What kind of mold is this?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Hey all, hope life is finding you all happy and healthy!

A good buddy of mine ran across this item, and we're wondering what it's for. We seem to agree it's for casting of soft metals, but we're not sure what.
Best I can speculate, is fishing weights. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks all!
Bob

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/322373725_906346967396498_9124936741432348955_n.jp g?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=Gba6aw-WG9gAX8P7O_-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=03_AdRFPIFCMVciGZwAQ49NmjsyDvkiQEpTxnLvEX0f9BDV iA&oe=63D5BF34

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/320733413_932679281048356_3184968514412350750_n.jp g?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=G1qsJYBaIJIAX_QF7qK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=03_AdQvZg3kzq2UpJP7XO1AA4psjBiQmUvaTYhIGWJWwzic kg&oe=63D59470

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/320735807_2481932411999900_682710045068174029_n.jp g?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=qPBrb-oFTv4AX8wKk4A&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=03_AdSovEwnk9MxUWaGiOmk35veO51fbSdOFpNLTQQ5xuwL 9g&oe=63D5A1E8

[Dusty Bannister]

I do not know either, but it would be a dandy size for pouring small tin ingots.

[Winger Ed.]

Do you know any history of where it came from, or if there is a part of it missing?

Was it mixed in with kitchen stuff or farm tools, etc?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Ahh, good thoughts folks. I'll find out and post info as I learn.
Thank you!

[Winger Ed.]

If it is a two part something--
the little holes may just be for alignment (pins), and another piece goes over yours then they're clamped together.

Whatever it is, it doesn't look like it ever got very hot or or maybe wasn't used much.


We see some really unusual things here as a 'what is it'. There was a real head scratcher awhile back.
Somebody finally out it was an old school Doctor's suppository mold.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Eww, that would be horrible to find out! Haha
Good thought on this being, “one half” of a unit.
Thank ya Sir!

[gwpercle]

I can tell you it is definitly NOT a suppository mould !!! :???:

I keep thinking something in the Food / Cooking ... pour some batter in each opening and cook on top the stove ? It is cast iron ... good for cooking but lacks normal two halves ... like a proper mould would have ...
so I'm thinking the openings were filled with something ... But What ?
Gary

[GL49]

maybe each half would hold an egg? Or a small aebleskiver pan?

[1hole]

....We see some really unusual things here as a 'what is it'... Somebody finally out it was an old school Doctor's suppository mold.

A doctor prescribed some suppositories for me once. They were worthless, I could'da stuck them things up my butt for all the good they did.

[Martin Luber]

Ice cream scoop?

[Winger Ed.]

They were worthless, I could'da stuck them things up my butt for all the good they did.

Back in the 70s while stationed at a Reserve base with a couple of Navy Squadrons, one of the Sailors collapsed and fell off a plane.
He got hurt pretty bad too. Come to find out, he'd been prescribed suppositories for some ailment.

They just handed them to him without telling him how to use them.
Just a "Take these, and come back next week" sort of deal.
Yep,,,,,, he was swallowing them.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Back in the 70s while stationed at a Reserve base with a couple of Navy Squadrons, one of the Sailors collapsed and fell off a plane.
He got hurt pretty bad too. Come to find out, he'd been prescribed suppositories for some ailment.

They just handed them to him without telling him how to use them.
Just a "Take these, and come back next week" sort of deal.
Yep,,,,,, he was swallowing them.

It's not very often in life you'd have an opportunity to tell someone, "No, you're not supposed to eat it. You're supposed to stick it up your ........"

[1hole]

... he'd been prescribed
Just a "Take these, and come back next week" sort of deal.
Yep,,,,,, he was swallowing them.

Aw man, it was supposed to be a joke!

I doubt they would be harmful but it's not likely they would be helpful either.

[Mk42gunner]

Hey all, hope life is finding you all happy and healthy!

A good buddy of mine ran across this item, and we're wondering what it's for. We seem to agree it's for casting of soft metals, but we're not sure what.
Best I can speculate, is fishing weights. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks all!
Bob

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/322373725_906346967396498_9124936741432348955_n.jp g?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=Gba6aw-WG9gAX8P7O_-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=03_AdRFPIFCMVciGZwAQ49NmjsyDvkiQEpTxnLvEX0f9BDV iA&oe=63D5BF34

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/320733413_932679281048356_3184968514412350750_n.jp g?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=G1qsJYBaIJIAX_QF7qK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=03_AdQvZg3kzq2UpJP7XO1AA4psjBiQmUvaTYhIGWJWwzic kg&oe=63D59470

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/320735807_2481932411999900_682710045068174029_n.jp g?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=qPBrb-oFTv4AX8wKk4A&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=03_AdSovEwnk9MxUWaGiOmk35veO51fbSdOFpNLTQQ5xuwL 9g&oe=63D5A1E8

I've seen things like that in the kitchen stuff at farm auctions IIRC. No idea what it is meant for though.

Robert

[Shurshot2]

Doesn’t look to be a mold for lead.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Just thinking out loud.....

Assuming this is thought to be one half of an entire unit, and also assuming the other half is a perfect duplicate of this side, it seems to me the handles would interfere with each other.
So let's say the other half might have a handle that's WAY angled "up", to allow clearance of this one, and also had the holes for pouring in the material, that having four molds in the locations placed like this would make it extremely difficult to separate the halves once the metal is solid.

I don't think I worded that clearly, but after editing my post a few times I just gave up and tossed it out there.
Hope all that makes sense.
But thank you for the replies!

[Winger Ed.]

Looks like it could be an antique 'kitchen gadget' for frying eggs on a wood burning stove.

One of those kind of deals you give your Mom, it gets used twice, then buried away on a shelf some where.

[Alex_4x4]

...
Yep,,,,,, he was swallowing them.

I wonder, before swallowing the candle, did he burn it or not?

In general, people are funny creatures. When I was young, when married couples I knew started having children, there was a married couple among us where a woman could not get pregnant. Once, at regular gatherings, someone asked this woman: "What's the matter?"

The woman looked down and said that she could not bring herself to "swallow this muck."

She broke the applause.

[gwpercle]

I haven't figured out what this is but we do know :
1. this one section is not 1/2 of another missing section .
2. the cast iron "bowls" could be heated , say from a low bunsen burner , alcohol lamp but the complete tool was not exposed to a lot of high heat ... the wood handle would burn away if too much heat ... low heat was involved .
3. There are 4 "containers" two large , 2 small ...

Was something placed in the containers and heated / melted over a low heat source ... and used for some kind of artwork where colors were applied by hand ?
Maybe the lumonus colors on clock dials or instrument panels ?

Just looking at the object , materials and craftsmanship and age patena on it ... pre-WWII maybe dates to 1900's .
Is there any residue inside the cups or on the underside of the cups ?
Gary

[Thin Man]

Why not take it to a local antiques dealer, or one of the "Rare Toys" antique forums aimed at the TV audience. Someone there should know or pretend to know what it is and its worth.

[JimB..]

There seems to be writing on the boss that holds the handle, what does it say?

[gwpercle]

Why not take it to a local antiques dealer, or one of the "Rare Toys" antique forums aimed at the TV audience. Someone there should know or pretend to know what it is and its worth.

That takes all the fun out of it ... what could we talk about for the next two weeks ...
LSU's 63 to 7 whomping of Perdue in the Cheeze-It Bowl ...
Gary

[Bob in St. Louis]

I haven't figured out what this is but we do know :
1. this one section is not 1/2 of another missing section .
2. the cast iron "bowls" could be heated , say from a low bunsen burner , alcohol lamp but the complete tool was not exposed to a lot of high heat ... the wood handle would burn away if too much heat ... low heat was involved .
3. There are 4 "containers" two large , 2 small ...

Was something placed in the containers and heated / melted over a low heat source ... and used for some kind of artwork where colors were applied by hand ?
Maybe the lumonus colors on clock dials or instrument panels ?

Just looking at the object , materials and craftsmanship and age patena on it ... pre-WWII maybe dates to 1900's .
Is there any residue inside the cups or on the underside of the cups ?
Gary

I like where you're going. I'll ask about residue. Maybe worth a lead test too?

[Winger Ed.]

The woman looked down and said that she could not bring herself to "swallow this muck."
She broke the applause.

That's funny.
And all this time I thought we had all of the world's stupid people.

At one duty station, I often talked with our Fleet Corpsman. (It's like a medic in the Army)
He told of a young kid that came in with trench foot. No big deal, easy to cure, and he gave the guy a bottle of these big pills,
told him to put them in 1 & 1/2 gallons of water, twice a day, and come back in a week.

The kid didn't listen to the part about they were basically a soap, you dissolve them, and soak your feet.

He came back in a week---- no change for his feet.
He told the Doc, "I can get the pill down OK, but I can't sit and drink 1 & a 1/2 gallon of water twice a day".

[Bob in St. Louis]

There seems to be writing on the boss that holds the handle, what does it say?
I'll ask if we can get a better image, thank you.

[Alex_4x4]

...

He came back in a week---- no change for his feet.
He told the Doc, "I can get the pill down OK, but I can't sit and drink 1 & a 1/2 gallon of water twice a day".

There is a saying in Russia:

"Who served in the army does not laugh in the circus" (c)

There is a good film on this topic "DMB" (the premiere was on 03/31/2000).

If you want to see it, I'll post a link.

[Winger Ed.]

There is a good film on this topic "DMB" (the premiere was on 03/31/2000).
If you want to see it, I'll post a link.

Oh yeah. It takes a little digging to find them, but there is lots of Russian films that are dubbed in English,
and are really good. "Moscow Films" is a youtube channel that has several of them.

I'm still looking around for what kind of mold that thing is, but haven't had much luck.
There's muffin tin/molds like it, but they all have 6 or 8 large size cavities and no handle.

When I was in Japan, they served rice on your plate that looked like it could have come from
a mold like that, but in the US, it is just scooped out of a pot with a spoon, and plopped on your plate.

[osage]

Girl friend took one look and thought it looked like a aebleskiver pan. But not as many holes.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thanks for the continued diligence fellas!

[725]

The Lancaster Farmer news paper has a section, "Antique's Detective". Finding out about weird stuff is what they do. Run up a search for Lancaster Farmer and see if they have a contact number. Send 'em a picture and maybe they could figure it out.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thank you, that's a neat idea!

[Alex_4x4]

...

I'm still looking around for what kind of mold that thing is, but haven't had much luck.
There's muffin tin/molds like it, but they all have 6 or 8 large size cavities and no handle.

...

In the first post of this topic, I see the text. Judging by the text, in the first post of this topic, there is still a photo (photos). This is true?

If "yes", then I do not see the photo.

----------------------------------

In Russia, the film studio "Mosfilm" is not the only one.

The film "DMB" was shot by the film studio "Polygon".

[Bob in St. Louis]

In the first post of this topic, I see the text. Judging by the text, in the first post of this topic, there is still a photo (photos). This is true?

If "yes", then I do not see the photo.

----------------------------------

In Russia, the film studio "Mosfilm" is not the only one.

The film "DMB" was shot by the film studio "Polygon".
Yes indeed, there are three images shown in my first post.

[abunaitoo]

I wonder if it could be a Japanese Takoyaki ball cooker????
Never seen one that small.

[Winger Ed.]

there is still a photo (photos). This is true?.

I still have a old style desk top computer with a screen, and still see the pictures.
I don't have one, but people say that there is often things that don't show up on a smart phone, but do on a computer monitor.

[Winger Ed.]

Well Bob,

From what I've seen of all the 'what is it' posts--- you win the prize for the most difficult one to identify.
We have people here from at least 5 different countries on all corners of the globe, and from all walks of life.
So far, nobody knows exactly what it's for.

I'll take another guess:
If it has a flat bottom, and no evidence that it has been very hot, and being clean with no residue in the chambers--
(Since the chambers aren't all of different sizes, I doubt it is some sort of measuring scoop.)

But it might be something to sit on top of a old fashioned wood burning stove and be filled with different amounts of
scented oil to warm and evaporate like an air freshener,
or some kind of medicine and be used like we do a modern generation vaporizer when you have a chest illness.

With more than one chamber, and being two different sizes,
you could control the concentration in the air when the contents evaporated, or use more than one kind of stuff in it.

[lancem]

Well Bob,

From what I've seen of all the 'what is it' posts--- you win the prize for the most difficult one to identify.
We have people here from at least 5 different countries on all corners of the globe, and from all walks of life.
So far, nobody knows exactly what it's for.

I'll take another guess:
If it has a flat bottom, and no evidence that it has been very hot, and being clean with no residue in the chambers--
(Since the chambers aren't all of different sizes, I doubt it is some sort of measuring scoop.)

But it might be something to sit on top of a old fashioned wood burning stove and be filled with different amounts of
scented oil to warm and evaporate like an air freshener,
or some kind of medicine and be used like we do a modern generation vaporizer when you have a chest illness.

With more than one chamber, and being two different sizes,
you could control the concentration in the air when the contents evaporated, or use more than one kind of stuff in it.

Well now this post gets the award for the most creative thinking! But, living with wood stoves my whole life, and it's getting to be a long one, I think this unlikely with it having a handle. Using it as you suggest would require it being on the stove all day or so, that handle would get to hot to touch and if it is as old as it looks that wood would have dried up and cracked off long ago or at least would be scorched because someone would have forgotten to take it off when the stove was cooking cherry red as they do sometimes. It's a good story though and if I were you I'd be sticking to it!!! :)

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thanks fellas!
Yea, the one thing I find most odd is the two different 'chambers'.
Good theories though. If and when the truth is known, I'm sure it won't be as interesting as some of the theories given here.
The truth is often much more boring. haha

[MT Gianni]

Veterinary suppository mold? That might account for the different sizes.

[Winger Ed.]

I was looking on Amazon for molds like a cup cake tin to use for making hamburger buns that don't flatten and thin out when they rise.

I came across a 6 cavity half sphere food grade silicon mold with what look like exactly that shape of the cavities in your picture.
The new/modern version is marketed for making small cakes & buns--- and soap.

Most people mold the soap into a big block, then cut the size bars they want.
But if you want to get fancy----
Apparently, you make the soap, push it into the mold, scrape off the top edge, flop it out, and let it harden up.

If that's what yours is, it'd explain why there is no heat marks from cooking with it.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Well now that's an interesting take. That certainly seems plausible given everything we know. Thank you!

[farmbif]

what ever it is they were not very popular cuz no one has seen one before or knows what it is. it could be some very specialized apparatus for something or other.
might be a good thing to take to antiques road show

[Winger Ed.]

might be a good thing to take to antiques road show

I like that show. They don't get things wrong very often.

A funny one they dropped the ball on was some pottery jar/pot thing.
They called it as some rare antique worth quite a bit.
The a lady came forward somewhere with a picture, and said she'd made it in High School in a pottery class.

[Mk42gunner]

Has anybody done an image search on google? I am not all that computer literate, but I know (or at least think) that there may be other pictures of these things floating around the internet.

Robert

[Winger Ed.]

Has anybody done an image search on google?

I tried it early on, and didn't have any luck.

[gwpercle]

WOW ...
I can't believe we are getting stumped by this thing ... been a long time since I've seen everybody strike out ! I'm at a loss .
Gary

[Bob in St. Louis]

I've done the google image thing once, years ago. Didn't have any luck. Frankly, I not only forgot to try it, I don't even remember how. haha

[Hogtamer]

https://nordicfoodliving.com/original-recipe-danish-aebleskiver-pancake-balls/

[Winger Ed.]

https://nordicfoodliving.com/original-recipe-danish-aebleskiver-pancake-balls/

I ran across those in my searching.
I discounted them since the minimum number of holes I saw was seven.

There's different things molded to the shape shown,
and plenty of Iron, Alum. and even food grade plastic molds you can bake in,
but the headscratcher is why only two cavities. And why the two little cavities?

[gwpercle]

https://nordicfoodliving.com/original-recipe-danish-aebleskiver-pancake-balls/

They didn't show the pan ... they didn't show any pan at all ...
what did they cook the ones in the photo in ?

I'm not 100% convinced it's a aebleskiver pan ... not just yet ...
but ... I sorta think it might be some kind of cooking utensil ...
It's not 1/2 of any mould ... what we see is all there is .
Gary

[Winger Ed.]

They didn't show the pan ... they didn't show any pan at all ...
what did they cook the ones in the photo in ?

The pans are all over ebay and Amazon.
Some are made like cast Iron frying pans with the compartments, others are more like a cookie sheet.
Depending on what you're making, the cast ones could go on top of the stove or in a oven.
The sheet pan ones are more for cakes going in the oven.

The head scratcher for me is that it only has two compartments for each size.
They advertise them as molds for soap, chocolate goodies, breads & buns, and even frying eggs.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I'm very sure it's not an Ableskiver unit. I've got one, and the holes are almost racquet ball size. Plus, there's seven cavities.
Making them this small and only two at a time would be an arduous task. And still again, the two little ones would be too small to be useful.
Thanks again fellas!

[gwpercle]

The pans are all over ebay and Amazon.
Some are made like cast Iron frying pans with the compartments, others are more like a cookie sheet.
Depending on what you're making, the cast ones could go on top of the stove or in a oven.
The sheet pan ones are more for cakes going in the oven.

The head scratcher for me is that it only has two compartments for each size.
They advertise them as molds for soap, chocolate goodies, breads & buns, and even frying eggs.

Aha... They didn't know what it was used for either ...
What puzzles me is the two very different sized cavities and the number of cavities ...
Two rather big ones and two extra small ones ... I just can't think why or what you would cook in this contraption .
I can tell you it is not used in Cajun or Creole cooking in South Louisiana . Maybe some of the German Settlers decendants from around Des Allemands ( The German Coast) would have some idea of what this thing is .
Gary

[Winger Ed.]

. Maybe some of the German Settlers decendants from around Des Allemands ( The German Coast) would have some idea of what this thing is .Gary

My Mom's family is all descended from the German pioneers that settled in the Texas Hill Country.
They were all about old world cooking, and I never saw or even heard of anything like that.

My Dad's family came to Northern Virginia during the Irish potato famine around 1845.
A little before the Civil War, when the farm land 'wore out', they moved and settled in Mississippi.
There was never anything even close to that in their culture either.

[gwpercle]

My Mom's family is all descended from the German pioneers that settled in the Texas Hill Country.
They were all about old world cooking, and I never saw or even heard of anything like that.

My Dad's family came to Northern Virginia during the Irish potato famine around 1845.
A little before the Civil War, when the farm land 'wore out', they moved and settled in Mississippi.
There was never anything even close to that in their culture either.

:goodpost:
Thanks , it was a long shot ... but we know something else it Isn't !
It isn't some German cooking utensil .

I'm starting to think it's a Suppository Mould from Texas ...
... everythings bigger in Texas !
...The little ones are for women and children .

:drinks:
Gary

[farmbif]

came across some information and I think your mould is actually a gold assay prill mould. there are several modern designs but the one you have seems quite old

[Bob in St. Louis]

Ohhh, most excellent. Thank you VERY much!!
Honestly, I don't know that term, I had to look it up. So I appreciate the education!

[gwpercle]

A Gold Assay Prill Mould ! Why of course ... I should have known .
I had to look up the word prill and still not sure what a prill is but I'm going with Prill Mould anyway ...
Thanks for the I.D. farmbif :drinks:

Now we know and can lay another "whatizzit" to rest !
Gary

[Winger Ed.]

If you need a new one for your Gold mining activities--- they're still in production.

[10x]

Back in the 70s while stationed at a Reserve base with a couple of Navy Squadrons, one of the Sailors collapsed and fell off a plane.
He got hurt pretty bad too. Come to find out, he'd been prescribed suppositories for some ailment.

They just handed them to him without telling him how to use them.
Just a "Take these, and come back next week" sort of deal.
Yep,,,,,, he was swallowing them.

A friend of mine was a Doctor in S. Africa. A local came in with an infected cut. The Dr. prescribed antibiotics that should have cleared the infection in couple of days. A week later the local came in and the infection was worse than ever.
The Dr. asked "Did you get the antibiotics?" the local replies, "yes, I put them in a bag and wore them as a necklace for the past week. They did nothing..." . The vial was still full....

[Winger Ed.]

The Dr. asked "Did you get the antibiotics?" the local replies, "yes, I put them in a bag and wore them as a necklace for the past week. They did nothing..." . The vial was still full....

Years ago, Rowan and Martin did a skit about a 20th century medicine man.
In it one said the best remedy for athlete's foot was some specific kind of tree bark.

The other one asked if you boiled the bark and put it on your feet?
Which ever one was playing the Indian Medicine Man said, "No. Use bark to build fire. Boil feet".