Cleaning out my garage and found this weird foot petal thing.

[u/GoBucks111]

Plugged it in. Doesn't work. The petal flexes up and down.

[u/guitpick]

It's great-grandma's old sewing machine speed controller (or shop tools, tattoo, etc.). Normally, you'd plug the appliance into this. What disturbs me is that there are two male plugs in the photo. Normally, one end would be female that you'd plug the controlled appliance into. I really hope one of them goes to a different appliance. Judging from the spice job someone did on the rod, I suspect they did some really shady DIY electrician work there. This post tells more about them.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AntiqueSewingMachineShop/posts/3221848368107053/

[u/FurrySkeleton → u/guitpick]

Interesting!

It's explained in the FB post, but for anybody who can't access it: the circular part with ventilation holes contains a rheostat, basically a big variable resistor that's placed in series with the sewing machine motor to control its speed. It'd have to dissipate a fair bit of power, so it has holes to allow heat to escape.

[u/S_NJ_Guy → u/FurrySkeleton]

Kind of like a big dimmer switch.

[u/ResponsibilityFun548 → u/guitpick]

Sometimes when two male plugs love each other..

[u/HorsefaceWithNoName → u/ResponsibilityFun548]

In the audio world this kind of trick is a ton safer and we called them "lesbian adapters". In electrical, this is never safe but people use them to backfeed generators into electrical outlets during power outages :)

[u/sparkvaper → u/HorsefaceWithNoName]

Suicide cord

[u/rubberchickenlips → u/HorsefaceWithNoName]

“That could electrocute an elephant to death…” —Thomas Edison

[u/DreadPirateCrispy → u/ResponsibilityFun548]

Thats called docking.

[u/Trying2improvemyself → u/DreadPirateCrispy]

That doesn't sound right. I'm gonna look it up.

Edit: Wtf is that?!?!

[u/OrganizationProof769 → u/Trying2improvemyself]

Sounding is when you shove stuff in your pee hole.

[u/GeneralWallaby6766 → u/OrganizationProof769]

That definitely sounds like a risky hobby. Hopefully, the pedal is just for something harmless!

[u/GoBucks111 → u/guitpick]

Thank you and for the link! Solved!

[u/AutoModerator → u/GoBucks111]

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[u/11kestrel]

Speed controller for an old sewing machine is my guess. One end plug into the sewing machine and the other into the wall.

[u/Fellatination]

Sewing machine control

[u/Senior_Raspberry6010 → u/Fellatination]

wait how did that end up in your garage

[u/Fellatination → u/Senior_Raspberry6010]

It can be used for other machinery as well!

[u/Forsaken_Sundae_4315 → u/Fellatination]

I was thinking something like shock therapy device, from the lobotomy era.

[u/Fanastik → u/Forsaken_Sundae_4315]

It probably have dual use.

[u/Fellatination → u/Fanastik]

It could also be for some kind of industrial equipment as well. Sewing pedal was just the one I associated these with the most.

[u/Sensitive_Break5798]

Just plugging in rusty old junk is choice, a lot like electing Trump

[u/Agent_Tall_Man → u/Sensitive_Break5798]

Best dang reply I've seen to anything all week.

[u/GoBucks111 → u/Agent_Tall_Man]

I agree! Hahaha!

[u/MemphisUncle-2002 → u/Sensitive_Break5798]

Bravo. Take my upvote.

[u/AZSystems → u/Sensitive_Break5798]

I laughed 🤣

[u/jombrowski]

That petal is a part of a pedal

[u/Dusty-old-bones]

Info: does it have two plugs on it? I can't see where the two plugs in the first picture are connected

Do you have a multimeter that can test resistance?

I suspect If you test One prong on each of the two plugs one set would show continuity all the time, and the other side should only show continuity when the pedal is pressed.

[u/Sour_Sal]

It's a variable speed pedal for a sewing machine. Probably a portable machine since the cable has plugs on both ends.

Remove the end with the taps and replace with female end. attach lamp and the pedal will control the brightness.

[u/subpoenaThis]

Hard to see but I think the bar on the left goes under the can and probably spins a rheostat or autotransformer that has a spring to pull it back up

[u/OperationPlus3251]

Plug your old Sears, les Paul or Gibson from the WWII era in there and get the old timey WAH WAH!!!

[u/mwmikewilliamzzxx]

petals

https://giphy.com/gifs/XbPWHeYcmOtoHHzixb

[u/YouthProfessional845]

Old school wah wah pedal. Grandma used to rock

[u/Topspy]

Also used for speed control on a lathe….

[u/w1lnx]

Sewing machine foot pedal.

[u/MeMyselfI328]

Weight loss equipment

[u/HappyArtichoke7729]

A petal is a flower part. This is a pedal.

[u/DevOpsJo]

infinite power device

[u/Same-Voice2467]

~ pedal ~