18 Odd Items With Simple Explanations.

What the heck is that?

Published 3 years ago in Wtf

What the heck is that?

1
Shaped like a sickle, has two handles one with a ratchet like item on it. Friend found in her barn. A: This is a valve spring compressor.. For a particular engine. Tractor most likely.

2
Mystery disk shaped object that has slightly raised iridescent patches on both sides. Thin, but kind of heavy like it’s made of metal. 4” diameter. Any ideas? A: Pyrite sun disc.

3
What are these wires/cables I tripped over while raking? Just bought this house and not sure who to call to take care of them A: Turns out the wires themselves were for an invisible pet fence, I pulled them all out and will now hopefully trip in my yard a lot less. Still glad I had Verizon come, he took out all that equipment and also fixed a fiber optic cable that had an insane amount of slack outside the second floor of my house.
4
3.5” by 2” steel shaped L, possibly naval tool A: It’s a drill sharpening gauge, the indications on the angled side is for checking lip length on the drill bit, and also verifys that drill bit has been ground concentrically and not eccentric.

5
Small metal tubular object found hiking in North West Wales A: It’s the cylinder end of a gas strut but the short length tells me it’s from a cargo/storage box or maybe for holding up the lid of a storage compartment or engine hood on an ATV or some similar such thing.
6
Piece of wood that hangs from a hook? I am told it might be made of sassafras A: It’s a Shillelagh, or a wooden walking stick.
7
I found this religious clay thing. It’s probably from Appalachia, but possibly Europe. The back says “AD CATACUMBAS ANNO SANCTUM MCMXXXIII” A: It’s an oil lamp

8
Found this in Russia whilst driving around in google maps, made out of rusted iron, seems to be picable with a crane, seems mildly radioactive. thanks. A: It’s the Beta-M, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator.
9
What is this residue that looks like glitter snow on these washable crayola crayons? They have been in a bag in a cupboard for 5 years and the residue is only on the wax of the crayons. A: It is wax bloom, which is just the wax in the crayons oxidizing over time.
10
Any ideas what someone left at my house party? Small green ridged brick, hole in the middle, crumbles when I scratch it. A: That looks like rat/rodent poison. Definitely not a dog treat.

11
A pop can cut in half then put back together, with holes punched into the bottom as well as around the edge. Maybe 2” thick, found on my property. I have not tried to open it yet. A: It’s a penny stove. Ring of the bottom can acts as a heat exchanger. Old Heineken cans worked the best for this until they went to the normal can. The weird part is the holes in the 5 pattern in the middle. The stock design was to make one larger hole. But I found the 5 made a better pressure regulator.
12
In someone’s front yard in Utah. A few neighbors had them. Holes were drilled into certain squares in the grid. A: Drill holes to blast and remove ledge stone for the house.
13
WITT in front of this door? Friend posted it on FB and no one is sure yet. Broad Ripple, Indiana A: A dam for flood waters.

14
Plastic box attached to some of the railings in an NFL stadium. A: At Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta, many of them have the Xfinity logo on them, so I believe they house wifi antennas!
15
Found in family members workshop, appears to be cast steel or iron, hand for scale. A: It’s a vintage mailbag hook.
16
On top of the garage. About the size of a chimney but with windows on all 4 sides. A: It’s a cupola. Originally they were used for adding light to the rooms under them.

17
WITT: staying in an early 1900s house on the third floor. Wooden box with 5 dials with different words. Says WG Nagel Electric on the bottom. Also has a reset button on the bottom. A: It’s an annunciator panel. Different rooms would have had a button that was used to summon the staff. This is where the staff would see which room was requesting service.
18
Pair of Rocket launcher looking tube devices found in woodland near Dewsbury, UK. A: So thats a LAW 80 light Anti tank Tube..