History buffs, what is this object/device?

I checked this site quickly , but I have to get some sleep now !! www. collectair.com , it had some vintage wood airplane and submarine model kits !! We might be in luck !!

Originally posted by rick004
Do You also have an idea of what type of wood ? Is it light like balsa or hardwood ?

No, not as light as balsa.

reply to post by rick004


This site had some intriguing images. Thank you. I've posted one below from that site that caught my eye due to the slats incorporated into the construction of the fuselage.



While the actual object is more crudely constructed in quality, it may be someone's attempt to hand make something similar. Perhaps they simply didn't get around to completing the project. Those additional holes in the slats and the projecting peg don't add up for me, though, nor the ability of the slats to support the attachment of wings.

My original photos had great enough resolution that I was able to zoom in on some key areas. I'm posting them here in the event that some new clues might catch the perceptive viewer's eye:









Hope these help to keep the effort to solve this mystery alive.

reply to post by GoneGrey


If it was part of another machine where it had to be inserted into the 4 slotted grooves , you would think their would be evidence of wear or burring from use over time ? It does look well worn in the slatted areas ?

Here are some images I found of toy zeppelins (not all are wooden). Could this be an unfinished attempt to make one? The shape is generally consistent with what you see in these toys. Feel free to critique this possibility.

reply to post by GoneGrey
Another similar zeppelin;

reply to post by GoneGrey


Wow ! That silver one is a good candidate except for the slats running the full length of the zeppelin ! It's quite possible that it is a homemade design and not a production model that was for sale ? It may also be the fuselage of a model plane or toy model submarine ?

I also came across pictures of model V2 rockets , they had 2 chambers for the propellant , maybe it's a homemade V2 rocket model ??

reply to post by tanda7


A good number of the toy zeppelins I looked at have the gondola mounted near the nose of the craft. I wonder if that projecting peg in the front of the mystery object could be some kind of a mount provided for the later attachment of a gondola?

If it actually is a model maker's attempt at constructing a zeppelin, it would at least date the object somewhat.

I still wish that I had a "no doubt" solution.

reply to post by GoneGrey


This seems like an answer to your question.

The thing that I wonder about (if it is a Zeppelin model) are the holes and grommets, maybe strings tied to the interior spindle exit through the holes to hang it in the air?

reply to post by GoneGrey

i have read the theories on here and i am still not convinced as to the function of this object .

i would like to offer my theory , maybe this object does not have any function other that an apprentice piece .

the planing of bevels on the slats ( the same as a cooper would do making a barrel ) next we have the lathe work
and the turning of the spindle and nose cones , then we have the doweling , all in all the piece does seem as though
it is easy to assemble and disassemble without the need for nails or screws.

as i said it is just a theory .

reply to post by tom.farnhill


I think anything is possible until we come up with a definite picture or identification !

reply to post by tom.farnhill


I offered up this theory back on pg. 2:

"...One of my wilder ideas (yes, while I, too, am rendered an insomniac by this mystery) is that it could be a non-functional practical final exam project for a woodworking student. After all, its construction would require proficiency in turning wood on a lathe, measuring, beveling, boring, grooving, and precision cutting of parts both big and small. And then I laughed at the desperation inherent in this solution... "

It's not out of the question that someone would hold on to a school or training memento, but there are subtle signs that this thing was used. The discolouration of the smaller conical end relative to the other wooden parts leads me to believe that it was handled from that end with some frequency -- it has that look where dirt adheres to the oils and sweat left behind from physical contact.

Thanks for your input. Nothing can be discounted yet.

I'm really going to go out on a limb with this !! If this is a toy rocket and there was a way of launching it maybe there was a parachute in the chamber and some method of it expanding and releasing the slats and deploying the chute ? I know , way out on a limb , I'm grasping at straws !! Lol

I couldn't take it anymore and I made a trip back to the museum to see if I could elicit any more information from the curator about the contents of the chest. Unfortunately, she had a meeting to attend about 10 minutes later, so I had to make this fact finding mission brief.

She told me that her efforts to identify it have also so far failed. She is left to to wonder if this is a "one-of-a-kind" artifact.

She allowed me to see the chest and some of its contents (photo of chest below).

I was told that the chest originated in an old home in southwestern Ontario. The object was at the bottom of the chest and that is where the donor found it. The contents of the chest, besides this mystery thing, consisted mostly of women's clothing dating from what the curator estimates to be ca 1850 to pre-WWI (Edwardian, that is). The women's clothing ran the gamut of coats, waist jackets, gloves, corsets, linen sleepwear and undergarments. The men's items were smaller. I saw a collar. There were some men's waistcoats in the chest I was told, but the donor opted to keep those. The curator also pulled out and showed me some smallish textile remnants and an embroidered cover for a small side table.

Since everything in the chest was textile/clothing related, I don't know if that implies that the object is in some way connected with these things in terms of an associated use.

None of the missing slats or any other wooden parts were in the chest. What I saw and handled is all that there was of that item.

This doesn't shed much more light on what this might be for me, but perhaps it does for someone else so I'm putting this out there.

The person with whom she was meeting arrived and so in the interest of being polite I had to leave without seeing the actual object again.

reply to post by GoneGrey


Great I still have some "feelers" out there and I will pass this info to them. My sister knows dozens of antique collectors. I've even sent the photos to the Gideon Museum in PA, no reply yet.

IF you happen to get your hands on it again, many people I've shown the photos want dimensions,( I don't know why, you can guess pretty good from the ink pen comparison) so take a ruler with you and please measure.

One person claims it could be training ordinance and he especially wants to know the diameter.

Someone else suggested it's a part of a boiler flue cleaning tool.
I'm just passing along even the wildest of guesses.

My sister also recommended an antique forum she likes so I'm letting those guys have a go at it.

I haven't had a chance to look further into it but in the 30s and 40s the children's toy called erector sets and arkitoy set had pretty elaborate building sets ! Something like today's Tinkertoy or Lego but alot more challenging ? Just a thought ?

What's happening guys ?? The suspense of this mystery is killing me !! Does anyone have any updates ?

reply to post by rick004


Nothing conclusive yet.

I want to rule out any association with tailoring or clothing repair (since it was found amongst garments), so I e-mailed a site sponsored by people interested in tailoring and accompanied it with my photos. The shape is somewhat suggestive of that of an arm, so that possibility has to be considered.

At this point I am leaning toward it being an unfinished model of either a zeppelin or a bomb. I found some images of profiles of known Allied WWII bombs and found one reasonably similar in shape. I took that image and one of a zeppelin, re-sized them, and then placed them adjacent to the mystery object. Below is what I ended up with:



The dilemma for the museum is that a decision has to be made as to the fate of this, so a conclusive ID would be really helpful. I'm told that the museum is not allowed to archive artifacts that do not "fit" its mission statement -- just some bureaucratic BS from the government ministry that oversees museums. If this 'thing' doesn't meet the criteria, then an appropriate new home has to be found for it.

I'll try to come up with an excuse to contact the curator (without coming across as an obsessed pest) in the next week or so for an update.

Thanks for your continued interest. It's still nagging at me, too.