Spyke
feddit.uk

Brush from an electric motor. Looks to be a new-ish one.

108
sh.itjust.works

Looks like the piezo-electric igniter from a lighter. Either that, or what GreyShuck said - A carbon brush from a motor.

4
clb92reply
feddit.dk

It's definitely a motor brush.

I've never seen a piezoelectric igniter that looks anything like what OP posted. Just to be clear, you're talking about these that are in most lighters, right?

::: spoiler Image of piezoelectric igniter :::

24

Yes. There's one variant that looks more similar to Ops picture, but I haven't seen it around in ages. But the wire inside the spring is more indicative if a motor brush.

6
lemmy.world

piezo-electric igniter from a lighter

Waaay more likely to be laying around in the ground outside too.

Like, I can't recognize a brush on sight, but I would be shocked if they looked identical to a common switch found in cheap electric lighters....

7
PyroVKreply
lemmy.zip

But it is in fact a carbon brush nonetheless

28
feddit.org

The brushes glide along the commutator and transmit the electric current to the rotating armature (Anker) in the motor.

14
Gerudoreply
lemmy.zip

This is the first time I've bothered learning about this. Thanks!

5

Fell out, either from a destroyed tool or simply fell out, as they're held in with a simple screw cap.

Could've also fallen/dropped by someone who repairs such things, as it's sometimea an easily replaceable part.

4
zoutreply

To make an electrical connection to a moving (rotating) part.

7
clb92reply
feddit.dk

A steel wire brush isn't.

I was initially going to say "my hairbrush isn't", but I forgot plastic is largely made of carbon, so you's still be right.

7

To be fair, I'm only "right" pedantically. 😂 My understanding is rocks and minerals aren't mostly carbon, but still contain it...

3

And how do you make steel?

I don't. I have people to do that for me.

(But to answer your question, with a small amount of carbon, sure, but in my opinion that doesn't mean that steel is "made out of carbon" any more than we would say humans are made out of iron)

6

As iron, unlike gold isn't a noble metal, an important aspect is, you need carbon to make pure iron from the iron oxides in the iron ore: The carbon will react with the oxygen and pure elementary iron and carbon oxides are left.

1

Lots of smaller brushed motors use brass or bronze brushes. Slower moving mechanisms use a variety of materials.

3

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