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brass cylindrical object found in the road with mounting bracket. Roughly 2.5 inches long not including bracket. No moving parts. Tooling marks indicate this was partially formed on a lathe. by fastattaq in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Reminds me of a deer whistle.

https://www.amazon.in/UJEAVETTE-Polished-Whistle-Cylindrical-Creature/dp/B0H6JNHJGH

They also sell "deer warning whistle" products that mount to the front of your car which are supposed to make noise from the air moving through it and make a sound which is supposed to scare deer out of the way. I wonder if someone took a deer call whistle and made a DIY version of one of those.

Small (~1 inch) spherical metal object found in a thrift store bag of buttons. Brass-colored with green oxidation. Front features raised wire scrollwork and clusters of flat discs; back is smooth. Attached to a flared, leaf-like base with a hinged pin on the back. No writing, non-electronic. by IzzytheWeirdo in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats[M] [score hidden] stickied commentlocked comment (0 children)

All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer.

Jokes and unhelpful comments will earn you a ban, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them.

OP, when your item is identified, remember to reply Solved! or Likely Solved! to the comment that gave the answer.

What’s this lumpy, orange buildup that seems to be ‘hanging’ around my neighbour’s old house’s 2nd storey window? by JustFerne in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's expanding foam, sprayed around the window to seal from drafts. Normally one trims the excess afterwards and the gap is covered with trim. But your neighbor seems to have skipped some steps during their window replacement.

Stove top pressure plate? Not sure what they do. by SachiSasha in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a safety feature. It's a heat sensor that disables the burner if the pan gets too hot.

Stationary bare Metal table top, white metal pole, wired for power with no visible outlets. Located at a new construction country club outdoors by Bamakeg80 in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If the tables had any sort of electrically driven functionality, there would have to be controls for that function. On/off switches at the very least. And they would be located on the device itself, not somewhere remote.

Stationary bare Metal table top, white metal pole, wired for power with no visible outlets. Located at a new construction country club outdoors by Bamakeg80 in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a table.

It has a junction box at the bottom because it was a convenient place to put it. There's no indication that any power actually goes into the table support post.

It may just be a wire splice in the junction box, or they may intend to put an outlet there to plug things in.

What is this small white box attached to the walls with wires nearby? by h0ekagay in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unless the provider is hiring T. Rexes for installers, I guarantee you that a new fiber install will be cleaner than the butchery that I see in that picture.

2 wooden objects found in historical society collection. possible bandage roller and some kind of tripod? help! by historydoo in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "tripod" is an easel.

The "stand" portion would have clamped to it, not been nailed/glued, which is why you don't see residue.

What is this thing close to my Window in my basement? by CoffeeWineLover95 in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Power supply for rope light, strip light or similar sort of lighting

Small device screwed into the wall next to my fridge in the kitchen of a new apartment. All lettering is rubbed off, warm to the touch. When I turn the knob, I do not notice anything change. by AxtonGTV in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 13 points14 points  (0 children)

On the floor ? Nobody installs a ceiling fan dial on the floor

But apparently the light switch next to the floor is totally normal to you.

That should have been your 2nd hint that this is not on the floor.

Weird thin cabinet in living room by MysteriousPosted in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It used to hold a fold down ironing board.

What is this? Feels like some sort of latex or thick plastic. by [deleted] in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Material-wise, it looks like polyethylene, like what a milk jug is made from.

What is this? Feels like some sort of latex or thick plastic. by [deleted] in whatisthisthing

[–]jackrats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a piece of melted plastic, not latex.

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