anybody know what this piece was originally used for? somebody told me this may have been used in the forrestry business? or possibly off an old sailing ship's pulley?



I photographed it next to a can of soda for size comparison

Turn of the century butt-plug?

first thing i thought of when a ship comes in and they throw the rope to the dock. They put the rope on around it and pull the ship in.

Capstan? Is it by chance splined inside? If so it COULD be a winch capstan also. And I do believe they were used in logging years ago.

Quoted: Used to tie a ship to a dock when it was at port. Its not a pulley. Damn, hanau beat me by a few seconds.

do you think it's an antique? like something used on an old fishing schooner?

I'm guessing it was decorative, like capping a porch column. It's the color of redwood and from the grain looks like old heartwood, the kind that makes your heart go pitter patter because you don't find the old growth wood any more. If it was "used" I think whatever its purpose was would have left alot more marks and wear on it.

another possibility, is it could be an old display stand for a hat mould / display stand,
because it has a hole on the top like something plugged into it like maybe a mannequin head for a hat display?

the other side has no holes, it's just smooth

It may also be a casting pattern.  Mould material, like sand, would be packed around it in two (or more) sections.  The pattern removed, and then cast iron, or brass poured into the mould.  The cast piece then used as one of the previously mentioned articles.

Or, your hat stand base seems just as likely.

Dave.

Quoted: It may also be a casting pattern.  Mould material, like sand, would be packed around it in two (or more) sections.  The pattern removed, and then cast iron, or brass poured into the mould.  The cast piece then used as one of the previously mentioned articles. Or, your hat stand base seems just as likely. Dave.

I found something I can use it for, a helmet stand!

the lady at the flea market had a whole pile of old stuff and said it was all FREE, so I took it to use as a helmet stand

I'll probably put some boiled linseed oil on it to preserve the wood or just leave it "as is"

A capstan or "Cathead".



http://www.littlehercules.com/catheads.html

A capstan or cathead has a constant RPM, these days supplied by electric or air motors, in times past by steam engines.  Several loops of rope are whipped around it, and pulling on the end of the rope causes more friction, and allows the spinning capstan to pull the load on the other end of the rope.  

Releasing tension on the end of the rope loosens the rope around the capstan and allows the capstan to slip inside the rope.  The load can be let out in a controlled manner by maintaining and releasing tension on the end of the rope.

The rounded smaller upper rim is to allow a rope to be looped around it quickly and easily without snagging.  The larger lower rim is to help keep it from slipping down and under, wrapping itself on the shaft beneath when slack is let out.

Possible sources:  Forestry (moving logs around), farms (attached to tractor PTO), ships or dockside, by railroad sidings to move cars up to the loading dock at an industry or warehouse, tugging pallets and crates around warehouses, etc.

Quoted: Used to tie a ship to a dock when it was at port. Its not a pulley. Damn, hanau beat me by a few seconds.

No, those are shaped more like a thread spool.  Also, there are usually two of them side by side, and a horizontal stub out of each side.



Notice the head is much larger, to keep the rope from slipping over the top when the tide goes out, and no taper.