What is it.... the game! Post unknown objects to ID... and to stump others!

I agree with Mark, Its just to heavy duty to be related to fly tying.

I'll be interested to hear if Dad was a car guy.

The knurled knob is adjusted to hold something in the three jaws. It would be something toroid-shaped and not too thick because the inside edges of the claws are only slightly concave at the tip. Something like an o-ring in shape, or line the rounded shape of a grommet.

The center "plunger" is worn down towards the shoulder, but not at the center, indicating a bearing surface that undergoes considerable force but only around the inner circumference of the grommet.

To me, all these things suggest a two-piece grommet which is press-fit with enough force to bend or "mushroom" one piece over the other, securing the grommet in place on either side of the material to which the grommet is attached.  

After the grommet is set, the knurled knob is turned to release the grommet from the jaws. I suspect that there is a specialized anvil with a grommet-shaped indentation in it which would hold one piece as it mushrooms over the other piece.


The gripping force of the knurled knob would not seem to be strong enough to pull a bearing apart from its race, so I don't think it is a bearing installation tool.

Try as I might, I have not been able to find an online picture that would confirm my guesswork.

My dad was a mechanical engineer for GE. He liked to tinker so God only knows how he got this thing! So pursuing the grommet theory, I've got a friend who sails and knows a sail sewing company. I'll ask her if this looks grommet related - maybe she can take it to them. And there's a cobbler nearby - I'll go chat him up.
When was the last time we said "cobbler"? LOL

Leslie Russell wrote:My dad was a mechanical engineer for GE. He liked to tinker so God only knows how he got this thing! So pursuing the grommet theory, I've got a friend who sails and knows a sail sewing company. I'll ask her if this looks grommet related - maybe she can take it to them. And there's a cobbler nearby - I'll go chat him up.
When was the last time we said "cobbler"? LOL

My Dad loved puns. Here is one he used whenever he could work it into the conversation:

QUESTION: What did the cobbler throw at his wife?
ANSWER: The last!


If it's not for grommets, It looks like some sort of installation tool:
The wear on the shoulder of the rounded tip seems to indicate where the tip engaged with whatever the grippers held. The threads on the other end suggest that it was attached to some other device, perhaps a press, which would generate the force necessary to cause the wear on the tip.

I hope my thought process helps the group to identify this widget.

Now that its known that to get the plunger to move back and forth you have to turn the knurled knob, the female thread on the end of the knob may be there to screw in a T handle which would give a lot more leverage to do this thereby increasing the chances that its a compression device as mentioned. Not sure if maybe its in that tool box without knowing what it was for.

Didn't go through the whole list, so I hope this hasn't been posted yet...



This use to stump me when I was a kid.

Ian Peartree wrote:Didn't go through the whole list, so I hope this hasn't been posted yet...



This use to stump me when I was a kid.

Eel fork?

A type of harpoon / spear tip perhaps?

That has definitely not been posted before...
No good clues here, I'll watch to see what others can come up with.
Good one!!

Wonder what material it is made of?  What size is it ?   Farming implement maybe ?  Wisk for stirring something ?  

Gerry Parent wrote:Now that its known that to get the plunger to move back and forth you have to turn the knurled knob, the female thread on the end of the knob may be there to screw in a T handle which would give a lot more leverage to do this thereby increasing the chances that it's a compression device as mentioned. Not sure if maybe it's in that toolbox without knowing what it was for.

Couldn't the female threads that are seen on the inside of the knurled knob be what the male threads engage with as the knob is tightened into the tool? It would be useful to see those threads when the knurled knob is turned all the way in. It certainly looks like a hand-operated tool to me.

Did you make any headway talking to the sailmaker?

Ian Peartree wrote:Didn't go through the whole list, so I hope this hasn't been posted yet...



This use to stump me when I was a kid.

It looks like it's made out of flexible plastic. What is on the other end, the part that is out of the photo? How long is it? It's green, which makes me think it might be something used with a potted plant or a pot. Perhaps a device for hanging a small plastic pot?

Is using Google cheating? I got "eel fishing spear".

Try this one. See if you can figure it out without using Google.

Ryan: we have never considered it cheating to look things up, sometimes even that doesn't work.

Your thing looks like a grain grinder of some sort.

:D

Ryan M Miller wrote:Try this one. See if you can figure it out without using Google.

It looks like a crucible with a cover for heating small amounts of material to extreme temperatures.

Mark Kissinger wrote:

Gerry Parent wrote:Now that its known that to get the plunger to move back and forth you have to turn the knurled knob, the female thread on the end of the knob may be there to screw in a T handle which would give a lot more leverage to do this thereby increasing the chances that it's a compression device as mentioned. Not sure if maybe it's in that toolbox without knowing what it was for.

Couldn't the female threads that are seen on the inside of the knurled knob be what the male threads engage with as the knob is tightened into the tool? It would be useful to see those threads when the knurled knob is turned all the way in. It certainly looks like a hand-operated tool to me.

Mark,  I would have to say no since the knob would need to be resting up against the body to be able to pull the shaft through it, but perhaps a quick response from the OP of the photo could prove this to us.....

Ryan,  Mortar and pestle? Usually the pestle is a wooden mallet but this one could be put into the palm of the hand and twisted.

Not sure what the 'beefy' L shaped piece is for....perhaps a display holder?

Also, is that writing on the circular piece? Can't really make out what it says.... like a catagorizing number for some museum piece.

Leslie Russell wrote:Here are some better photos. Man, that grommet thing - I didn't see that coming LOL

Couldn't the female threads that are seen on the inside of the knurled knob be what the male threads engage with as the knob is tightened into the tool?

It would be useful to see those threads when the knurled knob is turned all the way in. It certainly looks like a hand-operated tool to me.

Okay, since no-one has figured it out yet, I guess you can use Google if you have to.

Ryan M Miller wrote:Okay, since no-one has figured it out yet, I guess you can use Google if you have to.

"Rotating device of a potters wheel" is what I got when I cough, cough (cheated)

If that is what it is, I would like to understand how it works. I have seen those in India where they have a large circular stone that is balanced on a center pivot point and they get it going real fast with a stick.....or a more modern version with a wheel hub, but nothing like this.

Gerry Parent wrote:If that is what it is, I would like to understand how it works. I have seen those in India where they have a large circular stone that is balanced on a center pivot point and they get it going real fast with a stick.....or a more modern version with a wheel hub, but nothing like this.

I myself don't know how it works. I only posted it here because I remember seeing an image of it in an Archeology class elective in college. No-one in the class could guess the object right. I thought it was a quern when I saw the image. One student in the class thought it was a button or clasp.

Apple for Gerry for good google-fu skills!
I'd like to know how it works too. I didn't know the word quern or that's what I would have called it instead of a grain grinder of some sort :D

Another apple awaits anyone who can tell us how you'd use that for pottery!!

Still wonder what the thing with the forky blade is...

And I'd LOVE to know for sure what the claw thing is for! That one bugs me :)

Apparently, the previous image was some kind of fishing spear. I would expect a sharper point on a fishing instrument though.

Pearl Sutton wrote:Apple for Gerry for good google-fu skills!
I'd like to know how it works too. I didn't know the word quern or that's what I would have called it instead of a grain grinder of some sort :D
Another apple awaits anyone who can tell us how you'd use that for pottery!!  

It looks (to me) to be too small to be a grinding quern I believe it acts like a center-point and a bearing, all made out of stone. One piece is mounted onto the underside of a circular table, and the other rests on a base that sits on the ground. (Just a guess, given the hint that it's a part of a potter's wheel.)

I assume that the "cup" stone piece would be kept centered with some sort of box attached to a base and another box on the underside of the flywheel would hold the "pointy" part. Gravity would keep the whole thing together. I guess that some sort of grease would have been put in the cup part to act as lubrication.

The table performs the same function as a foot-powered flywheel for a potter's wheel.

I don't know how the angled piece fits in. Perhaps it adds weight to keep everything in place?  Or, it could also help to keep the keep the wheel level (to keep the edge of the flywheel from touching the ground when it is not spinning). Alternatively, it could be a brake to stop the wheel?

I remember seeing a foot-powered wheel in a documentary, but I didn't know what the actual bearing looked like.

Here's some pictures:

Apple for Mark for explaining it! Thank you! :D

Ryan M Miller wrote:Apparently, the previous image was some kind of fishing spear. I would expect a sharper point on a fishing instrument though.

Fishing spear? Did I miss seeing that go by?
Proof required before apple toss!

Pearl Sutton wrote:

Ryan M Miller wrote:Apparently, the previous image was some kind of fishing spear. I would expect a sharper point on a fishing instrument though.

Fishing spear? Did I miss seeing that go by?
Proof required before apple toss!

Given the big hint, from Gerry Parent, here's the actual picture I found online. Eels are hard to spear because they are so skinny and slippery.

I think the two outside parts serve to help guide the middle point into the ell when it is thrust into the eel's body.

The two outside tips would help to hold the eel onto the center point.

I'd think that this tip would also work for spearing snakes.

Mark, Ryan and Gerry all got apples for the eel thing. :D

Found this at a thrift store. I know what it is!

It has a wooden handle on the top. The center piece is a trough with two metal bands that are capable of flexing. The handle is removable and fits all the way through the center of the trough. Holes at the end of the trough mean it isn't meant to hold anything inside. There is no serial number or makers mark.

Lauren Ritz wrote:Found this at a thrift store. I know what it is!

It has a wooden handle on the top. The centerpiece is a trough with two metal bands that are capable of flexing. The handle is removable and fits all the way through the center of the trough. Holes at the end of the trough mean it isn't meant to hold anything inside. There is no serial number or makers mark.

It really looks like it belongs near a fireplace. perhaps it is used to transport small pieces of embers from one fireplace to another, to help in starting new fires. Is it possible that some end pieces are missing?

When I lived in Germany, one of my daily chores was to carry coal bricks to all of the stoves in the house. something like this object would have been handy for lighting the bricks of the stoves using chunks of burning coal gathered from an existing fire-stove.., especially if some missing endpieces were in place.

Is it for making paper 'logs' ?

Daniel Schneider wrote:Is it for making paper 'logs' ?

Got it! A newspaper log roller.

I agree with Daniel....and because I wanted to know how it worked, with my newly acquired Google-fu skills (thanks Pearl!) I found many links, one of them here:

Newspaper log roller

Apple for Daniel!! :D

Thank you Gerry for the link!! Cool, I learn stuff!!  :D Me and mom were discussing something like this a while back, the little town we are in has a recycle place that there are just stacks and stacks and boxes and piles of newspaper. I'm REALLY startled, with all the people around here who heat with wood, that no one takes it and logs it up.
I love learning stuff!!! :D
This is a fun game to have going :D

I didn't make up the word Google Fu, that one has run around on the net for years. I know someone with serious Google fu skills who can find any useless thing out there. Isn't as good at finding useful things though... It's what is focused on that makes the difference between useful and non-useful google fu skills. Finding log rollers is useful :D

I'm always on the lookout for interesting old tools. If it's that old, it had a use, and I might be able to use it too.

This one I thought I might use to thresh wheat with the appropriate alterations, or maybe card wool.  But its original use is good as well, and I don't have any wool. :)

Lauren Ritz wrote:Found this at a thrift store. I know what it is!

It has a wooden handle on the top. The center piece is a trough with two metal bands that are capable of flexing. The handle is removable and fits all the way through the center of the trough. Holes at the end of the trough mean it isn't meant to hold anything inside. There is no serial number or makers mark.

"This one seems to be missing some important parts..." said Captain Obvious in his retrospective reverie...

Pearl Sutton wrote:Apple for Daniel!! :D

Thank you Gerry for the link!! Cool, I learn stuff!!  :D Me and mom were discussing something like this a while back, the little town we are in has a recycle place that there are just stacks and stacks and boxes and piles of newspaper. I'm REALLY startled, with all the people around here who heat with wood, that no one takes it and logs it up.
I love learning stuff!!! :D
This is a fun game to have going :D

I didn't make up the word Google Fu, that one has run around on the net for years. I know someone with serious Google fu skills who can find any useless thing out there. Isn't as good at finding useful things though... It's what is focused on that makes the difference between useful and non-useful google fu skills. Finding log rollers is useful :D

Has anyone here actually used one of these, and if so, how did it work out? I remember that  ads for these were really common back in the 70s back-to-the-land days (I was always tickled by the fact that you could see the same ad in both Mother Eath news, and Yankee magazine), but  then they seemed to disapppear. The ones I remember were used with wet paper, and tightly rolled, to make actual paper 'logs', rather than just loosely-rolled firestarters like the ones in the video (to be honest, the one in the video seems to be an utter waste of resources -using all that metal, and manufacturing/transport energy just to make firestarters that wouldn't work any better than a crumpled up sheets of paper?) I seem to recall hearing that there were some issues with the paper logs, but it was always third- or fourth-hand, so I was never sure how seriously to take it. If paper logs *do* work, they could be a way to stretch out the firewood a bit,  but I don't want to waste a lot of time and energy bodging together something to make them if they don't...

From the look of it, it could make logs up to five or six inches in diameter. I'm sure they'd burn much faster than wood (especially with that "chimney" in the middle), but I see no reason that it wouldn't work. This one is obviously pretty old, probably early 20th century or late 19th since there's no manufacturing stamp of any kind. They didn't go to that kind of effort to make something that wasn't going to work.

The information I found about "problems" on the internet is pretty laughable--it could cause fires by igniting creosote in your fireplace (which is a moot point if you actually maintain your fireplace) and they burn too fast. Also (gasp!) they produce ash! People are silly.

Lauren Ritz wrote:From the look of it, it could make logs up to five or six inches in diameter. I'm sure they'd burn much faster than wood (especially with that "chimney" in the middle), but I see no reason that it wouldn't work. This one is obviously pretty old, probably early 20th century or late 19th since there's no manufacturing stamp of any kind. They didn't go to that kind of effort to make something that wasn't going to work.

The information I found about "problems" on the internet is pretty laughable--it could cause fires by igniting creosote in your fireplace (which is a moot point if you actually maintain your fireplace) and they burn too fast. Also (gasp!) they produce ash! People are silly.

Wonder how they'd do in a RMH? I poke poke at the wise Thomas Rubino, any idea?
Most people don't seem to maintain their fireplaces, no. Humans are VERY silly beasties.
I can see their points, if what you are going for is long slow burn (which is going to creosote up your chimney) adding a fast hot burning item doesn't work in your system. I'm a fan of the idea of masonry heaters in general, where you want to burn hot and fast, and heat your mass up. So if I end up burning anything in the house (which is iffy to start with) paper logs might feed a masonry mass heater of some sort. So I can see their point, within their system, but vote for a different system :)