What is it? Set 346

[Rob H.]

Another set of pictures has just been posted:

[Mouse]

1991--a dust blower, probably for pesticide

[Sonny]

1990 - Guessing, as to function: To grind a measure of product from a larger block.... of salt, ice? *This model must be for lefthanders!

Seems it would be heavy and/or awkward, to be carrying for a long time. I also thought it may be a handcrank bellow, for a large furnace/fireplace.

Sonny

[Northe]

1989: I keep thinking that it's a rack that holds smoking pipes, and that the center item is a humidor. The rubber stamp holder sounded pretty good, but it looks to me that the slots are too small in diameter to pass the handles.

Northe

[Robert Bonomi]

The height of the beast would seem to rule out being a holder for either rubber stamps or pipes. At 21" tall, that pretty much precludes use _on_ a desk (or a fireplace mantel, for that matter); it about has to sit on the floor.

It _is_ abut the right size to hold a set of fire-place tools, *BUT* I've never seen a set with _ten_ items.

[J Burns]

A slot leading to a hole suggests hanging an item that's bigger than the hole at each end and thinner than the slot in the middle. The middle could be a cord or wire or rod or chain, for example.

If the table is 21" high, that could be a convenient height for a sitting person, and the hanging items could be much shorter.

The shelf sticks out where somebody might kick it. Perhaps it sticks out to hold a cloth to catch drips from the hanging items.

I don't assume it's a box on the table. If the ring were to lift the lid, wouldn't there be hinges on the near side? Wouldn't a drawer work better? It could be opened without disturbing items on top. The top is marred like a work surface. Is the ring to hang the table on a wall to free floorspace?

Perhaps it's a table to work on an item with ten pieces that can be hung. Perhaps they are hung to keep them sorted by length, to prevent damage, or to prevent tangling. Perhaps they are hung to dry after washing, oiling, or painting.

[tiredofspam]

[J. Clarke]

My inclination is belts or ties.

[Lloyd E. Sponenburgh]

"J. Clarke" fired this volley in news:i2cl9802rk9 @news7.newsguy.com:

Too close to the floor. They'd end up getting dirty, and not convenient to bend down to pick one.

LLoyd

[Sjouke Burry]

Slotted holes for (tea)spoons. A carrier to serve tea or coffee, with (tea/coffee)can, cups and spoons.

[Sonny]

1989 - I had thought umbrella holder (not large enough, though), a utensil holder and wine glass holder (with coasters under that "lid"). Though the subsequent pic seems to show it hanging outside, I don't think it is/was used outdoors.... that clearcoat finish wouldn't hold up. I'm supposing it is for light, domestic, indoor use.

Another thought: Possibly, some kind of knick knack shelf that was once part of another piece.... like treadle sewing machine drawer framing, removed from an old sewing machine cabinet, and used as a wall mounted knick knack shelf for small collectibles. From what original piece it may have come from, if so, I don't have a clue.

I liked the fly rod holder suggestion, too, but it just doesn't seem large enough or heavy/stable enough for that junction.

Sonny

[Doug Miller]

Twenty-one inches is awfully tall for a wine glass holder...

[J Burns]

The slots appear to be 1/8" wide. Big enough for a wire, cord, small chain, or slender rod.

The holes appear to be 3/10". The center-to-center distance appears to be about 5/8".

I think it was to hang ten items made with wire, chain, cord, or rods less than 1/8" in diameter. Whether or not the fitting at the top end was a bead, it must have been larger than 0.3" and smaller than 5/8". The items would have been less than 18" long from the bead, for the top of the bottom shelf appares to be less than 18" from the top of the holes.

The top appears to be 13" wide and the shelf 17" wide. There must have been a reason to have the shelf jut out where it could be kicked. I wonder if it was to make it easy to place a pan or cloth to catch drips from the hanging items.

The marred block on top suggests to me that the work involved tapping. I'm trying to guess what items would have teen tapped, treated with a liquid, and hung up ten at a time. It doesn't seem tall enough for necklaces, and I don't know of such parts in a musical instrument.

[Lobby Dosser]

How about candles? Hanging by the wick.

[Gerald Miller]

Cooling rack for hand dipped candles? Gerry :-)} London, Canada

[DoN. Nichols]

Hmm ... how tall is a magnum of Champaigne? It might have been used for outdoor wedding celebrations and the like?

Are the slots narrow enough to pass the stems of such glasses?

Enjoy, DoN.

[Steve]

That was originally my thought, but you'd want the sets of holes on either side evenly divisible by two.

[Doug Miller]

Ding ding ding! I think we have a winner! I *knew* I'd seen one of those before somewhere, and I think that's it.

[Doug Miller]

Height of the *bottle* is not relevant.

Sure doesn't look like it to me.

[Lobby Dosser]

Problem is, I've never seen one that looks like that. Even googled.