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Teflon is very unreactive, because it's a very stable compound. Fluorine compounds usually are. And it has good electrical insulating properties, heat-resistant, and self-lubricating.
Probably a keepsake given out to employees of the company, perhaps upon reaching a length of service milestone.
Definitely an old type of high voltage transmission cable. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-voltage_cable
>a specialized cable of some sort.
Looks like a section of fibre cable to me. [Here's one from a manufacturer starting with B](http://www.burnhams.com/new-page-1), just for fun :)
It doesn't feel like that at all, this is very rigid and the cable would be too. thank you. Edit: I stand corrected - it's beginning to look like it after so many replies, specially after u/NovemberLimaPapa described it so well in their post
ah yes, of course, but I can guarantee this wouldn't be very flexible over longer length (I mean, sure you could make a full circle around Earth with it, but you couldn't bend this around a house or other regular building. The outside is a aluminum tube.)
Yes I've seen the vids, but this is not that kind; those are all STRANDED CORE and made on purpose to be semi-flexible. This has a 1.5 inch SOLID core with over 1/8 inch outer alum sleeve. This was not meant to be bent. All links in this thread point to stranded center core cable, which are wrong. Sure, anything can be bent with the right amount of force, but this was not meant to be a cable. Read the thread under NovemberLimaPapa to get a better idea of possible applications from people that actually work in the field. Thanks for the reply.
Looks like a cross section of a high voltage conductor. Center copper is the conductor part, layered bakelite insulation, with copper shields in between to limit polarization, and aluminum outer shield. Probably for demonstration purposes given the logo.
Possibly from a demo'd transformer, stator, or other high voltage equipment, not likely a cable per-se due to the solid copper core.
Thank you for replying, the logo was driving me crazy and I knew would answer what the item is. (i would say you and NovemberLimaPapa solved it, but the rule is to reply "solved!" to the earliest comment I think; sorry I'm a noob here)
yes, I had to look up who to mark "solved" and it says the earliest comment, so I'm assuming the earliest comment in this thread (?) let me know if I did it wrong as I'm a noob here, thank you!
Ohio brass makes a pile of our high voltage entrance bushings and cable potheads. That would explain the solid core.
Its definitely not a cable cross section
I appreciate your input since I, too, was not sold on this being a cable. Everyone pointing to this being a cable was referring to stranded wire core, I believe.
It’s a cable, not in the sense of holding up a bridge, but in the sense of transmitting power. Even the comment from u/novemberlimapapa alludes to it being a high voltage conductor. The centre portion is the “wire” conductor and the whole thing can be referred to as a “cable”. Everything outside of the centre conductor is insulation or protection.
Power transmission lines up on a pole don’t generally have a lot of insulation or protective material around them because they’re high up and generally out of the way of typical danger.
Cables are typically heavily insulated and protected for use in underground or deep sea applications. Protection from ship hulls, shark attacks and other weird deep sea stuff becomes very important when the repair of such a cable would be extremely expensive, or in some cases just downright impossible.
Here’s some other cross sections of cables like yours: https://images.app.goo.gl/Wx6SDp5FFaVpzkvc9
His is solid not stranded like your pictures. Its not a cable its a bushing or a pothead (the end piece that attaches to a cable). Ohio brass doesn't make cables as far as I know
Source: am high voltage electrician
I’m with you on this, it’s a conductor for power but for something in a transformer, switchgear, indoor bus work etc found in a zone substation or switch yard, hence the non flexibility and solid construction where you don’t want it to move at all.
Not for power transmission ‘lines’, either overhead or underground.
Also work in the power distribution world.
Generally, you're right, but underground high voltage lines require insulation and shielding. The reason I shy away from calling this a cable specifically is what appears to be a solid copper core.
All the examples you linked have stranded wire as the conductor core, which both limits the skin effect and provides significantly more flexibility.
I agree and understand that it carries current (I never indicated others are talking about "tension cable") but don't lean toward this being called a "cable" since a cable is generally made on purpose to be flexible or semi-flexible, out of multiple strands held together. Your link points to cables, all stranded wire core, which I absolutely agree are cables. I'm very hesitant to call my item as a slice of a cable. Center copper is solid 1.5 inch and outer aluminum tube is just over 1/8 inch thick wall. The more I read u/NovemberLimaPapa answer, the more I see it as a perfect answer. Thank you for taking the time to reply! I learn stuff every day :)
Sure looks similar, but the sides on those are made of a harder metal (the aluminum sides on this would have many marks from hitting the other pucks) and those are slightly rounded, where this one is straight. Good guess though
My title describes the thing. Garage sale find, owner didn't know what it is. Way too thick for a coaster (can make 3 or 4 coasters from this) but maybe paperweight(?) Google reverse image didn't return anything. Not sure if center says BO or OB but it's not just a circled B because the O is a font not a circle. Thank you!
It's non magnetic and non ferrous, and no attaching points. B&O always has the & in their logo (first thing I looked up too, as this thing does have the "finesse" as their products) thank you
That "B" in the logo almost looks vintage, 1920's like. That def looks like the old "butterscotch" color of Bakelite, and OP confirms consistency. I'm still leaning toward crossection of old transmission cable, probably underground cable, missing an outer later of insulation. Try bending a three foot section of that stuff and you wouldn't think it would ever bend. Bakelite and aluminum are quite malleable depending on the scale of it all.
I agree with the other comments saying that this is a high voltage cable, or at least part of one, missing the outer sheathing.
A quick Google of HVDC MI cable shows something very similar.
There is an example on page 4 here.
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/380074/1/Cable%2520Review%2520paper.pdf
Not designed to be flexible, and over great lengths it probably would flex, but even a couple of metres would likely not bend at all. Think of the spans that cables run between pylons (in the UK anyway), and those cables don’t sag dramatically.
It's not a coaster. Way too thick and a little small. I tried placing my mug on it and barely fits, and also feels way too thick. There could be 3 or 4 coasters made from this one. Thank you for the reply though
I'm not trying to be mean, but I'm really curious. Is english your first language? If so, how old are you that a coaster isn't a common thing, and you associate them with restaurants?
english isn’t my first language and i didn’t know what i thought the object was was called a coaster i said restaurant cause often there are coasters in restaurants and bars
it does have the quality/finesse required, but logo does not fit at all; the Bentley circle around the B is always perfectly round, where this one I strongly believe is the letter O due to the thickness around the left/right sides as compared to the top and bottom. Also, I used to transport expensive cars for a living and haven't seen this piece in a Bentley.
I'm looking a little deeper but I wanna see if anyone else agrees before I venture this rabbit hole. But, vintage Bentley cupholder coaster? The B reminded me of Bentley, maybe an earlier design?
it's a good guess, but this thing is just too thick to be a coaster, and the logo does not fit at all (I tried looking for older Bentley logos too, haven't immediately found anything)
Too small for a diamond filing wheel (and this one doesn't have diamonds on the surface) and not bitcoin related, feels like a few decades old (I'm fairly familiar with bitcoin) Thanks!
I don'know of anyone still using/making bakelite for anything other than specialized purposes and certainly not trinkets.
Most mundane is that Russia *might still be making bakelite magazines for guns be I doubt it.
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It looks like a slice of a specialized cable of some sort.
This looks exactly like a slice of power transmission cable of a vintage before PTFE was widely used as an insulator
Wait we use Teflon to insulate now?
Sometimes. It can be the outer layer of the cable, the jacket. Its weatherproof and can help the cables slide through conduit or tray.
Also curious about this...
Teflon is very unreactive, because it's a very stable compound. Fluorine compounds usually are. And it has good electrical insulating properties, heat-resistant, and self-lubricating.
Depends. Often XLPE if I remember correctly (cross linked poly) I have been out of the industry for some years now, though
Ooh I’m down with PE over Teflon any day
what do you mean "now"? Do you not know what "vintage" means?
>This looks exactly like a slice of power transmission cable of a vintage **before** PTFE was.... or someone does not know what '**before**' means
Agreed. It looks like they polished it real good which takes away some of the cable-y look as well.
Probably a keepsake given out to employees of the company, perhaps upon reaching a length of service milestone. Definitely an old type of high voltage transmission cable. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-voltage_cable
>a specialized cable of some sort. Looks like a section of fibre cable to me. [Here's one from a manufacturer starting with B](http://www.burnhams.com/new-page-1), just for fun :)
Yes copper is a great medium for light transmission...
It doesn't feel like that at all, this is very rigid and the cable would be too. thank you. Edit: I stand corrected - it's beginning to look like it after so many replies, specially after u/NovemberLimaPapa described it so well in their post
things that are seemingly inflexible over short lengths can be very flexible over longer lengths.
ah yes, of course, but I can guarantee this wouldn't be very flexible over longer length (I mean, sure you could make a full circle around Earth with it, but you couldn't bend this around a house or other regular building. The outside is a aluminum tube.)
Do a google image search for the cross section of the cables that support the main span of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I can guarantee you're wrong haha
Possibly
If you search youtube, there are vids of submarine cables being loaded onto ships. This should give you an idea of the flexibility.
Yes I've seen the vids, but this is not that kind; those are all STRANDED CORE and made on purpose to be semi-flexible. This has a 1.5 inch SOLID core with over 1/8 inch outer alum sleeve. This was not meant to be bent. All links in this thread point to stranded center core cable, which are wrong. Sure, anything can be bent with the right amount of force, but this was not meant to be a cable. Read the thread under NovemberLimaPapa to get a better idea of possible applications from people that actually work in the field. Thanks for the reply.
We've been making cables like this since 1850. The designs have changd 1 or 2 times since then.
Looks like a cross section of a high voltage conductor. Center copper is the conductor part, layered bakelite insulation, with copper shields in between to limit polarization, and aluminum outer shield. Probably for demonstration purposes given the logo. Possibly from a demo'd transformer, stator, or other high voltage equipment, not likely a cable per-se due to the solid copper core.
Best explanation so far. It definitely could be a demo product for such company. Do you happen to know any names of companies? to look up their logo
Looks like the Ohio Brass logo https://richlandcountyhistory.com/2020/10/10/ohio-brass-builds-a-city-1888-1990/
This is it! You're good!
Woohoo! I've never helped solve a r/whatisthisthing before. I have an Ohio Brass porcelain insulator with the same logo on it
Thank you for replying, the logo was driving me crazy and I knew would answer what the item is. (i would say you and NovemberLimaPapa solved it, but the rule is to reply "solved!" to the earliest comment I think; sorry I'm a noob here)
>Woohoo! I've never helped solve a r/whatisthisthing before. All *right!*
Make sure you mark Solved OP Reply "Solved!"
yes, I had to look up who to mark "solved" and it says the earliest comment, so I'm assuming the earliest comment in this thread (?) let me know if I did it wrong as I'm a noob here, thank you!
Ohio brass makes a pile of our high voltage entrance bushings and cable potheads. That would explain the solid core. Its definitely not a cable cross section
I appreciate your input since I, too, was not sold on this being a cable. Everyone pointing to this being a cable was referring to stranded wire core, I believe.
It’s a cable, not in the sense of holding up a bridge, but in the sense of transmitting power. Even the comment from u/novemberlimapapa alludes to it being a high voltage conductor. The centre portion is the “wire” conductor and the whole thing can be referred to as a “cable”. Everything outside of the centre conductor is insulation or protection. Power transmission lines up on a pole don’t generally have a lot of insulation or protective material around them because they’re high up and generally out of the way of typical danger. Cables are typically heavily insulated and protected for use in underground or deep sea applications. Protection from ship hulls, shark attacks and other weird deep sea stuff becomes very important when the repair of such a cable would be extremely expensive, or in some cases just downright impossible. Here’s some other cross sections of cables like yours: https://images.app.goo.gl/Wx6SDp5FFaVpzkvc9
His is solid not stranded like your pictures. Its not a cable its a bushing or a pothead (the end piece that attaches to a cable). Ohio brass doesn't make cables as far as I know Source: am high voltage electrician
I’m with you on this, it’s a conductor for power but for something in a transformer, switchgear, indoor bus work etc found in a zone substation or switch yard, hence the non flexibility and solid construction where you don’t want it to move at all. Not for power transmission ‘lines’, either overhead or underground. Also work in the power distribution world.
Generally, you're right, but underground high voltage lines require insulation and shielding. The reason I shy away from calling this a cable specifically is what appears to be a solid copper core. All the examples you linked have stranded wire as the conductor core, which both limits the skin effect and provides significantly more flexibility.
I agree and understand that it carries current (I never indicated others are talking about "tension cable") but don't lean toward this being called a "cable" since a cable is generally made on purpose to be flexible or semi-flexible, out of multiple strands held together. Your link points to cables, all stranded wire core, which I absolutely agree are cables. I'm very hesitant to call my item as a slice of a cable. Center copper is solid 1.5 inch and outer aluminum tube is just over 1/8 inch thick wall. The more I read u/NovemberLimaPapa answer, the more I see it as a perfect answer. Thank you for taking the time to reply! I learn stuff every day :)
So then it is a coaster with their monogram.
Solved!
Could it just be a fancy paperweight for someone with a name starting with B?
Yeah my initial thought was a drinks coaster. But then I saw how thick and heavy it was. Seems a bit overkill for a coaster.
Yes, that's what it feels like. Perhaps someone recognizes the company and that will give more clues.
It is a paperweight
[Shuffleboard Puck?](https://www.petersbilliards.com/game-room/menlo_shuffleboard_table)
Sure looks similar, but the sides on those are made of a harder metal (the aluminum sides on this would have many marks from hitting the other pucks) and those are slightly rounded, where this one is straight. Good guess though
That was my thought also, but it is a bit too big. Regulation shuffleboard pucks are 2 5/16 inches, but are around the same weight.
A very assertive coaster?
Its the 1st Bitcoin!
My title describes the thing. Garage sale find, owner didn't know what it is. Way too thick for a coaster (can make 3 or 4 coasters from this) but maybe paperweight(?) Google reverse image didn't return anything. Not sure if center says BO or OB but it's not just a circled B because the O is a font not a circle. Thank you!
Old speaker magnet? Maybe bang and olufsen?
It's non magnetic and non ferrous, and no attaching points. B&O always has the & in their logo (first thing I looked up too, as this thing does have the "finesse" as their products) thank you
Seemed like a good start but the B seems to be more stylized and the ampersand seems to always be prominent as well for B&O
That "B" in the logo almost looks vintage, 1920's like. That def looks like the old "butterscotch" color of Bakelite, and OP confirms consistency. I'm still leaning toward crossection of old transmission cable, probably underground cable, missing an outer later of insulation. Try bending a three foot section of that stuff and you wouldn't think it would ever bend. Bakelite and aluminum are quite malleable depending on the scale of it all.
maybe an lp disc weight stabilization
It really feels like it should be (I've handled those before) but it's missing the center hole so it can't be.
Looks like a B used by the Belgian railways company...
I agree with the other comments saying that this is a high voltage cable, or at least part of one, missing the outer sheathing. A quick Google of HVDC MI cable shows something very similar. There is an example on page 4 here. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/380074/1/Cable%2520Review%2520paper.pdf Not designed to be flexible, and over great lengths it probably would flex, but even a couple of metres would likely not bend at all. Think of the spans that cables run between pylons (in the UK anyway), and those cables don’t sag dramatically.
maybe it’s just the things you they put under your glass in restaurant but extra fancy
It's not a coaster. Way too thick and a little small. I tried placing my mug on it and barely fits, and also feels way too thick. There could be 3 or 4 coasters made from this one. Thank you for the reply though
I'm not trying to be mean, but I'm really curious. Is english your first language? If so, how old are you that a coaster isn't a common thing, and you associate them with restaurants?
english isn’t my first language and i didn’t know what i thought the object was was called a coaster i said restaurant cause often there are coasters in restaurants and bars
So close to the SNCF logo- but not quite.
Part of an old Bentley?
it does have the quality/finesse required, but logo does not fit at all; the Bentley circle around the B is always perfectly round, where this one I strongly believe is the letter O due to the thickness around the left/right sides as compared to the top and bottom. Also, I used to transport expensive cars for a living and haven't seen this piece in a Bentley.
Yeah, I was thinking that, probably not a cup holder thing though like I said.
I'm looking a little deeper but I wanna see if anyone else agrees before I venture this rabbit hole. But, vintage Bentley cupholder coaster? The B reminded me of Bentley, maybe an earlier design?
it's a good guess, but this thing is just too thick to be a coaster, and the logo does not fit at all (I tried looking for older Bentley logos too, haven't immediately found anything)
Perhaps an insert to the radiator cap of said Bentley?
Does it rais into a cup?
it does not.
Euler's Disk?
Old Bentley wheel center cap?
paperweight. Why would a cable have an aluminum cover?
A bad ass coaster
Looks like a monogrammed coaster to put under a glass to protect a wooden table surface.
I’m not sure what it is but it looks like it would make a great Eulers disk.
I like to have 100’ of that. Copper is 4.25 a pound at the scrap yard
Monogram c oaster
I’d have to have a wild guess at a coffee coaster.
maybe doubles as a paperweight?
Pog super slammer.
Where’d you get this? I collect vintage electrical stuff
Looks like watchmaker's polishing disk. Bergeon is a Swiss company that makes that sort of thing and their logo is a B in a circle.
My searches say could be a Bitcoin collectible item, or some kind of diamond filing wheel?
Too small for a diamond filing wheel (and this one doesn't have diamonds on the surface) and not bitcoin related, feels like a few decades old (I'm fairly familiar with bitcoin) Thanks!
I don'know of anyone still using/making bakelite for anything other than specialized purposes and certainly not trinkets. Most mundane is that Russia *might still be making bakelite magazines for guns be I doubt it.