Miscellaneous desk
< November 5	<< Oct \| November \| Dec >>	November 7 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

November 6

What do you call this car part?

In the typical car, presumably all of the lights for the dashboard indicators are the same, and they're made distinguishable by means of a piece of glass or plastic that sits in front of the light source, letting light through only in a specific pattern; for example, a gaspump-shaped hole is cut in a spot so that it enables the driver to see the light that comes on when the fuel tank is nearly empty. What do you call this piece of glass or plastic? I've discovered a bizarre error in my car: the your-trunk-is-open light came on when the trunk was shut-and-locked and the engine experiencing difficulty, and a technician at a car parts store confirmed my suspicion that this was actually the check engine light. When I speak with the mechanic about fixing the problem that prompted the light to come on, I'd like to say "Someone misinstalled the [part name] so that it shows..." instead of "Someone misinstalled the part that lets the lights through so that it shows..." Nyttend (talk) 04:59, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

There may well be an industry-specific term (which I too would be interested to learn), but if you were to say to me, as a non-mechanic, "instrument panel template" I'd understand what you meant. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.211.130.104 (talk) 09:56, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

"Lens" is the technical term. See, for example, this catalogue entry. Incidentally, it's more likely that the wiring is wrong rather than the lens (unless it's obviously upside-down or something like that). Tevildo (talk) 10:23, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's right-side-up. I'll say "Not sure if there's a wiring mistake, or the lens is wrong, but..." Thanks! Nyttend (talk) 11:58, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

On my car when I open the door the horn honks. When I put in gas the air conditioning comes on. Bus stop (talk) 19:14, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Lens, or Filter. --Redrose64 (talk) 20:06, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I think it would be called a grille, also spelled grill. This might be called an "icon grille". There may be other terminology out there. I doubt that the industry would seek the most technical language when simpler terminology such as "lamp" may suffice. It is an interesting question (difficult to answer) but in practice those in the industry may not seek to answer that question, although other possibilities might be "lamp grille" or "lens grille". Of course he may think you are talking about the grille on the front of your car. This may lead to unneeded repairs. Bus stop (talk) 11:14, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah it's just been crosswired. Had a similar problem with the plumbing here when first moved in, hot piped to cold and vice versa. Which was fun. _Muffled ^Pocketed 11:21, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I would consult with Farrah Fawcett for a problem such as that. Bus stop (talk) 11:34, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Whilst Tap dancing, presumably... _Muffled ^Pocketed 13:18, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

These don't have a clear specific name, because they're not usually a distinct part.

At one time, they were coloured glass, then coloured plastic and were sometimes known as 'jewel's - although that was quite an anachronistic term. In the 1970s, as cars gained more of them, they switched to being shaped icons. By 1980 or so, cars were built with spare slots for these - the dashboard would have a row of indicator lamps and jewels, a few of which would have logos printed on them, sometimes by moulding and then colour filling. Additional lamps could be 'borrowed' by a garage as extra features were installed, such as fog lamps or trailer hitches, and these might have a logo added to the jewel (Letraset could be used), but usually didn't.

In the 1990s, two changes happened. Panel lamps went to LEDs rather than bulbs (smaller, brighter, no heat, no need for replacement) and the style of dashboard design favoured "invisible" indicators. Indicators were now two-part moulded with a shaped hole in opaque plastic, a clear plastic jewel shaped to fit and the colour from the LED itself. This style was somewhat inflexible, as the indicators could only be used for one logo and were near impossible to change. The dashboard panel was moulded in one piece, rather than with separate indicators. As cars gained more features as standard though, there was less need to customise them. Many cars would have the foglamp indicator installed in all models, even if the switch and lamps were only on the deluxe model. Andy Dingley (talk) 12:33, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Birdhouse?

http://i63.tinypic.com/4vmnwk.jpg

What is that structure? Looks like a birdhouse, but why would the villagers build a birdhouse in the middle of the village?

212.96.33.44 (talk) 10:36, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It's a pigeon house or dovecote. --Wrongfilter (talk) 10:47, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! 212.96.33.44 (talk) 12:01, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Clearly designed by a graphic artist who knows nothing about breeding doves for food. Looking at images of real dovecots will make it obvious why this one wouldn't work - you have to have access to the inside to harvest the young birds which were used as a food supply. Sticking it high up on a narrow pole wouldn't work! Wymspen (talk) 16:59, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Of course it works! For the doves. μηδείς (talk) 18:43, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It's an ornamental dovecote for fancy pigeons such as fantail pigeons that are not for eating; this dovecote blog says: "Even though our modern dovecotes are basically ornamental, they have characteristics that make them functional and practical, and ideal for housing doves. They are difficult for ground living predators to get into. They are well off the ground, mounted on a wall or post, even if the predator can climb up, it should not be able to get in because of theoverhang, they would be forced to bend over backwards and fall to the ground. The doves also prefer to be high up and in fact would be reluctant to sleep or nest at ground level. The popholes make the doves feel secure..." Alansplodge (talk) 15:02, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Two more points: 1) Having a dovecote on your village green is a bit of a thing in England: see this one in Westcott, Surrey for example. The custom may hark back to the more functional dovecotes referred to by User:Wymspen above, which were usually attached to a manor house or large farm but were sometimes in the middle of the village like this enormous one at Clifton, Nottingham, said to be the largest in England. 2) This previous discussion suggests that most if not all pigeons eaten in the UK are nowadays wood pigeons shot in the wild as game, rather than farmed domesticated ones. Alansplodge (talk) 16:41, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Old factory

This video called The Wonderful World of Tupperware from 1964 was like watching an old version of How It's Made. Can you give me more videos that show old factories and production lines making items from start to finish? Anything pre 1975 is okay. Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.141.200.24 (talk) 12:06, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe Glass by Bert Haanstra? PiusImpavidus (talk) 10:51, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Try Morris Gazettes - The Gift (1930-1939), which shows British car production from smelting the steel to fitting the carpets. The Factory - Pop Goes the Weasel shows the design and production of a musical jack in the box at Mattel in the 1950s. Also, not strictly a factory but S.S. British Sovereign (1950-1959) shows ship building from drawing board onwards. Alansplodge (talk) 17:43, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

This may seem like an odd suggestion, but Mister Roger's Neighborhood frequently had a segment where they showed how things were made at the factory, sometimes with Fred Rogers at the factory, sometimes not. Of course, those "tours" were geared to a young audience. One was at a crayon factory. StuRat (talk) 18:13, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Someone asked a similar question on Quora some time ago. Here are the responses. Likely to be some leads there. --Jayron 32 19:18, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Whistle

Which is the loudest whistle ever made? 103.230.106.8 (talk) 22:41, 6 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia has a section on this Steam_whistle#Loudest_and_largest_whistles--Aspro (talk) 12:05, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Acme Whistles claimed the loudest whistle with the Acme Meteor http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2010/02/03/acmes-meteor/ and http://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/xcart/pages.php?pageid=9 but I don't think it was ever "blown". --TrogWoolley (talk) 12:21, 7 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Does the explosion of Tambora or Krakatoa count as a whistle? μηδείς (talk) 06:53, 8 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

See Whistle Down the Wind. Some storms make a great deal of noise. 80.44.161.39 (talk) 12:42, 8 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

When I first read this, I thought "whistle" referred to a noise, not an instrument, in which case a bass tuba might be the biggest. But high pressure steam being squeezed out of a volcano would certainly be louder. μηδείς (talk) 01:20, 9 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]