Help identifying an object

[jamesramone]

Hello,

Bit of a random one this but with the sort of stuff people must see on this site I wondered if anyone could help identifying what the following object is.

A friend of mine came across this whilst out walking, She said you can't drive there, so it had to have been carried in and dumped and if you look, there are four clear hand-holes on the sides near the top, so it's obviously meant to be handled in that way.

Any help appreciated as its annoying me and some friends !

Hope this post is ok as I appreciate its not technically about derelict places, but assumed some people might have an idea.

Thanks

James

 

[UE-OMJ]

Its.... upside down...?

 

[st33ly]

Looks like an upside down slide lol.

 

[UrbanX]

I reckon it's upside down... The 'legs' make a horizontal plane.
Bar game with rolling balls? With an acrylic guard?
No idea! You've got me curious though!

 

[KingLewis92]

presuming its upside down, once the right way up it looks like some sort of double chair, maybe a lounger of some sort?...

 

[Krypton]

looks like a kids slide to me

 

[UEP-Wales]

presuming its upside down, once the right way up it looks like some sort of double chair, maybe a lounger of some sort?...

I thought of a double chair but then the large pole coming out of the side wouldn't be there really? To me it looks like a stage block but I could be wrong of course. Was there any writing anywhere on it?

 

[gushysfella]

Is it a chair from a fair ground ride?

 

[Munchh]

The handle cut outs are the main clue. They're a must if you have to carry something regularly that's not particularly heavy but is of an awkward shape and size. It's not something intended to be permanent but rather something to be moved/removed or loaded/unloaded frequently.

So, I think it may have once been;

a) part of a stage or theatre set
b) part of a carnival float rigging
c) fairground/circus related
d) a temporary but re-useable display unit (ie as in a department store)
e) a beach/pool sun lounger with awning, add your own padding. lol

Looks to me like the main structure is made from 18mm birch faced ply (ie marine grade) which is the material I would build something like this from for all of the above uses. It would have been positioned against two adjacent surfaces (eg wall and floor) or originally covered at the rear with thin bendy plywood which has subsequently come away or been removed. This is evident because the rear is 'unfinished' or 'in the white wood' as we say in the trade. You wouldn't decorate unseen surfaces.

Seeing the flip side of it might be more enlightening. That's the rear of it we're looking at.

EDIT: Is the stuff underneath it related or just other discarded junk? It also resembles a large curve press former but that's a long shot.

 

[highcannons]

....if it is upside down then why bother shaping the rails to follow the platforms?....

 

[Munchh]

....if it is upside down then why bother shaping the rails to follow the platforms?....

If I'm getting what you mean by the above HC, the answer may be the 'uneven ground' principle. If it was intended to be used the other way up than the pic shows, 'points' or 'feet' touching the ground are more likely to overcome localised humps and bumps than if the 'rails' were flat bottomed similar to the way traditional furniture plinths have cut out shapes in them. ie - when load is applied or when it's just sitting there, it's less likely to rock. You simply wedge it if it does.

This suggests it's a temporary component as if it were intended to be 'fitted' or 'scribed' to a floor or wall it would indeed have been originally 'left square' on the rear prior to installation.

Another possibility is that the rear was required to fit a shaped surface and so deliberately 'cut to suit' a bit like fitting out boats, canal barges etc. But again, you wouldn't bother putting handles on something unless you need to move it a lot.

I've built stuff like this with and without transit handles. They're simple convenience cut-outs that are only usually lined with hand hold liners for aesthetics ie when they are designed to be seen. These particular hand holds were designed to be either covered by adjacent objects or considered okay for casual or remote observation as in part of a stage set etc.

Could be from something in the area you found it in or dumped there by some ned from miles away who just wanted rid of it, who knows. My brain hurts now

 

[highcannons]

Thinking of it up the other way, what about ducting....the hand holes look bigger on the inside so maybe they took some ducting ?

 

[Munchh]

Thinking of it up the other way, what about ducting....the hand holes look bigger on the inside so maybe they took some ducting ?

True, although the centre 'rib' is plain so the ducting would be compartmentalised (christ! is that actually a word) either side. Do you mean cable ducting or air? Air doesn't seem likely but I'm happy to be corrected on that if someone has an idea.

Have to say though that the cut-outs look irregular (ie not automated machinery or pattern cut) and ducting is usually of a rigid shape and fixed size, at least at junctions such as inlets. Unless flexible ducting simply passes through the holes into the space for some reason. That would work with cables but again only if it didn't matter how it looked or how firmly it was 'attached' to the hole.

You do know I'm only getting involved at all cos I've got a lot of time on my hands at the moment and the happy pills are just kicking in, right?.

Normally, I couldn't be arsed with unidentified lumps of anything unless it's concrete or derelict and here I am running off at the mouth.

I don't think this thread is quite pit worthy, but it is a bit shit albeit entertaining, sorry jamesramone.

 

[GavinJ]

It's the roof off Fred Flintstones's car.


Well maybe not but it may be intended to be high up above something - not sure what but just looking at the finished surfaces and the shapes.

 

[Munchh]

An overhead canopy with lights in then perhaps?, high enough for the unfinished back to not be seen?. It's a thought, Gavin.

 

[Lurkingwitch]

Easy...it's a thing for doing something with.....sorry I can't be more specific.

 

[Richard Davies]

This is a real puzzler.

I'm thinking it's some sort of fairground game, a bit like a Shove Ha'penny.

 

[UEP-Wales]

Ok this question may help work things out....where was it found? Anything near by like a theme park or anything like that?

 

[muppet]

im not sure if it upside down if you look by the hand holes the paint ran the right way . still dont know what it is though

 

[jamesramone]

It was found in the woods, not really near anywhere. The info provided is pretty much all I was given.

One more photo