Antique-shop.com

Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: adams95ta on September 05, 2012, 09:35:36 AM

Title: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: adams95ta on September 05, 2012, 09:35:36 AM
I bought this today because I thought it might be something unique/cool. 

Can anyone tell me what this is?

Thanks
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on September 05, 2012, 11:40:13 AM
I'm going to guess it's a butter churn that is missing two wooden paddles and would clamp to the side of a bucket. I don't know if that is right, I've never seen one like this, I'm taking a wild guess!
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: bigwull on September 05, 2012, 01:06:37 PM
Looks like something from the Spanish Inquisition, clamp it onto a table stick an unfortunates head in it then turn the handle....ever so slowly....ouch!
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: mart on September 05, 2012, 02:03:44 PM
what happens when you turn the handle ??
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: adams95ta on September 05, 2012, 02:09:24 PM
the inner side turns that is attached to the handle. the other side spins freely. There is a notch(cavity) on the inner side of the inner parts that looks like it could house a thin peice of wood or glass.
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: mart on September 05, 2012, 02:13:56 PM
you mean a bar that would go between the two parts that turn ??
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: cogar on September 05, 2012, 02:40:10 PM
If a mirror was placed in it ...... a Sunlight reflector maybe.
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: mart on September 05, 2012, 06:49:40 PM
have you looked at it closely to see if there is anything written on it ??
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: bigwull on September 05, 2012, 07:01:44 PM
i,ve decided its def,a head crusher...
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: greenacres on September 05, 2012, 07:05:13 PM
My husband says it's a toilet paper holder.
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: mart on September 05, 2012, 07:53:16 PM
would be a unique toilet paper holder !!
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: greenacres on September 05, 2012, 08:00:15 PM
I told him I thought it looked like and old sideview mirror.
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: KC on September 05, 2012, 08:48:54 PM
Probably had a mirror attached...so you could send a reflective Morse Code message!!!!
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: adams95ta on September 05, 2012, 09:53:13 PM
I looked over it in detail and there are no markings of any kind. I did notice that the inner side that doesn't have the handle attached it spring loaded to hold the wood or mirror in place and can easily be changed.
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: bigwull on September 06, 2012, 12:22:17 AM
My husband says it's a toilet paper holder.
for a really big ASS :D
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: Rauville on September 06, 2012, 07:09:43 AM
My pure guess would be that this was from a drygoods store and held a card for winding lace yardage on. Put an empty card in,  turn the crank and wrap the desired length around the card as it revolves. Did I explain that well enough to understand?
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: cogar on September 06, 2012, 08:01:51 AM
Very good, Rauville, I think you got it.
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: mart on September 06, 2012, 08:14:54 AM
excellent rauville !! i kept thinking yarn but it was not like any i had seen !!  i like your idea better !! and since lace went on a flat card,, would work perfectly !!
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: KC on September 06, 2012, 09:19:36 AM
Okay...I do believe it "could" be the lace winder but just have to share some pics of old yard winders...

A Niddy Noddy and a Spindler = have posted this newer one just because it has yard on it to show how it is used! 
(http://www.paraisoenterprises.com/public_html/images/NiddyNoddy2.jpg)  (http://www.paraisoenterprises.com/public_html/images/MiniNiddy2.jpg)

Floor Stand Winder (http://worthopedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumbnails2/1/0709/07/1_2a8b84fcdb38be01eec52bfe3fd16bca.jpg)

Yarn Winder  (http://productimages.goantiques.com/75877/5890509_detail.jpg)

Early-19th Century American Scrimshaw Swift (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/images/wa200905A04_00.jpg)
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: KC on September 06, 2012, 09:32:26 AM
I also need to share this story with you....this person put it best about "Pop Goes The Weasel"
"The origin of “Pop Goes the Weasel” is not the cobbler’s bench story as is so often told. A “weasel” was a yarn winder. On my wife’s 1840′s yarn winder, the “monkey” in the nursery rhyme is the metal pin on the wooden gear. It slowly “chases” its way around and when 100 yards of yarn have been wound, the “monkey” crawls underneath the long wooden strip and when it releases, Pop!! goes the weasel. It scares the daylights out of you when it happens and you could see how kids would find the mystery of when the Pop!! was going to happen to be quite interesting. Stuart"

A Lazy Kate
(http://www.montanasheep.com/images/Upright_lazy_kate.jpg)


I'm wondering if it wouldn't hold an item like this?  I can remember getting cord/twine from the old hardware store and they had a winding mechanism that held the wooden "card"
(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTL4cUTH3_0AbaFbvrUqMGIOLCz5Ax25CTEPzD3w6xG11iBGxhfHQ)
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: KC on September 06, 2012, 09:50:25 AM
May I recommend that you try and contact these find folks?  They specialize in "mechanical" tools from the past - in all categories and uses.  They may know!  I love their site!
http://www.antiqbuyer.com/Archive-HEADER.html (http://www.antiqbuyer.com/Archive-HEADER.html)
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: mart on September 06, 2012, 01:21:14 PM
would work for twine or lace,, multi use tool !!
Title: Re: What is the Cast Iron Peice?
Post by: cogar on September 07, 2012, 05:18:40 AM
And especially ribbons.

In an era when retailers purchased most items in “bulk”, it would have been handy for “measuring” a 1 to 3+ yard purchase.

Like 1 turn of the crank = 1 linear foot, …. 3 turns = 1 yard.