So a friend sent me this picture and asked "what is it". I admit that I'm stumped. It is about 12" tall and 9" in diameter. She said they couldn't get the top off to see inside. Not much to go on, so what say you?

Ward

it is a old fridge or a/c compressor

Does it tick?............:o

Does it tick?............

That was my first thought!!!

My first thought was a floating mine. :blink:

You guys crack me up! A compressor sounds reasonable but I only received the one picture and I didn't see any pressure fittings and the mounting tabs seemed to be very heavy duty for a compressor. I'll ask and see if it was ticking I'll ask about the other side as well. Puzzles are always fun.

Ward

looks like maybe a air tank for big rig air brakes???

I have no idea but looking at the shape it could be the start of an interesting sculpture

I'm with dablacksmith, I am pretty sure it is an air brake chamber.

What. No BOOM!!!! Awwwww.:(

Those floating mines are several feet across not inches, and they don't have protective layers of corrugated stuff. They're meant to bump into things.

So, no, no boom. :rolleyes:

It's one of those whirligigs that that are off that one thing, ya know that one thing that has those other things that kinda look that that thing? yeah that's what it is alright....

Its a droid with a bad motivator unit.

If Osama could of got his hands on that.................................:huh:

Jimmy is right on the money. Old refig. compressor. I have scraped thousands of them.
It's old enough that if any oil is left in it odds are it contains PCB's. Be careful
if you decide to take it apart. The fittings are most likely 1/4 inch steel tube,
no threads. Inside you fine an electric motor and a small compressor made of cast
iron and some valves.

I was going to say an old smudge pot. Since it has been positively identified, all the fun has gone out of it.

Well once again someone has stepped up and helped to round out our education.

Mark <º)))><

DESTROY...DESTROY... Any Dr. Who fans out there? Looks like a Dalek head

!!DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER!!

Sorry about spoiling ya'lls fun. Next time I'll let it run a few days before I mess it all up.
On the other hand PCB's are no joke. If you want to know more google them

sorry ya'll but i have handled sealed units aka compressors so have fun but...don't cut into one

It's a jello mold.

If it had not been identified I would have tended toward Monster's description but said that we know it as a "ma-gafter"

Ian

My friend sent me a picture from the other side and it appears there are two cut off tubes exiting the top. So it would appear the correct answer is a refrideration compressor. It was found in a scrap pile and returned to whence it came so no worries about the PCBs. If I didn't live in CA I'd see about making it go boom just for CurlyGeorge

Ward

:o Gee, thanks Ward.:D

It is apparent nobody here grew up with a top mount GE fridge. Ya all younger than 40? last I checked the old GE was still keeping the beer cold after about 80 yrs and rolling down a 40ft driveway and hitting a old oak tree. How many flathead motors or front loaders have ya delt with? Try this for a motto
The diffacult is 1 hour service is normal. the impossible is slightly longer. Do what ya can with what ya got and that is the best you are gonna do. We are not gonna be
a Simmonds or Whitacare or whoever. We can't be the best but we can be the best we can.
Ken.