What Is This?

"Dakotahound" (dakotahound) 09/14/2020 at 12:24 • Filed to: Mystery Part

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On Saturday evening, I went out on the porch to enjoy a nice cigar and some mezcal (Cohiba Blue Robusto and Del Maguey Chichicapa). My wife joined me with a glass of Cognac. There was a light breeze, and alternating scents of gardenia and jasmine were in the air. Our favorite jazz mix was playing. After about a half-hour, my wife decided to go upstairs, so I finished the cigar and headed to bed.

On Sunday morning, I went outside and found this part on the glass table, right in front of where I was sitting. It is small – only about 3/16 in. in length – but fairly detailed.

Mystery Part - side 2.

There is an overhead fan directly above the table, but it does not appear to be missing any parts. I also checked my lighter to see if anything had fallen off, but it was fully intact. My other thought was that it was the back of an earring, but my wife checked and couldn’t find anything missing (besides, it is a little too large to be the back of an earring).

We have a fenced yard, and our porch is screened, so it is highly unlikely that someone snuck in and left it there. What could it be?

MonkeePuzzle > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:44

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geez reading that first sentence I thought for sure there was an intimate moment coming next in the story.

anyway, bet whatever it is from is old, everything now uses cheap plastic gears for whatever that piece is probably designed for

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:45

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Ssfancyfresh > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:45

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A knob for turning on a table lamp?

What is it made out of?

A Boy and His Longtail > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:45

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It’s clearly a round tuit

Dakotahound > MonkeePuzzle 09/14/2020 at 12:46

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Yes, it appears to be brass, and it is probably old. There is nothing very old in the immediate vicinity.

ChevytoMazda > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:46

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I know you said the fan isn't missing any parts but could it have come from the fans pull string?

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:47

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If all else fails, there is here:  https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/

Dakotahound > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 09/14/2020 at 12:50

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Yes, t hat certainly looks like the part, but I was using a cheap disposable B ic lighter on Saturday . It must have been there from a while ago, but I can’t imagine not seeing it.

Roadkilled > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:50

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Is the inside threaded or does there appear to be a way for it to attach to a shaft? It looks like a pinion gear of some type. It’s either that or it’s a distributor cap for the worlds smallest V-10 engine.

Dakotahound > Roadkilled 09/14/2020 at 12:52

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There are no inside threads, but i t does look like a pinion gear.

MonkeePuzzle > A Boy and His Longtail 09/14/2020 at 12:52

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i get it. but I never get it

Dakotahound > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] 09/14/2020 at 12:53

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That is an interesting site. I have have several mysteries that would be nice to have solved.

Dakotahound > ChevytoMazda 09/14/2020 at 12:54

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I don’t think so, the hole isn’t large enough for the chain.

Dakotahound > Ssfancyfresh 09/14/2020 at 12:55

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It seems too small to be a knob. The metal appears to be brass.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 12:55

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Most torch type lighters have a bit like that to form the flame shape and mix the gas and air. It could have fallen out and someone just found it on the ground recently.

Dakotahound > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 09/14/2020 at 12:59

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That must be it. Looking at it more closely, the machining is actually impressive. Especially for som ething as inexpensive as a lighter.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 13:11

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Might it be half of the spark wheel from the lighter?

Dakotahound > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 09/14/2020 at 13:13

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It looks a little like a spark wheel. The lighter that I was using, however, isn’t missing any parts.

kanadanmajava1 > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 13:35

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It could be a pinion gear from some electric motor used by RC stuff. Fallen drone part? Does it have any wear marks? If it doesn’t it could be just some ornamental thingy.

Dakotahound > kanadanmajava1 09/14/2020 at 13:39

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It looks like a pinion gear, but I can’t figure out how it would get there. There is no set screw, so it has to be a press fit.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 13:57

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Something off your cigar lighter?

Dakotahound > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 09/14/2020 at 14:52

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Well, it looks like the end of a flame lighter ( as shown in the post by Demon-Xanth), but I wasn’t using a flame lighter, just an inexpensive Bic.

Just Jeepin' > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 15:08

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I posted something there once and got an automated warning about yadd a yadd a can’t even remember now but didn’t bother jumping through the hoops to get it actually posted.

Jayvincent > Dakotahound 09/14/2020 at 19:40

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might be sintered p owder metal, that’s how most small complex metal parts (think planetary gears inside a cordless impact gun or drill) get manufactu red cheaply .

Dakotahound > Jayvincent 09/14/2020 at 19:51

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That is something of which I know absolutely nothing. “ S intered powder metal” will be my next search.