Mystery Object

[ozwinner]

What am I?
Hint Im a mineral.
This one is twinned, so it might throw you off track a little.
Comes from Broken Hill NSW

If you guess it, same as the other thread, post something of yours thats strange.
No body parts though. :eek:

Thanks to bitingmidge for the idea.:)

Cheers, Al

[bitingmidge]

What a great idea!!!! But now I have to get the question right before I post my next mystery!!! :rolleyes:

Is it a lump of fossilised animal poop, given the name "coprolite" so that kids don't giggle when the teacher says "Hey come and have a look at this bit of fossilised animal poop"?

[zymurgy]

Since 'mineral' can mean inorganic; not arising by natural growth;

I'd say it's a keyboard with a rock of some kind on it.

Gordon.

[Gumby]

Will you please stop picking your nose over the keyboard !!!!!!!

[ozwinner]

None of the above!

Clue
Can be used in jewellry.

Al

[AlexS]

Galena (Lead Sulphide?) ?

[ozwinner]

Ranges in colour from brown to (Indutrial to jewellry) rasberry red.

Used in industry, one application is used by woodies.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Trivia.
The mine that this specimen came from in Broken Hill NSW, is the same mine that most of the Beryliam used in the Shuttle heat tiles comes from.
In the 60's NASA called out for any mine in the world to send any Beryliam that they may have, to them.
They were expecting small amounts, But, Triple Chance Mine at Broken Hill, had container loads of the stuff.
TC mine sent 3 semi loads to NASA, and NASA are still to this day useing the stuff from TC mine.
The owner sold the mine after that, and retired very, very wealthy.

Al :)

[echnidna]

It looks like a Garnet

[ozwinner]

Correct. your go. :)


Al

[ozwinner]

OK

My go again.

Dug up on the Vic gold fields, era about, from the second rush which was after WW1.

Al :confused:

[Wood Borer]

Razor blade dispensor?

[ozwinner]

More information?

[Wood Borer]

Bit of a guess here Al,

I have seen Gem safety razor blades, they used to come in a brown and orange paper wrapper. I also remember the Gillette razor blades coming in a blue dispenser where you could pull out a new one and perhaps put the blunt one away in the back.

I thought it might be something like that judging by the size.

- Wood Borer

[Bob Willson]

It's a bit difficult to tell from the crappy photo, :) but it may be one of those things for holding a (double sided) razor blade so that you can use it as a scraper etc.

[ozwinner]

OK

Both right, its to hold a double sided razor blade, so you can have a shave, poor buggers!!!

So whos go is it?

Al :)

[Bob Willson]

It'll have to be woodborer's go. I have to go to work now. I work nights.

[Wood Borer]

A bit scary when Ozwinner knows I have a beard and he hasn't even seen me.

I haven’t got any photos that would even slow you people down so here is an question in lieu of a photo.

I have a piece of timber in the shape of a cube measuring 3”X3”X3”. Using bandsaw with a blade of zero thickness (to keep the maths simple) I cut the block into 1”X1”X1” cubes. I do this by not rearranging the pieces and it takes 6 cuts.

By rearranging the pieces as I cut them, can I make less than 6 cuts? If so how? If not why not?

- Wood Borer

[journeyman Mick]

I was never very good at maths (at least, I never enjoyed it and consequently paid little attention) but my feeble brain says that you can't make less cuts if you rearrange the pieces. On all planes you are cutting 1 piece into 3. If you were cutting 1 into 4 you could cut in half and then double the pieces up to save a cut in each plane thereby making 6 cuts rather than 9. Each cut you make when reducing your 3" cube to 1" cubes is already cutting through the maximum number of pieces. Rearranging them may mean that you can make some cuts earlier but you will still need to make a minimum of 6 cuts.

Mick

[bitingmidge]

Hey, is your name RALPH Woodborer by any chance?
I reckon the real Ralph has a fair chance of getting up on this one!
P

:D

[Wood Borer]

Mick,

No maths to this one. Your thinking is correct but the answer can be explained in a less complicated way. Think about the cube in the very middle.


Bitingmidge,

nah my name isn't Ralph, an aussie through and through, family came out here in the 1700's.

- Wood Borer

[silentC]

Well I guess that the minimum number of cuts required to produce the middle cube is six and so it's not possible to do it with less than 6 cuts....

[Wood Borer]

Spot on, not too much maths in that one.

Silent C or Journeyman Mick can have a turn by posting a mystery picture or perhaps you can pike out and put in a puzzle or even do something really different.

Ralph didn't get a look in - the yanks are probably still asleep.

- Wood Borer

[silentC]

Well here is a quick one to fill in time:

There are two doors and each door has a guard. Behind one door is freedom and behind the other is certain death. One guard always tells the truth, the other always lies. You do not know which is which. You can ask one question of either guard, what do you ask?

[Wood Borer]

You could either of them “ If I asked the other guard which door leads to freedom, what would be his answer”

No matter what answer is given, you go to the other door.

- Wood Borer

[silentC]

I did say it was a quick one! Maybe Mick wants a go....

[AlexS]

Mick,
I'd say your maths was just fine...maybe it was arithmetic you had problems with.

[journeyman Mick]

There are two different mechanisms that carry the same name. One is used to shift earth, the other was used to shift water. One is very common nowadays but was rarely used in the past. The other is rarely used nowadays but was common in the past. :confused:

Mick

PS Alex, arithmetic is a weak point, just went to a reactivated thread about a jig for routing hinges and someone spotted one of my mistakes there! I find I work best by drawing a diagram and doing my calculations on it, not something I generally do at the computer. :o

[Wood Borer]

Archimedean screw similar to an auger?

Grew up on a farm and I have seen water "pumped" using an old wheat auger.

- Wood Borer
(City slicker now)

[AlexS]

That would work Mick; old surveyor's saying - if you can't calc it, plot it.

[journeyman Mick]

Woodborer,
no, not an auger/archimedean screw. Anywhere earth is being shifted by machinery you will see these items.

Mick

[RETIRED]

Bucket maybe?

[bitingmidge]

Woman.

P

[journeyman Mick]

A few more clues:
two words.
every piece of earthmoving equipment has at least one of these, usually more.

Mick

[ozwinner]

Hydraulic ram?


Al

[outback]

Handle?

My shovel is a piece of earth moving machinery as well !!

[kenmil]

nah my name isn't Ralph, an aussie through and through, family came out here in the 1700's.

- Wood Borer
You mean you beat Captain Cook ? :D :D

[PlanePig]

Hey Ozwinner ,isn't that where you get steel wool from ???? :D :D

[bitingmidge]

Ken,

Since I have to spell it out for you ;) :-

Wood Borer is telling us in his quiet, unassuming manner that he is in fact an indigenie from a family of some note. His family in fact gave their name to that well known artifact of which archaeologists are so fond, the Borer Ring.


:D

P

[journeyman Mick]

Al,
your turn. Hydraulic ram is right-as used on all modern earth moving equipment and also a name given to a very simple water pump which is driven by water head only, basically just a chamber and two? flapper valves.

Mick

[Wood Borer]

Kenmil,

The first fleet arrived at Botany Bay January 1788 which is after James Cook visited Australia. Cook sailed into Australian waters in 1770.

Didn't you learn anything about Australian history at school?

- Wood Borer

[ozwinner]

Old North English word.

What is a Ginnel?

No Googleing ;)

Cheers, Old North English Al

[journeyman Mick]

Is it a factory/mill that is full of cotton gins? (whatever the hell they are).

Mick

[Old Bill]

Old North English word.
What is a Ginnel?
No Googleing
Cheers, Old North English Al

A Ginnel is an old English word for a passage or walkway... usually between properties.

[Wood Borer]

A tool for shaping the inside of a gunnel?

- Wood Borer

Wrong family Bitingmidge but easy mistake to make as the spelling is identical.

[ozwinner]

Old Bill, correct :)
Your go.


Al

[Bob Willson]

I had to miss out once before, so I'll ask the next question.


What does a cotton gin taste like and what does it do?

[outback]

A cotton gin takes raw cotton, straight from the paddock, and combs, sorts all the K-rap, and cotton seed, out of it so you end up with nice clean stuff for further processing into clothes and stuff.

I should imagine it tatses bloody awful, but I will bow to your obvious experience in this matter.

[ozwinner]

I thought a cotton gin was the weaveing dohicky in the factory?Al

[Bunyip]

Ahh - takes me back to the good 'ole days. A pound of grits washed down with a hefty slosh of cottin gin for breakfast ... Mmmm I can almost taste it. :D :D

[Bob Willson]

Your go outback

[Old Bill]

ozwinner
Old Bill, correct
Your go

WOW... Ya gotta be quick around here :)

[outback]

Q. What's an A.I. gun used for?


(this orta be good)

[Bob Willson]

Is it used for Inserting Ars#holes into difficult places?

[Driver]

Hunting down and shooting the Artificially Intelligent!

[Tonz]

Historically this is a Maritime term coined on the HMS Uterus referring to guns used to inseminate seamen into places in the Uterus they wouldn't normally go. (although they probably would be keen to go there if given half a chance) :)

Hence, they were artificially inseminated...

[outback]

An A.I. gun is used to artificially inseminate cattle, and sheep, and I guess horses too.

As Tonz's answer was incredibly close and showed unique perspective I believe he should ask the next question.

[Tonz]

Hokay, Shouldn't be too hard...

what's the name of this building and what's significant about it.

[ozwinner]

Its the worlds biggest stack of plastic beer cups from the MCG after the Aussies beat the crap out of the Kiwis in the one day under arm bowling contest?

Al :D

[Tonz]

Its the worlds biggest stack of plastic beer cups from the MCG after the Aussies beat the crap out of the Kiwis in the one day under arm bowling contest?


Not quite but close...

It seems now all they're interested in is an under arm deoderant contest. :)

[ozwinner]

Taipai 101

In taiwan.

Al http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/contrib/xerx/MODhappyslk.gif

[Tonz]

Tis indeed and to keep the ball rolling it's significant as it's currently considered the tallest building in the world... (depending on what rules you follow)

Over to you Al...

[ozwinner]

When photography was first invented there was something that kept killing the photographers.
What was it?
Smile :)

Al

[Wood Borer]

Bromide?

Jealous husbands?

Old age?

- Wood Borer

[ozwinner]

Nope. :D


Al

[Wood Borer]

Mercury poisoning?

Tripping over in the dark rooms?

Suffocating under the black curtains near the cameras?

I going home now.

- Wood Borer

[Bunyip]

It was the flash mechanism - magnesium powder (and something else) in an open carrier - I think. Used to blow body parts off is not used correctly.

I am a responsible person :rolleyes: , hence have omitted the 'something else'. - but if can be foung in table salt substitutes

[ozwinner]

Mercury poisoning?

I going home now.

- Wood Borer
Correct, your go.

Al

[Wood Borer]

In a house there are three light switches downstairs with three corresponding wall lamps upstairs. Due to the construction of the house, you cannot see the wall lamps from the switches downstairs (either an architect designed place or Ozwinner got carried away making the walls). You must walk up the stairs to see if the lamps are on.

Unfortunately the sparky who wired the place didn’t indicate which switch corresponds with which wall lamp.

The task is to correctly identify which switch corresponds to which wall lamp.

Some further information: each wall lamps has an identical 75W incandescent globe, the wiring of the switches is simple in that each switch controls only one wall lamp.

Oh I almost forgot, you are alone and the task is to correctly identify each switch/lamp combination by going up the stairs just once.

It can be solved logically without using mirrors or test equipment etc

[silentC]

Leave one switch off, turn one on for a few seconds then turn it off again, switch the other one on and leave it on. Go upstairs. The cold one is switch 1, the warm one is switch 2 and the one that is on is switch 3.

[Wood Borer]

Either the question was too simple or Silent C is real clever.

Your go Silent C

[bitingmidge]

As the inspiration for this thread (he said, chest puffed out to about twice it's normal 16" circumference- actually my missus thinks I'm a bit of a treasure, 'cos I have a sunken chest) I think it's time to bring it all back to topic.....Now I just LOVE quizzes, (Ralph will attest to that), and there is a nice little quiz thread going in parallel to this one. (If you can spell parallel you can spel ennythink)

Awww look..what I am trying to say is...how about some more mystery OBJECTS!!!

(Nothing in Gold or Diamond please...they'd be too easy for you-know-who.);)

Cheers,
P

[silentC]

OK, what's this?:

http://www.shetland-museum.org.uk/quiz/questions/images/14.jpg

[bitingmidge]

OOOOohhhhhh.

Dunno, but my eyes are watering!!!

P

[Wood Borer]

Are they a tool used by vet or a doctor?

[silentC]

No, this is something you would have found in the home....

[Wood Borer]

Used for food preparation?

[silentC]

Could be ;)

[Eastie]

Looks like a sadistic nut cracker :eek:

[Tonz]

It's part of a home self-castration kit...

[Wood Borer]

Something to do with taking the stones out of fruit?

[silentC]

When this thing was made, a common household pantry item was delivered in a different form to the way you get it today...

[bitingmidge]

Was going to have another look at the picture, but my eyes are still watering just thinking about it.

P

[Wood Borer]

Ice tongs?

[silentC]

So close I can TASTE it ;)

[Wood Borer]

Sugar tongs?

[silentC]

Yes!! Apparently, sugar used to come in blocks (like ice did) and you used an implement such as this to cut off the portion that you wanted to use.

Your turn...

[Wood Borer]

Hmmm,

Can't put puzzles on here and I spend my spare money on tools so no digital camera! I nominate Eastie to have a go.

- Wood Borer

[Eastie]

You have 10-15 minutes to guess what this is:

[silentC]

A blank space?

Image uploads aren't working at the moment, so you need to use a URL...

[Wood Borer]

.

[Eastie]

I give up - over to someone else :(

[silentC]

I have 3 parts.

My first part is made from steel. It is a cylinder but one end has a series of graduated steps, each of smaller diameter than the last.

My second part is also made from steel. It has a series of semi circular holes along one edge. One side of each hole is chamfered at a 45 degree angle.

My third part is a mirror image of my second part.

What am I?

[Bob Willson]

A hose joiner?

[silentC]

No, not a hose joiner. Parts 2 and 3 are held together with a couple of bolts and wing nuts.

[Wood Borer]

Gears on a push bike?

[silentC]

Nope. This one is a tool of a particular trade.

[Wood Borer]

pulleys on a lathe?

[silentC]

Part one resembles a punch.

My Dad's got one of these in his toolbox.

[Wood Borer]

Sheet metal hole chassis punch?

[silentC]

OK, I'll leave you to stew on this one over the weekend.

The last clue is that parts one and two are held together by the bolts so that the semi-circular holes line up with each other, forming a series of circular holes of different sizes. The different diameters of the steps on the punch match the diameter of these holes.

This is very hard without a picture ;)

avagoodweekend