What is it? Set 427

[Rob H.]

You make some good points, I've been searching for pinata forms and medicine ball forms and have had the same luck with both, I'll let everyone know if find anything. Wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be for a totally different purpose.

[Steve W.]

I would bet that the wooden form is for sand molding the rough shape for a valve cavity. One of the local outfits uses nice aluminum ones now but wood is a LOT lighter and easier to work with for the previous generation.

[DoN. Nichols]

Have you spelled it right in your searches? It really should be "piñata", which can be difficult to generate depending on your keyboard and computer OS, and in case it is not properly displayed on your computer, it is an 'n' with a '~' above it. Not sure how forgiving the search engines are about that.

Good luck, DoN.

[J Burns]

Thanks, DoN.

page say Mexicans still use wooden forms to make table displays, wall displays, clowns, and angels. They mold the paper mache around the form, then cut the paper mache in two.

This page says wooden forms for paper mache are called takaan.

page says molding paper mache toys on wooden forms became very popular after American newspapers became available and declined when plastic toys arrived.