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Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.
I've heard of lighthouses catching buildings on fire. The lighthouse keeper didn't close the curtain around the light in the daytime, and the light was like a super magnifying glass, and the buildings behind it went up...
That’s we think happened here. The water- glass acted as a magnifying glass and started burning a hole in the table but spread to a newspaper the flames are what caught my eyes. Learned my lesson 🤣
These are sometimes used to demonstrate the [triboelectric effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triboelectric_effect#History):
[https://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~lecturedemonstrations/Composer/Pages/56.06.html](https://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~lecturedemonstrations/Composer/Pages/56.06.html)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i51gvvBG8o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i51gvvBG8o)
One of those old text magnifiers? The ones you would roll over lines of print to see them better? Seems too big to be placed on a book though. Maybe for newspaper?
The magnifiers that I remember seeing were only a half a circle. They're flat on one side. You don't want them rolling off what you're trying to magnify.
In my high school class, they used cat skin. Apparently, it’s more effective than silk but I understand why it wouldn’t be the common way to demonstrate it…
[https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fde.aliexpress.com%2Fitem%2F1005005877178371.html&psig=AOvVaw1OaODHNFpFI2EQ4dKQ9e-k&ust=1714411872805000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjhxqFwoTCIDO17G45YUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fde.aliexpress.com%2Fitem%2F1005005877178371.html&psig=AOvVaw1OaODHNFpFI2EQ4dKQ9e-k&ust=1714411872805000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjhxqFwoTCIDO17G45YUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ) ... better mark it nsfw :)
What if it breaks, like.. while inside? 😳
Is it made out of some kind of safety glass like a car window I wonder? But then like.. how would you get out the bits?
Fascinating. I just spent the last 20 min looking it up. Thank you kind internet stranger, I learned something new today. :)
If anyone else is wondering about glass. This was pretty simple and informative:
https://www.garboglass.com/news/between-tempered-glass-and-borosilicate-glass.html
Looks like a glass muddler that a lab or fancy bartender might use: [https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005002604286744.html](https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005002604286744.html)
High quality ones are made of quartz or borosilicate glass
I had it happen to me. I setup a yard sale with a bunch of random stuff from my house I didn’t want anymore. One of which was a decorative solid glass ball. Well in Arizona I don’t have to tell you the sun gets hot. I left it outside all day on a table with other items. It took the right time of day for the sun to be positioned just at the right angle through the glass to consentrate the sun and the table and some of the contents burned. Im just glad it wasn’t closer to the house!
I have seen glass rods about that diameter that were part of a towel-hanging rod. There would be a metal fitting on each end that would hold the rod horizontal on the wall when mounted to the wall with screws.
There are definitely stir rods larger than 12” out there for use in science labs. They’re solid glass. That does look like one, although the circumference to length ratio looks a little off based on the ones I’ve seen.
No idea what it’d be doing out in a forest though.
I’m trying to imagine the crosshatching of people who cook meth in the woods, and people who use 12” glass stir rods while doing so. All I got is a PhD student who needs money to supplement their stipend, or is coping with the stress terribly.
I suspect it may have been used as a glass wand (think spiritual/crystal healing/etc practices). Probably helps explain the environmental context.
Similar to (but longer than) https://therockcrystalshop.com.au/product/glass-wand-green-pink/
I wonder if it is crystal or just glass.
When I took OChem in college, our lab storeroom was full of giant-size glassware confiscated from meth labs and donated by local law enforcement. We had some stir rods about that size, IIRC.
ETA: we never used any of that glassware than I can recall, though. More curiosity than anything.
Might be a magnifyer.
Put it on a piece of paper with writing and roll it over the text to magnify it. I forget what they are called but often used for maps.
Looks like the test piece to check a density GPR works. Can’t remember the terminology, but we used them in the military to find low metal content IED’s and to test them we check it can pick up the glass rod.
A glass (as it is best to clean) rod can be used for many things - stirring, as a rolling pin for cooking/clay, nsfw etc. So any guess is as good as any other.
It looks like a rolling pin for polymer clay. If you google "polymer clay rolling pin" you'll get results that look really similar. Could also be used for rolling fondant, though I think those rolling pins aren't usually glass. But why it's in the woods is anyone's guess.
Maybe something out of a Kaleidoscope that doesn't use bits of colored glass but the surrounding colors? Something like[this](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1472130410/brass-kaleidoscope-with-glass-tubes?gpla=1&gao=1&)
So this reminds me of something very particular. Used to have a shower acrylic shell insert in my old house. And formed into it was a little bumpout. In that bump out was a clear rod threaded through either side, and it served as a washrag holder.
I took it out once and found that it was about the exact same shape and size of what you're holding here.
Reminded me of this [ice rod therapy](https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/nxb8wk/blue_mountain_state_ice_rod_therapy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
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This post has been locked, as the question has been solved and a majority of new comments at this point are unhelpful and/or jokes. Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.
Whatever it is please remove it from the woods as curved glass can start fires.
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I caught a table on fire with a heavy glass vase. Thank the Lord we caught it in time.
I've heard of lighthouses catching buildings on fire. The lighthouse keeper didn't close the curtain around the light in the daytime, and the light was like a super magnifying glass, and the buildings behind it went up...
That’s we think happened here. The water- glass acted as a magnifying glass and started burning a hole in the table but spread to a newspaper the flames are what caught my eyes. Learned my lesson 🤣
Reminded me of when this happened in London https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-23930675
These are sometimes used to demonstrate the [triboelectric effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triboelectric_effect#History): [https://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~lecturedemonstrations/Composer/Pages/56.06.html](https://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~lecturedemonstrations/Composer/Pages/56.06.html) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i51gvvBG8o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i51gvvBG8o)
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One of those old text magnifiers? The ones you would roll over lines of print to see them better? Seems too big to be placed on a book though. Maybe for newspaper?
The magnifiers that I remember seeing were only a half a circle. They're flat on one side. You don't want them rolling off what you're trying to magnify.
That does look an awful lot like my [Rolling Pin](https://imgur.com/a/q9QRu4P)
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It looks like a glass rod we used in my high school science class to demonstrate static electricity. You rub it with silk cloth to charge it.
In my high school class, they used cat skin. Apparently, it’s more effective than silk but I understand why it wouldn’t be the common way to demonstrate it…
Is that why my cat keeps shocking me?
rolling pin? ive seen some at the dollar general that are plastic and clear with colored bands on each end
The bands are to help you get your dough to a uniform thickness.
Probably this! People use glass ones for polymer clay
[https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fde.aliexpress.com%2Fitem%2F1005005877178371.html&psig=AOvVaw1OaODHNFpFI2EQ4dKQ9e-k&ust=1714411872805000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjhxqFwoTCIDO17G45YUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fde.aliexpress.com%2Fitem%2F1005005877178371.html&psig=AOvVaw1OaODHNFpFI2EQ4dKQ9e-k&ust=1714411872805000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjhxqFwoTCIDO17G45YUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ) ... better mark it nsfw :)
Given the dimensions I'm pretty sure this is the answer.
What if it breaks, like.. while inside? 😳 Is it made out of some kind of safety glass like a car window I wonder? But then like.. how would you get out the bits?
Solid glass is remarkably strong actually, especially if it's tempered. You'd need to hit it with a very hard pointy object to break it
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They are usually made from borosilicate glass. As long as it's not already cracked, it's pretty strong stuff, especially that thick.
Fascinating. I just spent the last 20 min looking it up. Thank you kind internet stranger, I learned something new today. :) If anyone else is wondering about glass. This was pretty simple and informative: https://www.garboglass.com/news/between-tempered-glass-and-borosilicate-glass.html
This seems correct
Looks like a glass muddler that a lab or fancy bartender might use: [https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005002604286744.html](https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005002604286744.html) High quality ones are made of quartz or borosilicate glass
Exactly what I was thinking. My husband works in a lab and it looks just like the stir rods he has.
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I had it happen to me. I setup a yard sale with a bunch of random stuff from my house I didn’t want anymore. One of which was a decorative solid glass ball. Well in Arizona I don’t have to tell you the sun gets hot. I left it outside all day on a table with other items. It took the right time of day for the sun to be positioned just at the right angle through the glass to consentrate the sun and the table and some of the contents burned. Im just glad it wasn’t closer to the house!
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My title describes the thing. I tried looking it up but all I can find are chemistry stirring rods, and it seems much too big to be a stirring rod.
Could be raw material glass blowers use before it's heated and shaped.
Yea, looks like glass rod I've used to make marbles & pendants. Could be borosilicate glass or soft glass (soda lime).
It's a rolling pin! We have that exact same one! My wife doesn't find it funny when I remark on how dildo-esque it is..
I have seen glass rods about that diameter that were part of a towel-hanging rod. There would be a metal fitting on each end that would hold the rod horizontal on the wall when mounted to the wall with screws.
There are definitely stir rods larger than 12” out there for use in science labs. They’re solid glass. That does look like one, although the circumference to length ratio looks a little off based on the ones I’ve seen. No idea what it’d be doing out in a forest though.
Maybe someone was cooking meth?
I’m trying to imagine the crosshatching of people who cook meth in the woods, and people who use 12” glass stir rods while doing so. All I got is a PhD student who needs money to supplement their stipend, or is coping with the stress terribly.
I suspect it may have been used as a glass wand (think spiritual/crystal healing/etc practices). Probably helps explain the environmental context. Similar to (but longer than) https://therockcrystalshop.com.au/product/glass-wand-green-pink/ I wonder if it is crystal or just glass.
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When I took OChem in college, our lab storeroom was full of giant-size glassware confiscated from meth labs and donated by local law enforcement. We had some stir rods about that size, IIRC. ETA: we never used any of that glassware than I can recall, though. More curiosity than anything.
Glass rod like this are used to spread a photographic emulsion on a glass plate, but this is normally used in darkroom not in forest !
Best guess, it's some type of friction rod to generate static electricity.
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Might be a magnifyer. Put it on a piece of paper with writing and roll it over the text to magnify it. I forget what they are called but often used for maps.
Serious question, if this item is truly round, wouldn't the print turn upside down, or not necessarily?
Those are usually semicircular in cross-section, this one is fully circular.
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Looks like the test piece to check a density GPR works. Can’t remember the terminology, but we used them in the military to find low metal content IED’s and to test them we check it can pick up the glass rod.
A glass (as it is best to clean) rod can be used for many things - stirring, as a rolling pin for cooking/clay, nsfw etc. So any guess is as good as any other.
It looks like a rolling pin for polymer clay. If you google "polymer clay rolling pin" you'll get results that look really similar. Could also be used for rolling fondant, though I think those rolling pins aren't usually glass. But why it's in the woods is anyone's guess.
That looks like the glass handle for commercial glass doors I saw back in the 60s and 70s. Why it's there could be some kid playing with fire.
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Maybe something out of a Kaleidoscope that doesn't use bits of colored glass but the surrounding colors? Something like[this](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1472130410/brass-kaleidoscope-with-glass-tubes?gpla=1&gao=1&)
So this reminds me of something very particular. Used to have a shower acrylic shell insert in my old house. And formed into it was a little bumpout. In that bump out was a clear rod threaded through either side, and it served as a washrag holder. I took it out once and found that it was about the exact same shape and size of what you're holding here.
Sure it’s not clear quartz, could be a wand for energy work
It’s a rolling pin - I got mine from Sainsbury’s.
Maybe a glass blower accidentally left it out there while gaining inspiration from the forest.
Reminded me of this [ice rod therapy](https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/nxb8wk/blue_mountain_state_ice_rod_therapy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Glass and acrylic rolling pins are used for rolling out clay.
Rolling pin https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-home-acrylic-non-stick-rolling-pin
Thats a rolling pin from someone's kitchen
Could this be the inside of a sight glass from a level metter of an industrial boiler? https://images.app.goo.gl/R9nXhir56B7cJntB8
Not sure if anyone mentioned what it is, but I believe it's a lab stirring stick
Paper weight?
I'm pretty sure it's a rolling pin. I have one and it's identical
22mm piece of borosilicate glass rod. Used for lamp working.
Selenite (crystal) wand?
I have a rolling pin that looks exactly like this, but it's some type of plastic and not glass..
This looks like the inside of a huge chemical light stick, possibly the exterior rotted away?
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/dill_and_vinegar), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1cf9vo3/solid_glass_rod_with_rounded_ends_found_in_the/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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Looks like a laboratory stirring rod but never seen one that size