What is this.. mystery tool/thing id

[slowtwitch73]

This came out of an old wooden toolbox that's been in my family a long time.. think wooden planes, chisels, lots of hand saws (and everything to keep them tuned), brace n bits, brazing irons, etc.. so < 1900 based on the tools and the info I have. Original owner worked for Northen Pacific in St Paul.

Anyways this thing was in there. Heavy.. some kind of early plastic/rubber. Bit like a hockey puck material is all I can describe it as, but it could have been supple once upon a time. shows signs of cracking and has some small chunks out of it. Has lines on all faces.. almost like (band) saw marks, but not quite.

Any guesses? Only thought I had was some kind of saw blade conditioner/cleaner, but doesn't show any signs of use like one would expect.

Anyone?

 

[4xdog]

Perhaps a sanding block?

 

[slowtwitch73]

Perhaps a sanding block?

Certainly could be, and unless a better idea is offered up, that is what it will be. But....

There aren't any scratches on it like you would expect with a sanding block, no way to fix the paper/cloth (not that there has to be), and with wood readily available why this weird material?

 

[larry_g]

Is it conductive? Could be an electrical contact 'brush' for an electric train or elevator.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[4xdog]

Certainly could be, and unless a better idea is offered up, that is what it will be. But....

There aren't any scratches on it like you would expect with a sanding block, no way to fix the paper/cloth (not that there has to be), and with wood readily available why this weird material?

Yep -- all good points. The only rationale would be that it was once flexible and compliant. If it was always rigid, there's no logic to it being a sanding block.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Is it conductive? Could be an electrical contact 'brush' for an electric train or elevator.

lg
no neat sig line

Interesting.. don't know will have to check.

Just squirreled the chest away under a couple hundred pounds of ****.

 

[RTM]

If it was always rigid, there's no logic to it being a sanding block.

Certain jobs prefer a solid, flat, & non-flexible material, like removing rust from a saw blade so you don't destroy the etch. But why make it out of rubber? Hmm

 

[The Cobbler]

first pic, lh side looks like steel behind that gouge?

 

[Provincial]

Certain jobs prefer a solid, flat, & non-flexible material, like removing rust from a saw blade so you don't destroy the etch. But why make it out of rubber? Hmm

The rubber grips the backing of the sandpaper so it doesn't move around. The grooves keep dust from getting caught between the block and the backing by providing a way for it to escape.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Not conductive, not magnetic, no metal. I can just slightly bend it. It must have been softer/pliable once upon a time and been a sanding block although the lack of any signs of use as sanding block and the odd material are curious. Pretty sure the lines on it are left over from cutting it from a larger piece.. not for dust. They are on every face and fairly haphazard in orientation, etc but they could have been more pronounced when the material was fresh.

 

[TailGunner3000]

It could have been part of some sort of bushing or bumper used in the rail shop or on a railcar. Things in facilities like that tended to be on the larger size.

It's original function may never be known, especially since it appears to have been cut from something larger. But it's likely the user found it to be the right size, shape, weight, or texture for a specific purpose. Old time ingenuity at it's best!

 

[slowtwitch73]

Tailgunner, I agree with you re possibility of some specialized rail yard thing. There's nothing superfluous in the box.