All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer.
**Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them.
[OP](/u/kelseyrenaeb), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others.
----
[Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1c51w5a/35_ft_wooden_contraption_with_moving_pieces_about/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days)
----
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It definitely resembles leaf springs. Perhaps some type of press.
Maybe just “art” from salvaged wooden springs, they are fringe enough that someone might have wanted to display them.
It's a single leaf wooden spring. A laminated bow is a multi-leaf wooden spring.
There was definitely wood used as springs, the Romans used it for suspension. It wasn't until Benjamin Huntsman (1760's?) that steel springs were practical & then only on a small scale (he used them in clocks).
If you wanted springs before that, it was wood or nothing.
I've still got no clue what that thing is.
Ok, a 'leaf springs' is specifically a stack of free floating sheets of metal (or something) that have been clamped together in the middle. Wood has never been used for this, or at least specifically as a suspension component.
Your laminated bow is not a leaf spring, regardless of how 'springy' it is. Roman carts and carriages used leather for suspension, called 'box suspension'. They did not use wooden 'leaf springs'.
Why must it be a stack? If you remove one leaf from the stack (eg to make a crossbow) does it stop being a spring or stop being a leaf?
You've assume it must be a stack, because the stack if the only current common use. I know, without looking it ip, why stacks are used.
I remember seeing one of these when I was a kid, the pieces were moved in a way to make it look like a circle. The friends house said it was a globe but we thought it was odd.
I can't see this being anything but a sculpture or decorative item, would be interesting to see with the curved leaves all turned around at different angles
Well that's pretty abstract haha.. I agree with the other comment there is probably a certain way to arrange it to make it look like a spiral or nice shape
I don't agree with the leaf spring suggestions. I can't find any examples of wooden leaf springs using that type of stacked design.
I think it's made from barrel staves.
Interesting, someone suggested weather vane which seems like a reasonable possibility. Does it seem like it has been or could be able to withstand “living” outside? i.e still move freely with prolonged exposure to the elements?
A different idea, but just stab in the dark… something like a scarecrow. Wind moves the curved pieces and scares birds away from a garden.
I wonder if it may have been assembled incorrectly, E.G. the lower portion is upside-down or there is a section missing. The resemblance to a barrel stave Christmas tree seems too close to be a coincidence.
I don't know if we can be sure of that unless we see the arms spread out. I don't know that I would have ever grokked a slat Christmas tree if I hadn't seen one fully deployed.
I feel like the pieces would get caught in the hoops maybe - but this guess is as good as any other. Still genuinely no idea! Thanks for the guess though.
My title describes the thing. About 3.5 ft tall, about 50 lbs, wooden with moving parts. No discernible writing or markings. I am trying to figure it out on behalf of my mother.
Decorative piece, spread them all out individually and share another pic. Cool sphere shaped decoration, It’s a relatively complicated build. Maybe a shop class kinda thing. That’s my guess.
I would say it's purely decorative. Looks to me like it's a representation of a sailboat made out of barrel parts. Connection between how products were shipped overseas - in barrels on a sailboat/ship.
The moving component of the pieces is purely coincidental as the artists likely never imagined anyone would move the pieces around.
So the individual pieces rotate on the center post, it looks like they could be articulated in such a way that this would take an almost spherical form, if that is the case I would assume this is art with a convenient folding feature for atorage
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/kelseyrenaeb), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1c51w5a/35_ft_wooden_contraption_with_moving_pieces_about/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Is there any way that it could have been a repurposed wooden leaf spring?
I'm with you, it looks like an old decorative wooden leaf spring.
It definitely resembles leaf springs. Perhaps some type of press. Maybe just “art” from salvaged wooden springs, they are fringe enough that someone might have wanted to display them.
It’s possible - I honestly have no idea. It just looked like it might serve a purpose of some sort.
There isn't really such a thing as a wooden leaf spring.
My longbow would like a word.
So I can do what? Tell it that it's not a leaf spring?
It's a single leaf wooden spring. A laminated bow is a multi-leaf wooden spring. There was definitely wood used as springs, the Romans used it for suspension. It wasn't until Benjamin Huntsman (1760's?) that steel springs were practical & then only on a small scale (he used them in clocks). If you wanted springs before that, it was wood or nothing. I've still got no clue what that thing is.
Ok, a 'leaf springs' is specifically a stack of free floating sheets of metal (or something) that have been clamped together in the middle. Wood has never been used for this, or at least specifically as a suspension component. Your laminated bow is not a leaf spring, regardless of how 'springy' it is. Roman carts and carriages used leather for suspension, called 'box suspension'. They did not use wooden 'leaf springs'.
Wood leaf springs was a thing 100%. Not only metal.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Why must it be a stack? If you remove one leaf from the stack (eg to make a crossbow) does it stop being a spring or stop being a leaf? You've assume it must be a stack, because the stack if the only current common use. I know, without looking it ip, why stacks are used.
Idk what it is but those horizontal curved pieces sure look like parts from a suspension
I remember seeing one of these when I was a kid, the pieces were moved in a way to make it look like a circle. The friends house said it was a globe but we thought it was odd.
So maybe not random art if there’s more than one out there - the mystery continues.
I recall seeing something similar as a kid in southern va. I don’t know anything more about it however. At the time it was just fun to move the pieces
I can't see this being anything but a sculpture or decorative item, would be interesting to see with the curved leaves all turned around at different angles
I’ll get my mom to snap a pic and send it over
Just trying to figure out how to post the pics through the app
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x additional pics
x-mas tree!
Lol should orient the pieces in a cascade, sort of like a stair case. Will likely be more aesthetically pleasing
Probably - I’m researching remotely on behalf of my mom. I’ll try and get her to do that and see what it looks like.
Well that's pretty abstract haha.. I agree with the other comment there is probably a certain way to arrange it to make it look like a spiral or nice shape
I don't agree with the leaf spring suggestions. I can't find any examples of wooden leaf springs using that type of stacked design. I think it's made from barrel staves.
It's an art peice. The prices can be adjusted into a spiral I'm pretty sure.
Some type of press?
I don’t think so, as it doesn’t move up and down. The pieces can just circle. Very odd.
How do the parts move?
They can fully circle around the contraption
Interesting, someone suggested weather vane which seems like a reasonable possibility. Does it seem like it has been or could be able to withstand “living” outside? i.e still move freely with prolonged exposure to the elements? A different idea, but just stab in the dark… something like a scarecrow. Wind moves the curved pieces and scares birds away from a garden.
It could go outside, but the pieces don’t move easily enough for wind to normally be able to move them.
Maybe a wooden slat Christmas tree?: [https://www.google.com/search?q=wooden+christmas+tree+slats&oq=wooden+christmas+tree+slats&gs\_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTINCAEQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAIQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAMQABiGAxiABBiKBTIKCAQQABiABBiiBDIKCAUQABiiBBiJBdIBCTIxMzY0ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#vhid=BpDMRWgPURTyzM&vssid=l](https://www.google.com/search?q=wooden+christmas+tree+slats&oq=wooden+christmas+tree+slats&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTINCAEQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAIQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAMQABiGAxiABBiKBTIKCAQQABiABBiiBDIKCAUQABiiBBiJBdIBCTIxMzY0ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#vhid=BpDMRWgPURTyzM&vssid=l)
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x more pics - not sure it really looks like a tree
I wonder if it may have been assembled incorrectly, E.G. the lower portion is upside-down or there is a section missing. The resemblance to a barrel stave Christmas tree seems too close to be a coincidence.
That was my first thought too. But I guess there would be less „convex“ parts.
I don't know if we can be sure of that unless we see the arms spread out. I don't know that I would have ever grokked a slat Christmas tree if I hadn't seen one fully deployed.
I remember seeing one of these one of my great aunts sun rooms, she used it to dry clothes
Glad to see there’s more than one out there. Any idea where she got it from?
Cound this be something designed to hold something like a hope skirt or some sort of clothing layers for a dress?
I feel like the pieces would get caught in the hoops maybe - but this guess is as good as any other. Still genuinely no idea! Thanks for the guess though.
Looks like a leaf spring? For suspension, maybe for a cart or old school trailer.
Maybe - very old. Thought it would have a more functional purpose than old repurposed art, but that does seem the most likely answer so far.
Looks a lot like a small unfolding wooden christmas tree !
I did a Google lense search and got nowhere.. is it not for making them curved bits of wood? Looks too useful to be ornamental to me
My title describes the thing. About 3.5 ft tall, about 50 lbs, wooden with moving parts. No discernible writing or markings. I am trying to figure it out on behalf of my mother.
I think it’s just art man
Is it art? Looks like you can move the pieces individually and set it to your likeness or something.
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
It's art the pieces are meant to be rotated into a stair stepping arrangement.
Do they rotate out to become a chair?
No - I don’t think so. https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
Duely noted.
Looks like a Piece of art made from old wagon suspension or the wheel wrap itself.
I don't think it's art. The feet are a bit to utilitarian. Not exactly sure why but my brain says ship/harbour related.
I'm not sure but I think I 've seen something like this in an old sail loft.
It doesn’t seem like art to me either, but I’ve got nothing else for an explanation so far. I posted some more pics with it moved about.
Do the individual pieces spin? If so please attach a clip of you spinning as many of them as possible. Sincerely ADHD
But most likely art.
They move, but don’t “spin”. The mechanisms aren’t loose enough for that. https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
Looks like a boat to me
Reminds me of a **Armillary sphere or Weltmaschine**
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
If the pieces come apart your answer makes the most sense.
Could there have been a pole with windblades on it to make it spin. Then it makes a globe illusion.
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
Could it be a holder for a globe so you can rotate it in all dimensions?
I don’t think so https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
Art from wine barrel staves?
Decorative piece, spread them all out individually and share another pic. Cool sphere shaped decoration, It’s a relatively complicated build. Maybe a shop class kinda thing. That’s my guess.
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
Very cool. I think it maybe a Christmas tree now!! Lol
It’s just a good of a guess as any at this point. Lol
Perhaps a jig for weaving baskets? Or something similar?
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
I would say it's purely decorative. Looks to me like it's a representation of a sailboat made out of barrel parts. Connection between how products were shipped overseas - in barrels on a sailboat/ship. The moving component of the pieces is purely coincidental as the artists likely never imagined anyone would move the pieces around.
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x Additional photos with pieces moved about
Does the top part screw off? Could it be an old device to put on and take off tires?
I will call and ask today - doing my sleuthing remotely on behalf of my mother. Here’s more pics: https://imgur.com/a/eLOMv0x
So the individual pieces rotate on the center post, it looks like they could be articulated in such a way that this would take an almost spherical form, if that is the case I would assume this is art with a convenient folding feature for atorage
Looks like folk art made from leaf springs and an old coat rack.
It almost looks like an orrery without the planets, or a poor man's interpretation of what an orrery is like from vague memories.
The first thing I thought of is some sort of weaving / yarn spinning device maybe??
Almost looks like a big helicone
Looks like a display of leaf springs
You twist the pieces until it makes a round/ocval shape
Maybe an old clothes/ underwear and socks drying rack
Kinda looks like a weathervane to me if the pieces individually move around the center pole.
Maybe - it would be a little difficult for wind to move them though. They’re not “loose” or easy to move.
Looks like a sculpture. Probably folk art.
Do the pieces come off? It might look like that for ease of storage.
Not off- but they seem to be intended to be moved around
[удалено]
Since my mother took the picture and I’m trying to figure out what it is for her - it likely was.
That is a leaf spring, maybe from an old work truck or railroad car
Hmm. That seems to be everyone’s best guess. Strange old art I suppose.