Can you ID this mystery tool?

[davey_darling]

Cleaning up a school shop today and found this mystery tool. It was in the machine shop area.

As you can see in the pics, it is a cylinder approximately 4" long and 5/8" in diameter, with knurled grips along the length.

In one end is a captive ball bearing that spins quite freely. The bearing doesn't push in at all - it is quite solid with no springiness.

Stamped with "GRAY" "GP 10". Made in Canada.

Do you know what it is and what it was used for? Thanks for any input you might have!

video

 

[Case IH]

Does it open?....looks like one hell of a ball point pen

 

[The Dutchman]

Adapter for a micrometer? If the surface against which you're measuring is concave, the flat end of the micrometer's anvil or spindle won't work, so you extend the anvil or spindle with this adapter? The rounded end of the adapter would contact the concave surface properly for an accurate measurement.

 

[balane]

I have no idea but I was thinking of some kind of sheet metal forming tool. Press and roll the tool along the sheet metal into a female grooved receptacle to create a rounded groove in the thin metal you're working with. That's a 100% guess with absolutely nothing to back it up and I don't even know if what I suggest is possible.

 

[The Dutchman]

Does the end olpposite the captive bearing have a female thread? If so, then it's an extension for a dial indicator gauge that measures radial runout. The free turning bearing allows the runout of whatever is rotating to be measured without the gauge binding up.

 

[The Dutchman]

Inside micrometer extension?

OK, that's 3 guesses. I give up!

 

[davey_darling]

I see what people are getting at with the micrometer/guage theory, but it just doesn't "feel" like a precision tool - the length is an odd length and not something that seems useful as a measuring tool.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Underdog]

some kind of setting tool. The knurling looks like you would hold it and hit.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

a punch?

 

[Gtamazing]

it's to large in diameter to be for an indicator.What does the other end look like?

 

[bgott]

What is the brand name and part number on it?

 

[The Dutchman]

What is the brand name and part number on it?

The OP mentioned "Gray" "GP 10".

I googled that till I was blue in the face; no luck.

 

[bgott]

The OP mentioned "Gray" "GP 10".

It would help if I pulled my head out of my ***, wouldn't it? And I get aggravated when others do the same thing.

 

[Gtamazing]

I would say it's made by Gray Tools of Canada. Their website blows.

 

[The Dutchman]

It would help if I pulled my head out of my ***, wouldn't it? And I get aggravated when others do the same thing.

Don't worry. Be happy!

 

[coldfusion21]

I'm gonna say it's a punch of some sort, or some sorta layout/marking tool.

This has me stumped, and I hate that!

 

[J.Lind]

Maybe a sort of roller burnisher? Though it wouldn't make much sense to have a ball vs. just a round roller, so probably not.

 

[nehog]

Gasket cutter for cutting round (stud/bolt) holes in gaskets. You put the material on the casting and it uses the existing hole as part of the punch.


What, you say I'm crazy? OK, that was a WAG! But I have used large ball bearings (like from a CV joint) do this.

 

[davey_darling]

it's to large in diameter to be for an indicator.What does the other end look like?

The other end is just flat with a small bevel - you can see it in the video.

It doesn't look like it's ever been hammered on.

 

[bgott]

Gasket cutter for cutting round (stud/bolt) holes in gaskets. You put the material on the casting and it uses the existing hole as part of the punch.


What, you say I'm crazy? OK, that was a WAG! But I have used large ball bearings (like from a CV joint) do this.

Actually, that makes sense. I learned to make gaskets by pounding the holes out with the round end of a ball peen hammer. It works well but it mashes the gasket around the hole. If you used that punch you wouldn't be mashing the gasket.

 

[Boiler]

To me the design looks like something used to apply hand pressure to a moving object. The ball lets the pressure-ee roll while you apply pressure.

 

[coldfusion21]

To me the design looks like something used to apply hand pressure to a moving object. The ball lets the pressure-ee roll while you apply pressure.

Maybe a sheet metal or something forming tool? Workpiece spins as this is pushed into the part? Seems rather light duty for that though.

About ready to print the picture and hang it up at work with a big "what is this?"

 

[humber2]

I own one of these and would like to see confirmation from the Gray Catalog that it is to roll a flange pattern onto a sheet of gasket paper.

 

[davey_darling]

I have emailed Gray customer service, will let you all know what they tell me.