Challenge 6

Portion of a saxophone.

linkage on TENOR ? sax. Looks the same as a flute but not silver and shiny. Please polish!!!!

I bet its a part of Plbmak's brass bedstead

John..

I'm not so sure about the sax theory. That fitting on the left side throws me off. Pehaps some sort of steam control valve.

I do like sax in the morning though.

That thing on the left is a clamp for the music holder. The little "nipple" is there for a winged screw.

Did you not had sax education at school?

"...a winged screw..."

Oooh-la-la! Sounds nasty - I like it! I'm getting my Sax education right here...

Obviously it's a steam-powered saxophone!

It is slightly bigger than my alto sax - so I would say it must be a baritone sax.

It must have been 40 y ago when I last played the sax. The cushions did not only disintegrated but they disappeared altogether.

Hmm...maybe too easy...

What about this....made of ceramic.

This one is too easy - it's an old-fashioned key hole cover.

Hmmmm looks like it, but without a scale to see the size of it....

Why ceramic though? most I've seen are brass etc...

John.

I don't know what you think's so dang easy about a steam-powered Saxophone... But I think your next offering may be an antique decorative chain pull handle:

Oh, and given that it's ceramic, I'll go out on the proverbial limb and say it's the pull chain handle from Aunt Lillie's water closet (well, maybe someone else's, but a WC nonetheless)!

I like this answer the best!

It is off course a Victorian key hole cover.

One more (close up) this week...

Is it the positive terminal of an AA battery?

Al

My guess - positive terminal of a dry cell (probably alkaline) battery - no scale, so could be AAAA, AAA, AA, A, C, D rating.

The battery I just looked at didn't have a collar around the nub. The rough texture of the top of the item makes me doubt that it is a battery, unless it is an old one.

At first I thought it was a cup that covers a bearing in a disc brake rotor, but the background doesn't look like a rotor.

I know it isn't a thistlewick.

HI Doug,

I have juest looked at 4 different makes of battery. All had different +ve terminals but 1 was very similar to the picture Plbmak posted

Al

A battery terminal yes, possibly, but one of the PP3 /PP6 type of push and click on studs - you know the mating one will be the serrated sprung loaded outer contact...

Although they usually have a centre dimple which isn't shown.... Hmmmmm

Must fink.... John.

That's the Raspberry off a Lady Robot...
You should be ashamed of yourself posting such filth!

Del

Ah, but one man's filth is another man's comfort...

That's my anti-intergalactic space alien mind control ray helmet! How did you get that? Are you working with the aliens???? Who are you??? What do you want from me???

I can feel my thoughts going. Being taken over. Farewell humanity!

Buh-bye...don't worry, you can always have a new career as an accountant...

An ingot of lead or silver solder melting.

This is getting cruel ; first you nick Del's identity tag, then you turn his milk dish over.

Just to make it worse one of his testicles has been crystalised and put on display.

Del did you know you'd had the chop?

Al

He he, I think it's great how much dispute can be generated by an AAA battery!

One more this week!

(not a close up!)

For heavens sake man, close the lid and flush !

Eewwwwww its a blob of goo.....

Could it be the bulb at the end of your grotty thermometer ???

Not even the 'warm' end!

Heheheh.

Looking at the reflection on the glass(?) I reckon its a coloured light bulb, or infrared bulb...

I can see the strip lights in the office reflecting off it.... Maybe?

John.

Not a light bulb!

If it's not a close up, it's the biggest red led I've ever seen.

Here's my guesses:

1939 DeSoto tail light (a left one).

The gelatinous remnants of a Yeti eyball (coincidentally, a left one).

An unlabeled bottle of Madamme Pocutti's Genuine Imported French Cologne & Barbecue Sauce.

And my last guess (and a half serious one at that) one of those old glass fire extinguishing bulbs that used to hang on walls. I can't recall what fire retardant they contained but it seems like it was something now considered dangerous.

Had to look it up since my memory kept nagging. The retardant in those glass extinguishers (aka "grenades") was carbon tetrachloride. Nasty stuff, but somewhat less dangerous than some brands of gin I've tried.

He broke the thermometer. Got the red stuff all over the place.

What - a red light district is missing its bulb?!?

O-M-G! It's BOZO's NOSE-o...

A half-used cherry cough drop, or a glob of SuperDuper SuperAdhesive for Red Shiny Objects from Consolidated Gookumpucky.

Seriously, it could be a knob, or a gemstone in the process of being cut and polished. Best guess is it is made of blown glass.

About the battery, I figured that is what it most likely was, but I don't remember seeing a collar around the nub on the batteries I use. It might be due to a difference in manufacturing techniques between the US and the UK. And, as I have said elsewhere on CR4, I do like to stir things up a bit.

I just looked at it using a monitor made in this century and picked out a detail I couldn't before.

Question: Is it partially immersed in liquid?

Infrared security camera cover. Definitely.

Or else a 'ruby globe' light cover for a fire alarm system as is found on Naval ships...

Maybe Aunt Lucille's parlor table lamp - a Tiffany art deco affair.

No-ones mentioned HAL yet!

Okay my last guess, maybe!!

Its a alarm beacon, xenon or flashing wotsit, the reason you've cut off the bottom of the picture is because that is the white housing bolted onto a machine or sommit ;''

John

I'm afraid you've got us on this one Plbmak..... come on what is it... I can't stand waiting over the weekend staring at that blob for any longer.....

OK, I'll stop being smug.

There was a correct answer, it is in fact a fire extinguisher. Known as a fire grenade.

Other examples are: -

Oh yes! I am soooo good. I really should clone myself off and sell me in shops.

Still...it would have been so much cooler if it had been the Yeti eyeball.

Thank's PlbMak! These have been really fun! Made my days!

No problem, how about registering so we know who to blame?

Okay Pib,

Figure this one out (if you dare!)

Isn't that the revolutionary new alternative to the steering wheel airbag?

That's the one I'd like to see introduced by law - activated by an impact about the same as hitting a kid at 'killing speed'. Cars with bull-bars could have extra sharp ones. An air sampler that disables the car if it detects alcohol wouldn't be a bad thing either.

Ooops, I'm slipping into rant mode. WTF - drivers should be subject to the same consequences they impose on others. In cases of proven recklessness, I wouldn't much mind if it was imposed after the event. There are too many repeat offenders on the roads. Gits. I'd also have automated guns for the ones who hit people on pedestrian crossings. No personal experience, just a ramble about the couldn't-give-a-f**k attitude of some drivers and the failure of law to address it.

Lined writing pad. So I guess the thing on top is a paper weight.

Could be, but a little heavy for my writing pads.

Hint: This "paperweight" restrains up to 240 kilograms (on a good day).

Well my guess is that because its painted red and has that manual screw on nut.... it must be some form of fire hydrant adaptor or used by fire crews to attach to a water supply to get water in an emergancy????

Yes, because of the spike and the sealing washer, I bet its an emergancy way to tap into a water pipe, the spike punctures the pipe or whatever and the screw tightens on to it to seal and let water into the hose or sommit???

John.

Good answer John, but not quite.

Hint: the spike may be unrelated to the red object. Hehehe.

The red bit looks like something off a trawler, but I don't know if you're by the sea! Atlanta sounds like it's by the sea, but I don't think it is. Maybe the spikey thing is for holding fish-box tallies.

to me that one seing to be like a fire suppresion system hand valve if I'm rigth?

Heavy Stuff..!

MC

Can't help but notice the dust on this thing. It appears to be too light to be normal dust, so I wonder if it is sawdust. Could this be the arbor from a large lathe?

The dust might be normal, and if so, this thing has sat on a warehouse or storeroom shelf for a while. I doubt that because it is not covered with dust.

Another observation: this thing has 3 pieces. I don't know if it means anything, but it is interesting to note.

I have no idea what it is. The look of it does remind me of a paticular automotive brake lathe that I used to use when I sold car parts.

I know it's not a thistlewick. I'll put away my pot-stirring spoon now.

Actually. it looks like a knock on, knock off wheel nut...

Good guess (knock off).

Can't hold it any longer- here it is.

The lower picture is a lawn mower blade balancer.

I love the comment from Kris regarding the tug boat. Maybe you're on to something Kris. <calls Del secrectly, to solicit patent info>

Isn't that one of those things you lift using manual labour?

(Shudder)

Owwwwww I used to be a weight lifter, should have known that...

John

They're brilliant ! http://www.antiquebottles.com/firegrenade/ I'd luurv to have a bunch of them to chuck around. Thanks PlbMak, I never heard of them before.

Wow Plbmak, I've never ever heard of them before... a fire grenade eh??

John.

Yes, they have apparently been bursting on antique shop shelves and poisoning people.

It's the molded plastic handle of a hand tool.

I'm going to go with it being a M5 nutdriver. Or possibly the icepick that you used to poke out the Yeti's right eye with.

It's one of four covers for the bolts that hold headboard/footboard to the side rails of a bed. Not common these days though.

Plumb bob? Beach needle? Thistlewick? Nogginknocker?

Maybe it is an old school ink pot cover.

Everyone knows that keeping your keyhole covered is the best way to avoid sax.

Vaseline (Petroleum jelly) is the best for Sax. You put it on the doorknob to prevent children from entering the room.

Ain't math funny. If you multiply enough, the product of sax ends up >2. But when you add that product to sax, then sax always = 0.

flute

IT'S A SAX OF SOME SORT.

Gosshh..! It does look like a Lab instrument to me, definetly. But then again who knows ? You catch me on this too...

I don't get it...!

MC

It's a time machine. And clearly it works. Since Del, del Gato, has gone back in time and posted his answer after reading this....err before reading...no after reading but appearing before.......errr could you please go kill my grandfather?

I know what that red thing is! It's PlbMak shiny red biker helmet!

Funny, I thought it was a marital aid.

<SLAP!!!>