What it be?

[daepp]

Not sure it's "runaway" classified yet, but killing it is high on my to do list.

[stomachmonkey]

Some of those pieces would look great as decorative items.

Clean them up a bit while preserving the patina and they could be cool.

The boiler would make a great outdoor fire pit centerpiece.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Zeke

They were in fact uniform so that stacking facilitated transportation. They were made in a rectangular shape, 12 x 12 x 27 inches, with a slatted lid. So a system to secure the top was necessary but it had to be reusable, therefore not nailed or otherwise any fastening system that tended to destroy the crate. So, I think it was twisted wire and the machine somehow aided in that process.

I’ve seen these crates many times in the orchard my grandfather managed. There are 3 or 4 loops of wire - about 16 or 18 gauge galvanized - attached to the front of the crate with the loop pointing up. These loops were about 1 inch wide. The lid had matching loops of the same wire that were about 1/2 inch wide. When the lid was closed the top loops fit inside the bottom loops and were bent up 180 degrees to secure the top. He never had. Machine to help close the crates.

The small wheels on that machine make it apparent that it was used on a hard floor.