What is this weird tool?!!

[Fugio]

I got this tool for free from my dad. But I only get to keep it if I can figure out what it is. It's been driving me crazy all week. Dad thinks it's hilarious and reminds me all the time that I'll never know as much about tools as he does. And he's right.

The only clue I got is that he say's it's something I should find useful.

But as part of the game, I'm totally allowed to get outside opinions. Sooooo, anyone ever seen anything like this?

All I know is that there's 2 bolts in one piece of it, and they obviously fit together somehow. And it appears like it's meant to be adjusted, kind of like you swivel a car's alternator on one bolt and then tighten the other one.

Oh, and those are 12" square tiles it's sitting on to give you an idea of the size.

I really have no clue here!

 

[nine4gmc]

What does he do or what is he "in" to? Those look home made for a specific purpose. Maybe small engine repair tilt jig?

 

[Fugio]

They do look home made, but I don't think they are. One piece has a serial number stamped on the bottom.

My dad was an industrial arts teacher for 30+ years. So it could be a wood working or metal working tool. But he was also an auto mechanics teacher (and a mechanic) for 30+ years, so it could be an automotive tool.

He knows I'm about to take a welding class, so it could also be a welding thing.

I'm a handyman, not an auto mechanic. So chances are good that it's not any sort of auto repair tool.

But beyond that...????

 

[nine4gmc]

I only say home made because the quality of the welds looks like something I would do.

Have you tried googling the serial/part number?

 

[rsanter]

They look like they are for mounting a compressor on a car or a specific type of motor on something

Bob

 

[maddawg1952]

Looks like an alternator or generator mounting plate for display purposes.

 

[Fugio]

I took a pic of the bottom so you can see the numbers.

I called my dad and asked if it was home made or manufactured. He said it was definitely bought from a tool vendor and make by a tool company. He also said that those numbers are part numbers.

 

[Robbie B]

Looks to me like it's part of a machine of some sort.

 

[nine4gmc]

Looking at it like that, the 5 holes appear to line up. I'd say they bolt together plate to plate and hinge off of something to hold something. What do I win?

 

[b7labelle]

I was thinking it held a tank?

 

[bobemmerich]

Looks like the A/C bracket off my 65 Mustang.

 

[ttpete]

Might be adapter fixtures for an alternator testing machine.

 

[notlob]

Motor, generator, or alternator brackets for a machine or vehicle.

 

[Fugio]

Yeah I thought maybe some sort of thing to hold a motor/alternator or something like that. But that wouldn't be something I'd use.

And here's the thing, for the life of me I can't figure out how these 2 halves would bolt together. If they bolted together with 4 bolts instead of 2, I'd guess it's some sort of table mount for a Wilton vise that would allow it to swing off the table when you needed more work space. It's really close to Wilton vise paint color.

 

[nine4gmc]

Do they not go plate to plate? Part numbers facing each other with those 5 holes lined up?

 

[Rickster]

Mounting brackets for old timer table saw or some other wood working power tool where they have an electric motor running a tool by belt??

 

[Fugio]

It's a tool, not a mount. Or so I'm told.

The plates do NOT fit together. The 5 holes are exactly the same in each plate, but they are not symmetrical, so if you flip one part over to fit them plate to plate, it's a no go.

But if you mounted one to a table using those 5 holes, then you could remove it and mount the other using the exact same holes.

 

[nine4gmc]

Well that deepens the mystery...

 

[Fugio]

Yes. Yes it does.

By the way nine4gmc, you bear a striking resemblance to my dad in the 1970's. Except that those were his actual 70's glasses, not safety goggles. All you need is a 70's **** star mustache and you could fool even my grandma.

 

[nine4gmc]

that was my reason for the selfie in the first place. My dad had real glasses exactly like these up til the 80s so when I found these safety glasses at a garage sale, I had to send mom a pic. We had a good laugh!!

 

[2oolhound]

Mounting brackets for old timer table saw or some other wood working power tool where they have an electric motor running a tool by belt??

I agree with this. It's either for bench testing alternators or used where a motor drives a mandrel with a belt drive. The alt. or motor pivots on the fixed mounts and proper belt tension is set swinging the motor or alt. in the long groove. The weight of the motor provides friction (or you could lock it down). If you had step pulleys on a motor when you want to change pulleys you lift the motor, move the belt to the next step on the pulleys then swing back to get tension and lock it down.

The one on the right doesn't offer any adjustment, it's a ridged mount for a motor, starter, generator or alt.

 

[Fugio]

Well, I know what it is now.

I broke down just now and called dad to admit defeat. I guessed it was some sort of bracket set for something belt driven off an electric motor. Or maybe an alternator/generator thing.

He said he was impressed that I got that close, but I was wrong. Then he busted out laughing and I had to talk to mom for a minute while he composed himself. My dad is a Vietnam vet and doesn't joke around. So I knew he'd got me good on this one. It's good to hear the old man laugh.

He told me it's a bracket to convert pre-1960's Ford air conditioner compressors over to the more efficient GM compressors.

I asked why he gave it to me and told him I wasted a week jacking with this thing to figure it out!

He said he gave it to me and let me spend a frustrating week with it because he thought it was really, really funny. So I guess, in a way, it's a tool for making the old man laugh, and laugh hard. That's a pretty good tool when you think about it.

My apologies for wasting everyone else's time though!

 

[nine4gmc]

He was just seeing how far he could pull a turd without a string...

 

[Fugio]

Pretty far apparently!