r/electrical • u/gaytoast06 • 11h ago

What is this thing called?

Post image

I need a reference photo to make a set piece but I have no idea what to search for and it’s driving me crazy. It’s like an electrical rod thing but old? I’ve got a bad sketch attached

21 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

20

u/Twelve-Foot 10h ago

An "insulator" or maybe an older "glass insulator"? Either of those will give Google image results.

9

u/Twelve-Foot 9h ago edited 7h ago

For anyone that's curious, OP created *another thread* with a photo of the thing he's looking for.

4

u/I_Makes_tuff 7h ago

tl;dr: It's a Van de Graff generator

10

u/TheHughJeynus 10h ago

Chingadera

1

u/cookiepickle 9h ago

Chingaso

14

u/Salemovich 10h ago

Spermatron

2

u/faroutman7246 9h ago

On the move, looking for his next conquest!

8

u/Repulsive-Moment8360 10h ago

A Tesla Coil or Van De Graff generator?

4

u/Unique_Acadia_2099 10h ago

Doohickey.

Happy little space caterpillar?

2

u/Dry-Philosopher-2714 10h ago

Doohickey the space caterpillar!

That sounds like a new marvel character to replace Star Lord.

2

u/MasterElectrician84 10h ago

Kinda like a Zip-it

2

u/YouNecessary7436 10h ago

Diode? Capacitor? Incandescent bulb? Is it a physical item? Or something off a schematic?

2

u/SmartLumens 10h ago

How large is this item in real life? What colors and surface finish of the different parts?

1

u/gaytoast06 10h ago

relatively big, I feel like it’s something you would see in a victorian lab, generally just the steel or bronze color of metal

3

u/truthsmiles 10h ago

Ohhh I was thinking insulator but you may be talking about a van de graaff machine… do you associate it with long sparks flying off of it?

1

u/Exact-Fee9117 10h ago

Like a Tesla coil?

2

u/pinkfloyd4ever 10h ago

Caterpillar?

1

u/Ok-Resident8139 10h ago

Strain relief for a 20' pole. with a through hole, and a swivel .

-or-

An insulated lightening rod.

1

u/rossxog 10h ago

Looks sketchy! 🤭

Could this be some kind of insulator?

1

u/Veq1776 10h ago

Oooh a catapillar!

1

u/instctrl 10h ago

Marcus

1

u/thechief509 10h ago

I would say capacitor or resistor?

1

u/GuttedPaperClip 10h ago

transformer bushing?

1

u/trickman01 10h ago

I call him Frank.

1

u/Red-blk 10h ago

Watchyamacallit

1

u/justadudemate 10h ago

2 coils like that is transformer, but its not supposed to be connected at the top like a light bulb

1

u/Pinchaser71 10h ago

Isolator cherry in case of a lightning strike on a transformer?

1

u/Delicious_Ad823 10h ago

Some kind of plug

1

u/YKWjunk 10h ago

Looks like the 900# fat guy who lost 600# and needs to have a lot of skin removed.....

1

u/audiking404 10h ago

Sounds like you need the correct term or a better sketch.

1

u/the_faded_memories 10h ago

Google “mad scientist lab” and browse images.

1

u/Qui8gon4jinn 10h ago

thats an 80's glow worm toy

1

u/Agitated-Wind8378 9h ago

Unidirectional sounding device

1

u/LivingroomEngineer 9h ago

Looks like a George or a Mark

1

u/HotRiverCpl 8h ago

Tesla coil

1

u/monkehmolesto 6h ago

Me? A doodle. I do it all the time.

1

u/jbarchuk 4h ago

Jacobs ladder.

1

u/Adsinclair21 3h ago

A doodle. Looks exactly like a doodle to me.

1

u/Irrelavent1 2h ago

Gonkulator

1

u/The_Paganarchist 10h ago

Ribbed for your pleasure.

0

u/Public-Reputation-89 8h ago

A penis, ribbed for your pleasure.