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What is this? Rusty metal content

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[#13536516]

Everyone here is usually good at this. 

Someone at work has this and wants to know what it is. 

My manager is adamant that it's a winch. I'm saying no way Jose! A winch needs a spool to take up the cable or chain. This doesn't have that and although it has a long handle, it's not been geared to suggest that. 

I reckon it's some kind of metal shaping tool. Maybe as simple as a bender? The vertical rod is confusing me but it could be an addition to stop it moving or something.

IMG-20260730-WA0010.jpgIMG-20260730-WA0009.jpg

 


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 5:51 pm
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It's a sock dryer.


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 5:53 pm
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A knacker cracker


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 5:57 pm
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I wonder rather than spooling up cable or rope like a winch whether it would crank a toothed track up and down - like the sort of thing that would open a sluice gate.

 

image.png


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 6:00 pm
toby reacted
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Or it could be for crimping Cornish pasties


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 6:01 pm
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Pencil sharpener for dead big pencils


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 6:38 pm
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A finger flattener. Give it a try and see if it still works!


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 8:36 pm
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Marble crimper. Obvs.


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 8:54 pm
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Railway points lever?

 

or a hangmans trapdoor opener


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 9:02 pm
kayak23 reacted
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I think you're local to me, so I'm saying something lock gate-ey.

r/whatisit/ will solve it for you in minutes...


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 9:07 pm
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Looks like a swager of some kind. 

To turn wire into flat um... Wire.


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 9:18 pm
kayak23 reacted
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Could be a Doo-Dah-Dat, similar to a Wot-Not-Ton but quite often confused with a Bin-Dun-Din due to the handle orientation.

 

 


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 9:26 pm
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Frozen sausage planter. 


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 9:39 pm
kayak23 reacted
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Blacksmith steel bender, maybe rebar bender


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 10:06 pm
kayak23 reacted
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There is no bending mechanism in it its just two rollers with a heavy duty alignment blocks.

That and the meatyness of the housing and the long handle suggest high pressure.

The only thing i can think of is a spring rake tine swager.

Or aero spoke maker...

 


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 10:10 pm
kayak23 reacted
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Victorian Wet Willy Wringer. 

They hated wet willies or ones linked to satan. 

Hence:

Little known Cornish fact, that's why Wicked Willy's didn't open it's doors in Cornwall till the Edwardian era. 


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 10:14 pm
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It's a thrutch plate actuator for an original 1963 Unimog spaghetti tree planter attachment 


 
Posted : 30/07/2026 11:33 pm
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Posted by: submarined

r/whatisit/ will solve it for you in minutes...

Is it only me that is baffled by Reddit? 😂

 


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 6:41 am
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It turns spaghetti into linguini


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 6:55 am
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Posted by: kayak23

Everyone here is usually good at this. 

Ummmm 🤔 I may have to retract that statement 😉


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 8:46 am
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It genuinely is a rolling mill


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 8:52 am
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Could be for clock making to create flat coils springs from piano wire.

 

 


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 9:05 am
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Blacksmith's machine for making square iron rod for nails

Posted by: kayak23

Ummmm 🤔 I may have to retract that statement 😉

Black Country Living Museum might be a stronger bet


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 9:07 am
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Looks very pipe bender-y.

Posted by: timba

Black Country Living Museum might be a stronger bet

I think they were on 6Music last week. 

 

 


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 9:42 am
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Are the roller fixed and if they are whats the gap.

 


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 10:51 am
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Posted by: kayak23

Posted by: submarined

r/whatisit/ will solve it for you in minutes...

Is it only me that is baffled by Reddit? 😂

 

Yes.

How does it feel?

 


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 11:07 am
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Wonderful 😊


 
Posted : 31/07/2026 11:43 am