What is it? Set 341

[Rob H.]

This one would be very difficult to guess the purpose of the device, the photo at the link below has a strong hint for it:

[Zz Yzx]

HA! In college, I made something like that! Out of two glass jarr with cork plugs, some plastic tubing, and an aquarium pump.

We didn't use it for cigars though.

-Zz

[Lobby Dosser]

Hi Rob,

The photo of 1961 that includes the cigar has the usual Photobucket issue. If you want me to continue letting you know about these tell me, otherwise I'll ignore them from now on.

LD

[DoN. Nichols]

1957) Nasty looking thing!

At a guess -- it might be for hanging meat to be butchered, or to help in skinning pelts from a critter's body.

1958) No guess here. Too lightweight to be a lock gate in a canal. 1959) You've worn your wedding ring for decades, and now find you can't take it off -- or it has gotten squished onto your finger and you *certainly* can't get it off.

The hook goes under the ring (between it and your finger wherever there is enough room to slip it there -- perhaps with lube -- then you squeeze the handles and turn the crank to cut through the ring so it can be spread open and removed from the finger.

Then -- depending on how attached you feel -- you might have some extra gold put in the gap to make it larger and continue to wear it.

1960) A hammer combined with a punch on one end, and a double punch on the other end, to make holes in something -- cardboard, leather, gasket material -- whatever needs the holes of that size and at that spacing for the double end.

At first, I expected to see a projection on the single end to be hit with a hammer after the double punch was properly positioned, but not a second punch. Both sets of punches need evening and re-sharpening.

I don't know why the plug of wood in the single end -- unless the purpose is to make small disks from the material instead of holes, so a screwdriver could be put in behind the plug and used to lever the plug to press out the discs. Otherwise, I would simply let them build up until they spilled out the gap, as apparently was done with the other (double) end.

1961) At a guess -- this is a setup to measure airflow through a pipe connected to the large vertical pipe (likely an exhaust pipe for a wood stove or the like).

You connect the pipe, put the weighted plugs in each cone, and turn on the electric motor. The airflow is indicated by how many of the plugs pop out -- not sure whether the small end or the large end would pop out at the lower pressure.

Probably intended to measure the increase in flow restriction as you add more elbows and lengths of pipe.

1962) For drawing together the staves of a barrel while the hoops are fitted.

Now to see what others have suggested.

Enjoy, DoN.

[DoN. Nichols]

known airflow through the cigar.

Unless the exhaust is piped through a cage of lung cancer test animals.

Enjoy, DoN.

[Andy Dingley]

Fan (and bungs) look like they're set up to suck, not blow, so maybe it is filthy with tar but we just can't see it?

[Andy Dingley]

Eels are mostly caught in basket traps. If you're after individuals, the weapon of choice is an eel spear, a multi-pronged trident.

Eel spears in the UK have many variations, regional, river type and individual maker. If you find an old one, they're highly collectible ($100s!)

[Rob H.]

Yes, it was "intended to provide evidence of uniform burning and quality of production."

Rob

[Rob H.]

If any of my photos ever get flagged as having a problem, please let me know, otherwise please ignore Norton's false warnings.

Thanks, Rob

[humunculus]

Yes, eel are fish, and people tend to catch them with traps, however they can be hooked. They are brutally hard to kill. I hooked one when I was a kid....the rod just bent over; no tug or anything, while this fiercesome thing squiggled at the end like a sidewinder on sand. When I retrieved it, I cut off the head, slit its belly and gutted it, hacked it into 2-inch sections, tossed them in a baggie and put them in the freezer. Took it out about 4 months later, tossed the frozen pieces in a frying pan and turned on the heat to cook it up. Once they started to thaw, each section started twitching in the pan. Amazing.

--riverman

[Richard Heathfield]

It's because they eel very quickly.

[danmitch]

Eels are definitely fish, just very L-O-N-G fish. They have a fish-like skeleton, but no, or few, scales. I don't know if they catch them with hooks or not. I've heard they catch them by leaving bait in the water ... like a dead cow. Pull in the carcass, and it's full of eels.

And don't confuse a Lamprey with an eel ... even though they are sometimes, and incorrectly, called Lamprey Eels. A Lamprey is a different critter, with only a primitive cartilaginous skeleton ... almost more like a big worm. These booldsuckers can live in just about any water, fresh or salt, and attack most fish or anything else in the water including humans. Nasty things. They've become a real plague in the Great Lakes.

Dan Mitchell ============

[Ed Huntress]

We catch them with hooks here (new Jersey), baited with almost any piece of fish or even meat. And be prepared to cut off your leader and throw it away when you land one. They twist it into knots.

They're easy to skin and gut, and then you can cut them into 6" lengths, put them on a hotdog stick, and cook them over a grill or campfire. That cooks out the oil, which is extensive. They're good eating.

[Spehro Pefhany]

eel poetry?

When an eel bites your knee, as you swim in the sea.. that's a Moray

Japanese Unagi don (BBQ eel on rice) is pretty good.

[Lobby Dosser]

Got you covered.

[Robin Halligan]

When an eel lunges out and bites off your snout that's a Moray