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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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8th Aug 2018, 3:28 pm | #1 |
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A table thing
Visiting Wycombe Museum a few days ago I cam across the thing pictured below, even the staff didn't know what it was. Any ideas, it was part of a dinner set display, whether this was correct or not I do not know.
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8th Aug 2018, 3:46 pm | #2 |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Maldon, Essex, UK.
Posts: 182
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Re: A table thing
I would call it an antique Soldering Iron rest but most people would describe it as a Knife Rest:
http://www.knife-rests.co.uk/knife_rest_history.php We use something not dissimilar but made from pottery as a chop-stick rest. David |
8th Aug 2018, 3:48 pm | #3 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 2,198
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Re: A table thing
Not electrical I'm afraid, though I'm sure a little imagination could put it to use in some technical experiments.
It's a knife rest for use when the Master had finished carving the meat and the carving knife was covered with the juices, it was laid on the knife rest which kept it clear of the table and avoided soiling the tablecloth. Simple, but ingenious. More information at http://www.knife-rests.co.uk/knife_rest_history.php . Martin
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8th Aug 2018, 3:50 pm | #4 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 2,198
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Re: A table thing
Disturbing that, in a world run by Google, we both identified the same website!
M
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8th Aug 2018, 4:01 pm | #5 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 2,198
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Re: A table thing
The silver knife rest was probably incompatible with the rather alarming 'Electric Tablecloth' of a slightly later era. Table lamps were fitted with contacts in their bases in order to connect to a web of conductors incorporated in the tablecloth so that they could be placed more or less anywhere and would magically light up with no trailing flexes.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...ecloth&f=false Martin
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8th Aug 2018, 4:35 pm | #6 |
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Re: A table thing
Thanks all, the tablecloth is described in one of the “Dangers of the (insert period here)” BBC programmes.
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8th Aug 2018, 4:42 pm | #7 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 2,511
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Re: A table thing
Perhaps that tablecloth is the origin of the 'rule' about not resting your elbows on the table...………..
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8th Aug 2018, 5:18 pm | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Duffort, Gers, France
Posts: 714
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Re: A table thing
It might have been a 6v table cloth. However given that they had mains voltage electric trains:
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...=hornby&page=2 (see post 22) it was probably a mains voltage tablecloth. I'll bet it looked nice with uranium glass ornaments on it.
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Stuart The golden age is always yesterday - Asa Briggs |