Folks -
The stand shown is in the basement of the Chamberlin Observatory in Denver, Colorado. Last October a visitor took this picture and asked "What is this?" A image search did not turn up anything similar. Anyone know or care to guess its purpose?
It appears to me to be a stand for grinding/figuring small diameter lenses or mirrors. Not all the clues fit this guess, but:
- The wide tray with a drain hole implies something messy and there appears to be grit residue
- The deep bowl allows the center post to be raised and lowered to accommodate different material thickness
- The bottom opening could allow a belt to drive the shaft
- The arm seems to be just resting there and not in its operational configuration, but it could be a way to position the work, hold a sub-diameter tool, or...
Thanks for any ideas.
Cheers,
dave k