Mystery Items No. 4

[jfgw]

6 - external thread restoring file.

Scott.

Correct answer Scott. It is a thread restorer file used for filing down damaged screw threads.

No. 5 is plastic.

No. 8 is a type of glass. Nothing to do with a Dyson.


Julian F. G. W.

[kiloran]

6.... don't know what it is, but the serrations suggest it might be used like a file for square holes.

The big question...... what on earth are you doing with all this "junk"? Some of it might perhaps fit into the "might be useful sometime" category.

--kiloran

[jfgw]

The big question...... what on earth are you doing with all this "junk"? Some of it might perhaps fit into the "might be useful sometime" category.

1. I occasionally use the knurling tool.
2. The diesel injector fits my car. This one is a used spare.
3. The dumbbells gather dust.
4. Used once (and indispensable) for removing a crank. It is there if I need it again.
5. Blue plastic thing: I bought two slightly different ones and used the most suitable. It still wasn't the right one but I don't know which brand the old one was. THIS WAS NOT MINE!!! This one looks stronger than the original (which broke). It might be useful one day.
6. The thread restorer file is recently acquired. I haven't used it yet. If I do need one, it will probably be a different pitch from any on this file
7. The moulder block came from a factory I used to work at once. It is currently used as a door stop.
8. The tube: I might eBay it.
9. I use the bell punch.
10. The reed switch was acquired with some other electronics stuff. I'm not sure what I will ever use it for but you never know. If it had more value, I might eBay it.

Julian F. G. W.

[UncleEbenezer]

All images are mine.

Too many at once!

It becomes a chore when someone posts "4 is this; 7 is that", and you have to scroll back extensively and carefully to verify which pic they're talking about! It's even a chore if I recognise something with confidence to check which one it is to reference it!

How about posting these one at a time?

[jfgw]

All images are mine.

Too many at once!

It becomes a chore when someone posts "4 is this; 7 is that", and you have to scroll back extensively and carefully to verify which pic they're talking about! It's even a chore if I recognise something with confidence to check which one it is to reference it!

How about posting these one at a time?

Fair point. What do other people think?


Julian F. G. W.

[kiloran]

Too many at once!

It becomes a chore when someone posts "4 is this; 7 is that", and you have to scroll back extensively and carefully to verify which pic they're talking about!

Sometimes, life is such a bitch

--kiloran

[swill453]

Too many at once!

It becomes a chore when someone posts "4 is this; 7 is that", and you have to scroll back extensively and carefully to verify which pic they're talking about! It's even a chore if I recognise something with confidence to check which one it is to reference it!

How about posting these one at a time?

Fair point. What do other people think?

I've no complaints about the way you do it currently.

Scott.

[Gengulphus]

It becomes a chore when someone posts "4 is this; 7 is that", and you have to scroll back extensively and carefully to verify which pic they're talking about! It's even a chore if I recognise something with confidence to check which one it is to reference it!

How about posting these one at a time?

That way, if jfgw posts a set of ten in quick succession, when one's mind comes up with the answer to an item some time after one has been the photos, finding the right thread to post the answer on becomes a chore - it's not as if he can easily give the threads descriptive titles! And if he posts them well spaced out in time, each thread is liable to be incredibly frustrating...

One partial solution I've thought of: if jfgw were to post the full-size pictures as he has done to date, but also post a final '2 rows of 5 thumbnails, each labelled with its number' image and ask people to include that final image in their replies, then at least the need to scroll extensively to verify which picture someone is talking about would be eliminated, or reduced considerably even if some people didn't comply with his request. And by use of a bit of BBCode trickery, the request could be made quite simple to follow - something like:

"Please copy-and-paste the following line into the start of replies to this quiz:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/fDETkBh.jpg[/img]

in order to help people see which item you're talking about."

Though with the two-rows-of-5-thumbnails image rather than that one, of course!

It does involve some work preparing the extra image on jfgw's part and a little bit of extra work by everyone who replies to the quiz to copy in the line, though, so it may not appeal - it's just a suggestion, not any sort of demand!

Gengulphus

[UncleEbenezer]

It becomes a chore when someone posts "4 is this; 7 is that", and you have to scroll back extensively and carefully to verify which pic they're talking about! It's even a chore if I recognise something with confidence to check which one it is to reference it!

How about posting these one at a time?

That way, if jfgw posts a set of ten in quick succession, when one's mind comes up with the answer to an item some time after one has been the photos, finding the right thread to post the answer on becomes a chore - it's not as if he can easily give the threads descriptive titles! And if he posts them well spaced out in time, each thread is liable to be incredibly frustrating...

I agree ten threads at once (or within a few days) isn't the solution. But if this is #4 in the lifetime of lemonfool, that's a frequency of less than one mystery item a month. But I guess rolling them into a batch is part of the entertainment.

Thumbnails would improve things a lot, especially if each thumbnail is a click-trough link to the full-size pic so one has the overview when playing. Failing that, one per post within a "mystery items" thread might make it a little bit easier.

[staffordian]

All images are mine.

Too many at once!

It becomes a chore when someone posts "4 is this; 7 is that", and you have to scroll back extensively and carefully to verify which pic they're talking about! It's even a chore if I recognise something with confidence to check which one it is to reference it!

How about posting these one at a time?

Fair point. What do other people think?


Julian F. G. W.

It's a minor quibble, as I really enjoy these, even if I've no idea what most of them are, but my suggestion would be to do them in batches of four or five* rather than ten, then do them twice as often - assuming you've more junk to photograph

* and perhaps caption each with a nickname which describes the item. This would probably be enough to keep the items in ones mind, to reduce the need for scrolling back to the original post

[tjh290633]

[quote="jfgw"
9. I use the bell punch.

Julian F. G. W.[/quote]
I thought that a Bell Punch was used by bus conductors before they invented ticket machines.

See https://images.app.goo.gl/u3tMfUTFxNzAE2mv9

TJH

[swill453]

5 - Is the gap between the two halves of the circular bit significant? Is it some kind of joint clip? Maybe even related to the glass tube?

Scott.

[9873210]

no 8:
Protector for fluorescent tubes?
Although length is about 80cm which is a little short.

[jfgw]

9. I use the bell punch.

Julian F. G. W.

I thought that a Bell Punch was used by bus conductors before they invented ticket machines.

See https://images.app.goo.gl/u3tMfUTFxNzAE2mv9

TJH

I had never heard of the Bell Punch company. It seems they were quite important, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Punch .

5 - Is the gap between the two halves of the circular bit significant? Is it some kind of joint clip? Maybe even related to the glass tube?

Scott.

The gap is significant but it is not a joint clip. It is a clip for something. You will probably need some clues for this. It has nothing to do with the tube.

no 8:
Protector for fluorescent tubes?
Although length is about 80cm which is a little short.

You are thinking along the right lines.

No. 8 is a type of glass.

(Not Pyrex, but not soda-lime glass either.)


Julian F. G. W.

[9873210]

no 8:
Protector for fluorescent tubes?
Although length is about 80cm which is a little short.

You are thinking along the right lines.

No. 8 is a type of glass.

(Not Pyrex, but not soda-lime glass either.)


Julian F. G. W.

Is it by any chance fused quartz? In which case it would be transparent to UV and could be used to protect a germicidal UV lamp.

Although in this case it would be too long for the lamps I am familiar with.

[swill453]

Is it by any chance fused quartz? In which case it would be transparent to UV and could be used to protect a germicidal UV lamp.

Although in this case it would be too long for the lamps I am familiar with.

I think you're right, looks like the sort of thing you'd use for an aquarium (from googling).

Scott.

[jfgw]

Is it by any chance fused quartz? In which case it would be transparent to UV and could be used to protect a germicidal UV lamp.

It is indeed fused quartz.

I think you're right, looks like the sort of thing you'd use for an aquarium (from googling).

Aquaria come in a huge range of different sizes so I will accept that as the correct answer, although it is actually more likely to be used for a fish pond. It came from a pond UV lamp. This tube is sealed into the unit at the ends using O-rings so the pond water is pumped along the outside of this tube. The UV tube slips inside it.


Julian F. G. W.

[jfgw]

Just no. 5 (the blue plastic clip) to go.

It is part of an everyday item. Only a subset of these items have these clips.


Julian F. G. W.

[argoal]

I’ve got a feeling that 5 is a hook used for hanging curtains from a pole.

Why it would be blue and not a more neutral colour I have no idea.

[jfgw]

I’ve got a feeling that 5 is a hook used for hanging curtains from a pole.

Why it would be blue and not a more neutral colour I have no idea.

It has nothing to do with curtain poles or anything-else curtainy. It is not normally seen so the colour doesn't matter.


Julian F. G. W.