MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Wendyf]

Made in Canada not Worcester?

[Tizer]

It's the first time a bar code was used on a food product?

[Stanley]

You've all got different aspects of it so it's unfair to push it too far. It's an example of the bi-lingual food labelling in Quebec State that was mandatory when I was there in the 80s. It fascinated me and I saw some own brand cans in the supermarket labelled 'Confeiture du chien' . I assumed it was dog food but even my inadequate French translated this as 'Dog Jam'. Very strange.....

Try this new one. If you know what it is give the others a chance....

[chinatyke]

I think I know but later can you please explain how you use it or how it is used?

[Stanley]

Will do China.... Clue, the polished surfaces are accurate to microns, this cost a lot of money to manufacture.

[Gloria]

I think I know.

[Tizer]

With that fine tolerance I guess that something fits over it and spins. Is it from a centrifuge?

[Stanley]

I think this could be very boring for many people and so I'm going to knock it on the head, largely because even I don't know what it was used for!
It's beautifully made and I suspect has been hard chrome plated before grinding the two shiniest bands to what I believe is a very fine tolerance, I don't know the tolerance but suspect microns. My friend John Mills was given a bunch of these which had been scrapped but were still perfect. I suspect they were plug gauges for a small bore or more likely to check the relationship of two adjacent surfaces of different height. What John realised immediately (and this answers China's question) is that they are ideal for testing the relationship of a chuck to the bed of the lathe. People assume that this is always accurate in a well built lathe but this is only true if the bed is set dead level on the floor. You chuck it up in the lathe and then measure it with a dial test indicator which, if everything is right, will give the same reading on every part of one of the surfaces, in this case you use the one furthest out from the chuck. The accuracy can be adjusted by using the levelling screws on the lathe to affect the slight twist in the bed casting.
You can also test the accuracy of the tailstock when you have done this. If you mount the bar between a dead centre mounted in the chuck and the centre in the tailstock and test it with a DTI again it should read the same anywhere on one of the surfaces, if it doesn't you can adjust the relationship of the tailstock centre to the mid point of the bed using a very fine adjustment built into it.
All lathes are moving slightly right through their lives and it is surprising what you can find if you do these tests. These bars are ideal in that we can be sure they are dead straight and parallel. When I get into the mood I'll clean Mrs Harrison down and do these tests. I know she is capable of extreme accuracy if adjusted properly.
Next for shaving?

[Gloria]

I thought it was a special reamer.

[chinatyke]

...And I thought it was a test piece for testing the accuracy of your micrometers. Thanks for the explanation.

[plaques]

I got the impression that it was part of an air gauging system. The groove at the end looked like a 'O' ring connection. How it would work I don't know but a secondary ring could pick up the pressure difference rather than a dial indicator. See this for some explanations on air gauging. Link

[Stanley]

Could very well be P. I don't suppose we will ever know but it will certainly work as a test bar.

[Stanley]

Try this oldie......

[Cathy]

A baby spirit level.

[Stanley]

Dead right Cathy but can you tell me why it is so small? What was it intended for?

[LizG]

It looks a bit like the one we use to level the caravan but I'm tipping that's not it. Is it used to level the engines you make?

[Stanley]

You're on the right lines Liz. Think of a sport or pastime where level is important.

[Gloria]

Snooker table? Or cricket stump?

[Tizer]

Checking the level of a surface for playing marbles?
Whatever it is, I have one too inherited from my father but I think it was in his toolbox. My grandad played bowls but I don't think it would have been much good for checking the level of the green.

[Stanley]

Gloria has it right I think. It's very nicely made out of brass and is marked "Vest" and is just the right size for a waistcoat pocket. Ideal for whipping out and checking a snooker table.
Next one?

[Tizer]

My grandad was also a steward at a working men's club so perhaps he had one to check the tables there.

[Stanley]

[Gloria]

Measures for something??

[Wendyf]

I remember these, so I'll keep quiet for a bit.

[Tizer]

Cartridge cases?