What is this wooden propeller ...thing?

The lady at the thrift store said she thought it might be the prototype for a mold for a propeller or gear.

What is it and whens it from?
Idk what it is but my guess would be 40s Era

 

Looks like it might come from some kind of industrial blender.

 

For food?

 

No idea what. Food, paint, plastics... anything that might need mixing.

Maybe less likely for food because of sterility issues.

 

That would not work as it is as a pattern for molding.

Looks more like it was from a whirligig.

 

maybe an old fan?

 

That's a foundry pattern used to make a mold of it then pour iron into the mold making an iron propeller - you can tell by the leather fillets used to make the radius between the propellers and the hub. Plus the metal embossed tag is a common way the pattern shops marked their patterns.

 

I'd agree it is a foundry pattern. I'm not sure what the use of the final cast item would be....I've done enough boating to know that marine propellers aren't shaped like this, nor aviation....
But maybe some other kind of fan. Fan for a big engine? I'd think for many uses a fan would be lighter; this looks to be rather heavy-duty.

 

They don't want us to know the size, so we can't tell the application of the finished casting. I considered using the grass blade width as a scale but then I'd need to know the type of grass.

 

I also think it is not for molding. It is more decorative item (part of something decorative), because I don't see the reason for finishing of wood if not for "pretty looks".

 

Patterns are often highly finished to give them easy removal from the media.

They rarely look the same as the cast item.

It would be very time consuming to cast a copy of this piece.

 

Maybe part of big "wood kit" model of something with manual where should be noted where Part A-9 should be attached.

 

I concur.

 

I can't help thinking from the way that this is made that it could indeed be a blank template ......

 

Yes, this is likely why it's tagged A-9.

 

I see diachondra and clover. About 1/4" diameter per petal

 

I don't see a place to pour anything in?

My dad seems to think it was a propeller for an old airplane peddle car

 

The size, one of the props would be from my elbow to my wrist, so maybe a foot or a little less. ?