# What are these stainless steel things I bought from a (dairy?) barn auction? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264 "2013-01-06T16:42:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/1 "2013-01-06T16:42:28Z")
[https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#photo/109667390045908457426/5830372657696774737/5830373151143647058](https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#photo/109667390045908457426/5830372657696774737/5830373151143647058) (Bananas for scale) Hopefully this pic works, I’m posting from my phone and having some trouble. About 15 years ago, I attended an auction at a barn in Arkansas, which was possibly involved in dairy production, but maybe not. I got these things, which are open backed, made of stainless steel, and have handles on the tops of them. They’re about 24"x6"x5". I’ve been using them as shelves, and always wondered what their original job was. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/2 "2013-01-06T16:53:45Z")
That link doesn’t seem to work. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/3 "2013-01-06T17:22:06Z")
[https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830373151143647058&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416](https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830373151143647058&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416) ? Anyone know how to get an iPhone to link to a picasa photo Properly? This is driving me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/4 "2013-01-06T17:26:39Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > [https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830373151143647058&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416](https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830373151143647058&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416) > > ? > > Anyone know how to get an iPhone to link to a picasa photo Properly? This is driving me crazy. This link works. I have no idea what they are though. Trays for carrying milk pails? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/5 "2013-01-06T18:08:00Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Trays for carrying milk pails? What dairy still carries milk in pails? No idea either, but I’ll guess it is used in cheese making. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/6 "2013-01-06T18:26:32Z")
I also suspect cheese making. Despite the scale-banana, I think the photo makes these look larger than they are. Here is a pic of them as shelves: [https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830403468168940386&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416](https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830403468168940386&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416) ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/7 "2013-01-06T18:30:58Z")
Well, I can tell you that they’re super cute as shelves, but that’s about all I can offer. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/8 "2013-01-06T18:53:24Z")
The odd thing is the orientation of the handles. When lifted or carried, the openings are on the sides, which would tend to allow the contents slide out. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/9 "2013-01-06T19:02:13Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > I also suspect cheese making. > > Despite the scale-banana, I think the photo makes these look larger than they are. Here is a pic of them as shelves: [https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830403468168940386&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416](https://picasaweb.google.com/m/zoom?uname=109667390045908457426&aid=5830372657696774737&id=5830403468168940386&viewportWidth=320&viewportHeight=416) Aren’t those edges kind of sharp? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/10 "2013-01-06T19:20:58Z")
I think I saw something very similar in a Dirty Jobs episode on cheese making. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/11 "2013-01-06T19:23:57Z")
I believe they are box racks for a low-temperature freezer (we have hundreds in my lab). This example shows them with the boxes. A slightly different size than yours, but they come in many sizes and configurations. [http://www.phenixresearch.com/products/frk-122c-chest-freezer-rack.asp](http://www.phenixresearch.com/products/frk-122c-chest-freezer-rack.asp) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/12 "2013-01-06T19:47:30Z")
Blessed are the cheesemakers. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/13 "2013-01-06T19:53:56Z")
Obligatory drive-by cow tool post. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/14 "2013-01-06T20:06:53Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Aren’t those edges kind of sharp? Not particularly, no. Mozchron, what kind of lab do you work in? ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/15 "2013-01-06T20:21:11Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > Mozchron, what kind of lab do you work in? I run a molecular biology laboratory. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/16 "2013-01-06T21:10:59Z")
Interesting. Wonder what these were doing in a run down barn. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/17 "2013-01-06T21:28:01Z")
Some of the best biology happens on farms. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/18 "2013-01-06T23:13:39Z")
Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/19 "2013-01-06T23:40:59Z")
I dunno, variety it lacking. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-stainless-steel-things-i-bought-from-a-dairy-barn-auction/646264/20 "2013-01-07T18:48:52Z")
Looks like some general purpose mobile shelving units made to cook/freeze/cool/dry processed goods.