What Is It? Blog

What Is It?

What Is It? is a place for engineers to test their knowledge (and sense of humor). Each week (or month, or...) the CR4 team will post an unidentified picture of an object, tool, animal, something. We're looking for your best (or funniest) guesses at what it might be in the comments.

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What Is It? for 9/2/12

Posted September 02, 2012 12:00 AM
Pathfinder Tags: What is it?

This week's image:

Check back on Wednesday for the answer!

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SolarEagle
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#1

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/02/2012 12:48 AM

Antique torches...

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#2

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/02/2012 7:46 AM

Yeah, I agree with SE, above. I think the fuel they used was kerosene, primarily.

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#9
In reply to #2

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/03/2012 9:21 PM

I used one of these in my early days as an apprentice. They used Naptha back then.

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#3

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/02/2012 10:51 AM

the first pocket size Bic lighters.

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#4

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/02/2012 11:04 AM

Torch used to heat a soldering bolt. The bolt rest on a notch in the front and keep from faling over by the hook at the back.

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#5

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/02/2012 12:43 PM

It is a blowtorch, used to heat soldering irons, for "wiping" joints in lead pipes, lead caulking in bell and spigot joints, and for paint removal. They did use kerosene/paraffin as fuel. Generally some cloth was soaked in fuel and slid under the heat shield and lit to start the fuel evaporation for combustion. Once lit, it produced enough heat to keep the combustion going.

I've used one for paint removal, and seen plumbers wiping joints in drain pipes.

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#6

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/02/2012 9:42 PM

Steampunk iPhone!

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#7

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/03/2012 5:41 AM

Is it the inside of PlbMak's workshop where the carrot-harvesting machinery is repaired?

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#8

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/03/2012 5:53 AM

A GA to the subscriber that can state the collective noun for these things (as in 'a desire of tramcars', 'a flock of geese', etc.)!

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#10

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/04/2012 10:59 AM

See one in action.

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specifier
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#11

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

09/23/2012 10:55 PM

Paint canisters?
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steven phaneuf
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#12

Re: What Is It? for 9/2/12

01/15/2014 1:35 AM

crackheads pipe lighter lmao

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Users who posted comments:

Epke (1); Hendrik (1); North of 60 (1); passingtongreen (2); phoenix911 (1); PWSlack (2); SolarEagle (1); specifier (1); steven phaneuf (1); Usbport (1)

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