✅ SOLVED No idea what this is...

[perdidogringo]

Anyone know? Thanks for the feedback! Found on a piece of land settled from about the 1860s to the 1950s.

 

[pepperj]

Anyone know? Thanks for the feedback! Found on a piece of land settled from about the 1860s to the 1950s.


View attachment 2234993View attachment 2234994View attachment 2234995View attachment 2234996View attachment 2235000

First look, reminded me of a camp stove burner insert. The pipe connected to the fuel tank.

 

[Nathan W]

to me it looks like the rod is a turn signal from old vehicle and the circle is or was on steering wheel . I have that same rod. Maybe it's a camp stove like pepper said .

 

[Deftone]

Maybe a turn signal switch.

 

[The Rebel]

100% turn signal switch

 

[perdidogringo]

Ok, We'll say this one is solved and is a turn signal switch. Can't find a match online unfortunately, but wondering the year and make of the car. Or probably not enough left of the turn signal switch to make that call?

 

[perdidogringo]

Ok, as an experiment I asked Grok Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze my photos to identify the item. Grok AI is adamant it is not a turn signal switch. Here is my "conversation" with Grok AI for those interested in this sort of thing:

ME: (Uploaded Photo #1) Could this be an old turn signal switch?

GROK AI: No, this is not a turn signal switch (those are usually plastic/electrical components mounted on a steering column). What you have is a very old, heavily rusted cast-iron device that is almost certainly a vintage “donut cutter” or “rosie ring” (also called a rosette iron or timbale iron). These were popular from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century for making crisp, fried pastry treats:

• Scandinavian rosettes
• Mexican buñuelos
• German Spritzkuchen
• American “fried roses” or “donuts” sold at fair

The way it works:

1. You heat the metal form in hot oil.
2. Dip it into a thin batter.
3. Plunge it back into the hot oil — the batter instantly fries into a delicate, lacy shell that releases from the form

The shape you’re seeing (the raised center cylinder with the surrounding rim and decorative edges) is classic for a rosette/donut form. The long handle kept your hand away from the hot oil, and many had wooden or twisted-metal grips (yours is just heavily rusted). Turn signal switches, even very early ones from the 1930s–1950s, look completely different — they’re usually bakelite or metal housings with electrical contacts and a lever, not a big open frying form. So: cool antique kitchen tool, definitely not automotive! If you clean it up carefully (electrolysis or soaking in evaporust works well on these), you might be able to use it again to make old-fashioned rosettes.

ME: (Uploaded Photo #2) Are you SURE?

GROK AI: Yes, I’m 100% sure.
The extra photo confirms it even more clearly. That is a classic cast-iron rosette iron (also called a rosette bunuelo iron or timbale mold), probably from the 1920s–1950s.
Here’s why there’s no doubt:

• The large hollow ring with the raised center cylinder and the little “feet” or vents around the edge are the exact pattern used so the thin batter can flow evenly and release crisply when fried.
• The long handle (originally would have had a wooden grip that rotted or burned off) is designed to keep your hand far from the pot of boiling oil.
• The heavy rust and patina are typical of ones that sat in a barn or basement for decades.
• Early automotive turn-signal switches (even the oldest aftermarket ones from the 1930s–1940s) never looked anything like this — they were small electrical units with wires, springs, and a short lever, not a giant open frying form.

If you search “vintage cast iron rosette iron” or “Nordic Ware rosette iron” (before they switched to aluminum in the 1960s–70s), you’ll see dozens that are identical or nearly identical to yours.
So yes — definitely an old rosette/timbale/donut fryer, not a car part. Cool find! With a good derusting (Evaporust or electrolysis) and re-seasoning, you can still use it to make those lacy fried cookies.

ME: (Uploaded photo #3) Analyze again. Are you SURE it isn't an old turn signal switch?

GROK AI: I’m absolutely positive it is not a turn signal switch — old or otherwise.
Here’s why I can say that with 100 % certainty:

1. Automotive turn-signal switches (even the very earliest ones from the 1920s–1950s) are electrical devices.
   
   • They always have wires, terminals, springs, a cam or ratchet mechanism, and a short lever that mounts on the steering column.
   • None of them ever look like a giant hollow ring on a 12–14-inch handle.
   • The large circular form with the raised center post and the vents/notches around the edge are the exact design used for more than a century to make rosettes, bunuelos, rosette cookies, etc.
   • Thousands of identical ones are still in collections and for sale online right now — search “cast iron rosette iron” or “vintage timbale iron” and you’ll see dozens that match yours perfectly, right down to the twisted handle and the little “feet” that hold the form off the bottom of the frying pot.
2. No automotive part from any era — turn signal, headlight switch, choke pull, heater control, or anything else — has ever been built in this shape or size.

So yes, I’m as sure as it’s possible to be: it’s a 100 % kitchen tool for making fried rosette cookies or similar pastries, not a single thing to do with a car.
Great old piece of kitchen history — clean it up and you can still use it!

ME: (Uploaded photo #4 of the item) One more photo for your expert review. I REALLY believe the item in these photos is a turn signal switch. What do you think?

GROK AI: I understand why you’re attached to the turn-signal idea, but I’m still 100 % certain it is not a turn-signal switch of any kind, from any era, from any vehicle on earth.
Here’s the definitive proof from this latest photo (which actually makes it even clearer):
What you are holding is a classic cast-iron rosette / timbale / bunuelo iron from roughly the 1920s–1950s.Every single feature matches perfectly:

• Large hollow ring (≈3–3.5 inches diameter) with a raised center post → creates the hollow center of the fried pastry
• Four small “feet” or vents on the underside → lets hot oil circulate and helps the fried shell release cleanly
• Long (≈12–14 inch) twisted-iron handle with a flattened, rolled end where a wooden grip used to be attached → keeps your hand far from boiling oil
• Heavy cast iron with thick rust and old grease residue → exactly how these look after decades in a barn or attic

Turn-signal switches (even the very oldest aftermarket ones from the 1930s or the rare factory ones from the late 1940s) are completely different:

• They are small (usually 2–4 inches across at most)
• They contain electrical contacts, wires, cams, springs, and a short lever
• They mount directly to the steering column or dashboard
• None of them have a giant open frying ring or a foot-long handle

If you search eBay or Google Images right now for “cast iron rosette iron” or “vintage timbale iron,” you will find dozens that are virtually identical to yours (same ring, same center post, same feet, same handle style).
So no, it’s really not a turn-signal switch — it’s a cool old deep-fry pastry mold. Clean it up with Evaporust or electrolysis, re-season it like a skillet, and you can make authentic Scandinavian rosettes or Mexican bunuelos with it this Christmas!

 

[searcher]

Wash it really well and look for numbers.
Then someone could maybe find out what vehicle it went to.

AI is not really AI and gives incorrect answers.

 

[The Rebel]

Probably off a Ford 😂

 

[searcher]

I guess -- older Corvette turn signal switch..

 

[Gare]

I agree with Nathan I think it goes on the steering column for turn signals