Steel kitchen utensil with wooden handle. A: It’s for holding meat/roasts while carving. They were popular in the 70’s-80’s.

what is this thing stuck to my car? seems to be magnetic. A: Well, it’s a magnet. Not sure what it’s out of, but it looks similar to the ones out of magnetic cabinet door latches.

What is this green piece of plastic? Google search for the info on the back gives 0 results. Has just enough give in the plastic to leave a nail imprint. A: diving toy for the pool

What has made these funny markings on my housemate’s candle cover? She has never lit the candle, but it sits on her windowsill in the sunlight! A: The shapes look exactly like mold growth. Specks of dust can be the food source and a tiny amount of moisture in an enclosed space can be all that’s needed. Maybe the candle wax contains some moisture (seems unlikely for wax, but maybe a scented candle has more than just wax) that is evaporating slowly in the heat of the sun.

A small pin that’s pressed when the door closes; don’t think it’s wired to anything. Kinda looks like a keyhole, but that would be a weird place for one. On the inside of one of the doors of an old (1939, although the door’s probably not that old) house I just bought. A: It most likely used to turn the light on when the door was open. Shut the light off when closed.

What is this mystery barnacle bump? There are a bunch of others scattered around, found in the bay area at low tide. A: Artificial fish nesting areas, sometimes called Reef Balls. Habitat creation for sea life.

What is this hole in the side of my house in my furnace room? It had a little door on it that came off with a screw. A: If it lead to furnace area I’d say fuel or coal chute (though small for coal). Alternatively if there was a utility area, could be dryer vent.

What kind of trailer is this, and what is the purpose of the little doors on the side? A: That drop-down third axle in the center means the intended load is very heavy.

What is this cylindrical object on a trunk? A: GPS tag for a company owned vehicle. I’ve also heard of cars with shady loans having these. GPS related for sure i’d say.

Found in a hospital bathroom A: Most doctors offices and hospitals have foot-controlled sinks, for better hygiene (I assume for the staff’s use, mostly). I’ll try to find a photo. I assume that the sink was moved at some point.

Small opening brass container on a stick. What is this? A: Bed warmer. Unlike a hot water bottle which is left in place for a while, these are loaded with hot coals or embers from an active fire, and swept around carefully between the sheets immediately before the bed’s owner/user hops into it. Back in the day when it wasn’t uncommon for there to be a fireplace in each room, there’d sometimes be one of these by each fire.

Thought it was a banana holder, but instead of a hook its got this large spring. A: Its for wine bottles. Neck in the small rings, base resting at the large circles.

Is there a decibel limit on my recycling bin (UK)? A: It’s to do with noise of the operation of the bin, both closing the lid and wheeling it about. It was introduce as part of an EU directive Outdoor Noise Directive 2000/14/EC (OND)

Large solar powered floating thing A: There looks like a fish finding smart buoy

Just bought a house and three of these things are attached to the stairs. What are they? A: It’s a motion sensor night light

Variable speed motor found in a super old university. Patent date 2/28/28 A: I believe this is part of a film projector. That disk in the top right of this image is to hide the image while the film is being advanced, and then reveal the image as the film is momentarily held statically in place.

Heavy wooden contraption found in an attic. A: Photographic contact printer frame! You place the negative against the glass, then the photo paper against the negative. Put the back on and then take the frame out to expose it to the sun for a short time. Then you disassemble the frame and process the paper to produce the print.

Found metal detecting in a Minnesota park where other objects around 1860s have been pulled. A: Mold for casting lead soldiers

What is this truck with five massive spheres on the bed, and why does it drive past my house every morning around 8am? A: They are StarLink ground Station pods.

Cast iron parts that were mounted on the end of wood rods. Wood rods are about 3/4″ in diameter. Parts hook together A: Sucker rod connection for old wooden sucker rod sections. Common if there was a windmill or water well on the property.

Some sort of weight, part of a set of twenty. Possibly for instrument making as the previous owner was making guitars. Other suggestion is that these were for holding down architectural plans. A: Some sort of weight, part of a set of twenty. Possibly for instrument making as the previous owner was making guitars. Other suggestion is that these were for holding down architectural plans.

Found while digging in the back yard in North Texas. Slightly larger than a gold ball but heavy. Weighs 154g. A: Iron concretion. Very common in North Texas.