This month's item is likely a babbitt ladle. Babbitt is an alloy consisting of tin, copper, and antimony and is named after Isaac Babbit (1799-1862), who first produced it. It's used to provide a low-friction lining for bearing shells made of stronger metals such as cast iron, steel, or bronze. We don't know whether the substance in the tool shown is molten lead or babbitt, but we believe it is indeed a babbitt ladle.





We initially thought the metal in the coupling was by design. However, the likely explanation is that it was left behind and hardened after its last use. The size of the ladle and the length of the handle vary. This one, from a 1922 issue of Popular Mechanics, is more the exception than the norm in that it has a relatively long handle.

It goes without saying that a babbitt pot is used to heat babbitt. This one is part of a homemade set, which includes a modified file for use as a bearing scraper. A quick Google search reveals a myriad of sites with instructions for building your own babbitt ladle. To read more about babbitt, how to use it, and perhaps more than you ever wanted to know about it, click here. Ironically, while this tool was a mystery to us, babbitt was not. To check out a before-and-after pic of a babbitt pot we restored, click here.