What did I just buy?

[Revere Cycles]

I won this on an auction site for $76. It's solid marble, weighs 652 LBS and is fairly large, 35" W x 24" D x 31.5" H. To be honest, I only bought it because I saw a very similar one on 1st Dibs a few years ago and always thought it would be a cool piece to have. At $76, I couldn't really say no.

Any idea as to what this could have been used for? The solid marble legs really interest me, because I figured cast iron or steel would be much less expensive & durable.

 

[1982fxr]

wtf?

 

[abachman]

This looks like an old table that was used to hold a highly sensitive laboratory scale (Balance.) The weight was thought to keep the vibrations down to a minimum, thus getting better accuracy.

 

[dlcwent]

Any idea as to what this could have been used for? The solid marble legs really interest me, because I figured cast iron or steel would be much less expensive & durable.[/QUOTE]

What are your plans for this piece?

 

[cowboy73]

Antivibration Marble balance table for precision measurements: http://www.davis.com/Product/Antivi...rred_id=3388&gclid=CPfC6cXT0b0CFYhaMgodWS0AjA

 

[losabio]

Put it in the freezer and make fancy ice cream cones with it.

 

[Professur]

I hope you got free shipping on that.

 

[blazemaster83]

That is a sweet table! Perfect for a heavy machine, hell you could clean it up and put it in your living room. afterall, its marble lol. nice snag!

 

[WhoWhatNow]

This looks like an old table that was used to hold a highly sensitive laboratory scale (Balance.) The weight was thought to keep the vibrations down to a minimum, thus getting better accuracy.

Yep, it's a balance table. I think the marble is less sensitive to movement due to temp and humidity changes.

I bet if you wipe a wet paper towel across the top you will come up with all sorts of fun colors!

 

[Fretters]

I think the marble is less sensitive to movement due to temp and humidity changes.

I'd be surprised if it altered by any notable amount at all. Metal would be all over the place, (on a minute level), with temperature and such. Plus marble is far less prone to any distortion, flexing etc. That would probably make a good surface plate.

 

[bigdave39355]

Put it in the freezer and make fancy ice cream cones with it.

thats my kind of thinking. your own garage slab creamery.

 

[Steinmetz]

That is a sweet table! Perfect for a heavy machine, hell you could clean it up and put it in your living room. afterall, its marble lol. nice snag!

It's not structured for a heavy machine. Marble is very bad in flexure.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Excellent surface for doing "take off" measurements. Most machine shops have one. Particularly ones that "reverse engineer" parts.

 

[-Brent-]

Put it in the freezer and make fancy ice cream cones with it.

Mmmm, diff oil and metal chip ice cream.

 

[zkling]

It's not structured for a heavy machine. Marble is very bad in flexure.

This. IMHO barring some very specific purposes that is more of a space waster than anything in a home shop. One good hammer strike would kill it.

 

[comedyman809]

that is a anti vibration table, used in laboratories for science and research. the wheels may have been added, they normally don't have wheels typically, scientists place very sensitive scales on top to get accurate measurements.

 

[comedyman809]

76 bucks!!! good deal thats a $1200 table new

 

[ggoss]

This looks like an old table that was used to hold a highly sensitive laboratory scale (Balance.) The weight was thought to keep the vibrations down to a minimum, thus getting better accuracy.

We have a very similar one at work (research lab) sitting under one of our fluorescence microscopes. It keeps vibrations down (from equipment in the next room) when taking pictures of cells/tissue at 100-600x magnification.

 

[oldldh]

That table could have held a "Micro-Balance" or a "Thermogravimetric Furnace/Oven Balance"...

Think something that could weigh a cigarette ash to four decimal places---i.e....a micro gram...

Vibration "proof", but not very strong...

A decent size drill press would probably break it...and a hammer blow would definitely crack/shatter it...

 

[ttpete]

Excellent surface for doing "take off" measurements. Most machine shops have one. Particularly ones that "reverse engineer" parts.

It's not a surface plate. Who knows whether it's flat or not? And marble's too soft. Real surface plates are granite.

 

[Bronson]

Part of a mortuary set.

 

[bayoubengal85]

As some of the other members here have stated, its definitely for laboratory/high precision balances and other precision equipment. I happen to work for a scale company that services all different industries. Generally, we see these kinds of tables in hospital/research labs. We do service a few refineries and chemical plants that have them in their labs as well. When you're weighing to 4-6 places past zero, the slightest vibrations from other equipment on the counter or someone tapping a pen on the countertop can cause the readings to drift all over. These tables wont always eliminate the vibrations completely, but they definitely help.

 

[comedyman809]

definitely for the science word

 

[Revere Cycles]

This looks like an old table that was used to hold a highly sensitive laboratory scale (Balance.) The weight was thought to keep the vibrations down to a minimum, thus getting better accuracy.

Ah, that makes sense! Thanks!

What are your plans for this piece?

Ha, not quite sure. Being marble, I think it would be cool to use as an island in my kitchen. However, taking into consideration that it came out of a lab, I question how food safe it would be. For now, it will probably live in my studio & home for wayward boys.

I hope you got free shipping on that.

I did, if you consider driving an hour away, throwing it on a trailer, and driving another hour home, then yes.