What the heck is this? Part 2

[bmwpower]

That copper looking tip is spring loaded, if that helps...

http://home.comcast.net/~bmwpower/garage/thing2.jpg

[Uncle Buck]

That copper looking tip is spring loaded, if that helps...

http://home.comcast.net/~bmwpower/garage/thing2.jpg

You stumped me with that one.:headscrat I would almost guess some sort of spot welder but I am sure that cannot be right!:confused: Perhaps it is used to heat the seal before using the other tool to remove the glass.

[Buck_nekid]

Umm, maybe some type of engraver? did you feed it any power yet?
Or maybe a "power injector" you make it "hot" and gives you a way to apply power to places you want to.

[ovilla]

Remote Engine Starter? Spark plug arc tester? On my 914, I've got really old wiring and every now and then it won't start so I do the old trick of touching both ends of the solenoid on the back of the starter with a long screwdriver. Anyway, this tool would be great for that too.

[bmwpower]

Umm, maybe some type of engraver? did you feed it any power yet?
Or maybe a "power injector" you make it "hot" and gives you a way to apply power to places you want to.

No, I haven't powered it yet. It be a power injector, but I don't get why it has a spring loaded tip. Inside that black casing, you can see a spring that goes all the way up to the top of the black casing.

[MAD]

Maybe it is a test probe for following the exposed solder traces on pc circuit boards. Perhaps with adjustable tension to avoid damaging the trace.

Just a guess.

[Uncle Buck]

Why don't you send an E-mail to Mac along with a pic of that deal as an attachment so you can find out what it is and share your finding with the rest of us?

[bmwpower]

Why don't you send an E-mail to Mac along with a pic of that deal as an attachment so you can find out what it is and share your finding with the rest of us?

Who's Mac? I could post more pict here, if needed.

<edit> Oh, you mean Mac tools?

[Uncle Buck]

Mac tool, it looked to me like all the stuff you got was Mac brand so I made the assumption.....

[bmwpower]

Mac tool, it looked to me like all the stuff you got was Mac brand so I made the assumption.....

I'm gonna take a closer look tonight and see if I can find a part number or something on it.

[Uncle Buck]

I'm gonna take a closer look tonight and see if I can find a part number or something on it.

If it is theirs wouldn't a picture be worth 1000 words?

[bmwpower]

If it is theirs wouldn't a picture be worth 1000 words?

I sent them a note...we'll see what happens. My luck they will probably tell me, "oh yes, that is a Mac tap and die set".

[bmwpower]

There are no part numbers on this thing. It definitely does not look like someone made it either.

The top rod is adjustable using the thumb screw shown below. The rod is connected to what appears to be a copper spring inside the body, which is a paperlike material...almost like a hard cardboard, maybe stronger.

http://home.comcast.net/~bmwpower/garage/closeup.jpg

This is a closeup of the holes that go down both sides of the "tool". Note spring inside.

http://home.comcast.net/~bmwpower/garage/closeup2.jpg


This is what I noticed about some of the Mac wrenches I just bought in the bunch. A couple are magentic on the open end! What's up with that?

Do you think this tool is some kind of magnetizism device? Just a shot in the dark...

http://home.comcast.net/~bmwpower/garage/magnet.jpg

[Uncle Buck]

Well, you could hook it up and take a non magnetic wrench and see if you could magnetize it.

[bmwpower]

Well, you could hook it up and take a non magnetic wrench and see if you could magnetize it.

Before I fry the tool... what would I hook it up to? Cable to the positive battery post and then what?

[jimmycrackcorn]

Well take your meeter and see if there is some type of resistance accross the tip and cable end. I'm betting it's an engraver. Clamp it on the positive terminal and touch it on the other post. Check the resistance first!

[wilbilt]

For testing rear window defroster grids?

[Uncle Buck]

Well, since you have no instructions and only 1 lead I am a bit unsure. I think I would take my battery charger and hook that hot lead to the bat pos lead, but I would start on a very low 12 volt setting to see what happens. Since I am no electrician and electrical always scares the crap out of me I would probably don my thick rubberized gloves as an added precaution. Then I guess I would touch it to an OLDwrench and see if it magnetizes it. I suspect with only one wire it would do nothing though!

[Uncle Buck]

Well take your meeter and see if there is some type of resistance accross the tip and cable end. I'm betting it's an engraver. Clamp it on the positive terminal and touch it on the other post. Check the resistance first!

Ya know that actually sounds like the smartest guess I have read so far!

[mulepackin]

For testing rear window defroster grids?

I'm betting you're right, especially since the other "unknown" tool was a wind shield tool as well.

[Uncle Buck]

Well so maybe you should take it past an auto glass repair shop?

[TNToy]

I doubt it's 'some kind of magnetism device'. I'm going to guess engraver, too. Hook it to the positive terminal, but I'd touch it to the head of a bolt holding a ground lead to the body, personally. Not fond of engraving my negative battery post. ;)

I'd bet he magnetized the wrenches by simply rubbing a strong magnet repeatedly across them in the same direction. Remember doing this in high school? I do it to all of my screwdrivers once a month, minus a few I use around sensitive electronics. Just magnetic enough that they don't drop screws.;)

[MAD]

Check it with your meter. If you have continuity (0 ohms +/-) between the tip and the wire I would not power it and ground the tip as some have suggested. That is of course unless you want to take some video and post it for all of our amusement.:shocking:

[bmwpower]

Check it with your meter. If you have continuity (0 ohms +/-) between the tip and the wire I would not power it and ground the tip as some have suggested. That is of course unless you want to take some video and post it for all of our amusement.:shocking:

I just checked it out....it's close to 0 ohms.

[heavychevy454ss]

Looks like some kind of variable resistor. When you adjust the center rod, it would change the resistance of the tool.
I'm not sure what it's used for though.

[Jbullfrog]

The Mac part number is EP9NS. It is an Electric Marking Pencil. It works like a welder, you simply attach the lead on the top to the + side of a 6 or 12 volt battery and the ground cable that should be with it to the metal piece you want to mark on to the - terminal. The set screw at the top lets you adjust the arc which is how you set the depth of your mark. It is on page 175 of the current catalog. I have one, and it works ok.

[bmwpower]

The Mac part number is EP9NS. It is an Electric Marking Pencil. It works like a welder, you simply attach the lead on the top to the + side of a 6 or 12 volt battery and the ground cable that should be with it to the metal piece you want to mark on to the - terminal. The set screw at the top lets you adjust the arc which is how you set the depth of your mark. It is on page 175 of the current catalog. I have one, and it works ok.

Hot damn! I believe you got it!

I think I do have that negative lead in the box of wires I got...I'll take a look.

What is it good for? Marking your tools?

https://www.mactools.com/MacTools/ProductCatalog/Asset/Large_Size_Images/EP9NS_Large_1.jpg

[goodfellow]

Hot damn! I believe you got it!

I think I do have that negative lead in the box of wires I got...I'll take a look.

What is it good for? Marking your tools?

https://www.mactools.com/MacTools/ProductCatalog/Asset/Large_Size_Images/EP9NS_Large_1.jpg

Yup -- marking tools. I came a bit late to this thread. People now-a-days use Dremel tools with carbide bits, but I recall these things being all the rage 30 years ago for marking tools. It's not very steady and is very hard to get a good looking result. Most of the guys I saw had difficulty engraving their initials and the result was darn poor.

I did see one gent use a stencil with this thing and the result was quite good.

BUT it took a long time to do just one item.

[z28toz06]

This is a EP9NS electronic engraver. There's a ground wire missing in the picture. You put the pictured alligator clip on one of a car battery terminals then attach the missing lead with 2 alligator clips between the other battery terminal and the part you wish to engrave. When you make light contact with the copper, spring loaded engraver tip to the part you are engraving, it completes the circuit and allows you to "write" like a pencil on the part. It's pretty neat. Sparks fly and it leaves a burned in engraved look. The only draw back with this engraver is that if you're doing more than a few parts ( for instance, a complete set of sockets) the handle heats up, requiring you to stop for a few minutes to let it cool down.

[Willy Victor]

I was not aware of that said the Mighty Karnak:Toilet: :Homer:


Willy

[bmwpower]

I was not aware of that said the Mighty Karnak:Toilet: :Homer:


Willy

Don't worry...it's all good.