Thanks Janey & John!

That is a good question. I have always rescued junk however.

why rescue an unknown? because it's neat and/or cheap. And often one can think of a use, even if it's not the original one.

And besides, some of us are suckers for anything handcrank!

I like stuff that I don't know what it is for.

Who are the people that wouldn't rescue something that cool?

I'll second that. Maybe make it into a bobbin winder or wind thread on a wooden spool or something like one of these http://needlebar.org/cm/displayimage..._display_media I've thought it would be convenient to have a hand crank to attach to a table that would work with a lot of different machines.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

~Cathy you are correct about some of us are suckers for anything with a hand crank. Your comment brought back many old memories. It started when I was about seven years old. I talked Dad into bringing home an old wooden tubed washer with a hand crank wringer. He saw it a junk and I saw it as an easy way to shell green peas. We used to pick field peas green along the fence rows to can. Next was a large coffee grinder to grind wheat for my chicks. Then a meat grinder, apple peeler, butter churn, cider press, hand drill and a sewing machine. Yes I am a sucker for anything with a hand crank.

I would have rescued it too! Cool metal object, heck it is worth rescuing for that reason alone.lol

Well, I stand corrected. It is Power Co. I went back and looked at the pictures and sure enough, there it is, a film winder. OurWorkBench had it right on.

Reminds me of a twine maker, where you use several threads and this machine will twist the threads into a twine or small rope that does not un-twist when you let go of the end.