What's That Thing: The Strangest Finds. Issue 205

We regularly come across things that we cannot immediately identify. All these incomprehensible things excite the imagination and torment us with doubts, but here, as always, experts from the network come to the rescue, who easily and quickly solve all the riddles.

1. A square stand about four meters high with an opening on one side, a wider "roof" that is not connected to the base, supported by wooden beams and surrounds a chimney-like shaft in center

These chimney-imitating towers are installed by the Pennsylvania Conservancy. They are intended to preserve the population of swifts (smoky needletails), which arrange nests in chimneys

2. A small glass bowl without a bottom, the size of a tube 13 centimeters long, containing a spring attached to a fibrous liner inside the bowl. Small hole on the side of the tube

This is part of the Gabet vacuum coffee maker. Another name is the Viennese siphon machine, which was used in the 19th century until the middle of the 20th century

The coffee grounds are placed in the bowl, it should be inverted, with a plastic lid. The tube is lowered into a bowl of water on the stove. The water boils, pushing the spring up and filling the upper chamber, when the lower container cools, a vacuum is created that draws the coffee water through a cotton filter into the lower serving bowl, the grounds remaining at the top.

3. Found a strange thing in the field

This is an agricultural tool for threshing grain - a harman

It was a stone gear roller with six or more teeth. It was made by hand from quartzite - a durable and difficult to process natural stone.

4. This tool is called a die

A tool of drawing mills, in which the metal is compressed during its processing by drawing. The main part of the die is the drawing eye (or matrix), which is a working hole of gradually decreasing cross-section, through which the processed metal is pulled. A die with one drawing eye is also called a die, and with several - a drawing board. The working part of the die is made of steel, cast iron, hard alloys, industrial diamonds, etc.

5. A small heavy object consisting of two parts held together by magnets

This is a magnetic cord holder

6. What are these weird sticks used for?

This is a set of coasters for decorative plates.

7. Wooden handle, about thirty centimeters with white artificial hair

This item is used in most African countries, as well as in Asia as fly swatters.

8. Medium size, with a wooden handle and a curved metal tip, not very heavy. Got it for free at a thrift store

This is a Danish dough whisk. It is usually used to mix sourdough bread dough

9. Found at a shipwreck. Does anyone know what this is? A small bottle of yellowish amber with a transparent liquid inside! In a leather bag on a drawstring. The length of the bottle is about two centimeters

The bottle says Jasmine, it's an oil perfume. Made in the USSR.

10. Small hand tools found in a box in an old basement

This is a set of tools for repairing watches.