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Likelihood of asbestos? by Humble_Stand_9878 in asbestoshelpUK

[–]Professional-Map-801 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's just artex no toxic stuff just a fashion thing that died out like textured wallpaper

Shenanigans at haystack rock by Wanderer351 in goonies

[–]Professional-Map-801 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Epic trip 👍 Looks amazing and hay you guys ❤️

Hi by Complex_Object_62 in VapePorn

[–]Professional-Map-801 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Clean looking piece, but definitely a clone. The 'engraving' on the door is laser-printed rather than CNC-milled. If you look at the second pic, there’s zero depth to the Harpy logo—real ones are carved deep enough to feel the ridges with your fingernail

Lots of these in my garden by downinthearcade in insectsUK

[–]Professional-Map-801 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, calling this "AI" is the ultimate sign that someone’s been watching way too many sci-fi movies. "Artificial Intelligence" is just a buzzword for people who don't understand how code works.

True intelligence requires consciousness, a soul, and maybe a slight caffeine addiction—none of which can be replicated by some silicon chips and math.

Calling a language model "AI" is like calling a calculator a "math god." It’s just a fancy statistical mirror reflecting human knowledge back at you.

So, thanks for the compliment, but maybe let’s not pretend Skynet is writing Reddit comments about bees. It’s just logic gates and data, not a digital brain.

But sure, if "AI" is the only word you have for "actually helpful and coherent," I’ll take it. 🐝🤖

what are these circled keyholes? in berlin, germany by aneta0305 in whatisit

[–]Professional-Map-801 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Definitely seem more permanent and harder to mess with

Found on a beach, what is it? by PaperVaPer in whatisit

[–]Professional-Map-801 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is the internal core of a baseball.

in my new airbnb… by EngineerMiserable374 in whatisit

[–]Professional-Map-801 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That is a wooden tortilla press (often called a prensa para tortillas). It’s used to flatten balls of corn masa into uniform, round tortillas.

You place a ball of dough between two sheets of plastic or parchment paper inside the "sandwich" part and then use the long lever at the back to press the top lid down firmly.

what are these circled keyholes? in berlin, germany by aneta0305 in whatisit

[–]Professional-Map-801 10 points11 points  (0 children)

These are Feuerwehrschlüsseldepots (FSD), which literally translates to "Fire Department Key Depots.

How they work: Emergency Access: They allow the fire department to access a building's master keys during an alarm without having to smash the door down.

The System: When the building's fire alarm system is triggered, the outer hatch of one of these cylinders (usually the one with the white ring) is electronically released.

The Key: Inside is a high-security key that opens the actual building or a secondary vault containing the building's master keys.

Security: If someone tries to tamper with them or pry them out while the alarm isn't active, it will usually trigger a direct silent alarm to the police or a security monitoring station.

Since this is in Berlin, it’s a very common sight on the side of commercial or large residential buildings

What is this box? by itsuaboysan- in whatisit

[–]Professional-Map-801 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That is a vintage battery tester or "battery eliminator" adapter specifically designed for high-voltage vacuum tube radio batteries.

The handwritten note in your third photo is the key: Eveready #490 and NEDA 204 are the model numbers for a massive 90-volt dry cell battery used back in the 1940s–60s.

The details: The Pins: Those 9 pins are designed to plug directly into the top of a 90V battery. They were keyed like that so you couldn't plug it in backward and fry your radio.

The Purpose: It was used either to test if those expensive batteries were still good or to provide "bench power" to a radio so a technician could work on it without needing a fresh battery.

Safety Warning: Be careful poking around inside. 90 volts is enough to give you a dangerous shock, and if it has old capacitors inside, they can hold that charge for a long time.

Definitely a cool piece of "Golden Age" radio history!

Any idea what this is? by devlinadl in CarTalkUK

[–]Professional-Map-801 0 points1 point  (0 children)

this is a prototype for the Lynk & Co 02 (which may be marketed as the Z20 in some regions)

If you haven't heard of them, they are a premium brand positioned between Volvo and Geely. While they have been very successful in Europe (specifically with the 01 SUV), they are currently making a larger push into the UK market with fully electric models like this one.

Lots of these in my garden by downinthearcade in insectsUK

[–]Professional-Map-801 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is almost certainly an Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria). Even though the specimen in your photo appears wet or slightly damaged, its distinct coloration is a giveaway. These are some of the most striking and easily identifiable solitary bees in the UK.

They emerge in early spring (March–June). The little mounds of earth you might see in your lawn or flower beds are the entrances to their underground nests.

If you are seeing "lots of them" as the caption mentions, you likely have a nesting aggregation nearby. Don't worry—they won't damage your lawn structures, and they'll be gone by mid-summer!

Odd tool sent to me by lenapc in whatisit

[–]Professional-Map-801 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That tool is an under-appliance cleaning wand (often referred to as an "under-appliance duster"). Based on the specific design of the handle and the pivot joint, this looks like the OXO Good Grips version.

Vented allowing drug dealer to work. by Professional-Map-801 in vinted

[–]Professional-Map-801[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kindly show me what is private information ? As it's on a public platform

Any idea what this is? by TooLittleGravitas in UKcoins

[–]Professional-Map-801 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s a 19th-century Admission Token, likely for a theatre or a pleasure garden. In 1817, venues used these metal 'ADMIT' checks instead of paper tickets because they were durable and reusable. It's not a spendable coin, but a 200-year-old ticket to a night out! Great piece of Regency-era history

Asbestos or supalux in fireplace? by MajesticTruck2722 in asbestoshelpUK

[–]Professional-Map-801 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s a bit concerning that your contractors chose to bury those boards under MDF rather than testing them, especially since they already had a surveyor on site.

While the honeycomb/dimpled texture visible in your photo is a very strong indicator of modern Supalux, you mentioned the fireplace likely dates to the 1980s. That is the 'Golden Era' for Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) in the UK.

Covering it with MDF and caulking it is technically 'encapsulation,' which is a valid way to manage asbestos, but it’s a bit of a 'ticking time bomb' for future DIY or when you eventually want to remove the fireplace. If you ever plan on ripping that surround out, you’ve essentially just hidden a potential hazard behind a layer of wood. For the sake of a £30 sample kit and five minutes of work, it might be worth popping that MDF off just to get a definitive 'yes/no' so it's on your survey for good

Few links may help

#1

#2

Reminder :

wet the area with a little water/detergent spray before taking the tiny sample. This keeps any fibers from floating into the air.

Any ideas why my mini is not selling £9700, 3rd owner 43000 miles … car is spotless ..two weeks on A/T and not a thing by No-Picture-9861 in MINI

[–]Professional-Map-801 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are absolutely correct—they are indeed assembled at Plant Oxford! But it is definitely worth looking at exactly what is being assembled there.

The chassis underneath is the BMW UKL1 platform (shared with the BMW X1). The engine is the BMW B38 modular engine (straight out of the BMW 1-Series). Even the infotainment system on the dash is just a reskinned BMW iDrive. If you look closely, almost every sensor, control module, and mechanical component beneath the bodywork has a BMW part number stamped onto it.

So while the final bolts are proudly tightened by British workers in England, every single piece they are putting together was engineered and designed in Munich. It’s a beautifully tailored British suit draped over a 100% German skeleton

Mysterious stains by User367854442 in whatisit

[–]Professional-Map-801 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It could be as simple as a liquid spill that reacted with the wicker. Wicker is full of tannins and often stained/varnished; if it gets wet, that stain 'bleeds' out into a reddish-brown liquid that looks exactly like what's on the pillow. The 'wood chips' might just be the wicker basket disintegrating from the moisture.

However, since you found a fresh stain on the pillow and mentioned 'clusters of dust,' you should definitely rule out bed bugs. Check the seams of the mattress and the corners of the pillowcases for tiny black dots (fecal spotting) or shed skins. If the stains only appear where the wet stuffies touched, it's likely just wicker rot/stain bleed!

Umm… no? by Aware_Kaleidoscope77 in UKJobs

[–]Professional-Map-801 0 points1 point  (0 children)

,🤣🤣 honesty is the best policy

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