MYSTERY OBJECTS

[plaques]

Looks like a high pressure lubricator was made by J&W Kirkham Limited, Lark Street, Bolton.
Actually, I remember you refurbishing one in shed matters. It couldn't have been that long ago otherwise it would have dropped from the memory bank.

[Stanley]

Well done P! Spot on and you're right, I have two and refurbished both of them. They'd cost a fotune to make today and I'll bet some steam nut somewhere out there would give his or her eye teeth for one. Next for shaving?

[Stanley]

Try this one....

[Big Kev]

Is it for repairing a hole in something?

[chinatyke]

Spare Frankenstein neck bolt?

[PanBiker]

Kev has it, buckets, water and storage tanks and the like.

[Stanley]

Ian is right, at one time every ironmonger sold them in different sizes. I made this one to illustrate what they were, I doubt if anyone makes them today. You throw the bucket away and buy a plastic one. A common use was holes in pans and kettles. Try this one......

[Wendyf]

A pastry cutter?

[chinatyke]

Cupboard handle, the type that has a hinged part hanging down?

[Stanley]

Sorry, no, this is a very obscure one, you need a big clue.

[chinatyke]

Is it an embosser to put a pattern on leather goods?

[Stanley]

I can see why you thought that China but no, it's more mechanical than that. Another clue, it's used on a lathe......

[Stanley]

This one is so obscure I'll give it one more day and then come clean. It took me years to find out what it was for.

[plaques]

Since this is the last day for guessing I'll spoil it all by saying its been on before and is some kind of actuator that picks the tool forward when the lead screw trips it off. I've never seen one but imagine that it acts like a bit of a cheapo capstan / Swiss automatic. Can you do a lash up picture for us?

[Stanley]

Your wish is my command P and luckily I have just the thing....



This is a home-made star drive tool holder by Johnny Pickles I think. It's for generating flat surfaces on something that is too awkward or large to be chucked and turned normally. The workpiece is mounted on the saddle and this is bolted on the face plate. A tool holder goes in the centre slot with a cutter mounted in it. As the face plate turns the star wheel is hit by a stationary peg mounted in the right place to catch it once a revolution and this advances the cut. I think this is what you were thinking about.
As for the mystery object.... It took me years to solve this one! I acquired it in a bunch of mixed tools I bought and hadn't the faintest idea what it was for. The answer is that it's a hand held guide for winding coils on the lathe. The detents in the star wheel are different depths and enable you to adjust it to the gauge of the wire. You let one of the points on the star wheel ride on the coil and it means that the wire winds on evenly. HERE'S a link to a web page that shows how it works. His was 3" overall, mine is twice that size.

[plaques]

Thanks Stanley, I was on the wrong animal altogether. Never seen any 'reverse' turning. Sounds like the chuck is turned into a fly cutter.

[Stanley]

Exactly P. Think of a lathe stood on the tail stock end of the bed and you have a milling machine.

Next one for shaving?

[Stanley]

Forgive the quality, this was pulled out of a very old image. Can anyone remember what it is?

[Tizer]

Sardine can opener...or for opening canned military food rations.

[PanBiker]

I think it's a safety device, is it a "dead mans key", possibly train or engine related?

[Tripps]

It was fashionable once to use a grenade pin as a zip fastener extension. It doesn't look like the ones I used, but that's my guess.

[Stanley]

Lovely answers but sorry it's a lot older than that, around 1880 I reckon.

[Stanley]

Here's a big clue, the original picture....

[Gloria]

This is a good one, is it a key of some sort?? Something to do with the large basket in the photo?? Does it "lock" the basket for transportation??

[Stanley]

Not that Gloria but you are getting warm! Another clue, not a key but used for locking something. Question is, what?