Wolverine games had them ??

I was thinking more like the mechanical toys, loaders, conveyors and that sort of thing. I'll bet @wvrons would have some ideas.

[Ric]

20 hours ago, Chad G. said:

... so the reason why I highly doubted the "handmade theory"

Would it really surprise you if there were some hand-made ones out there? In many cases, machines are made so things that were once hand-made can be mass produced - just like glass marbles.

🙂

[Chad G.]

2 hours ago, Ric said:

Would it really surprise you if there were some hand-made ones out there? In many cases, machines are made so things that were once hand-made can be mass produced - just like glass marbles.

🙂

Wouldn't surprise a bit Ric,  always something new popping up. If they did, sooner or later the provenance will show up.

[wvrons]

I would be surprised that any true steelies (hallow) were hand made, in any amount or big numbers. Most or all the mechanical motion antique marble toys I have or seen, need weight to work. The hallow steelies would not be heavy enough for gravity to make the toy operate. Many of the older mechanical marble toys had stone or heavy clay marbles. Most of these were at least 3/4, 7/8, or one inch marbles.  I have three of the Bowler Andy Mills, three Panama Pile drivers, and others. I have tried glass marbles in them and they are not enough weight to make the toy operate. These older metal mechanical marble toys were made before any amount of glass machine marbles were in production.  The Panama Plie Drivers(two versions)were made about 1910. There may be a old toy that used a hallow steelie to make it work ?  

[wvrons]

The 1905 patent above is for ball bearings.  Not connected to toy marbles.  Glass machine made marbles came about from the connection to metal ball bearings. So the original hallow ball bearings found their way connected to glass marbles.  Metal ball bearings and marbles have connections. But when solid ball bearings mix with glass marbles the result is bad.  I don't think any hallow steelie connected to marbles was hand made. Maybe a very early hallow ball bearing was hand made. It all depends on when you connect what marble collectors label steelies with glass marbles ?  Is it a hallow ball bearing or a steelie connected to marbles ?   A solid metal ball bearing is not considered by marble collectors as being connected with marbles.  Any type metal ball bearing is a glass marble killer.

[Chad G.]

I agree Ron, that's why I started this thread in the first place so I could put aside any assumption's or things I've heard. Until some other as yet unknown provenance is found. I've never seen a "handmade" hollow steelie or seen any provenance on one.  Solid ball bearings were sold as marbles "yes" but bought by marble companies from a ball bearing manufacturer, then packaged and sold as marbles. So glad I opened this   Wait !! maybe those aren't worms ?? Never seen purple ones with mouths ?? We may be in trouble this time, they look carnivorous !!