# What's wrong with this picture



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Celebrating industry!!!?????


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## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

Not metric?


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## Fink-Nottle (Feb 25, 2001)

I'm guessing that the arrangement of cogs and gears would jam completely...


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

FN - you're far too clever.....know the principle why?? or how one small change would make it work.


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## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

remove a gear and resize or add a gear?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

C'mon.......which??


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

the middle small gear won't work
i think you can only have 2 the same size next to each other


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Nope.
It was quite an embarrassment to the industry and the unfornate problem was repeated with a re-release a fw years later

Adobe face planted for the same reason










Why? Designers will find this amusing.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

the adobe has the 1st two gears of different sizes touching each other and the 3rd one at the same time
that won't work


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

No cigar ( BTW I had no idea of this principle either. )


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## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

top three group on the Adobe thing fail because you can't have a gear driving 2 gears that are also connected to each other. Rotation sequence of clockwise to counter clockwise will jam. If the big one is turning clockwise, it will drive the other two counter-clockwise. But the 2 other gears will be trying to drive each other clockwise. Draw arrows if you must. Problem on the coin is odd number of connected gears. Pick a starting gear, assume it turns clockwise, go around the circle alternating the direction. You end up with a clockwise turning gear trying to turn the original gear clockwise as well. Won't work!!

Mac Spectrum: same size gears touching each other is bad? No, it's not. I have the hours spent as a child on my Spirograph to help in this!!


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

LOL. That's hilarious.

The Adobe one, I've seen before--not to mention the sprockets are just plain badly designed--they'd never catch properly.

The coin took me a couple of seconds to realize the number of gears were wrong; if they are to connect one after the other into a continuous circle, only an even amount of gears will work.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Rondini - bang on - add or subtract one gear and it all works....and the British engineers did not spot the error even after a second minting.

Adobe's is indeed hilarious.



> Adobe Systems wants to illustrate things working together


and before we chuckle at other's misfortune - here's the principle very clearly












> Educational researchers at the University of Saskatchewan chose this logo to symbolize cooperative learning. It appears on each page of the printed materials they designed to encourage healthy dynamics within cooperative groups. If this diagram is symbolic of the results of three students working together, the cooperative learning isn't dynamic, but static—at a complete standstill.


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## Vandave (Feb 26, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> Celebrating industry!!!?????


It needs one more or one less gear.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Very good - I didn't know this principle at all.

In my hunt I came across this



> H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.
> 
> To collect fumes of sulphur, hold a deacon over a flame in a test tube.
> 
> ...


http://members.shaw.ca/alappel/blooper3.html


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## SoyMac (Apr 16, 2005)

That's the celebrated, "Spirograph" 2 Pound coin!


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## overkill (May 15, 2005)

This has been a very educational read full of laughter at the same time


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

Speaking of cogs and gears....

Read this, and then watch the commercial linked on that page.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/advertisements/hondacog.asp

Pretty damn cool.

ETA: found it on YouTube, but read the snopes article too. This is not digital.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlMhFOwozoQ


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

The gears in the coin aren't going to work with one more or one less gear either - the gear ratios are all wrong.
And in any case, two sets of gears (top left) don't seem to mesh with the others either, so the gears don't form a closed loop, but that may be the poor gif graphics.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Sonal, that one has been floating around the web and posted on ehMac many times before in the past couple of years.

It is still amazing and worth a second look though.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

KRS - the gear size does not matter. 
If you go to one of the links you'll see the author of the link is also amazed that all these odd sizes will work but they do.

Ask Rondini to explain it as it fascinates me as well.

This works



















There are some very neat animations here

http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/resources.php

This one I found fascinating

http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/resources.php?id=170


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

cough ** nitpickers ** cough


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

So now that odd mystery is sort of solved _ I'd sure like to see that rig turn with the right number of gears....... 

•••

How's this for a mystery and an unlikely breakthrough of very large scale import....
Care to comment and would YOU use one. 
Of course figuring out what is IS .........is a good idea first


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## Max (Sep 26, 2002)

Silcone implant, perhaps?

As for how I would use it, I can safely tell you: I wouldn't.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Now Max - I might bet you'd change your mind once you know given the consequences of not using one 

And no - not silicone.


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## Trose (Feb 17, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> There are some very neat animations here
> 
> http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/resources.php
> 
> ...


Very cool website! I thought this one was really neat: http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/resources.php?id=1644


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## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

What's wrong with this picture?










Bad, bad cog police.
There's no need to be handing out tickets for "Literality" when they've been driving with "Artistic License".


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> KRS - the gear size does not matter.
> If you go to one of the links you'll see the author of the link is also amazed that all these odd sizes will work but they do.
> 
> Ask Rondini to explain it as it fascinates me as well.
> ...


This is true for the diagrams you posted here where the gears are not fixed and are contained within a larger gear with the teeth on the inside.
But that's not what I see being represented by the 2 pound coin at all.
I see 19 gears arranged in a circular pattern, most of which mesh with adjacent gears, but not all. There is no gear with inside teeth.
And the centre portion which could be a gear with inside teeth, does not have gears inside it, just some symbols - maybe I need a new monitor or a higher resolution picture.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I can't say as having seen it but the mechanical types all say the gear size is immaterial and the odd/even count everything.
Not too many animations of this problem available.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Then there is this 










a very strange web site.

http://www.mimir.net/mechanus/index.shtml


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## Vandave (Feb 26, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> How's this for a mystery and an unlikely breakthrough of very large scale import....
> Care to comment and would YOU use one.
> Of course figuring out what is IS .........is a good idea first


Haggis


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> I can't say as having seen it but the mechanical types all say the gear size is immaterial and the odd/even count everything.
> Not too many animations of this problem available.


All the website I have looked at about the 2 pound coin reference back to the website of a Dr. Simanek.
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/whoops.htm

He also comments that gear size and ratios don't matter - but that is only true for the example you posted where the gears are not fixed and are contained within a larger gear. This is typically not the case and certainly doesn't seem to be the way the gears are shown on the coin.
I sent him an email about this - wonder if he will reply.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

:clap: Good guess Vandave - wrong - but I can see the potential.

A hint - it''s unisex but you definitely want your own.

•••

Gears - I'll be interested in the answer but Adobe's example was dissed for similar reasons and had no "container"

If you just think about it tho the beginning and ending gear must turn in opposite directions where they mesh so 2 will 3 won't 4 will etc.
Also we know a smaller gear will drive a larger gear and vice versa, so if you put those too visualizations together you'll see the coin will only work with even numbers and size is immaterial.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> :clap: Good guess Vandave - wrong - but I can see the potential.
> 
> A hint - it''s unisex but you definitely want your own.
> 
> ...



stomach or bladder?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Multiple choices not allowed and why a breakthrough and why would Max ( or you ) definitely want one if needed.....

Hint - an issue shared by 8 year olds and 80 year olds.....more 8 year boys, more 80 year old girls.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Do you need two of them or will one suffice?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

One will suffice...no room for two.
A whole new industry was born with people living longer.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Is it full grown sitting inside a regular (normal) sized petrie dish?


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> One will suffice...no room for two.
> A whole new industry was born with people living longer.


are they living longer because they have 'it' or need 'it'?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yep and yep and yep.

When more "varietals" arrive it will be Nobel material.....might even be now.


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## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

It's a bladder grown in a lab that can be transplanted into a human.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR2006040301387.html


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

you're not a lot of help here 
Is it hollow? and if it is hollow is the lumen filled with fluid or air?


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

ahh! Thank you M S! Now I can get on with my night!


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yep - BUT it's a bladder grown in a lab that can be transplanted into THE HUMAN THE CELLS CAME FROM.

No rejection issues.

A Grand Award winner on Popular Science












> Dependence on Depends is a sad fact of life for millions, but thanks to tissue engineer Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University, embarrassing bladder woes may be nearing an end. Atala and his colleagues have created bladders from scratch, clearing one of the biggest hurdles in tissue engineering: growing a real human organ in the lab and proving that it works. Researchers seeded a biodegradable bladder-shaped scaffold with cells from the patient’s own bladder and then transplanted the scaffold into the patient. As the cells matured, the scaffold dissolved, leaving behind a fully functional bladder. This year, Atala made the landmark announcement that none of the seven patients who received the organs four years ago suffered the rejection problems that commonly plague transplant patients. Next he’ll take on more complex organs, like the heart and kidneys


Sell your Attends stock.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Very cool! Gotta love undifferentiated cells. Bring on the next one Macdoc!


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

This one should be easier to identity and perhaps even more revolutionary.










and yes you should buy one for two very good reasons.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

oh these bladder cells are differentiated cells not the undiff.. ones. Still very cool though!


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Is that the green machine?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

It will likely be tagged that way - it's the product of a big effort and should indeed add to "green" in a number of ways even if not directly.
It has a very interesting "green" aspect as well that may move into other products.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

The one that you 'hand crank'? The $100.00 laptop that the UN envisions children in develping countries can use?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

You got it - and it's real.

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2006/product_31.html



> he goal of the XO is simple and noble: to give every child a laptop, especially in developing countries, where the machines will be sold in bulk for about $130 apiece. But the One Laptop Per Child nonprofit, formed at MIT, didn’t just create a cheap computer. In addition to cutting costs—by designing lower-priced circuitry and using an open-source operating system, among other things—it also improved on the standard laptop by slashing the machine’s energy use by 90 percent, ideal for a device that could be charged by hand-cranked power in rural villages. The biggest power hog is typically the display, so engineers invented a new LCD. Each pixel has one part that reflects light and one that lets light pass through a colored filter. Turn on the LED behind the screen, and a full-color image appears as rays stream through the tinted filters. Turn it off to save power, and light bounces off the reflective parts of the pixels to form a black-and-white image perfect for e-mail or e-textbooks. Even more efficient, the CPU suspends itself when the image is static. *Expect the tech in full-price laptops in a few years.*












The cool thing is it will be sold also in First World countries at a higher price to subsidize the development costs and make it cheaper for poorer nations.

This I think is an excellent economic model for future projects including medicines.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Now THIS one freaked me out.










Any guesses?


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

some sort of half screw half nail thing with markings on the top half - kind of hard to see


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## Trose (Feb 17, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> Now THIS one freaked me out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's the HurriQuake Nail.

Is it just me, or did you turn this into a repeat of your The "what is it" file thread? Seems to me that _someone_ likes to make themselves feel special by knowing things that other people don't know.

(As you don't have any auditory or visual clues, I hope you realize I'm just joking. It's all good.)


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## Max (Sep 26, 2002)

LOL - A similar thought has crossed my mind as well. But to give the good doc his due, at least he makes an effort to keep things flowing. Some of it works and inspires terrific threads, some don't do so well - but at least he tries and maintains that game spirit. So good on him, I say.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Well I for one quite enjoy these threads. reminds me of an old game show (for some reason I think it was canadian) with actors on it and they would bring out some weird and wacky device and make them guess what it was. Can't remember what the name of that show was. Anyone?


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

That would be a special bone screw fastener.
It's fired in by a medical nail gun, the ridges prevent it from backing out.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Trose wins the prize on this and the SURprize in this is this - Innovation of the Year!!! 












> Hurricane winds rip apart nailed-together walls, and earthquakes shake houses so violently that a nailhead can pull straight through a piece of plywood. Since we can’t stop natural disasters, Bostitch engineer Ed Sutt has dedicated his career to designing a better nail. The result is the HurriQuake, and it has the perfect combination of features to withstand nature’s darker moods. The bottom section is circled with angled barbs that resist pulling out in wind gusts up to 170 mph. This “ring shank” stops halfway up to leave the middle of the nail, which endures the most punishment during an earthquake, at its maximum thickness and strength. The blade-like facets of the nail’s twisted top—the spiral shank—keep planks from wobbling, which weakens a joint. And the HurriQuake’s head is 25 percent larger than average to better resist counter-sinking and pulling through. The best part: It costs only about $15 more to build a house using HurriQuakes. $45 per 4,000


Something so obvious - good on Pop sci for recognizing the apparently simple for it's impact.

••

Trose I have the privilege of playing with and staying in touch with many aspects of technology not just Macs - that others do not.

I've been in the high tech biz for 35 years and never have lost my fascination. A good portion of my biz also comes from ehMac so making it interesting beyond the Mac side ( where I try to do as much tech support as I can ) fills several goals for me.

I'm also enthusiastic about "gadgets" and like guessing games both setting up and guessing as well. The caption posts have brought me many laughs.

Because I work on line I have the time and it's relaxing.
To give you an idea my average email load in and out is 150 a day - I hit 256 last weekend in one day 

Interspersing that work with fun stuff like this is simply relaxing and fun. It's a good community and fun and controversy keeps it interesting.

As Max says some work some don't - the Movies and Books threads have been pretty long lived and useful.

Like any media - in particular an interactive one variety is important.
Without the threads like this I'd be less inclined to keep and eye on the Mac oriented threads.

I've been supporting BBSes on line since they've existed both contributing time and in some cases money to the efforts. They are good for my business and I enjoy the community that arises.

••••

*Now anyone else got a neat "what is it and why is it important" item???*

a tip - upload the image to ehMac and psot the link from there with a different name - makes people think a bit instead of googling the image header.

BTW that bladder growing from your own tissue was amazing to me.


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## Ena (Feb 7, 2005)

medic03 said:


> Well I for one quite enjoy these threads. reminds me of an old game show (for some reason I think it was canadian) with actors on it and they would bring out some weird and wacky device and make them guess what it was. Can't remember what the name of that show was. Anyone?


Is it "What on Earth" ?
Warren Davis was the host for this educational quiz and conversation program, based on an 1950s CBC show, Who Knows. Panelists tried to identify mysterious objects and artefacts from the collections of the Royal Ontario Museum, the Ontario Science Centre, and from other galleries, then discussed their significance.


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

So why wouldn't we use these nails on every house?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Exactly.......every house......with wilder weather the norm - why not.


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## Trose (Feb 17, 2005)

Ottawaman said:


> So why wouldn't we use these nails on every house?


I have 3 guesses:

Cost. Why do we ever use lower quality goods when there are better options out there? Cost.

I would also imagine these nails are a huge pain to take out (that's why they're so good against hurricanes and earthquakes). If you don't need that kind of strength, why not keep the option to take them out later?

But perhaps most importantly, these nails were just invented this year.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

Trose said:


> I have 3 guesses:
> 
> Cost. Why do we ever use lower quality goods when there are better options out there? Cost.
> 
> ...


The additional cost is trivial, but difficulty in removing them is a good point.
Maybe they should have designed the nail with a head that came take a screwdriver bit so that you can 'turn' the nail out if needed.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

i should look into these nails since i am about to re-build my house
for $15 more, why not?
i only see windstorms becoming more frequent and more violent

i'll add it to my list of things to do for monday


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Really how many times are houses demolished - compare that cost compared to hurricane, tornado and earthquake damage.
it's a very small factor and current twist nails are no fun anyway.

Besides in the same contest - another winner.












> I broke out the Fubar, a new kind of hammer with an appetite for destruction, because the chicken-wire-like backing on my friend’s plaster walls was dulling my reciprocating saw blades like they were made of wax. Stanley designed the tool because today’s contractors use hammers mostly to break stuff—they drive nails with pneumatic guns. The Fubar’s square head and tapered edge tore huge holes in the walls, and the toothed jaws wrenched studs so forcefully I swear I heard the wood cry out in pain.





> he first time Jimmy Addison remembers thinking that the world needed a new breed of hammer, he was on a construction site in Texas, doing what he does for a living: talking to a construction worker. The guy was semi-successfully using the claw of a hammer to twist a 2x4 warped by the summer humidity. He sure wished his hammer did a better job at it, he said. Addison wrote that down.
> 
> Addison is about six and a half feet tall. He’s pushing 300 pounds, has a cast-iron handshake and an easy smile. He works the Southern and Western U.S. for Stanley’s Discovery Team, an arm of the 150-year-old tool company’s R&D department. Discovery Team members spend most of their time in the field, talking to workers about how their tools could be improved. “When I’m on a job site and I hear some rough language,” Addison says, “well, that’s where our next tool is coming from.”
> 
> ...


http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2006/innovator_2.html

I DO love tech :clap:


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Truth is, today houses are built with these:









...and not with these:










Since the inventor works for Bostich, it may end up being made for pneumatics, but will probably lose some of it's holding strength. Pneumatic nailheads are 'D' shaped. Also much of plywood sheething is fastened with wide crown staples, as is roofing. The bits most likely to start flying first.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

This is the kind of invention that needs to be integrated into building codes along with green techniques.
Not only save energy but cut down the effects of extreme weather should be a goal.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Why not go a step further and make it code to build all houses out of reinforced concrete and steel...

The same reason this nail will not make it into code books.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I think that's a stretch of a concept - there are lots of "code" items that were resisted in the past. Thing fire codes.

Insurance companies have a big roles to play in this sort of thing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101759.html

The jump to all concrete etc is far larger than nails and reinforced joints yet for certain areas of the coast if you don't build that way you won't get insurance.

Good long term houses are true wealth and speculation should not hamper building well for the long term.

There are gorgeous Napoleonic era homes in S France built to last for generations.

But with the lot at $4000 a linear foot in the GTA we get sticks and bricks that last maybe 2 generations 

I think houses need to graduate to car manufacturing level - bout time.

Silly apes


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

medic03 said:


> Can't remember what the name of that show was. Anyone?


Two Canadian shows fit the bill: _Take Your Choice_ and _What on Earth?_


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Insurance companies will probably require them soon enough. A lot of change is driven by insurance requirements. The second motivator is liability costs. Once an invention like this comes on the market and there are only incremental cost increases, builders are likely to use them. Court cases have been successfully prosecuted on the grounds that builders did not use the "best available" technology.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Not a stretch at all Macdoc...

http://www.nbnnews.com/CHBC/issues/2004-09-09/3.html

Plenty of Hurricane code already on the books:

http://www.iccsafe.org/safety/hurricane/strong_codes.html

Just needs to be followed. Older homes, which are not to code, will get destroyed, newer ones will stand up to the wind or will sustain minimal damage.

Re: the link, your fancy nail will not prevent changing sea levels in coastal areas. 

Code changes must reflect practical and efficient building practices. No 'stick-builder' swings a hammer any longer. Takes too long when you're getting paid by the house.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Macfury said:


> Insurance companies will probably require them soon enough. A lot of change is driven by insurance requirements. The second motivator is liability costs. Once an invention like this comes on the market and there are only incremental cost increases, builders are likely to use them. Court cases have been successfully prosecuted on the grounds that builders did not use the "best available" technology.


Screws and bolts are stronger. Will insurance companies force all builders to use screws then?

Building techniques change with the times, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

Who nails drywall today?
Who nails subfloors?
Who nails plywood sheething?
Who uses 'T' nails for hardwood?

Even roofers don't nail as much anymore...moved to pneumatic staple shooters.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

> Code changes must reflect practical and efficient building practices


That's the problem - the tail is wagging the dog on this. When insurance costs start to outweigh hasty building techniques and builders get dinged for non compliance it'll move forward kicking and screaming.
A dedicated city can change things as Portland shows.

Rising sea levels are a marginal issue for North America ( not so for Bangladesh. )

Damage from extreme weather is here now....I was shocked at how large a scale the loss of insurance coverage was as outlined in the Post article.

When the air goes out of the building boom ( as it has rather markedly now ) and insurance and energy costs become a larger factor as they are all the time now - there will be more changes.
The changes are there in Europe in many areas.
California moved on earthquakes and Japan after the last one got a real surprise and tightened standards remarkably.
Savvy homeowners looking at their insurance costs, and the ridiculous difficulty collecting on them will do some retrofits themselves.

It won't happen fast but as the weather gets more extreme and insurance costs go up the little things will get looked at and some progress made.


like this.....a little at a time










This one is long overdue. Hey I recall collecting bottles as a kid. Good idea then, better idea now.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Ena said:


> Is it "What on Earth" ?


"Two Canadian shows fit the bill: Take Your Choice and What on Earth?"

Oops!  made a mistake it wasn't Canadian after all - Liar's Club. We only had CBC and MCTV growing up and they usually only played canadian game shows.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

So anyone got a mysterious object to puzzle us??


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## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> So anyone got a mysterious object to puzzle us??


This one might be too easy, but I'll give it a shot:


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> So anyone got a mysterious object to puzzle us??


OK, try this one:


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## irontree (Oct 28, 2006)

krs said:


> The gears in the coin aren't going to work with one more or one less gear either - the gear ratios are all wrong.
> And in any case, two sets of gears (top left) don't seem to mesh with the others either, so the gears don't form a closed loop, but that may be the poor gif graphics.


Come on guys!!! It's art! there are no wrongs or rights when it comes to art! LOL
It's an artistic collage of gears with no purpose ;-)


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Coin:
Yeah but it's an expensive coin in celebration of British Industry and an embarrassing error.
Adobe's might be understandable tho laughable about things working together but the coin error is less so.
•••

Miguel - yep too easy but a neat device.

Since ...not a bloody clue....maybe hot rocks to warm the bed??? ( just because there is a bit of grey in the box )


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Since ...not a bloody clue....maybe hot rocks to warm the bed??? ( just because there is a bit of grey in the box )


Nope, not that MacDoc, but the grey is a "shade" of the correct answer.

Another clue:

I ran across this item when researching exclusive memberships to men's clubs of old.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Don does it have something to do with cigars?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

medic03 said:


> Don does it have something to do with cigars?


Not close, no cigar. 

Here's another clue:

I regard golf as an expensive "way of playing marbles". - Gilbert K. Chesterton.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Something to hold billiard balls??  Two red one white??


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Something to hold billiard balls??  Two red one white??


Nope, not billiard balls, but colour does play a major role in the intended purpose of the device.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Chess pieces? Maybe that's why felt on the bottom.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Chess pieces? Maybe that's why felt on the bottom.


Not chess pieces, but there are other pieces involved in the use of the device, and they ARE the same colour.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Domino box?

C'mon people someone else must have an insight


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Domino box?
> 
> C'mon people someone else must have an insight


Sorry, no connection to Dominos.


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## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> C'mon people someone else must have an insight


MacDoc I am trying but have no clue - especially since I have never been in a men's club 
Sinc would they ever have used it in a woman's club?  
Is MacDoc on the right track with a 'game'?


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## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

It's part of a croquet, bocce, or lawn-bowling set. A ball holder?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

medic03 said:


> MacDoc I am trying but have no clue - especially since I have never been in a men's club
> Sinc would they ever have used it in a woman's club?
> Is MacDoc on the right track with a 'game'?


It could easily have been used in a women's club and very well might have been. And for exactly the same purpose. 

No game, it was serious business, albeit one practiced rarely anymore.



miguelsanchez said:


> It's part of a croquet, bocce, or lawn-bowling set. A ball holder?


Nothing to do with those games and no, not a ball holder.

New clue: Its use was much more sinister on some occasions than others.

Hey, this is fun! 

Here it is again so you don't have to page back:


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Got it....I think

It was a way to blackball potential members of a club??


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Got it....I think
> 
> It was a way to blackball potential members of a club??


Exactly. The compartment on the right was filled with white and black marbles. A vote was simply a marble dropped into the covered compartment through the hole.

One black marble dropped in that side and no entry to the club, thus the term "blackballed".

Nice goin' MacDoc.

(I tried to give some good clues.)


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

You did indeed that was well done :clap:

anyone else?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

This one should be much easier:


----------



## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Door Knob?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

medic03 said:


> Door Knob?


Sorry, no. And no hints this time either.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Looks a bit like a ring sizer.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Looks a bit like a ring sizer.


Sorry, not a ring sizer.


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Bed knob, but not a broomstick.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Beej said:


> Bed knob, but not a broomstick.


Nope, not even close.


----------



## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

Not even a little hint?:heybaby:


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

medic03 said:


> Not even a little hint?:heybaby:


OK, here it is:

Sometimes, things are not as they seem.


----------



## Ena (Feb 7, 2005)

Used in stair rail construction. A newell post


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ena said:


> Used in stair rail construction. A newell post


Nope, sorry, no stairs or rails.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Loom threader


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> Loom threader


Sorry, nothing to do with looms.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

pestle


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> pestle


No, nor mortar.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

wallpaper seam roller


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

methinks our friend Sinc is a traveller to the east. The fisrt item was obviously a ballot box from a Masonic Lodge (but not exclusive to them). The next item is an example of the Master's Gavel from self-same Lodge.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> wallpaper seam roller


Interesting guess, but no, not even close.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> methinks our friend Sinc is a traveller to the east. The fisrt item was obviously a ballot box from a Masonic Lodge (but not exclusive to them). The next item is an example of the Master's Gavel from self-same Lodge.


Hey, I am a westerner! 

No lodges involved and the item is universal in that is is used world wide.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

finial for the end of a drapery rod?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Part of a concealed weapon?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

I also was going to guess finial, but since it's taken i'll say "juicer".


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> finial for the end of a drapery rod?


Sorry, no drapery rod.




MacDoc said:


> Part of a concealed weapon?


No, matter of fact it is very visible whenever someone pulls it out. 




miguelsanchez said:


> I also was going to guess finial, but since it's taken i'll say "juicer".


Nope, Jack La Lanne says no.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

part of an antique pepper grinder? (some dimensions would help?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> part of an antique pepper grinder? (some dimensions would help?


Interesting stab at it, but no, no pepper grinders, although it should be noted its gears never grind.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

tuning peg for a violin or other stringed instrument?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> This one should be much easier:


a key of some sort or something to turn gears in a large clock?

[ignoring macdoc's order to NOT offer multiple guesses - only women allowed "multiples"]


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

pipe organ stop?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> tuning peg for a violin or other stringed instrument?


No, but an interesting guess to be sure.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> a key of some sort or something to turn gears in a large clock?
> 
> [ignoring macdoc's order to NOT offer multiple guesses - only women allowed "multiples"]


Sorry, no.

Close though.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> pipe organ stop?


Nope, no organ involved.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> Sorry, no.
> 
> Close though.


old fashioned screw driver?
device to turn gas lights on and off?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

shift knob from a model-t ford?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

keep thinking i've seen one of these, and that it's small.
Either that or its a gear shift from a Stanley Steamer!


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Okay is it the complete thing or part of something.
It looks unfinished as if something is held by the partial shaft.

Looking at the slots it looks to be inserted into the top of a cane or umbrella with the small slots allowing it to pressure fit into the shaft.

Top of a walking cane?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Before we get back to Sinc's stumper.....the Hurricane Nail fits in all the popular nail guns and sells out as fast as Bostich can produce them.
*Production is doubling EVERY MONTH*

I think they have a winner here and not just in an innovation contest. The entire article about the research and testing that went into the design is fascinating and enjoyable.
It will also be a boon to poor home owners in the Carribean and anywhere that a more secure structure in terms of wind, water or earthquake is desirable.
It doubles the resistance to being torn apart for a few dollars.
Not many places on the planet that would not benefit.
Popular Science this month is a very read and not just for this article.

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2006/innovator_5.html


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> old fashioned screw driver?
> device to turn gas lights on and off?


Sorry, neither of those.



miguelsanchez said:


> shift knob from a model-t ford?


Sorry, no. And for the record Model T Fords did not have a shift lever or knob, rather it was a pedal on the floor that controlled forward and reverse gears. 



rondini said:


> keep thinking i've seen one of these, and that it's small.
> Either that or its a gear shift from a Stanley Steamer!


You’ve just provided everyone with an important clue. 



MacDoc said:


> Okay is it the complete thing or part of something.
> It looks unfinished as if something is held by the partial shaft.
> 
> Looking at the slots it looks to be inserted into the top of a cane or umbrella with the small slots allowing it to pressure fit into the shaft.
> ...


It is indeed part of a whole but not a cane or an umbrella.

Good work so far folks. :clap:


----------



## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

What about the mechanism to turn a lamp on!


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Clearly, it's the antique tensioning knob from the back of Liza Minnelli's neck.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yeah you know that gap in the shaft might indicate some sort of flow control channel.
Early dimmer


----------



## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> What's wrong with this picture?


People keep showing it to me and asking me what's wrong with it.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

medic03 said:


> What about the mechanism to turn a lamp on!


No, not a lamp switch. Looks like one though, doesn’t it?



The Doug said:


> Clearly, it's the antique tensioning knob from the back of Liza Minnelli's neck.


LOL, but no way.



MacDoc said:


> Yeah you know that gap in the shaft might indicate some sort of flow control channel.
> Early dimmer


Nope that guess is much dimmer than some. 



PosterBoy said:


> People keep showing it to me and asking me what's wrong with it.


There's nothing wrong with it, although it is out of its normal position.

Here is a clue:

The object is pictured much larger than its actual size.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Okay then - it's an earring.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Doug said:


> Okay then - it's an earring.


Sorry, not an earring Doug, although it might be considered a form of jewelry by some.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

an early form of body piercing?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> an early form of body piercing?


Heavens no. Much more simple in function than that.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

It's a cufflink.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

miguelsanchez said:


> It's a cufflink.


now that sounds like a winner


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> It's a cufflink.


No, not a cufflink although it, along with its other parts were widely worn by men a century back as a functional piece of jewelry.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Pocket watch winder? Or pocket watch chain retaining pin?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> Pocket watch winder? Or pocket watch chain retaining pin?


Bingo! :clap: 

The winding stem from a pocket watch. I guess that last clue did it?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

SINC said:


> Bingo! :clap:
> 
> The winding stem from a pocket watch. I guess that last clue did it?


Yes, the clue helped. It's also hard to get a sense of scale in the photo, so for this next item, I'll start off by saying that the photo is a super-macro shot of a small section of the item:


----------



## Trose (Feb 17, 2005)

miguelsanchez said:


> Yes, the clue helped. It's also hard to get a sense of scale in the photo, so for this next item, I'll start off by saying that the photo is a super-macro shot of a small section of the item:


Velcro.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Nice! I didn't think that would be so easy.

OK now it's your turn, unless you want to take a shot at my previous posting?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Model of a virus?


----------



## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

miguelsanchez said:


> Nice! I didn't think that would be so easy.
> 
> OK now it's your turn, unless you want to take a shot at my previous posting?


It's one of those toys. it balloons out into a sphere. I can't remember what it's called.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Sinc's been out of the toy loop for a while. It IS a cool thing - I can't recall the background - it was some sort of buckyball demo or some such thing that morphed to a toy.

••

Excellent choice for the pocket watchwinder :clap: - I also have seen it and could not recall where.

More please....


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

PosterBoy said:


> It's one of those toys. it balloons out into a sphere. I can't remember what it's called.


Yes it's a Hoberman Sphere.  

It's more than just a toy however; the concept is being used to provide portable shelters, tents, medical devices, and more.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

miguelsanchez said:


> Yes it's a Hoberman Sphere.
> 
> It's more than just a toy however; the concept is being used to provide portable shelters, tents, medical devices, and more.


and can visually demonstrate the "inflated ego" phenomenon demonstrated by Hollywood types, money makers and politicians, not to mention certain lawyers


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Excellent choice for the pocket watchwinder :clap: - I also have seen it and could not recall where.
> 
> More please....


Gladly:


----------



## Trose (Feb 17, 2005)

SINC said:


> Gladly:


Wow, that's quite the device. It looks like some kind of counter. I'm not sure what that point at the end is for, though...


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Trose said:


> Wow, that's quite the device. It looks like some kind of counter. I'm not sure what that point at the end is for, though...


A reasonable opening thought.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

A force gauge?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> A force gauge?


No, not force.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

A micrometer then.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> A micrometer then.


Sorry, no, but it is an instrument of measurement.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

There's a trigger, left/right rotational settings underneath the barrel, and a gauge... hmm, some kind of precision revolution counter. Might be a jeweller's tool or something?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Doug said:


> There's a trigger, left/right rotational settings underneath the barrel, and a gauge... hmm, some kind of precision revolution counter. Might be a jeweller's tool or something?


Exactly:

Lintner and Sporborg speed indicator for shafting. It's used to determine the number of revolutions made by revolving shafts within a given time.

Nice goin' Doug. :clap:


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Wow strange device.

Try this one.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Magnifying spectacles.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Ack too easy- you find something.
Actually used by surgeons.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Methinks this one will not be so easy:


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Perfume (or other glass bottle / flask) stopper?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

is it xxx rated?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Doug said:


> Perfume (or other glass bottle / flask) stopper?


Interesting thought and I agree it looks somewhat like one, but no, not a stopper.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> is it xxx rated?


LOL! Nope, it has a normal use for something 95% of us do every day.

I see this post starts a new page so I will repeat the picture to avoid paging back:


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

How about a sense of scale? Would the lower half i.e. the thicker section be just the right size to fit the average human hand?

I'm going to say letter opener, even though the "blade" end looks more round than flat.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> How about a sense of scale? Would the lower half i.e. the thicker section be just the right size to fit the average human hand?
> 
> I'm going to say letter opener, even though the "blade" end looks more round than flat.


While I can find nothing on the actual measurements of the object, I would estimate it to be about 6 - 7 inches in length. The thicker section is not intended to fit a human hand.

For the record, it is an antique and was used in conjunction with a common household item in years past, ie: 1940s and 1950s. 

And no, not a letter opener.


----------



## medic03 (Aug 2, 2005)

a telephone dialer?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

medic03 said:


> a telephone dialer?


Sorry, nothing to do with phones.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Top of a coffee percolator?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Top of a coffee percolator?


Good guess. You definitely identified the other item required for this to work, but not a top, nor bottom for that matter. The question now becomes, just what does it do in a coffee perculator?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yeah figured as much - it goes between the two vessels and when the pressure builds from the water boiling it lifts - the water bubbles up into the top chamber then as the bottom cools moves through the coffee.










The bit in the middle here.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Yeah figured as much - it goes between the two vessels and when the pressure builds from the water boiling it lifts - the water bubbles up into the top chamber then as the bottom cools moves through the coffee.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Close, but no. Actually it is a filter, believe it or not. Nice goin' again!


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

MacDoc said:


> Yeah figured as much - it goes between the two vessels and when the pressure builds from the water boiling it lifts - the water bubbles up into the top chamber then as the bottom cools moves through the coffee. The bit in the middle here.


I used to have one of those coffee makers and as far as I remember it had zero moving parts, save for the lid on the carafe. The "bit in the middle" (B) is nothing more than a metal tube with kind of a funnel at the top, where you put the coffee. The force of the steam & water boiling drove it straight up through the central column in the carafe, with no valve action.

That new picture looks like a tape dispenser or something.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


>


Meat slicer?


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

The perfect gift for people of good taste and worthy character: a banjo grinder.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

SINC said:


> Close, but no. Actually it is a filter, believe it or not. Nice goin' again!


So how does it work? Is the glass porous in the middle? I wonder how one would make something like that?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> So how does it work? Is the glass porous in the middle? I wonder how one would make something like that?


No, not porous, if you read the instructions, you will see it allow the water to "gurgle past the rod" as pressure builds in the lower carafe and in turn filters the grounds out of the coffee.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

OK I just had a quick read through the patent, and I get it now. The coffee grounds go in the upper container, and the water goes in the lower container. As the water boils (slowly), it is forced into the upper container where it mixes with the grounds. You then take the pot off the heat source, and as it cools, the water is sucked back into the lower container by the vacuum that is formed and the grounds are filtered out by the rough surface of the glass. Take off the upper container and serve.

Very nice.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

MacDoc, is it a wood planer or shaper of some sort? I don't see an electric motor.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

That's how all the percolators of that type work.

•• 
no electrics but very efficient and you are in the right trade


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Wood edge veneer dispenser.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Close but no


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Drywall tape dispenser.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

:clap: bingo


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

No clues this time.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Looks like an over engineered shoe horn


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

No shoe horn. Not even close.


----------



## martman (May 5, 2005)

Looks like a belt hole punch of some sort.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

martman said:


> Looks like a belt hole punch of some sort.


Sorry, nothing to do with a belt either.


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

How about some yes/no? Is the curvy shape intended to be finger-grips?


----------



## martman (May 5, 2005)

It looks like there are two ball point pens attached to this item. It is for making lines on large paper to write in. Don't know what it is called however. (no not the person the word)


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Still looks to me to be shoe or boot or footwear related in some way.
That you slide it into something.
The bullet tips look adjustable with the knurled rollers and the rounded tips so no damage is done.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Beej said:


> How about some yes/no? Is the curvy shape intended to be finger-grips?



Yes.



martman said:


> It looks like there are two ball point pens attached to this item. It is for making lines on large paper to write in. Don't know what it is called however. (no not the person the word)


Sorry, no.



MacDoc said:


> Still looks to me to be shoe or boot or footwear related in some way.
> That you slide it into something.
> The bullet tips look adjustable with the knurled rollers and the rounded tips so no damage is done.


Repeat, nothing to do with shoes.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Stretching?
Maybe gloves?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Stretching?
> Maybe gloves?


No to both options.

Nothing to do with clothing, footwear or apparel of any kind.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Key of some sort?


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Part of a gun cleaning kit?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Interesting - could make sense given the bullet shape.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Key of some sort?


Not a key.



The Doug said:


> Part of a gun cleaning kit?


Hmmm, interesting guess, but no, nothing to do with guns.



MacDoc said:


> Interesting - could make sense given the bullet shape.


Indeed, but no.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Part of a circuit breaker or electrical switch?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Doug said:


> Part of a circuit breaker or electrical switch?


Nothing to do with electrical in any way.


----------



## Ena (Feb 7, 2005)

It's a Tru-Blood Knot Tyer

http://www.cinchtie.com/blood_knot_tool.htm

(I cheated and did a Google search with the jpeg name. Am I now banned from this thread  )


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Nevermind.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ena said:


> It's a Tru-Blood Knot Tyer
> 
> http://www.cinchtie.com/blood_knot_tool.htm
> 
> (I cheated and did a Google search with the jpeg name. Am I now banned from this thread  )


Yep you did and that is my fault. I removed the link, but who would have thought "pic838a.jpg" would give it away.

All you really did was to spoil the game for everyone who enjoyed playing.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well I think that's a relief - that's pretty esoteric.

Next??


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Well I think that's a relief - that's pretty esoteric.
> 
> Next??


No problem. Got a bunch of 'em:


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Pipe puller of some sort?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Could it be an axle nut wrench?  

Sorry, I have to quit the game now too. 

Or start supplying the photos.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> Could it be an axle nut wrench?
> 
> Sorry, I have to quit the game now too.
> 
> Or start supplying the photos.


Wow, way too easy:

Axle nut wrench, patent number 206,721. From the patent: "...used to take off a nut from a wagon or carriage axle, to allow removal of the wheel, and to screw the nut on again, without any necessity of handling the nut, thereby avoiding the danger of getting sand in the bearing of the wheel or grease upon the hands of the person using the wrench."

Enough for me tonight.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

This one should be easy too.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

A temperature and humidity chart?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

circular slide rule?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

*here's one*

what is this?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Rondini I think you're right about the circular slide rule.

Is yours a dive computer? Old-fashioned-like?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

*Wot is it?*

Here's one from me...


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> This one should be easy too.


Proportion wheel for resizing images.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yep circular slide rule.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> Here's one from me...


Ship's sextant instrument.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

That looks like a very sophiscated sextant.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

ship's compass and sextant


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Oh heck, why not another:


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

1 tile cutter
2 tire remover for bike


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

SINC said:


> Ship's sextant instrument.





MacDoc said:


> That looks like a very sophiscated sextant.





Ottawaman said:


> ship's compass and sextant


Nope, nope, and nope. 

It does contain optics and a compass though.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

miguelsanchez said:


> Nope, nope, and nope.
> 
> It does contain optics and a compass though.


range finder for an artillery piece?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


>


Printer's slug/metal cutter?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Ottawaman said:


> range finder for an artillery piece?


It does not have a military use, but one part of the military may use it (though not this particular one).

You're going in the right direction.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Sinc - very close. Hand letter press which may be what you said as I'm no expert in that.

I do recall hot lead and big linotype on the docket sheets of big clients as the Mac gradually replaced them.

••

let's go back to this until we get it...I actually thought it HAD to be a sextant.










Maybe a aiming device for a ships gun??
Naval use at least??


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Land surveying level?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Must be a specialized version of that- maybe altitude combined?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> Rondini I think you're right about the circular slide rule.
> 
> Is yours a dive computer? Old-fashioned-like?


nope not a dive computer, but it is a computer.

And the brass thing is an antique surveyor's transit


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Sinc - very close. Hand letter press which may be what you said as I'm no expert in that.
> 
> I do recall hot lead and big linotype on the docket sheets of big clients as the Mac gradually replaced them.


Thought so. I still hold a journeyman's ticket in both letterpress and offset printing to this day. Not much call for the former though, but I recognized the cutter instantly.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

John Diefenbaker's toenail clipper. Part of our Canadian Heritage.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

The Doug and rondini, you are both correct! It is an early surveyor's transit made by Brandis & Sons:



> This one has a full array of characteristics common to the later run of instruments by this manufacturer. Frederick Ernest Brandis (1845-1916) was born in Germany. He opened his own shop in America in 1875. The Pioneer Instrument Company purchased control of Brandis in 1922. This instrument has an array of levels, level attachment, gradienter, and Vertical Arc, a compass, an inverted level above, full wheel rotation, quadruple leveling screws and custom platform with containers.


Well done!


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

no attempts at my puzzler? I gave a hint and everything!


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Rondini bring it up to current and we'll get back to one at a time.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Some type of advanced scientific math calculating device?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Maybe a golf calculator?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

thanks for the bump Sinc;
but no to scientific math calculating device altho.....close. need some specifics as to what would be calculated
no to golf calculator.....didn't think golf was that difficult, but then i never did understand handicapping


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Photo calculator??


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

nope


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

calculator to figure out my chances of "getting some" depending on age, size, shape, weight of woman vs. amount of alcohol consumed by both me and her?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Hehehehe :lmao:


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

nope.


anyone want a hint?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

yep, hint would be good


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

OK
people using this item are enjoying one of the effects Bernoulli observed


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well that would be waterflow or flight/lift.

Flow calculator of some sort?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

you are almost there, but don't get all wet!


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

airplane pilot calculator
or
scuba / deep sea diver calculator?
for air usage vs. depth and/or how long u could stay down at certain depths?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Airfoil calculator?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Ok partial points to MacSpec
pilot's flight computer; E6B
if i had a bigger pic maybe the text on the device would help
http://gear.aviation.ca/index.php?p...facturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=39


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Why Bernoulli for a pilot calc???


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

got another one.
personally never cared for how this style worked in practice. there are other designs that are easier to use.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Why Bernoulli for a pilot calc???


not involved in using the calculator, enjoying benfits of bernoulli WHILE using it


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Ah I see - - clever boy. :clap:


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Looks like a clay pigeon launcher.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> got another one.
> personally never cared for how this style worked in practice. there are other designs that are easier to use.


telescope


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

not that big, and not a launcher


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> telescope


hmm optics are involved, but not the way you think

altho it does involve a celestial body


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> not that big, and not a launcher


camera or microscope


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> hmm optics are involved, but not the way you think


surveyor tool


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

nope nope and nope


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

sextant


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

geting closer...right profession, wrong instrument


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

something to measure the horizon?
sundial?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

closer still.
right celestial body, wrong thing being measured


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

measure position of sun in sky
or is that sextant?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

sun is being measured, but not for its position ( necessarily)


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

artificial eclipse?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> sun is being measured, but not for its position ( necessarily)


height of sun in sky or how much sunlight is being observed?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Hmmmph over engineered sundial or some aspect of solar noon.??


•••••

Came across this - 










Digital sundial!!!! - Interesting bit of engineering that.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

ok another hint. an aspect of the sun is measured in order to determine something else.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> ok another hint. an aspect of the sun is measured in order to determine something else.


The angle of the sun to determine your current position?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> ok another hint. an aspect of the sun is measured in order to determine something else.


whether the groundhog sees his shadow?
i think rondini should just tell us
it's obviously some sort of very obscure device and we've put forth many guesses with hints that are vague and sometimes contradictory

contests such as these should be enjoyable, not for the delight of the proposer who does his mr. burns imitation; "excellent" each time someone gets it wrong
having people NOT get it isn't the purpose of the exercise

tell us what it is and let's move on to the next item
hopefully it will be something a bit more reasonable

otherwise i'll find some sort of rare artifact and wait the obligatory 6 months for someone to finally guess what it is

  


after someone finally guesses rondini's "item"
try this one on

hint; it's a rock, but what "kind" of rock....
oh and i'll answer the first 10 guesses with "no"

answer: Polyurathane Rock


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

ok angle of sun is important. But not to determine your position. 
It is an azimuth mirror. Used with a compass to determine the error of the compass from true heading.
As for being obscure, a linotype cutter is manistream?

"AZIMUTHS: Construction and use of the azimuth mirror; to find the L.H.A. Sun or L.A.T. and thence to determine the true azimuth of the Sun by means of azimuth tables and A.B.C. tables with particular attention to proper interpolation; to find the compass error and, given the variation, to find the deviation for the direction of the ship's head."


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> ok angle of sun is important. But not to determine your position.
> It is an azimuth mirror. Used with a compass to determine the error of the compass from true heading.
> As for being obscure, a linotype cutter is manistream?
> 
> "AZIMUTHS: Construction and use of the azimuth mirror; to find the L.H.A. Sun or L.A.T. and thence to determine the true azimuth of the Sun by means of azimuth tables and A.B.C. tables with particular attention to proper interpolation; to find the compass error and, given the variation, to find the deviation for the direction of the ship's head."



your perceived delight in obscure hints and dragging on this guessing game for something that i highly doubt ANYONE of us has ever used or heard about really makes your choice unfair

at least SINC was able to figure out the linotype cutter since it was actually used in printing presses and macdoc had an idea of what it was

the "game" is not to drag out the guessing
the game is to find items from which people can learn and say "wow", that's neat

seems your pleasure was derived from others not guessing and that is NOT teaching or imparting knowledge - that's the same as pulling wings off a fly

you want i should post a poll as to who has heard of an "azimuth mirror" versus "linotype cutter?" to let you know what is and what isn't obscure?

/end rant


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Here is an item that will be a whole lot easier:


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

old fashioned crowbar?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> old fashioned crowbar?


No, not a crowbar, but even though this one is older, newer styles are still very much in use today.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

i'm now in a bad mood so i'll just refrain from guessing for a while or lest my vitrol be aimed at innocents


----------



## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

To me, it looks like some kind of a gardening tool.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Sonal said:


> To me, it looks like some kind of a gardening tool.


Not gardening, although it might work for planting at that.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

bike tire bead breaker


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> bike tire bead breaker


You know, it would probably work for that too, but that's not it. It has a lot more "solid" function.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

it looks like one of those lifters that are used on pot belly wood burning stoves


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> it looks like one of those lifters that are used on pot belly wood burning stoves


You're thinking of one of these, but no, nothing to do with a stove. Hint: Running into a wall are we?


----------



## VVA88IT (Aug 21, 2005)

shoe horn? looks mightily uncomfortable though :lmao:


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

window paint scraper, minus the torch


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

You guys are too young

Lift a lid off a wood stove. oooops that's this one - t'other one. - y'know I've seen it .
How a about a refresh picture - the stove lifter confuses things.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Certainly:












VVA88IT said:


> shoe horn? looks mightily uncomfortable though :lmao:


No, not a shoe device.



Ottawaman said:


> window paint scraper, minus the torch


Not paint, but you're closer. Reread the two clues.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I would have said paint can opener. - nothing to do with paint??
Maybe steel barrel opener?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> I would have said paint can opener. - nothing to do with paint??
> Maybe steel barrel opener?


No, not paint and it is not an "opener" of any kind.

New hint: Commonly used on new home construction sites.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Brick spacer?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Brick spacer?


Close enough. It is in fact a mortar's tool for smoothing the mortar between the rows of bricks. Well done. :clap:


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yeah I recall seeing it working with my dad. Seems to me it did double duty both as a smoother and space.
If I recall it was some sort of two handed operation that was incredibly fast.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

A homebuilt.....guesses what it's used for??


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

insulation blower


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

nope - pretty small container for that but good guess


----------



## martman (May 5, 2005)

attic de-humidifier?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

plunge router with vacuum


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Blowing sand to make a non skid surface?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Nope - ottawa man in the right "direction" tho.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Vaccum sand off roof when shingling to avoid slipping?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

vacuum creation device to check for air leaks in furnace (duct integrity)


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Vacuum something is correct...... - the unit has a clear top.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

solar powered pool skimmer


----------



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Ottawaman said:


> solar powered pool skimmer


A pool skimmer on a roof? Perhaps.

How about an automatic chimney sweep?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Not likely to be guessed - an interesting solution


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

*Said in his best Agent 86 voice*

It's the old bees in the vacuum trick!


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Not likely to be guessed - an interesting solution



ya think?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> your perceived delight in obscure hints and dragging on this guessing game for something that i highly doubt ANYONE of us has ever used or heard about really makes your choice unfair
> 
> you want i should post a poll as to who has heard of an "azimuth mirror" versus "linotype cutter?" to let you know what is and what isn't obscure?
> 
> /end rant


Actually, I have used an azimuth mirror, as well as the pilot's computer. Azimuth mirror as part of my job,at the time, being a ship's officer. Pilot thingy shown how to use by my Dad many years ago.

And hasn't every one used a bee vacuum? 

Hints were asked for and supplied, none of them conrtradictory!


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Now boys, a fun thread is a good thing, picking holes in it isn't.

Can we please just let this go and try again?

Thanks.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

no problemo


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> Actually, I have used an azimuth mirror, as well as the pilot's computer. Azimuth mirror as part of my job,at the time, being a ship's officer. Pilot thingy shown how to use by my Dad many years ago.
> 
> And hasn't every one used a bee vacuum?
> 
> Hints were asked for and supplied, none of them conrtradictory!


when one has intimate knowledge of something the relaying of info. of said thing can go one of two ways;

1. the exper can actually relay said knowledge in a forthright and logical manner for those NOT familiar with said thing. That in my opinion demonstrates a very good, if not complete, understanding of said thing by the expert.

2. the expert can relay knowledge in more circuitous route demonstrating a need to feel superior based on specialized knowledge or lack of same

games such as these should be to relay info. and as teaching exercises, not as self stroking ego exercises as demonstrated by the "what about mine?"

if you really want to play, then play fairly
or else you'll get more of my "plastic rocks" and we can all just keep guessing until the proverbial cows come home

i see this all the time in computer technical consulting
consultants who use as many acronyms and technical terms as possible to feel superior, whilst I tend to use metaphors using everyday items

"If you can convince 'em, baffle 'em with bull$****."

i specifically use "cars" when speaking of computers and find my clients happily and readily understand the concepts i am trying to put across

ok, ok, back to my cave


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Well, based on those two replies, I vote . . .


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Here you go.....near and dear.....


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Here you go.....near and dear.....


cork remover that works by sliding in between bottle and cork
some sort of torque wrench


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

I was going to say some sort of torque wrench, or part of a home-made pick set.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

deluxe Mac floppy emergency eject pin


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

now i know where i have seen this before
it's a tool to open (crack the case) a mac plus / 512

this tool went into a deep screw well to get out the screws and then there was a tool that looked like a reverse giant metal clothes hanger to crack open the case


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Very good you were all close and MacSpectrum is correct - the tool to crack the Classic cases.

Up until the G5s there was always a use for this tool. If you check the handles on your G4 towers you'll find it's the same Torx......I suspect Apple engineers paying tribute in their own subtle way.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

it also looks very much like the device to sample a wheel of cheese at the cheesemaker


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

now here is a very weird "tool"


----------



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

The former Jerry Rivers?
(what he called himself at the U. of Arizona)

Empty safe-opener?
(after his tv special opening Al Capone's "vault")

U.S. Army target practise dummy?
(after he gave away their position when "embedded" in Iraq and they turfed him)

Jeebus, I know way too much about this creepy American.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Here is a new challenge for you:










Right up front, this tool was used mostly in the 1800s to make an accessory to a very common transportation related item of that time period.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

dated wife of former and late PM
may have also slept with my ex wife


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> Here is a new challenge for you:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


wagon wheel plane?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Some sort of leather strap working tool?


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

A short vid showing an object some of you might have seen before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j47s_A8GwbM

It shows rotational motion being translated into rectilinear motion, if you want to have a technical description, but there is a much earthier description of its purpose.

Five guesses only.


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

SINC said:


>


Along MacSpectrum's line of thinking, it is (I think) what I would call a spokeshave.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> Along MacSpectrum's line of thinking, it is (I think) what I would call a spokeshave.


Well, that did not take long. Conrats as it is indeed a spoke shave for wooden wagon wheels. :clap:


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> Along MacSpectrum's line of thinking, it is (I think) what I would call a spokeshave.


the force is strong with this one...


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

But will the force be with you on this item?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Looks like an early lighthouse lamp.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Looks like an early lighthouse lamp.


Nope, not even close. Don't let the water and shoreline in the background influence your thinking. It has no bearing on the object or its use.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Still looks like an early electric lamp.


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> the force is strong with this one...


What a team! Got it in the classic one-two pincer movement.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Still looks like an early electric lamp.


Not an electric lamp, but the primary part is indeed made of glass.


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

A large insulator?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> A large insulator?


Sorry, but no. 
Clue:
It was invented by a very famous American in the 1760s and still plays a role today.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

That sounds like Ben Franklin but what did he invent? hmmmmmm

Solar still?


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

A lightning conductor (in an insulated glass enclosure)?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> That sounds like Ben Franklin but what did he invent? hmmmmmm


Indeed it was.



Snapple Quaffer said:


> A lightning conductor (in an insulated glass enclosure)?


Not even close.


----------



## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

A spindle lathe


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

it is one of those musical instruments that uses the glass lip and water to produce music when you rub your finger across the lip of the glass.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

nested crystal bowls that are rotating, you play this musical instrument with moistened fingers placed on the bowl rims. You can duplicate this, after a fashion, with a crystal wine glass, running your moistened finger around the rim. Does not work with regular glass.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

dang would have been first if I hadn't been so verbose!!


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

A very old fuse or circuit breaker. Or maybe an antique street lamp.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Glass Harmonica


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

rondini said:


> dang would have been first if I hadn't been so verbose!!


ya right


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> it is one of those musical instruments that uses the glass lip and water to produce music when you rub your finger across the lip of the glass.


Right! :clap:



rondini said:


> nested crystal bowls that are rotating, you play this musical instrument with moistened fingers placed on the bowl rims. You can duplicate this, after a fashion, with a crystal wine glass, running your moistened finger around the rim. Does not work with regular glass.


Right, except the part about wetting your fingers. It is not necessary with the instrument. 

Complete details here:

http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om14725.html


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

also slowed down by having to move my lips while reading previous posts to see if anyone had guessed it! :baby:

I'm sure someone has used this, as mine is on backorder.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

*in a simlar vein*

qu'est-ce que ce?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

I own 4, doesn't everyone?


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Dulcimer, zither, or harpsichord.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

The Doug said:


> Dulcimer, zither, or harpsichord.


or bandura

scroll to bottom to see several
http://home.att.net/~bandura.ca/Bandura-OlaH/4Page.html


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

hammered dulcimer, slightly different than the lap or mountain dulcimer which is plucked


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A set of tools used by a journeyman/expert in a trade for one specific purpose:


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Watchmaker or jewellers' pliers?

(i have no life)


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> Watchmaker or jewellers' pliers?
> 
> (i have no life)


Sorry, but no, wrong trade entirely.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

barber - nose / ear hair removers?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

fly fishing lure creation scissors


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

Ottawaman said:


> fly fishing lure creation scissors


oh that's good...


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

nope, I suspect.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

since you mentioned a tradesman or journeyman, and they look to fiddly to be for plumbing, I will say electrician tools, even tho I have never seen any that "delicate"


----------



## Ena (Feb 7, 2005)

Used to strip off coating on electric wiring


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> barber - nose / ear hair removers?


Sorry, but not barber tools.



Ottawaman said:


> fly fishing lure creation scissors


Interesting guess. Good even, but no, nothing to do with fishing.



rondini said:


> since you mentioned a tradesman or journeyman, and they look to fiddly to be for plumbing, I will say electrician tools, even tho I have never seen any that "delicate"


Sorry, nothing to do with an electrician.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

piano tuning shears


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

Bonsai tree trimmers


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> piano tuning shears


Nothing musical in any way. Most people have to use this expert's services at least once.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

comprehab said:


> Bonsai tree trimmers


Another great guess, they do look like they could be, but no, nothing to do with gardening of any type.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

tonsil snippers


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> tonsil snippers


Sorry no, and for the record they are not used to shear, snip, trim, cut or anything of the like.


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

They look like some sort of pliers or tweezers...


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

comprehab said:


> They look like some sort of pliers or tweezers...


Yep, that is what they are designed to do, grip.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

tools for an auto mechanic, used to compress or spread spings or spring clips?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> tools for an auto mechanic, used to compress or spread spings or spring clips?


You ARE getting warmer. But nothing to do with springs or clips.


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

A plumber's butt crack sizing tool?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

model railroad repair tools


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

locksmith tool


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

Maybe used to remove broken keys from lock holes?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

hanging chad retrieval tools


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Rob said:


> A plumber's butt crack sizing tool?


Hehehe, but no.



MACSPECTRUM said:


> model railroad repair tools


No choo, choo.



Ottawaman said:


> locksmith tool


That's it.



comprehab said:


> Maybe used to remove broken keys from lock holes?


And that's it precisely, but exclusively in vehicle ignitions, doors and trunks.

Good job guys! :clap:


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

that was a good one
(still irked about "azimuth" device)

anger leads to the dark side


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I am glad to hear this is providing some enjoyment for participants, and I in fact enjoy finding and posting the items. With that in mind, here is another tradesman's tool for a special purpose with limited use:


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

That looks like a basin wrench for tightening compression fittings connecting water pipes to taps (faucets) on a sink (basin).


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> That looks like a basin wrench for tightening compression fittings connecting water pipes to taps (faucets) on a sink (basin).


Wow SQ got is right off.

I will have to get tougher items.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well you KNOW the Brits are famous....or infamous.....fixer upperers


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Let's try something different. Can you identify this vehicle by name and year?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Maybe a 49 Olds - my university roommate had one - we called it the green monster - it was old then.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Maybe a 49 Olds - my university roommate had one - we called it the green monster - it was old then.


Close. It is in the forties but not an Olds or a 49.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

a Willys? lets say 48


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> a Willys? lets say 48


Not a Willys and not a 48.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

47 Chevrolet


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> 47 Chevrolet


Process of elimination eh? 

Not a 47 and not a Chev.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

well if oldsmobile is close it does narrow the choices.
Therefore, saving the time of google image searching
I wil submit
46 Buick


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

1940 Ford Tudor?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> 1940 Ford Tudor?


ford built houses?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> well if oldsmobile is close it does narrow the choices.
> Therefore, saving the time of google image searching
> I wil submit
> 46 Buick


Sorry to imply Olds was close. It was the year that was in the right decade. And no, not a 46 Buick.



MacDoc said:


> 1940 Ford Tudor?


Right year, wrong car.



MACSPECTRUM said:


> ford built houses?


Yes indeed, he built a big one on Walpole Island near Wallaceburg, Ont.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Wrong car or car maker??

You mean my model is off?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

40 Studebaker


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> Yes indeed, he built a big one on Walpole Island near Wallaceburg, Ont.


was it a 'tudor' house or a, ahem, '4 door' house?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

be thou enlightened grasshopper











1932










1940


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

SINC's car is a 1940 Dodge Coupe.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

miguelsanchez said:


> SINC's car is a 1940 Dodge Coupe.


Right you are sir!


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

OK here's another one:


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

solar azimuth finder(s)?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Salt and pepper shakers.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Nope. 

Here's a clue: the ones you see in the photo are antique wooden versions of the ones in use today. The modern version is usually made of silicone.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Baby bottle nipples.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

The Doug said:


> Baby bottle nipples.


No, but you're on the right track. I'm not going to feed you any more clues.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Pacifiers?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

The Doug said:


> Pacifiers?


oooh, if it's pacifier and baby bottle nipples were rejected, i'm gonna go to the dark side again.....


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Stage 'falsies" for male actors performing female roles?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> Stage 'falsies" for male actors performing female roles?


I think falsies too, but for women.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

I was trying to be funny re: falsies, but since they have the same number of holes in the 'tips' I think thay aren't really falsies, and salt and pepper shakers usually have dissimilar hole arrangements. Bottle nipples usually have one hole and pacifiers have none. Whether antique wooden bottle nipples had one or more holes, who knows, but bottle feeding, at least of human babies, is a relatively modern idea.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> oooh, if it's pacifier and baby bottle nipples were rejected, i'm gonna go to the dark side again.....


OK, I don't want to get on MS's dark side, so I'll reveal the answer. But being a new parent, I'm going to say that I believe that there is a big enough difference between this item and bottle nipples.

The item itself is a nipple shield, or guard, used by a newly-breastfeeding mother to protect her nipples from an overly-eager baby, and also to help teach a newborn baby to breastfeed after a prolonged period off the boob, because unless they're doing it at every feed, they can easily forget how to breastfeed in the early weeks of life (the baby, that is).

The ones shown date from the 19th century, and were probably used by a wet-nurse, who was probably extremely happy that they were invented.


----------



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

I see that the picture comes from an eBay ad. I'm just wondering if you are an avid collector of such items?




miguelsanchez said:


> OK, I don't want to get on MS's dark side, so I'll reveal the answer. But being a new parent, I'm going to say that I believe that there is a big enough difference between this item and bottle nipples.
> ...


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

No, but ebay is a good place to find obscure items for this game.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

*next!*

used by many canadians


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Cheese slicer.

or 

Pizza slicer.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

dough cutter


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

miguelsanchez said:


> OK, I don't want to get on MS's dark side, so I'll reveal the answer. But being a new parent, I'm going to say that I believe that there is a big enough difference between this item and bottle nipples.
> 
> The item itself is a nipple shield, or guard, used by a newly-breastfeeding mother to protect her nipples from an overly-eager baby, and also to help teach a newborn baby to breastfeed after a prolonged period off the boob, because unless they're doing it at every feed, they can easily forget how to breastfeed in the early weeks of life (the baby, that is).
> 
> The ones shown date from the 19th century, and were probably used by a wet-nurse, who was probably extremely happy that they were invented.


funny enuf i was thinking about protection for women's nipples while breastfeeding

i need to listen to the force more often


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

altho similar to slicers and cutters, it's practical application is more 'raw'
So nope to cheese, pizza or dough


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Meat cutter.


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

I believe it is called an "ulu"- used by the Inuit.


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

It looks like what some folk over here call a hachoir. It's for chopping herbs?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

comprehab said:


> I believe it is called an "ulu"- used by the Inuit.


either that or it's the "lorena bobbit slicer dicer"


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

Well, it is used to cut meat.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

ulu is correct.
from schoolnet.ca (aboriginal inventions
"Using the half-moon shaped copper and antler ulu knife, an Inuit woman could cut caribou hides into clothing patterns, cut and eat meat, split sinews into threads and scrape the hair from a hide."
The scraping part is what i was getting at, but the tool is used for a variety of things, not just cutting meat.


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

I had remembered seeing it on an Alaskan cooking show; they were using it for whale blubber and caribou meat.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

current affairs... What is it.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

MacDoc said:


> current affairs... What is it.


It's either: 

1) Part of the International Space Station, 
2) Something somewhere in the Shuttle's cargo bay, 
3) Part of the scanning system used with the Canadarm to check the Shuttle for damage.


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

The Doug said:


> It's either:
> 
> 1) Part of the International Space Station,
> 2) Something somewhere in the Shuttle's cargo bay,
> 3) Part of the scanning system used with the Canadarm to check the Shuttle for damage.


Silly boy, everyone knows that's the "Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator"!


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)




----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Good old Marvin The Martian to the rescue!


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

The Doug - very close...in the right "zone" -everyone just look carefully.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The NASA Mars Orbiter?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Look closely - Doug is on the right track. What is the tool?

We've all used one ( 'cept maybe some girls in some people's view )


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Such a small fuzzy picture, it's hard to look closely and make sense of the image. Is it from that golf in space stunt a couple of weeks ago?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Nope.
The 7 is on the body of the device...it's very plain and obvious once you realize.
Think about a variation on what we all have used and where this might be according to the clues..


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A rear view mirror?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Look to the left of the 7 - that is also part of the device - and the most familiar looking.


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

Fueling pump?


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Space toothbrush?


Seriously, though, how about a clearer photo? It's hard to make out anything in that pic without context. No blur would be nice too.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A funnel?


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

Electric drill/spanner/screwdriver?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Snapple - right on the money but what might be unusual about it.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

This is really becoming painful, but how about this:

it's run by vacuum?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> This is really becoming painful, but how about this:
> 
> it's run by vacuum?


i agree, far too painful
what is fun for others, like pulling wings off flies, it not for the rest of us

macdoc, previous guesses were close enuf

you're starting to sound like rondini with his azimuth device, not to mention your fuzzy pic

this is supposed to be fun for all, not just he or she who asked....

i got tons of pix of plastic rocks for macdoc and rondini to guess at....

once again, i heed the siren call of the dark side


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Snapple - right on the money but what might be unusual about it.


What's unusual about it is that it has a counterweight spinning in the oppositedirection. Otherwise the astronaut using this motorised tool would be spun in the opposite direction to the rotation of the toolhead, due to weightless conditions.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

You know it's space related

You know its a driver.

You don't think a zero torque driver for use in space MIGHT be a fairly easy conclusion. 

Looks like a duck except it's in space.









There are live feeds on quicktime from the space station where these tools can be seen use.
The astronauts have a neat kit of tools for assembly in zero gravity.

http://newali.apple.com/ali_sites/ali/exhibits/1001340/Video_Setup.html

Clearly the housing in the mirrored section somehow zeros the torque.
Two people were told they were very close and no one else bothered to put it together.

Wimps. 

Thank you Rondini. :clap:


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

And now this:










Any guesses on what it might be?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> And now this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



out of focus space screwdriver, but what is interesting about it?
note: hint is next to the big upside down 7 on my forehead....

oye....

sinc, not at you, but a the "oh look at me and the weird crap i found to keep them all jumping like seals...." crowd


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

some sort of 'holder'
not for a pot, but for what?

hmmmmmm

oh wait, holder for a solar azimuth finder !!!!

the dark side woos me


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Damn I've seen one of those.

Maybe support for beer holding arm when you're too drunk to lift it. 

or your forehead when the coma sets in.


•••

MS Just WHAT did the doctor feed you??...noxious oxide


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Not even close 'spec, not even close.

"Other than being a holder."

And that is your first BIG clue.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Damn I've seen one of those.
> 
> Maybe support for beer holding arm when you're too drunk to lift it.
> 
> or your forehead when the coma sets in.


LOL! But you're not so far off.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

World's smallest working folding chair.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

gee-- I don't get mad when I can't guess the item (even tho I can figure a lot of them out)

but I do enjoy seeing others' ideas on what it could be, real or humourous guesses included.

my guess--portable folding boot scraper


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

wine bottle storage device?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

No chair, no scraper, no bottles involved.

Hey, this IS fun!


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

wooden head holder-upper for either morgue/autopsy or funeral home/coffin


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Holder for one of those humongous beer containers??


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> wooden head holder-upper for either morgue/autopsy or funeral home/coffin



for recently deceased solar azimuth device promoters


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

or curmudgeonly insurance person baiters???


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> wooden head holder-upper for either morgue/autopsy or funeral home/coffin


Now THAT is really close. REALLY close.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Holder for one of those humongous beer containers??


And that is NOT really close.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Smallest portable pillow. Looks Japanese


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Smallest portable pillow. Looks Japanese


:clap: Exactly. Well done.

This object is a Makura – or Japanese pillow.
Pillows like this have been used since the first century however the age of this piece is unknown. Made from a light wood, it could be slipped in the pocket folded up, then opened out and used as a head rest when travelling.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I think I saw one at in the movie Enlightment Guaranteed- it got a good laugh.

Good choice.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> or curmudgeonly insurance person baiters???



curmudgeonly nothing
pissed as hell and taking no prisoners is more like it

on to the next solar azimuth related device....

clap, clap, bring on the next device


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

macSpecs turn for a pic?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> macSpecs turn for a pic?



you forgot the plastic rock so soon?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Michael's under the weather - this has relevance for him,












what is it.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Smallest portable pillow. Looks Japanese


I think the word "pillow" being used rather loosely in this case.

Head support for sleeping-not dead-person

What do I get for being half right??


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Michael's under the weather - this has relevance for him,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Show me where it hurts" acupuncture training device?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Michael's under the weather - this has relevance for him,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


gotta be a voodoo doll or a teaching tool for accupunture or a solar azimuth finder


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Very close.
Why relevant to Michael.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

It's an actual picture of the MACSPECTRUM VooDoo doll in the offices of Meloche Monnex?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> It's an actual picture of the MACSPECTRUM VooDoo doll in the offices of Meloche Monnex?



now THAT's funny, not to mention true, except that mine is almost full of needles


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Very very close......what fills the holes?


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Neat looking dart holder?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Very close.
> Why relevant to Michael.


because the doll has the same physique as me?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Very very close......what fills the holes?



very tightly rolled up $1,000 bills courtesy of meloche


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

No....but perhaps invert the voodooer 

and something most of us use from time to time.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> I think the word "pillow" being used rather loosely in this case.
> 
> Head support for sleeping-not dead-person
> 
> What do I get for being half right??


Yep, did not read that right rondini. You caught me. You get half the credit for my oversight. 

Hey. This is all in fun. Isn't it?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> Yep, did not read that right rondini. You caught me. You get half the credit for my oversight.
> 
> Hey. This is all in fun. Isn't it?


good for you, you 1/2 *******...


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Toothpicks?


----------



## comprehab (May 28, 2005)

Pens?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

I will give that comment all the consideration it deserves.

Oh look! new members to our guessing game club!!!


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Michael's under the weather - this has relevance for him,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


no guess just a bump


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

one puts in sticks of incense to heal the person


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> I will give that comment all the consideration it deserves.
> 
> Oh look! new members to our guessing game club!!!


the 1/2 ******* comment was for SINC
when i insult you, you'll know it...


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> the 1/2 ******* comment was for SINC
> when i insult you, you'll know it...


you threw me off with the 1/2 part. I never thought Sinc was half anything, more of an all or nothing type!


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

rondini said:


> you threw me off with the 1/2 part. I never thought Sinc was half anything, more of an all or nothing type!


Gosh, that's kind of disappointing. I thought a half ******* was an improvement on what Big MAC usually calls me.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Hey, I made a funny and didn't even know it! Big MAC, :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Oh Michael thou art sooooo close........nah..close enough

What MICHAEL needs for the insurers benefit.










Voodoo toothpick holder.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

as much as it pains me to say this; beej guessed it on the previous page

note to picture posters - read all the guesses from top to bottom, unless of course yo post a pic of an solar azimuth locator, then don't bother checking guesses since nobody will ever guess it


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Missed it - chasing kid to bed.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Missed it - chasing kid to bed.



with toothpicks no doubt
spare the toothpick, spoil the child


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

now here's a good one....

http://www.lara.com/contest0503.htm


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

my first shot at a real one....


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Soldering iron.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

bingo
and i was expecting "alien anal probe" as the first guess....


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> bingo
> and i was expecting "alien anal probe" as the first guess....


OK, I'll guess again . . .

"alien anal probe"?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> OK, I'll guess again . . .
> 
> "alien anal probe"?



now you're just humouring me...
:-(


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

attempt #2


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> attempt #2


OK, I give up.


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> attempt #2


Ummm, this is a generic representation of someone's second attempt at something.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> attempt #2


silicone breast implants


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

OK here's a good one:


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

miguelsanchez said:


> OK here's a good one:












Artificial heart.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Artificial kidney??

ack - it IS a heart and this guy has one












> First Canadian gets new heart
> Quebec man gets state-of-the-art mechanical heart that doctors say will eventually ease long waiting lists for transplants
> Dec. 14, 2006. 06:58 AM
> JOSEPH HALL AND SEAN GORDON
> ...


http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...ageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home

quite the different look than this artifical heart


----------



## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

The difference between those two is that the older model was actually a pump which mimics a heart, while the new one is a turbine, which provides continuous flow. Thus he has no pulse or heart beat.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Looks like this thread has run out of steam. 53 pages and 524 posts, not bad!!


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

my turn....


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

Is it a probe?


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Is it hand-held or is it meant to rest somewhere?

Irresistible: "Fascinating" Couldn't resist, Ottawaman.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

it is hand held.
not a probe.


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Some form of detector. Out on a limb: geiger counter?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

not a detector


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Beej said:


> Some form of detector. Out on a limb: geiger counter?


I met dr. Geiger's grandson this year.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

air pump
some sort of gas emitter


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

not an air pump


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

some sort of gas emitter


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Is the attached cable (bottom left) the power source or something else?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

it is an emitter, but not of gas


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

the cable is attached to a power source


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Magnetic field emitter (no idea what that would be for)?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Beej said:


> Magnetic field emitter (no idea what that would be for)?



yes it is a degaussing wand

http://www.dansdata.com/danletters009.htm


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

Nice one! 

I think it would have been reasonable to hold back the final "degaussing wand" as the purpose of the field. With Q&A as an option I'm very open to the striptease approach, but others may not be.


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

This should be any easy one.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Looks like a drill for ice cream, or peanut butter or wet concrete.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

alien anal probe, mark 2


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

milkshake mixer blade


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> alien anal probe, mark 2


no, i think it's an alien anal probe remover


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> alien anal probe, mark 2


I thought they were up to mark4 on those things, but no, that's not it.

Here are a couple of hints.

It's a very common device in a slightly unconventional form. It's usually found in pockets.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

screwdriver


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Robertson screwdriver with a weird handle?


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

The Doug said:


> Robertson screwdriver with a weird handle?


The screwdriver part is correct (but blade, not Robertson). 

The real question is where you would find one of these. Everyone has probably seen one but may not have paid much attention.

Here are a couple more hints.

It's indirectly related to wine and the military.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A corkscrew?


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

SINC said:


> A corkscrew?


Sinc is getting very warm. How is a screwdriver related to a corkscrew?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

it puts the cork into the bottle like the device used to put shells into artillery gun


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> it puts the cork into the bottle like the device used to put shells into artillery gun


You're thinking too literally. It's indirectly relatated. Many people have them who don't drink wine or have never been in the military. I have a few and feel naked without one.


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

This looks to be a lot harder than I anticipated. I guess there are not too many "tinkerers" in the ehMac crowd.

Here are some more hints:

Screwdriver - tool - pockets - corkscrew - military


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Rob said:


> You're thinking too literally. It's indirectly relatated. Many people have them who don't drink wine or have never been in the military. I have a few and feel naked without one.


It holds up your pants?


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

SINC said:


> It holds up your pants?


If it's stored in one of the bigger ones it might weigh down your pants.

It is just a screwdriver. The question is where you would find one, and why the funny shape.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

booooooo, bad form, bad form...
boooooooooooooooooooooooooo


i put this on in the category of "solar azimuth device"

next category puh-lease....

oh and i have a great idea where i would like to put it


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Okay, whatizzit?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A device to thread a needle.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

letter opener

edit Sinc has it


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

SINC said:


> A device to thread a needle.


Bingo. Next!


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

tool used for car mechanics to locate something in the engine


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

I'm probably wrong, but that looks like a tool used for car mechanics to locate something in the engine.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Cam tool to locate piston position??


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Cam tool to locate piston position??


close enuf i guess

Pushrod Locating Tool


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

?


----------



## ROFF (Feb 21, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> ?


Precise angular measurement?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

ON the right track but not quite.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

circular hole cutting tool for glass windows


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Rob said:


> This should be any easy one.


It's a screwdriver from a swiss army knife


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> It's a screwdriver from a swiss army knife


oh, of course i had 3 of them in my pocket right next to my solar azimuth device


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> oh, of course i had 3 of them in my pocket right next to my solar azimuth device


Let it go already! There have been other more obscure items since that one.


----------



## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

rondini said:


> It's a screwdriver from a swiss army knife


Rondini gets it, bravo :clap: 



















I'd seen that plastic piece in the corkscrew many times but I always thought it was a fancy tip guard. When I finally bought one I realized it was a neat little screwdriver that's handy for tightening the screws in your glasses, small set screws, and many other small objects. I was using mine the other day to remove some small screws from an old camera.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> Let it go already! There have been other more obscure items since that one.



ah, good,
anger leads to the dark side
let your anger flow thru you,
yessssss......


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

vass is das?

••

BTW Ottawaman was close enough - precision protractor.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

bell jar measure pressure


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Nope


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Bell Jar for Kilogram


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

A device for detecting changes in the direction of the earth's magnetic field lines?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Ottawaman strikes again....the interesting aspect I though of this that it's the only remaining "standard" based on a physical object and that is about to change.



> he present definition of the kilogram in terms of the IPK does not fulfill this requirement, and moreover there are good reasons for believing that the mass of the IPK, along with all its official copies, may be “drifting” in relation to a true invariant such as the mass of a carbon atom, by perhaps as much as 100 ?g (0.1 ppm, or a part in 107 ) over 50-year periods. The IPK, a cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy measuring 39 mm high by 39 mm diameter, has been weighed against its various copies three times since it was made: in the 1890s, in the late 1940s, and most recently in the late 1980s. The conclusion from these periodic reviews is that the various kilogram artifacts may well be changing in mass. This is believed to be due to surface contamination (they are stored and weighed in air), wear and tear from handling, and the possible leaching out of gases occluded in the artifact when it was manufactured.


This is the one in France 









There are a couple of approaches being discussed

http://www.iupac.org/publications/ci/2005/2705/3_mills.html

Learned much about dependent our economy and civilization is on such standards.
Somehow the thing under the bell jar seems more tangible than this



> First alternative—draft definition of the kilogram to fix the Planck constant h:
> 
> The kilogram is the mass of a body at rest such that the value of the Planck constant h is exactly
> 6.626 069 311 x 10-34 joule second.
> ...


 

•••••••••

That Swiss army screwdriver was a very good choice :clap:


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

*the thread that might not be dead*

OK
what's this?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

does it have anything to do with solar azimuths?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

An early nav/depth system for a ship?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

no azimuth, or depth, early in terms of electronics only
or rather in terms of electronic navigation


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Engine speed. rpms for the bridge?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

stopwatch, soviet, circa 1975 - portable version


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

Zune Mk II ?


----------



## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

Can we see it bigger?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Only pic i could find. item is about a foot wide, less than that in height.

is on the bridge, but not engine related. you could say it keeps track of the result of the engine's efforts, but not directly related to things like speed


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

An automated steering device to keep the ship on course?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

auto pilot


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Hours for maintenance tracker?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

made by the Decca company of england


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

lunar azimuth detector


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well Decca was recording....some sort of way to "listen" to engines and maybe record the sounds??


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Decca did many things.
They helped navigators a lot.
Now I have given all the details you need.
except for one, but then macspec might get 'hyper'


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> Decca did many things.
> They helped navigators a lot.
> Now I have given all the details you need.
> except for one, but then macspec might get 'hyper'


it's a prototype 'hyper drive' as seen in star trek
i shoulda known.....

rondini, you must really enjoy finding obscure items that only you have any idea of what they are just to show you know something that others do not

this type of exercise is a gentlemanly sport
one of fair play
i would guess you're not a golfer, right?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Michael he handed us the clues and it's a very interesting choice.
Your heads not in this - there is no need to take your lack of interest on Rondini.

It's the Decca navigator MK 12



> Decca Navigator System
> From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Decca Navigator Mk 12
> The Decca Navigator System was a hyperbolic low frequency radio navigation system (also known as multilateration) that was first deployed during World War II when the Allied forces needed a system which could be used to achieve accurate landings. As was the case with Loran C, its primary use was for ship navigation in coastal waters. Fishing vessels were major post-war users, but it was also used on aircraft, including a very early (1949) application of moving-map displays. The system was deployed extensively in the North Sea and was used by helicopters operating to oil platforms. After being shut down in the spring of 2000, it has been superseded by systems such as the American GPS and the planned European Galileo positioning system


excellent choice :clap:
learned a bit hunting this down.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

now for something completely different.....and VERY high tech.

??


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> now for something completely different.....and VERY high tech.
> 
> ??



cheney, bush and rumsfeld

next


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Cloned dogs.


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

The man on the right has genetically engineered his penis so it looks like one of the dogs.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

I'm starting to think we are in the caption this thread.
Still, some of the replies are pretty funny.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Doug has it - three generations but identical genetics - ie clones.

Pssst....maybe not let the girls in that it's possible. 
Males may become an endangered species....and Maggie Thatcher might come back to haunt us....again and again and again 










http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-12-18-voa22.cfm


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

MacDoc said:


> Maggie Thatcher might come back to haunt us....


That's not very funny.


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Michael he handed us the clues and it's a very interesting choice.
> Your heads not in this - there is no need to take your lack of interest on Rondini.
> 
> It's the Decca navigator MK 12
> ...



Bingo!!!


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

OK folks, here is another for you:


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> Bingo!!!



survey says; BOOOOOO !!!!!


and they're not saying; Booo-urns

$10 says rondini liked to pull the wings off flies as a child


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> OK folks, here is another for you:


some sort of surgical tool
or 
cooking utensil - meat tenderizer?
or
geologist tool


altho' SINC and i disagree on many socio-politial issues, he at least has honour when playing this sort of game

recognizing that this is an exercise in the socratic method, not a snipe hunt

SINCE you keep on posting buddy
and rondini, you keep pulling wings off flies


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

drywall hammer


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> some sort of surgical tool
> or
> cooking utensil - meat tenderizer?
> or
> geologist tool


None of the above and has nil to do with medicine, cooking or geology.



Ottawaman said:


> drywall hammer


A hammer it is, but not for drywall, nor any kind of construction.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Mountaineering?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Mountaineering?


Interesting guess, but no, no mountains involved.

Hint: It is used for a task on an item "located much closer to the ground".


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Cobbler's hammer, or maybe an auto body repair hammer.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Doug said:


> Cobbler's hammer, or maybe an auto-body repair hammer.


Sorry, not a cobbler, but much closer. And not auto body.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Floor tile hammer.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Doug said:


> Floor tile hammer.


Ah, getting down there, but no, nothing to do with floors.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

ice sculpting


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> ice sculpting


Yet another interesting guess. I never considered that, but no, you're "not on the right track".


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Here is a look at the face of the head of the hammer which may help. I've added it below the original image as well:


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Do the deep finger grooves indicate slippery work conditions?


----------



## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

To make tiny waffles or a toe-smasher, commonly used by the Mafia.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

SINC said:


> Here is a look at the face of the head of the hammer which may help. I've added it below the original image as well:



good clue, thanks


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> Do the deep finger grooves indicate slippery work conditions?


The craftsman indeed wears special protection to avoid injury caused from slipping.




Beej said:


> To make tiny waffles or a toe-smasher, commonly used by the Mafia.


You’d starve to death on a waffle that size, but the toe-smasher is an interesting idea and not entirely unrelated.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

animal slaughter


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> animal slaughter


Oh my, that would be soooo messy. Nope, no slaughter involved.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

carpet tack hammer


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A review of the clues so far:

* has nil to do with medicine, cooking or geology.

* not for drywall, nor any kind of construction.

* an item "located much closer to the ground".

* not a cobbler, but much closer.

* Ah, getting down there,

* you're "not on the right track".

* The craftsman indeed wears special protection to avoid injury caused from slipping.

* the toe-smasher is an interesting idea and not entirely unrelated.

* no slaughter involved.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> carpet tack hammer


Not tacks, but indeed nails are involved.

Here is a look at the other end of the head:


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

ski jump rut hammer- no nails
hmmm
railway spike tester


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> ski jump rut hammer


Not being a skier, I have never heard of such a hammer, but no, no skis, although jumpers can be involved.


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Horseshoe hammer.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

You know I don't have to work until Jan 2, 2007
so I will not give up you tricky guy!


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

The Doug said:


> Horseshoe hammer.



good guess :clap:


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Doug said:


> Horseshoe hammer.


That's it Doug! :clap: 

http://www.horseshoes.net/mfc/ultham.asp


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

only horseshoes I know about are the kind you throw


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Farrier's Hammer I think is the term - good choice


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> only horseshoes I know about are the kind you throw


Oh, you mean these:


----------



## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

Wow! You guys are really small out there! I never knew.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> Oh, you mean these:


wanna bet they voted for Bush?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

hey how about some more pics, somebody?
Bueller? 
Bueller?
Anyone?
I can find some more navigation stuff if you want.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

here you go


----------



## Ena (Feb 7, 2005)

Dentist's drill


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

ah too easy


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> ah too easy


easy ones are good once in a while
i dont' want to mention the more "difficult" ones
he knows who he is....

uh oh, my OCD is kicking in.. one two three four, tap, tape, one two three four, tap tap


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




----------



## Ena (Feb 7, 2005)

Nautical use? To lock or tie down ropes from sails.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

nut cracker (not the one used by ex wives)


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Nope to both


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

It has an oriental look to it. Is it somehow connected to martial arts?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

ice block picker upper (tongs)


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Great guess. While they look like tongs, they are bolted to a surface, so that leads me to believe they are something else.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Not oriental and nothing to do with ice. Aw shucks you guys are even warm.


----------



## Aero (Mar 2, 2006)

Its use for circumcision.  j/k my guess is its some sort of a vice.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

No vice and the circumcision joke was awfully corny.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

foil cutter on champagne bottles


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

tool for leather working? Stretching or shaping in some way?


Or maybe a solar azimuth adjuster?


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

cigar tip snipper


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

No leather, no tobacco and alcohol I guess could be involved if the moon was right.


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

torch holder


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Nope tho the answer might pop up under the right circumstances.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I dragged the image along so we don't have to go back to see it:










So, it's a hold down of some sort, but for what, hmmm very interesting . . .

Circus tent weighted hold down?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Good idea and there have been clues in each of my replies


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

penis girth meter


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Corn cob shucker?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

champagne cork re-installer. Used after the sediment from secondary fermentation in the bottle is expelled


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

corn shucker
de-nibletizer


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Aw shucks, he got it .....good for you...there was a kernel of truth in every clue :clap:

What gave it away??


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I think I beat OM to the answer by a half hour or so.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> I think I beat OM to the answer by a half hour or so.


yeah, i think ya did SINC ol boy

that's 2 mistakes for the macdoc

i guess my probook just went up in price.....


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

What are you doing still up Michael?

Merry Christmas, BTW!


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> What are you doing still up Michael?
> 
> Merry Christmas, BTW!



merry christmas "right" back at ya

as for being up, gas stove pilot light went out - i called landlord since i don't know from gas stoves and didn't want to go to bed and not wake up due to a gas leak

dying on x-mas day would be a downer

all i know is i won't be buying a gas stove for my house
i'll stick with wood stove, altho' i'll probably be a tad shy the next time i light it up

hopefully winter will come to and end soon and hopefully my insurance company will settle by june so i can get my home built and enjoy the summer

actually i'd like my insurance cheque by jan 7 - that would be a real perogie christmas miracle

off to play some more games on the xp side of my blackbook
i now realize how much i NEED a probook core 2 duo

enjoy your x-mas day and not too much egg nog for you !!!


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Um you guys still reading challenged eh.??

Check what I wrote, not what you assumed.

•••

One wonders what you've both been smoking


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

MacDoc said:


> Um you guys still reading challenged eh.??
> 
> Check what I wrote, not what you assumed.
> 
> ...



tptptptp 

you've been taking rondini lessons i see


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> Aw shucks, he got it .....good for you...there was a kernel of truth in every clue :clap:
> 
> What gave it away??



no where does he state who exactly got it right. Assumptions made based on coincidental sequence of postings. 

I guess everything must be spelled out super clearly.

(Hope I didn't make any spelling or grammar mistakes! That woud be super plus un-good)


----------



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Slicer of... paper? Fingers? Cold cuts?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

As for the new pic. Why does something fastened down need a big handle? I was thinking boot scraper (again) but the handle and the screw for holding in what looks like a piece of wood make me think no. 

So....portable sharpening stone with replaceable stone?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

However's warmish, R 's out in the cold as we see oftener these days


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ceramic tile cutter?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Half right but not a gift or curse from the "old world" to the "new world" but rather vice versa.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ah, so it only cuts a half of a ceramic tile then?


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

tobacco cutter


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Good for you.

Your turn - I'm out of circulation for a bit.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

bull tether


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Close - not quite. One would not want to have as close an encounter with a bull as this is used for.


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

elephant tether


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Some kind of um, _castration_ thingamabob.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Umm no - you DEFINITELY would avoid use with elephant. Even greater consequences. 

One of the greatest medical breakthroughs of all time came from observing someone who might have use for this.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Just carrying the image over to this page so I can see it while I think. 

An old device to hold a wooden leg in place?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well you are definitely circling the use. Not quite there. But don't cry over it.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Cow hobble to stop kicking while milking!


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

There you go. :clap:


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

any guesses?


----------



## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> One of the greatest medical breakthroughs of all time came from observing someone who might have use for this.


Which would have been Edward Jenner and the discovery of vaccinations, specifically smallpox.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yep tho I'd forgotten his name.


----------



## Ena (Feb 7, 2005)

Device for checking eyes?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well not for checking- the eye aspect is kinda obvious...this is an "odd device".


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

something for re-training left eye dominance?


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Kaleidoscope?


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Nah -too -hard 
it's one of those wicked things



> The Neu-Vita Oculizer, from England, uses a crank and pulley system to rotate both soft rubber eyecups. The other end of the instrument is fitted with hard rubber eyecups with a concave faced plunger to poke the eye when the rubber bulbs are squeezed. Vacuum can also be applied by covering an air hole and releasing the bulb
> 
> 
> Neu-Vita Oculizer - A multipurpose eye massager from Neu-Vita, Ltd, England, marked with British patents 363101 and 434927. Red rubber squeeze bulbs force a concave plunger against each eyeball when squeezed. When the thermoplastic eye cups are pressed firmly against the eye, releasing the bulbs will create a vacuum in the cup. The opposite end of the device is used to massage the eye by rotating each cylinder, thus twisting the eyelids. This deluxe version has a central pulley to oscillate both eye cups at once. The rubber bulbs and plungers are in fine working order. The belt or rubber band connecting the pulleys is missing, as is a small knob on the central pull


MKII version











aaaarrrrrrrrgghhhhhh


----------



## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

bad form, bad form.

this pic would have been much more helpful


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




----------

