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Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:47 am
by Clanktank
I have a mystery. I keep finding these things on the kitchen floor near the back door for the past few weeks, and no idea where they are coming from or what they are. Either the cats are bringing them in, or my better 3/4 is trying to sabotage the midnight fridge raids.
Anyone have any clues?

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Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:52 am
by moth
Are they metal?
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 12:00 pm
by Clanktank
moth wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:52 amAre they metal?
Yep, solid metal, and just a little smaller than an airgun pellet.
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 12:16 pm
by moth
Alien artifacts. You're going to be anally probed

Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:09 pm
by Clanktank
moth wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 12:16 pm
Alien artifacts. You're going to be anally probed

Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 2:48 pm
by demographic
I've seen something very like those in boxes of small screws.
I put it down to them being screw misshapes and just launch them into next doors back kitchen.
Where did you say you found them?
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 2:54 pm
by Clanktank
demographic wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 2:48 pm
I've seen something very like those in boxes of small screws.
I put it down to them being screw misshapes and just launch them into next doors back kitchen.
Where did you say you found them?

Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:28 pm
by Horse
inewham wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 2:57 pm
Have you noticed any missing fillings
His cat has fillings? That's pampered posh!
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:31 pm
by JamJar
They almost look like the inside portion of the rivets you have on jean pockets.
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:15 pm
by demographic
Found this in a box of screws this morning.
Bit rougher but the principle is the same.

Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:18 pm
by Mr. Dazzle
Looks like the start of the screw end?
They're made from wire in the factory aren't they, I would guess those bits are the dog ends of the reels/bits that got half stuck in the machine or something like that? It's not worth going to the effort of fishing 'em out of the box on an automated production line.
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:30 pm
by demographic
Yeah, pretty much that.
The ones on the kitchen floor were the gold coloured ones that usually have a single thread and the ones I've been using have twinthreads so its a faster thread despite it not looking like that.
Bastard things are crap, its like setting off in top gear. Bad for splitting wood so I have to predrill them more often.
Much prefer the single deeper threads with shorter pitch.
A rattle gun puts them in well enough but takes more power which is more likely to strip the screw head recess.
In fact, I'd go as far as to say those kitchen floor ones are from SPAX screws (if someone else is paying thats what I get from the builders merchants) cos the points of SPAX screws are machined with little saw blade teeth in the start of the thread which is why it looks like a very small pushbike rear sprocket.
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 12:55 am
by TightRS
I thought they might be
running shoe spikes [google images], but they have a thread to attach to the shoe.
Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:08 am
by petrolpete
I think they must be brass nipples from the statue of romulus and remus, highly sought after.

Re: Hive Mind - What are these?
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:43 pm
by derek badger
They are the used tips of Polonium 210 darts. Do you have any Russian oligarchs as neighbours?