Whatsit?

[DJH]

The scales are marked on the back of the arm with ' Cooperative Wholesale Society' and the giveaway clue for the other item is that Gareth knows what it's for . Something to do with Mills maybe?

Doug

 

[Keith Bowman]

The scales are marked on the back of the arm with ' Cooperative Wholesale Society' and the giveaway clue for the other item is that Gareth knows what it's for . Something to do with Mills maybe?

Doug

Her Ladyship seems to have sussed out the balance as cheese scales but would cheeses always weigh less than four pounds? And the hooks look more like bale or sack hooks.
If those other things (long narrow chappies leaning against the door) are to do with mills then chutes for channeling grain or flour sound likely - but all those I have seen have been made of wood. Or are they moulds for making long lead weights for counterbalances on the hoists?

 

[DJH]

The scales are for weighing bread...

The standing up thingys are a paint staff, the wooden one, and the metal one is a proof staff and they are used for levelling mill stones. The paint staff is coated with a mix of linseed oil and soot and the passed over the surface of the stone leaving a black mark on any high spots which are then dressed smooth with a hammer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMaitNOnLa0

Thanks to Gareth for the link.

Doug

 

[DJH]

Another one...





Doug

 

[Penners]

That looks as though it's designed for sampling a liquid, or some such function. Dip it in the liquid, put your thumb over the hole and withdraw it full of the liquid.

Or... does it work the other way around? Is it for cattle drench, or similar?

Shame we can't see whether there's a hole in the business end, which would be necessary for either of my suggested functions.

 

[DJH]

Spot on with the first answer Penners...it's a velincher tube sampler for spirits, wine cider etc, used as you describe. Well done. I can't catch you out or can I?

Doug

 

[DJH]

What are these?



Doug

 

[Flyfisher]

Loom shuttlecocks?

 

[Penners]

Are they metal? If so, could they be log splitting grenades?

 

[DJH]

Not metal Penners, they are wooden, elm actually and that's a clue for you...

Doug

 

[Penners]

Hmmm... the round hole in the end looks as though it's there to receive a handle. Is the rectangular hole through the middle intended to have a baulk of timber passed through it?

Or am I very cold...?

 

[DJH]

Not too cold. The handle goes in the rectangular hole.

Here's some different size parts that go with them...


Doug

 

[Penners]

Well, now I'm into wild guess territory! How about sprockets for some kind of gear or pawl system? Anything to do with water wheels?

 

[DJH]

Something to do with water definitely... It's not clear from the pictures but the last thingys are made from leather.

 

[Penners]

Right, well I have now passed relatively unscathed through wild guess territory and crossed the border into Haven'tgotabloodyclueland.

 

[DJH]

Ok. Here's a collection of things that all go together with the wooden thingys...

 

[malcolm]

Something you drop down a downpipe to prevent lead from falling into the pipe when you make the join? Doesn't make sense - you wouldn't need a handle and there can't be that many different size downpipes. Something a bit like that - used to make the joints in the first place?

 

[Keith Bowman]

You could use leather washers like that in a pump - or perhaps for unblocking drains - but I'm with the others - too many different sizes, and I just can't see how the various bits would work together.

 

[DJH]

It does go down a pipe and up it too... :shock:

 

[Keith Bowman]

Careful what you say - google bot is with us again!