Strange Custom Xcelite Tool - What Was It Used For?

[CoogarXR]

I got this tool in a lot of vintage Xcelite stuff. At first I thought it was a home-made job, since it has a standard Xcelite 99 handle part number. But upon closer inspection, the craftsmanship is too good for home made. Granted it's kinda beat up. But I wonder what it was used for? The center rod spins free, and can be pulled out.

I put it in a drawer and forgot about it until I just saw this 1960 Xcelite catalog touting their customized tools. I circled the item that reminded me of it:

That made me re-interested in this tool. Here it is. What do you think it was used for? Forgive my **** cell phone pics:

 

[woody 73]

That one has me stumped I went through several old pdf formats trying to find it and no luck!

Some one needed it for a very special job and xcelite made it, just not sure what job that was?

 

[3baygarage]

Never seen that one. Is the opening a double D or a single D shape? Could be a carb wrench, but a lot of their tools like the nut drivers and pliers were common in electronics repair kits.

 

[CoogarXR]

Never seen that one. Is the opening a double D or a single D shape? Could be a carb wrench, but a lot of their tools like the nut drivers and pliers were common in electronics repair kits.

I'm not sure what you mean- the internal shaft is solid, it doesn't have an opening.

 

[3baygarage]

The inside shape of the open tip. Hard to tell from photo.

 

[CoogarXR]

The inside shape of the open tip. Hard to tell from photo.

The handle is just a round tube, and the rod that slides down inside is solid.

 

[spike99250]

Looks like a small version of a pea shooter. We make a larger version of those to dive nails in hard to reach spots while doing formwork.
Would small brads or tacks be used to secure components in old electronics?

 

[metaldad]

that does look interesting

 

[6PTsocket]

That one has me stumped but I can see a use for the first one on the upper left, in the catalog. If there is a slotted adjustment screw that is held with a jam nut you can adjust the screw and hold the setting while tightening the nut.

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[finn]

For driving something like upholstery tacke? Put the head of the tack in the tube, slide the anvil down, and give it a little whack to seat the tack.

Just a guess, though.

 

[CoogarXR]

I thought of some type of nail/tack driver too, but I wondered would they use brass for the striking-end? I wouldn't think it would last very long. Both ends do have a little "mushrooming", so it probably drove something...

 

[134k]

When I was stationed in North Island back in the 90's we had a civilian tool rep from Xcelite who was responsible for stocking/replacing our worn tools we used on avionics. My understanding was that Xcelite (Cooper) tools were catered to the television, radio and electronics industry. I don't think Xcelite ever made tools for anything outside those industries.

 

[M_George]

It might be an extraction tool for some type of electrical contact.

 

[mbshop]

No idea but I would like one. Agree though that it is a driving tool of some sort.

 

[PassnThru]

It could just simply be a better way to hold a punch.

 

[BajaScout]

Pin extraction tool for large military electronic connectors.

 

[jdewitt]

Maybe it’s just a punch with a convenient way to hold it?

 

[CoogarXR]

When I was stationed in North Island back in the 90's we had a civilian tool rep from Xcelite who was responsible for stocking/replacing our worn tools we used on avionics. My understanding was that Xcelite (Cooper) tools were catered to the television, radio and electronics industry. I don't think Xcelite ever made tools for anything outside those industries.

I've been obsessively collecting Xcelite for a while now. While they did primarily focus on tools for the electronics industry (especially in their later years), they did make a few specific automotive tools (a carb adjuster, points tools, spark plug tester, etc). If you go back to their Park Metalware days, they even made wrenches and sockets too. The older the Xcelite tool, the more diverse the possibilities of it's purpose become.