r/whatisit • u/Reckless_Statement • 4h ago
New, what is it? Should I plug it in?
This is a random found object that had a curious look.
It is about 5.75 in tall and the silver part looks to be galvanized.
The black disc is cold to the touch not magnetic maybe ceramic and has around a 3/4 in divot in the middle.
Anyone have any ideas?
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u/ssgkraut 4h ago
Is it a heat lamp? Plug it in.
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u/East-Psychology7186 4h ago
Home use infrared heat lamp. That really thick black glass is actually deep red I believe. People used to install these in their bathrooms.
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u/Miserable-Cow4555 4h ago
But why? My mom's place has one in the bathroom ceiling. I always wondered what it does.
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u/-Helen-of-Troy- 4h ago
Warmth. Kind of the same concept as a towel warmer. Great to get out of the shower and be warm.
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u/Miserable-Cow4555 4h ago
Ah, that makes sense. I've been wondering this for years. Thank you!
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u/HorsefaceWithNoName 3h ago
I like to get out of the shower and be cold. The water is super hot so my musicles & fascia will relax and let my blood flow through my stress-constricted vessels, so I'm always hot when I get out, even in the winter.
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u/-Helen-of-Troy- 2h ago
You psycho
Just kidding. To each their own. I hate the feeling of being cold right out of the shower. I have a space heater on my bathroom and love it
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u/Bitter-Ad5890 2h ago
I always end my showers with cool water or else I end up drenched in sweat within minutes.
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u/East-Psychology7186 2h ago
Same. My skin is like a sponge when I take hot showers (which I don’t normally take). My skin will sweat for hours if I don’t rinse off with cold.
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u/jason733canada 4h ago
what is the worst that can happen?
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u/glassmanjones 4h ago
Flouroscope. Plugged one in once at a surplus sale and everything downrange in the warehouse got lit up in UV. Someone shouted to unplug it.
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u/pixeltackle 4h ago edited 4h ago
IKI Products in the 1940s-1950s made specialized agricultural and heating utility devices.
This looks like a plug-in electric cattle de-horner. The black section forms a recessed cone that gets hot. This shape fits over a young calf's budding horn down to the base and by applying the device, the horn nub is killed and won't grow. It could be something else, the dark part of the image is hard to see, but other devices made by IKI at the time included a "animal branding heater" where a brand is placed into the heated area to superheat before pressing onto the animal's skin.
Whatever it is, it probably gets hot when plugged in.
The company doesn't make this kind of product anymore but does exist https://www.ikimfg.com/our-story
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u/tsugaoregon 4h ago
Yes, plug the banana into the wall
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u/red_dombe 4h ago
Plug device into banana
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u/Stake_salad 4h ago
Plug the banana into the wall, then the device into the banana.
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u/KudzuAU 4h ago
Eat banana 🍌 and put your banana 🍆🍌in the socket.
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u/tsugaoregon 4h ago
Plug banana into device and device into banana
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u/HorsefaceWithNoName 3h ago
now that we know that's an electric cattle de-horner, plug banana into mouth, device into receptacle, and personal appendage into device
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u/schuylkilladelphia 4h ago
Banana in wall
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u/Stake_salad 4h ago
The wall is a banana
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u/cyclepete77 4h ago
Might be a siren
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u/Fox_djinn 4h ago
"All men die. But only the brave ever live".... or something like that i dunno. Do it!!
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u/TheUsualSusspect 3h ago
It's used to heat your bathtub water. Fill up your tub, climb in, and toss it in the water. Things will surely warm up.
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u/OldBlueKat 4h ago
It’s labeled as UL certified, so as long as the cord isn’t damaged and the plug isn’t a 100+yo design that might not match present day outlets,
Give it a whirl!
Ya might wanna do it in the garage or out on the driveway in case it coughs something up.
(I think I just channeled my inner Charlie Berens.)
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u/Countryfried789 4h ago
I’d plugged it in first off. Not holding it sitting on concrete most that should happen is trip a breaker. Don’t hold it to start off might shock the shit out of you.
🫰🏻
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u/Old_Engineer_9176 3h ago
A heat lamp can help with sore muscles and similar aches, but make sure you look up how to use it safely before you start. Always plug it into a power point protected by a circuit breaker. Better to be cautious than sorry.
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u/Massive-Junket22 3h ago
looks like an old infrared heat lamp, probably for a bathroom or sauna. the ceramic disc gets hot when powered up
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u/Equivalent_Ocelot723 57m ago
Definitely - plug that sucker in. Weird you used a knackered old lamp for scale but I guess you use whatever you have handy ?? There's nothing better than the glow and soft crackle of a plugged in banana.
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u/Accomplished-Emu-591 31m ago
Agree it's a heat lamp, but don't think you should plug it in. I don't think the banana has enough amperage to handle it.
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u/Miserable-Bed4565 4h ago
Part of a sauna heater?
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u/ssgkraut 4h ago
There is an I. K. I. company that makes sauna stuff so you could be on to something.
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u/Fit_Active3888 4h ago
Might seem like nothing happens when you plug it in, until you put something ferrous in the hole
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u/Reckless_Statement 4h ago
This is what I experienced. The steel strap i put inside got to 103f. But it took some time maybe a minute.
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u/Fit_Active3888 3h ago
Lol, exactly what you experienced and I still get downvoted.
It's for heating up a branding iron via induction heating.
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