Science Museum needs help identifying mystery objects

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Can members shed light on any of these ten objects?

https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2020/jul/19/mystery-objects-from-the-science-museum-in-pictures

My contribution: the top one [with a "Hobbies"? logo on it] looks like a mechanical scroll saw.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Scrollsaw is pretty certain but I'd wonder if they're looking at is as a scrollsaw for a specific use?

The copper wedge could be a crude carpet bolster or just as easily used to scrape up and mash a gunpowder mix?

Theey're looking for the artist who painted Dr Hunter – for guys into the natural world the Hunter Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons was (is?) open to the public. I took my daughter there once – all sorts of specimens from dissected out stages of foetal development of kittens, interesting skeletons, things like wax casts of lung tissue airways (force liquid wax down a corpses airway and then dissolve the tissue) and specimens sent to Hunter from round the world.

Items from the Wellocme foundation imply lab or medical usage. the stand with what looks like two air/gas ports- an odd angle if designed for a flame – but force sompressed air/gas and get cooling at the tip??

pgk

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Maybe a patents search expert would shine a light on some of their gadgets and gizmos

All sorts of whacky inventions were being patented by everyone and his pet dog back in them days

There was a huge culture of inventiveness back then

[Martin WhittleParticipant @martinwhittle67411]

The second image is of a pair of Geissler tubes. These contain gas at low pressure, and are lit using a high voltage between the ends. Basically early neon tubes – or whatever gas you would like to try.

[Lee RogersParticipant @leerogers95060]

The Hobbies fret saw was part of a combination of tools that included a lathe and I think possibly a pillar drill. A bit like the old Coronet set up.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

That Hobbies Fret Saw takes me back to my youth because I had one of those, I think it was donated by an elderly relative for my modelling efforts.

The machine could be hard work for a skinny lightweight kid, saw blades broke very easily, the drive belt tended to break or come off quite regularly but good work could be done on the machine with plenty of practice.
I think mine got damaged beyond economic repair during a house move, expect it went to the scrapyard.

Edited By V8Eng on 20/07/2020 09:29:15

[Oven ManParticipant @ovenman]

I've still got a Hobbies treadle fretsaw and it is in full working order. Does not appear to have any financial value. I don't think I have used it the last 50 odd years. It was a Christmas present when I was a youngster. It's strange when you see items you own are now classed as museum pieces.

Peter

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

I can remember my dad having the "Hobbies" catalogue and also possibly the magazine. He did a lot of marquetry work as a hobby and really wanted a mechanical fretsaw. He eventually made one powered by a rotary converter used as a motor. I think I may have inherited a lot of his practical skills which is why I am here on this site.

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

This item is part of Sir Henry Wellcome’s museum collection. It contains six cartridge-like cylinders made of steel in a leatherette case. It is probably English, made between 1840 and 1890

These may be "position finders" if they have numbers 1-6 stamped on them, used to pick your peg when shooting and offered with a small tipple, Sloe Gin, the number being on the base. However being made of steel and they appear to be nickel plated would be strange? Normally a plated none ferrous metal or silver / silver gilt.

John

[William ChithamParticipant @williamchitham75949]

The brass mallet like thing reminds me of the tools I have seen used for tamping sand into moulds for sand casting.

[Rod RenshawParticipant @rodrenshaw28584]

I was given a "Hobbies" treadle fret saw for Christmas in about 1970. Money was short and mine was a "Gem" model which cost about £7.00 IIRC. The "A1" model, which is the one in the museum collection was about £11.00. The Gem was mostly made from pressed steel sheet, but the A1 had a cast iron construction.

They were listed in the Hobbies catalogue as " fret saws" I don't recall "scroll saw" being a term in those days. I used it to make lots of small practical things but never got into the elaborate decorative fretwork which had been very popular a few years earlier.

The saw really came into its own when, with together 3 friends, I built 2 two-seater canoes to a published design. The design called for frames cut from plywood held together with longitudinal strips of parana pine and covered with "canvas", which was really a kind of plastic covered fabric. The fabric had to be ordered from "CB Cross " at the bottom of Deansgate in Manchester. The frames gave the canoe its shape and were cut to paper patterns from an 8 foot by 4 foot sheet of marine ply, which was much bigger than the work the saw was designed for.

To cut this sheet into frames, we had one child ( we were all aged about 10) on his knees under the saw, working the treadle with his hands, while the other 3 balanced the ply on the saw table all trying to keep the saw on the cutting line. It was hard work and we broke a lot of blades!, but the canoes were finished and we had lots of fun with them.

Rod

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

That last anecdote by Rod is brilliant and says to me everything that is wrong with children's development today. He was given a tool that most parents now wouldn't know what it was let alone consider giving little Johnny something he could amputate his digits with. With it he and his mates were able to build boats and learn to use them too. How many kids today would have that opportunity? Having the means and the determination allowed them to succeed. how times have changed in 50 years!

Paul.

[Trevor Crossman 1Participant @trevorcrossman1]

Posted by Paul Kemp on 20/07/2020 21:20:08:

That last anecdote by Rod is brilliant and says to me everything that is wrong with children's development today. He was given a tool that most parents now wouldn't know what it was let alone consider giving little Johnny something he could amputate his digits with. With it he and his mates were able to build boats and learn to use them too. How many kids today would have that opportunity? Having the means and the determination allowed them to succeed. how times have changed in 50 years!

Paul.

Dead right Paul 👍 When I started model making around age 8/9, I was shown how sharp Dad's used razorblades were and given a brand new Hobbies fretsaw and some blades and shown how to use it properly so as to avoid injury. In the following 60 odd years I've made dozens of model aircraft, boats, dolls houses, farmyards, forts and so on for my kids and others (and myself of course!) and despite this little handsaw being used to cut stuff far beyond its capacity, I still have it and use it frequently. The used razorblades have long been replaced by proper modelling knives!! I've taught our own 4 children how to use tools safely, but I'm not sure that they all have passed the knowledge to their own kids. Sad really.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I don't think the Museum staff considered the scroll-saw was made for a specific purpose, unlike some of the more obscure objects, but would like examples of typical scroll-saw work.

That brass or bronze "hammer" (if that is what it is) might have been used either in the explosives / armaments, or confectionary, trades! No risk of sparks for the former; and "stainless" before stainless-steel for handling foods.

Their best bet for the really arcane but fairly clearly scientific items might be to contact the Royal Society.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Peter, I have donated an item to the Science Museum when it was no longer wanted. It is in one of the galleries now with my name as the donor. It was used after 1995 so not just an old find from the loft.

Martin C

[vic francisParticipant @vicfrancis]

Posted by Martin Connelly on 21/07/2020 17:58:27:

Peter, I have donated an item to the Science Museum when it was no longer wanted. It is in one of the galleries now with my name as the donor. It was used after 1995 so not just an old find from the loft.

Martin C

Hi, I am not sure it is worth donating anything to the Science Museum; from what I have seen they have only a fraction on display, the rest is blythe house, and wroughton storage. What the point of just mothballing? It is hard to get access if not on display…. True it is a great place. Just the Academics who run it so poorly in my opinion.There is more gallery space for entertainment than exhibits unfortunately.

regards

vic

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by vic francis on 24/07/2020 13:36:01:

Posted by Martin Connelly on 21/07/2020 17:58:27:

Peter, I have donated an item to the Science Museum when it was no longer wanted. It is in one of the galleries now with my name as the donor. It was used after 1995 so not just an old find from the loft.

Martin C

Hi, I am not sure it is worth donating anything to the Science Museum; from what I have seen they have only a fraction on display, the rest is blythe house, and wroughton storage. What the point of just mothballing? It is hard to get access if not on display…. True it is a great place. Just the Academics who run it so poorly in my opinion.There is more gallery space for entertainment than exhibits unfortunately.

regards

vic

One of the other factors militating against donation to a museum for me would be the freedom museums, libraries and other institutions give themselves to dispose of donated artefacts. It is in fact a routine part of their activities.

In my own case I own several academic books, some of them hundreds of years old, that proudly display donors' labels on their paste-downs with, in some cases, a date of donation only a few years earlier than the deaccession date.

People tend to think giving an artefact to an institution is a way of ensuring it will be valued and cared for in perpetuity. All too often, the opposite happens.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

My donation was in response to a request for a specific item for a gallery at the Science Museum.

Martin C

[vic francisParticipant @vicfrancis]

Hi I accept that, however I think that perhaps if it had been scanned first and posted online first the original author would have preferred the idea! rather than as a exhibit or stored one. Unfortunately with google scanning procedures involves cutting into singular pages… however its value lies in what it contains , and its free access; so even if it just ended up on display exhibit with covers… it might be a small place to pay.

Personally Henry Maudsley’s lathe should be on Display; or even Mr Robert’s Planer…. as Important Early machine tools; unfortunately they are not but in store.

During the school holidays I stayed with my Grandparents who lived near the sea; on one of my outings I walked out on a concrete causeway which extended out the sea and was for small boat landings ect; At the end i looked over its edge and saw a perfectly preserved Prehistoric axe head , with its distinctive outline in the grey mud! I was delighted by the find!! Treasure almost.😮 I took it to Junior School and did a “project” on it, however a Teacher expressed doubt about its purpose and thought it might be a natural Rock shard ; My Mother then carted me upto the Natural History Museum , and duly found the Curator who took delight in saying Yes it is genuine! From the pressure flaking of the edges … it was man made.He also said it was a fine example and they would like it for the Museum; Thus my Axe head was proudly displayed in the School display cabinet ( Locked) with my Project doodles! At the end my project was returned; but unfortunately minus the Axe Head…no doubt a rotten Teacher has it “mothballed “somewhere! The Museum cheated out of it!

Kind regards

vic

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