Posted 8 years ago
betweenthe…
(70 items)
I just purchased this at our local consignment shop. The owner doesn't know what it is, and neither do I. Does anyone on here have any idea what this piece is?
Each side is 5" x 3 3/8". The metal piece at the top slides all the way out. Each side has round depressions at the bottom. One side has one, another side has two, and so on up to four. The other squarish holes on each side are cut at an angle. There are two metal bands held with nails going around the top and bottom of the piece.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks, bobby725. Any guesses as to what this might be?
No. But I'm sure waiting to hear .
Thanks, blunderbuss2. I am as well!!! I'm so curious!
Bobby, it is straight. No notches or grooves. There appears to be a carved block inside and the outside is comprised of panels covering the inside block. If I drop a bead into the top hole, it runs out the bottom hole of the opposite side. It goes straight through at a 45 degree angle.
Thanks for the love, Caperkid. Any ideas???
Very true, Bobby.
After I left this earlier, I started thinking, maybe a prop for a magic trick. Now, what trick ?
Wow! This may take awhile,lol
So you can't pick it up by the handle as it pulls right out? It looks like it may have once come out the bottom? Does it look like it may have been broken off?
Are the square holes the exact some size on every side?
It's odd that the top metal band would be covering part of the hole, unless they were added later.
Band doesn't look like an add-on AZ, but period. Put there to confuse us & throw us off !
Is this a traditional shower head? strange!
Blunderbuss2, I was thinking that as well. The round depressions at the bottom of each side must mean something, right?
Bobby, there is no metal around the bottom hole. It's just smoothed wood. There is a kind of groove at the top, and if one turns the handle just so, it fits snugly so the piece can be picked up by the handle. If the handle isn't turned just so, it will slide right out. Yes, the metal band covering the openings at the top is strange as well.
AzTom, thanks for the love! The larger holes at the bottom are all 1.25" x 13/16". The top holes are all 1" x 6/8". The metal handle looks like it's been cut on the end. (It is flat and has a silvery sheen to it.) Was it cut to fit the block or cut afterwards?
Fleafinder, I don't think it would work as a shower head but then again, who knows? Why the round depressions at the bottom?
My husband thinks there is a diagonal groove cut into a block of wood from the top to the bottom on all four sides then a thin piece of wood was nailed over each side. The top is part of the original block of wood that was on the inside. The hole drilled through the center of the block does not touch the diagonal grooves. He also thinks the handle piece once protruded through the bottom and a clip of sorts was used on the bottom to hold it in place. He thinks it was maybe cut so the piece will sit flat, maybe as a decorative piece. Surely, though, I don't think a decorative piece was its initial purpose.
Thanks for the love, TassieDevil, racer4four, fortapache, ravage60, and ttomtucker!
The circular depressions (I changed "holes" to "depressions" in the description since they don't go all the way through and are only indentions or depressions.) are in the same spot on all four sides. Where is UncleRon? Tell him we need his help!
Not sure what the use is, but possibly this could this have sat on a fence post, or a post along a stairway, with a metal peg coming out of the top of the post. Then when a person wanted to make it portable again, they would turn the handle to make it stay in place and carry it away.
Does the condition appear that it spent a lot of time outside?
"AzTom, thanks for the love! The larger holes at the bottom are all 1.25" x 13/16". The top holes are all 1" x 6/8"
But are they exact same size on all four sides? If they differ some, and that may even be up inside the box, it could be some type of sorting devise. That would also explain the depressions. The only reason I can think of them being there is to identify each side.
I'm still not convinced the bands are original. They are rather crude in construction compared to the box, and they used different nails. All the nails on the bands are not even the same.
Lsmouz, it does look like it could be a finial of sorts, just by virtue of its shape; however, the holes and depressions are very curious and don't seem to be purely decorative. The piece is not terribly weathered so I don't think it was an outdoor piece. It looks like maybe it spent time in a barn or maybe it's just very old.
AzTom, the holes are the exact same size on each side. A sorting device makes sense, but when the holes are the same, it doesn't make sense. So maybe the bands were added later to hold the piece together? It's driving me kind of crazy and I'm rather sorry I bought it although it was cheap.
Thanks for everyone's comments. Keep them coming! Maybe we'll figure this out.
Ron. Meaning abstract knowledge that you usually possess ! LOL !! I've reached my outer limits.
Bobby and blunderbuss, I also contacted the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association. I know this is probably not a tool, but they have a neat website that has a collection of interesting items where they explain the purpose of each, if they know the purpose. This object has them stumped, too. Here's the website: http://www.mwtca.org/whats-it.html
Thanks for the love, brunswick and SEAN68.
Thank you, jscott0363 and iggy.
Thank you, officialfuel and ho2cultcha.
Whatever the original purpose it is a great conversation piece :-) Cheers! - Bob
Thank you, Bob!
Old timers would set this on a jar,and when a bee or wasp would go up the angled hole ,the only light they could see was the hole on the bottom and when they went out the bottom they would be trapped.
P.s.The small holes indents on the side attracted carpenter bees .And when I said set it on a jar I should of said they tacked the mason jar lid to the bottom to screw the jar on.
Thank you, bijoucaillouvintage. Thanks so much, hanksjames.
funny isnt it that we all would buy silly things that we dont need and dont even know what they are. lol
I agree, Peterdrury. Very amusing!
Thank you, kyratango!
Thank you for the love, cindyjune!
Thank you for the love, Trey.
Does anyone not have any idea, still, as to what this is? It's still driving me crazy!
But Bobby, when I looked up one of those contraptions, it really doesn't look like this. And why does this have that metal piece, which can be removed, running through it?
Thanks so much for the love, pw-collector, T., and Ron!