When I was at Dubbo last week I went to an antique store which had the biggest collection of Cast Iron I had ever seen.  One of the items was a small pot or oven about 8inch round and high with another smaller one dropping inside of it.  There were two sets of these one slight larger and decorated on the outside.

I could only think that water was heated in the outside and the smaller one had something to melt etc.  Both extremely heavy.

Unfortunately as the family were not sympathetic with my stopping at this shop I didnt get time to take a photo.

The price on the smaller was $75.00.

Anyone haver an idea what they might have been used for?

Pretty sure what you saw Carolyn was a glue pot, carpenters and so on used animal and insect based materials like horses hooves etc which were ground up and put in the small pot which was put then put in the outer pot which had water in it and the whole thing heated over a flame. The result was a glue used in carpentry and joinery, it stunk but it worked !

pd

Was it one of these http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Collectable-Cast-Iron-Glue-Pot_W0QQitemZ160263397111QQihZ006QQcategoryZ20087QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks PD and Derek that's what it would have been.  The inside well or pot would have only held about a cup or cup and a half.  I see on the link they are saying it could be used for making lead sinkers.  I guess thats the trouble with second hand stuff you would never know what its been used for previously.