Vintage valve lapping tool

[crankshaftdan II]

I think that this was what it was used for and very old and original--brass handle looks very old-no I.D. marks/name/numbers---anyone have one or know who made same??? Thanks......Cranky

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That is what the end looks like to me, too, Cranky. Sorry I can't help you with the ID. A more common approach for using a speeder as the handle was a detachable 1/2-inch square drive socket with a lapper blade (and sometimes multiple sizes) as an attachment with a removable pin. Blackhawk, Hinsdale, Indestro, etc all did that. Is that permanently attached? Welded? Forged?

 

[d.mcfarland]

Joke or no?

 

[crankshaftdan II]

That is what the end looks like to me, too, Cranky. Sorry I can't help you with the ID. A more common approach for using a speeder as the handle was a detachable 1/2-inch square drive socket with a lapper blade (and sometimes multiple sizes) as an attachment with a removable pin. Blackhawk, Hinsdale, Indestro, etc all did that. Is that permanently attached? Welded? Forged?

LN:

Sorry, should have done more homework b4 asking the Question! Adding some additional pics to determine if this might have been ho-made? Could have been a 1/4" spinner-conversion??? Sort of gives me a idea that they cut the end off-split it on a band saw + added the lapper and pinned it together??? No name would then be apropiate!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It might be home-made, but except for the widening split in the shaft, that's how they were commercially made after the little rotary hand-cranked jobby era. Late 20's into early 1930's. Long speeders for reach. And they came with different size attachments for different size cars/valves. I can't tell if that pin is removeable (edit: never mind I can see that it's not), but the ones that the major Mfgrs made were removeable, with a split pin or cotter pin holding the other pin in. Then somebody got the idea of pinning the attachments on a 1/2-inch drive socket instead, and you could use the same speeder as in your socket set.

 

[Schurkey]

OK, I give up.

HOW would you "lap valves" with that device? Photos of the thing in-use would be welcome.

I've got a hand-crank "valve lapper" that spins the valve back 'n' forth, progressing forward a little bit each time. Held to the valve with a suction cup. Everyone else uses a plain stick with a suction cup, and just runs it back 'n' forth between their palms.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

HOW would you "lap valves" with that device? Photos of the thing in-use would be welcome.

I've got a hand-crank "valve lapper" that spins the valve back 'n' forth, progressing forward a little bit each time. Held to the valve with a suction cup. Everyone else uses a plain stick with a suction cup, and just runs it back 'n' forth between their palms.

Valves in the early era had two shallow indents in the head for lapping attachments like the one Cranky found. The spacing between the indents was different on different size valves/cars. A lapper would come with multiple attachments (with different pin spacing). One mfgr (I think it was Hinsdale, from memory) made one that had pins spaced differently on each edge. You would turn it until you had the pins for the appropriate valve. Indestro made one that was adjustable (slip joint). Same concept with the reciprocating motion as the suction cups, which came later. Some valves had a slot in the head instead. For that kind of valve, the lapper attachment for a speeder (or the hand-crank type), was just a thin square of metal. I have two like that, one for a Balckhawk speeder and the other a hand-crank Zim.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You can see examples of detachable 1/2-inch drive sockets with all the various kinds of valve lapping attachments I described above (fixed pins, fixed pins on all four edges, adjustable pins, and slot), for spinning with a standard 1/2-inch drive speeder, in this old GJ post of mine, linked here.

And below is my Zim lapper with an attachment for a slotted valve head.

The good thing about these old lapping attachments for re-facing a valve is that they provided a stronger, more assured connection than a suction cup. The bad thing is you couldn't lift the valve out with them.

 

[HeelSpur]

Here's a few I have.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/razorear/28101409689/in/dateposted-public/

 

[Schurkey]

Zim--yeah, that's what I have.

Gonna have to go find the thing. I don't think it's ever been "used". It's been played-with some, but never actually used.