Mystery part

[ckucia]

This part was in with a bunch of precision tools I inherited from my father and grandfather - micrometers, calipers, indicators, bore gauges, etc.

It was in a tin with a bunch of odds'n'ends. It's possible it's from a machine/device long gone.

Curious if anyone recognizes it and knows what its purpose is. The bottom appears to be ground reasonably flat, implying a precise use, but the clamp doesn't seem all that precise and there's no adjustability nor markings.

 

[RTM]

can we see the odds'n'ends from the tin?

Might be some type of base from an surface gage stand, but small and lighter weight. Is it cast iron? I'm imagining a T shaped base on the shaft, but as you said, won't hold real tight.

Surface Gages

Surface Gages

www.starrett.com

And purely a guess, if I wasn't clear enough

 

[ckucia]

can we see the odds'n'ends from the tin?

Might be some type of base from an surface gage stand, but small and lighter weight. Is it cast iron? I'm imagining a T shaped base on the shaft, but as you said, won't hold real tight.

Surface Gages

Surface Gages

www.starrett.com

And purely a guess, if I wasn't clear enough

Unfortunately, I've figured out where most of the other things go. Was things like thumbscrews, micrometer wrenches, dial indicator mount parts, little allen wrenches, etc.

I did get a Lufkin stand, like this pic I snagged from google, but nothing that's round on it matches the U or the space the clip seems to accomodate.



Doesn't seem to be a matching set.

It feels more like steel to me. The top and bottom surfaces are ground, I think. They measure in at .495 to .496 so reasonably parallel. Sides and inside the "U" have a bit of grain and what looks like a faint seam, either from casting or forging, I'd guess.

 

[RTM]

I've got a pair with V shaped inserts, and I swear somewhere I saw a lightweight version that looked like your

Machinists' Whatzit (ANSWERED)

As I reported on the Garage Sale thread, I found this steel case used for storing crystals for a Navy radio set. Some old timer was using it to store some of his tiny precision machinist’s tools. Also some old flange bearings. Neat idea given the nifty steel clasp box and the soft...

www.garagejournal.com

Still poking about. Starrett, Moore &Wright, Brown & Sharpe, Lufkin, so many places to look.

 

[Drill Sergeant Arc]

Is it magnetic? Probably not but could hold something in that regard if it was.

 

[ckucia]

I'll verify. That blue paper towel was on top of a cast iron surface plate, so it should have stuck if it was.

 

[ckucia]

It's attracted to a magnet, but not a magnet itself.

I noticed there's some wear marks on the inside of the U legs on the clip (you can just see on the "mystery part 3" pic in the first post. Seems to indicate it slid under something with a slightly larger diameter that passed vertically through the clip and the base, rather than the clip pinching something horizontal.

It's very possible that whatever device this was part of has been gone for years. My grandfather may have just forgotten he had it, and when my father inherited it, he may not have known what it was either. I also didn't take everything my Dad accumulated when he passed as Mom needed to sell what I didn't want, so it may not be part of something I now own.

But, I suspect, like many of you, I hate to get rid of something that may be useful later, but OTOH, I'm trying to purge out stuff that I don't need/use.

 

[no704]

Looks like the end of a toe clamp was modified for something?

 

[RoninB4]

I'll take a guess at this. I've attached two images to this post for clarification. The older style height gauges, before electronics, used a single column with precisely ground/lapped "discs" that an indicator tip would set on TOP of the discs for a reading. Only the top surface of these discs accurate to use. Very often you would want a dimension/reading that required the indicator tip to go UNDER a workpiece surface. The object posted by the OP appears to be for this very purpose, they used to be quite common if the shop had the older type with single discs. The side opposite the sheet metal "fork" will be ground and lapped if this is what I think it is. The object is inserted into the space in between the discs on the height gauge, the sheet metal "fork" acts as a flat spring to keep the object firmly against the top surface of the disc ("fork" facing up). Now the indicator can be used to obtain a reading UNDER that object as it's essentially the same surface as the top of the disc. These were often used before the design of height gauges changed sometime in the late 70's or early 80's.



The design change was to have two register surfaces in what appears to be opposing/dual blocks. One block surface was for the top, the other block surface was for the bottom to set the indicator to.



The electronic design came in during the late 80's, was quite expensive, and had additional QC functions. I have both of the previous types, never felt the need to have the electronic type. If my guess is correct you want to oil all surfaces to prevent rust, even a slight amount throws the reading off. Unless you have a height gauge it's not something you'll use and you would be better off finding someone that has a height gauge that can use this. If someone has one of the older style models that use this they'll very much want this if it fits, not all of them do. Being it's for an older type they aren't worth a lot of money. I'd make you an offer but I don't know if it will fit my B&S or Cadillac Gauge, my Mitutoyo has the opposing blocks and wouldn't use this. Hope this helped.

 

[ckucia]

Wow. Thanks RoninB4. It sounds like a plausible explanation.

I inherited two height gauges, but they're both the vernier type - I've never seen the stepped type, although my grandfather was a tool&die maker from the 40s through the 80s so he'd likely have used those.

 

[ckucia]

Found this pic of a Cadillac Pla-check with a block inserted that's a pretty close match - interestingly, the clip's on the bottom - probably just installed upside-down.

 

[ckucia]

And another.

Appears this mystery has been solved!

 

[RoninB4]

Your google-fu is much stronger than mine. I tried searching for photos like this, to no avail. Yes the device is upside down, the bottom of the "discs" aren't finished with nearly as much precision/accuracy as the top. The vernier height gauge(s) you have are great for lay-out work to +/-.010, I use mine for that when lightly scribing lines in Dykem painted surfaces. While the vernier type have a purpose they are not nearly as accurate as the type in the photos, nor were they meant to be. The micrometer head on this type should be capable of direct reading to .0001" in conjunction with a dial test indicator, and a granite surface plate. If your grandfather was a tool and die maker it's likely he had one of these disc type height gauges. I learned the trade when I started from men like him and owe much to his generation.

 

[minke]

The closest I can get to these "things" are drafting splines. Perhaps the "clips" held something appropriate for drafting complex curves.

See:

https://duckworksmagazine.com/06/howto/splineweights/index.htm and​

The youtube wallpaper has the idea. I didn't watch the video since I only know how to read.

Am I on to anything? I don't know.

 

[RoninB4]

The closest I can get to these "things" are drafting splines.

-I really think the object has been identified due to my familiarity with them, and the OP's grandfather being a tool and die maker like I was.

However, want to applaud you for taking your time/effort to find something. I liked the video, didn't know "ducks" were used in boat building. I'm going to file that away for use in future projects. They were simple/inexpensive and looks like they work great. I like them, thanks for posting.

 

[RTM]

Duck like things have been an occasional Whatzit on another site I frequent. Nice to see someone else recognizing them. We think the ones found were self cast , but that’s another story.