What is this? Came with a drill press

[Andrew Vanis]

What is this? Came with a drill press

Looks like it says PR on one side

 

[Old Man Roger]

Machinist bench block

 

[whateg01]

Bench block. You can use it for a bunch of stuff. The v-groove will let you put something round in it so it doesn't roll. The holes can be used to drive a pin out of something so the pin has somewhere to go. Or, on a drill press, to support a workpiece without drilling holes in the table.

 

[RTM]

Starrett Tools : Catalog No. 24 : L. S. Starrett Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

372 p., illus., 18.7 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Save you looking

 

[The Cobbler]

Save you looking

wow, $2.00 back in the day .

 

[cgrutt]

Huh I have something similar but it's some kind of composite almost like a hockey puck. Never saw one in metal like that pretty cool.

 

[whateg01]

Huh I have something similar but it's some kind of composite almost like a hockey puck. Never saw one in metal like that pretty cool.

I have one that's kind of a rubbery plastic and an import in steel. Both get used occasionally. The plastic one is good for stuff that I don't want marred.

 

[Old Man Roger]

If you’re creative, I hear you can use it as a saw set.

 

[cgrutt]

I have one that's kind of a rubbery plastic and an import in steel. Both get used occasionally. The plastic one is good for stuff that I don't want marred.

Mine is an armorer's block for punching pins, sights etc.

 

[whateg01]

If you’re creative, I hear you can use it as a saw set.

anything's a di!do if you're brave enough?

 

[Old Man Roger]

anything's a di!do if you're brave enough?

Jeezuz man.lol

 

[Andrew Vanis]

Starrett Tools : Catalog No. 24 : L. S. Starrett Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

372 p., illus., 18.7 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Save you looking

Thanks! Wouldn't have known where to start.

... Being more of a metal guy than a wood guy.... Says it is for driving pins....ummm, what kind, why, and how?

Definitely a catalog for tradesmen - In the description "feature that needs no explanation"...I can guess the V feature might be for but no idea of the primary function of this tool.

 

[gorilla]

It's function is to keep a tap perpendicular to a surface when hand threading or to hold a pin perpendicular for installation.

 

[danielbuck]

often used for a base to hold a firearm while punching out pins and what not. can be used for lots of stuff.

 

[RTM]

Being more of a metal guy than a wood guy.... Says it is for driving pins....ummm, what kind, why, and how?

I dunno, but I would guess pins holding gears to shafts, and similar roles. Using a pin punch, driven by an appropriate hammer.

Definitely a catalog for tradesmen - In the description "feature that needs no explanation"...

Oh yeah, those vintage catalogs were not for dummies. No description of how to use a tool, they assumed you knew your job. No Amazon flowery descriptions, or YouTube to show you how. That's what your apprenticeship was for. All four (or more) years of it.

But as soon as I saw one, I wanted it for many of the jobs I use my arbor press to solve, but with a smaller mouth.

 

[RoninB4]

A lot of mechanisms are held together with locational dowel pins. Driving these dowel pins out for disassembly requires a block like this sometimes, that' s why it's hollow on the back side. If it has a V groove in the center it's for holding round objects like shafts, gears, or spindles for the same purpose instead of them rolling around on a flat surface while trying to use a hammer on them. It's not for holding taps perpendicular if it's been heat treated, there are other devices for doing that.

 

[neophyte]

Huh I have something similar but it's some kind of composite almost like a hockey puck. Never saw one in metal like that pretty cool.

Steel versions are, or at least were, a standard item in the US Army Small Arms Repair Kit.
Brownell’s used to make a steel version used in the kits, similar to the Starrett, but it has since been discontinued.

 

[no704]

I have had one for about 20 years. Never used it. But I still like it! Alwas thought it was a drill guide. Learn something new every day!

 

[AEAdam]

I just bought one of those. Pretty valuable little items.

I was rebuilding my milling machining and there are little mechanisms like the feed trip lever that are assemblies of shafts and levers held together with dowel pins.

My guess is the previous owner might have used it as a VEE block. Thankfully he didn’t drill into it.

The original finish was a caustic salt bluing which produces psychedelic swirly patterns of gold, brown, blue and purple. Clean it carefully with WD-40 and no abrasive and see what you’ve got. If it cleans up, I’d wax it and put it on eBay for $80.

 

[whitesco]

Mine is an armorer's block for punching pins, sights etc.

Ditto - I have a couple, softer material than OP's to not mar surfaces.