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newenglandchris · ‎01-15-2018

Does anyone know what this vintage sewing tool is for? It's 2 pieces with a knob on the side that turns and is 3.5 inches tall. Any ideas appreciated. Thank you!

lacemaker3 · ‎01-19-2018

@newenglandchris

If it was for winding something onto the interior ball, it would be a cylinder shape not a ball, and there wouldn't be any grooves on the ball. A spherical shape would just make anything that was wound onto it wrap onto the axle and bind up the mechanism. [Mechanical engineer speaking, here.] There would also have to be a way to attach something to the ball, which doesn't seem to be likely.

Salt is quite reactive/caustic, so so it wouldn't be made of wood if it was intended to grind salt (or nutmeg, for that matter). Salt would damage the wood, and nutmeg is too hard for wood, it needs to be metal. For that matter, my salt and pepper grinders have metal rasping surfaces too.

lacemaker3 · ‎01-19-2018

@sonomabarn67 wrote:
i was thinking a mechanized version of this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Treen-Nutmeg-Grater-shape-of-an-Acorn/122922370823?_trkparms=aid%3D777003%2...

And, I have that death flu that is going around. Wash your hands!!!

That doesn't appear to be a nutmeg grater. There is nothing visible that could grate a nutmeg.

It's a little treen something-or-other. Some kind of little box. Somewhat awkward shape for a needlecase, but possibly just a little novelty treen box.

Very sorry you're not feeling well. Vitamin C! and ginger tea is good too. If you're sure it's flu, contact your doctor, I think they have some antivirals that are good against flu now.

sonomabarn67 · ‎01-19-2018

"It's a little treen something-or-other". It is but it was made for a specific purpose. Also, we are wizards here and should know this.

sonomabarn67 · ‎01-19-2018

That tiny spout sure does look like something that was ground should be pouring out of it!

lacemaker3 · ‎01-19-2018

@sonomabarn67 wrote:
"It's a little treen something-or-other". It is but it was made for a specific purpose. Also, we are wizards here and should know this.

Well, yes, you have a point. But ... but ... my ESP is failing at this point.

MInd-reading isn't working very well, either, at the mo.

... the only additional thought I have had, is that the grooves in the interior ball (being made of wood) are not strong enough to grind up anything of any substance. However, it might work for grinding up dried herbs and leaves.

argon38 · ‎01-19-2018

@sonomabarn67 wrote:
And, I have that death flu that is going around. Wash your hands!!!

RIP

lacemaker3 · ‎01-19-2018

@sonomabarn67 wrote:
"It's a little treen something-or-other". It is but it was made for a specific purpose. Also, we are wizards here and should know this.

I was referring to the little treen acorn-shaped box in my previous reply, not to the OP's very intriguing little treen thing.

OOOPS - new page. My previous reply was here: Message 20

argon38 · ‎01-19-2018

@lacemaker3 wrote:
If it was for winding something onto the interior ball, it would be a cylinder shape not a ball, and there wouldn't be any grooves on the ball. A spherical shape would just make anything that was wound onto it wrap onto the axle and bind up the mechanism. [Mechanical engineer speaking, here.] There would also have to be a way to attach something to the ball, which doesn't seem to be likely.

Ah, but nothing would be wound onto the ball itself if it's a tape measure holder. The tape measure would sit coiled up inside the holder, and only the end would come through the opening. By turning the knob you could draw it out or back in again. And it's the sort of thing that might be found in a sewing basket...

lacemaker3 · ‎01-19-2018

@argon38 wrote:
@lacemaker3 wrote:
If it was for winding something onto the interior ball, it would be a cylinder shape not a ball, and there wouldn't be any grooves on the ball. A spherical shape would just make anything that was wound onto it wrap onto the axle and bind up the mechanism. [Mechanical engineer speaking, here.] There would also have to be a way to attach something to the ball, which doesn't seem to be likely.
Ah, but nothing would be wound onto the ball itself if it's a tape measure holder. The tape measure would sit coiled up inside the holder, and only the end would come through the opening. By turning the knob you could draw it out or back in again. And it's the sort of thing that might be found in a sewing basket...

None of that is likely in the slightest degree. Your description of turning the knob makes no sense whatsoever.

This is just a delightful little bit of treen that has no relationship to anything functional at all. Just a lovely little turned wood item, that makes no sense without any logical context.

If you don't know anything about how mechanical items work, then don't post nonsense like this.

argon38 · ‎01-19-2018

@lacemaker3 wrote:

Your description of turning the knob makes no sense whatsoever.

It does, I'm just not explaining it properly. Think of a piece of ribbon trapped between one side of the ball and the wall of the device. The end of the ribbon is peeking out the hole at the top, so it won't coil round the ball when you turn the knob. What turning the knob will do is pull some of the remaining ribbon out of the holder. And turning the knob in the reverse direction will wind it back in again.

I can't agree that the thing has no purpose at all, sorry. And I think it's now established that it can't be a valve of some kind, as has previously been suggested.

sonomabarn67 · ‎01-19-2018

Not me, but a lady a few blocks away did die of it last week.

Isn't the outlet too small for a cloth tape? Also, to afix a cloth tape inside that, why would one need multiple splits/cuts in the round turn-ey part? Wouldn't one slit do?

argon38 · ‎01-19-2018

@sonomabarn67 wrote:
Not me, but a lady a few blocks away did die of it last week.

Isn't the outlet too small for a cloth tape? Also, to afix a cloth tape inside that, why would one need multiple splits/cuts in the round turn-ey part? Wouldn't one slit do?

Oh goodness... truly sorry to hear that. I shouldn't have been so frivolous about it, I know it can be a killer.

I'm not sure just how big the outlet is - you may be right about it being too small. I would guess the reason for the splits in the ball would be to provide some grip. But I'm absolutely not claiming to have found the right answer, just throwing out some ideas for comment (and criticism ), However, I'm sure there is a right answer, and that it isn't just a random, purposeless trinket.

argon38 · ‎01-19-2018

@sonomabarn67 wrote:
Also, to afix a cloth tape inside that, why would one need multiple splits/cuts in
the round turn-ey part? Wouldn't one slit do?

The way I'm seeing it, the tape isn't attached to the ball, it's just lying loose inside the bowl. It merely feeds past the ball on the way to the outlet.

sonomabarn67 · ‎01-19-2018

Bit of a bear to have to rethread it when it pulls out of the case. I've owned 19th c sewing tapes and I remember all (that I had) hitting a stop at the end. Where is Maxine, I bet she has a few of these.

argon38 · ‎01-20-2018

@sonomabarn67 wrote:
Bit of a bear to have to rethread it when it pulls out of the case. I've owned 19th c sewing tapes and I remember all (that I had) hitting a stop at the end.

If the tape measure had raised metal bits at the end to prevent fraying then that would effectively act as a stop once it reached the end, because you wouldn't be able to pull it past the wooden ball.

So, no rethreading necessary.

As I say, I'm not actively campaigning in support of the tape-measure idea - it's just a suggestion. But it seems to me that if it isn't a valve (and it can't be!) and if it isn't for grinding, then the turnable knob must surely be there to draw something - ribbon, tape, yarn, wool, string, thread, whatever - past the ball in one direction or the other.