On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:53:31 -0400, R.H. wrote:
> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
> Saturday or Sunday.
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
What's on the other end of #1327? The slightly horn-shaped end first
gave me the idea that it might be used for extinguishing candles, with
the other end cutting the wicks, but a nine-inch device would be a bit
big for that.
#1328 looks like it's used to count up and cut something. Coiled
postage stamps? The only problem is that it looks like there's a tenths
place on the counter.
--
Ted S.
fedya at hughes dot net
Now blogging at http://justacineast.blogspot.com
E Z Peaces <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ted Schuerzinger wrote:
> > On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:32:41 -0400, R.H. wrote:
> >
> >> I just heard back from the owner and he confirmed that the cone is
> >> hollow (in answer to someone else's question) and that there are two
> >> holes in the other end, so I'm guessing that it's missing its handle.
> >> I'm leaning towards the candle lighter/snuffer answer for now. I
> >> replied and asked him to check for candle soot in the cone and will
> >> post his answer when he responds.
> >
> > I'll be surprised if it's right: that was a bit of a wild guess based
> > solely on the horn end.
> >
> > And the idea of my getting one of these right when nobody else does
> > seems *really* astonishing. :-) Having said that, I really enjoy
> > trying to figure out what they are, even if in most cases, it's well
> > beyond my ability.
> >
> I thought it was a good guess. Now that you mention it, I see it's
> unlikely. It's too heavy and the bell is too small. The poor guy
> reaching up to snuff a candle would be likely to damage the candle.
>
> The other side could be used as a lighter, holding a taper with just
> enough exposed for the right-sized flame. It looks needlessly heavy,
> and if the guy tipped the device wrong, he could drop a burning taper on
> a table cloth or into somebody's powdered wig. An advantage would be
> that the pliers would accommodate tapers of varied diameters.
>
> Maybe if a wide brass bell were attached to the cone...
>
> How about pliers for heat-treating the end of a pin or the head of a
> screw, for example? The pliers would be held over the coals by a handle
> attached to the flat end. If the pliers reached 125 F, that could be
> uncomfortable for somebody without gloves. The cone end could be to
> accommodate a small wooden handle so the worker could drop the hot pin
> into a bucket of water without touching the metal pliers.
I've been searching the web for what that might be and haven't found
anything.
They certainly look like a blacksmith tool of some type. They are very
similar to blacksmith tongs, but the odd bent handles don't seem to make
any sense as a blacksmith tongs because all their tongs are long to keep
the hands away from the fire. Of the hundreds of examples of specialized
blacksmith tongs I could find on the net, none of them had bent handles
like that.
Looking closely at the jaws, it looks to me like they might be used as a
mold for forming nails or rivets from molten metal (maybe tin, lead, brass,
or silver?) The notch in the jaw looks too well formed to be designed for
holding a round object (which is a common style blacksmith tong). Most
tongs for holding round rods have a simple rounded indentation or a V grove
and not the well formed slot we see in the jaws. It's hard to tell from
the picture, but it looks like the tip of the jaw might have an indentation
that would form a head of a nail or head of a rivet. A better picture of
the tip of the jaws would help.
It also looks like there might be some residue on the jaw which could be a
bit of tin or led - but maybe I'm looking too hard. :)
The bent handles would allow the mold to be held upright for the pouring
process which would make some sense. And in that position, the weight of
the upper handle would hold the mold closed on it's own if the bottom
(hollow cone) handle was attached to something.
The hollow cone at the end of one handle is somewhat a mystery. As
suggested, it could be to attach a wooden handle. It might somehow allow
the mold to be attached to a workbench allowing the operator to pour the
hot material in the mold without having to hold it. That would leave the
other handle free to be worked to open the mold when the metal was cooled.
Blacksmiths don't use molds to make nails however. They hammer the shaft
and point, and then use a special piece of metal with a square hole in it
where they insert the nail into the hole but it sticks and doesn't go all
the way down because the nail was tapered - and then they hammer it to form
the head. In addition, the picture looks like there's no point at the end
of the notch to form a point. So it doesn't make much sense for it to be a
nail mold. But a rivet or pin mold seems possible. But I couldn't find
anything on the net talking about such a tool.
Scissor style bullet molds were common (like this):
http://www.ambroseantiques.com/hornsflasks/scissors.htm
So the idea of a scissor style mold for making pins or rivets makes some
sense. But they would have to be out of a metal with lower melting point
than iron for it to work (I assume the tool is iron of some type), and lead
and tin is so soft I don't know why would you make a rivet or pin out of
it. So silver or brass seems more likely. Or maybe copper? Don't copper
rivets get used in cookware?
That's the best I've been able to do so far.
The handle without the cone has an odd shape at the end which is hard to
see in the picture because it's under exposed because of the white
background. A better look at the other handle - maybe from another angle,
might be useful.
--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
[email protected] http://NewsReader.Com/
On Jun 11, 5:53=A0am, "R.H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
> Saturday or Sunday.
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
#1330 is a Frequency Meter... but not the vibrating reed type. I don't
actually know how the pointer-type electromechanical ones work!
Tim.
#1329 Sales Tax Token
"R.H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
> Saturday or Sunday.
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
"Stealth Pilot" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:00:51 -0700 (PDT), whit3rd <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>1326: a ship's log (counts off length of line to a
>>float tossed into the water)
>>
> dont think so. this one should have a little spiral propeller at the
> end of a stout line that is dropped in the water. it spins and drives
> the instrument much like a car tacho I think.
Yeah, that's a screw log. I think they also called them "taffrail logs," but
the original type of taffrail log (which I used to make out of Honduras
mahogany in small quantities and sell to the wooden-boat crowd, back in the
'70s) was just a flat board attached to a knotted line. The board had a peg
in it that would pull out when you jerked the line, which allowed the board
to plane its way back to the boat when you pulled the line.
Those original logs date back centuries. The screw logs came in sometime in
the 19th century, I think.
--
Ed Huntress
"Ted Schuerzinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:53:31 -0400, R.H. wrote:
>
>> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
>> Saturday or Sunday.
>>
>> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
> What's on the other end of #1327?
I've sent the owner an email asking this question, along with several
others.
>The slightly horn-shaped end first
> gave me the idea that it might be used for extinguishing candles, with
> the other end cutting the wicks, but a nine-inch device would be a bit
> big for that.
There is a slot in each of the jaws, so it appears to be for holding rather
than cutting, maybe it's for gripping a match or some other type of lighter.
I finally got the answer page posted, I should be back on my regular
schedule for at least the next month or two, thanks to everyone for their
patience this week.
http://pzphotosans236.blogspot.com/
Rob
"Ted Schuerzinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:53:31 -0400, R.H. wrote:
>
>> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
>> Saturday or Sunday.
>>
>> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
> What's on the other end of #1327? The slightly horn-shaped end first
> gave me the idea that it might be used for extinguishing candles, with
> the other end cutting the wicks, but a nine-inch device would be a bit
> big for that.
I just heard back from the owner and he confirmed that the cone is hollow
(in answer to someone else's question) and that there are two holes in the
other end, so I'm guessing that it's missing its handle. I'm leaning
towards the candle lighter/snuffer answer for now. I replied and asked him
to check for candle soot in the cone and will post his answer when he
responds.
Rob
On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:32:41 -0400, R.H. wrote:
> I just heard back from the owner and he confirmed that the cone is
> hollow (in answer to someone else's question) and that there are two
> holes in the other end, so I'm guessing that it's missing its handle.
> I'm leaning towards the candle lighter/snuffer answer for now. I
> replied and asked him to check for candle soot in the cone and will
> post his answer when he responds.
I'll be surprised if it's right: that was a bit of a wild guess based
solely on the horn end.
And the idea of my getting one of these right when nobody else does
seems *really* astonishing. :-) Having said that, I really enjoy
trying to figure out what they are, even if in most cases, it's well
beyond my ability.
--
Ted S.
fedya at hughes dot net
Now blogging at http://justacineast.blogspot.com
1326: a ship's log (counts off length of line to a
float tossed into the water)
1328: a sounding apparatus? For maritime depth measurement, in
conjunction with a weight and line.
The cover looks noncorroding in ocean spray...
1329: some kind of tax token, only the historical archives
of the state of Illinois can tell us how it was used.
1330: an AC voltmeter, probably to monitor generator
output. Note the scale is very nonlinear near zero volts,
it might use a copper oxide rectifier. 1940s or earlier.
This has a mirrored scale, one lines up the needle with
its reflection for accurate reading (to eliminate parallax).
On Jun 10, 11:53 pm, "R.H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
> Saturday or Sunday.
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
> Rob
1326. Metric clock.
Karl
> On Jun 10, 11:53 pm, "R.H." <[email protected]> wrote:
>> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
>> Saturday or Sunday.
>>
>> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>>
>> Rob
#1329 is a tax token.
#1328 coin counter
R.H. wrote:
> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
> Saturday or Sunday.
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
--
Richard
Richard L. Rombold
WIZARD WOODWORKING
489 N. 32nd. St.
Springfield, Or .97478
Take a look at my mess and work.
http://www.PictureTrail.com/gallery/view?username=thewizz
"Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste
good with ketchup"
Ted Schuerzinger wrote:
> On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:32:41 -0400, R.H. wrote:
>
>> I just heard back from the owner and he confirmed that the cone is
>> hollow (in answer to someone else's question) and that there are two
>> holes in the other end, so I'm guessing that it's missing its handle.
>> I'm leaning towards the candle lighter/snuffer answer for now. I
>> replied and asked him to check for candle soot in the cone and will
>> post his answer when he responds.
>
> I'll be surprised if it's right: that was a bit of a wild guess based
> solely on the horn end.
>
> And the idea of my getting one of these right when nobody else does
> seems *really* astonishing. :-) Having said that, I really enjoy
> trying to figure out what they are, even if in most cases, it's well
> beyond my ability.
>
I thought it was a good guess. Now that you mention it, I see it's
unlikely. It's too heavy and the bell is too small. The poor guy
reaching up to snuff a candle would be likely to damage the candle.
The other side could be used as a lighter, holding a taper with just
enough exposed for the right-sized flame. It looks needlessly heavy,
and if the guy tipped the device wrong, he could drop a burning taper on
a table cloth or into somebody's powdered wig. An advantage would be
that the pliers would accommodate tapers of varied diameters.
Maybe if a wide brass bell were attached to the cone...
How about pliers for heat-treating the end of a pin or the head of a
screw, for example? The pliers would be held over the coals by a handle
attached to the flat end. If the pliers reached 125 F, that could be
uncomfortable for somebody without gloves. The cone end could be to
accommodate a small wooden handle so the worker could drop the hot pin
into a bucket of water without touching the metal pliers.
On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:53:31 -0400, "R.H." <[email protected]>
wrote:
>As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
>Saturday or Sunday.
>
>http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
>
>Rob
1326.. is a taffrail log, used to measure speed and/or distance
traveled on a boat/ship.
On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:00:51 -0700 (PDT), whit3rd <[email protected]>
wrote:
>1326: a ship's log (counts off length of line to a
>float tossed into the water)
>
dont think so. this one should have a little spiral propeller at the
end of a stout line that is dropped in the water. it spins and drives
the instrument much like a car tacho I think.
>1328: a sounding apparatus? For maritime depth measurement, in
>conjunction with a weight and line.
>The cover looks noncorroding in ocean spray...
>
>1329: some kind of tax token, only the historical archives
>of the state of Illinois can tell us how it was used.
>
>1330: an AC voltmeter, probably to monitor generator
>output. Note the scale is very nonlinear near zero volts,
>it might use a copper oxide rectifier. 1940s or earlier.
>This has a mirrored scale, one lines up the needle with
>its reflection for accurate reading (to eliminate parallax).
R.H. wrote:
> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
> Saturday or Sunday.
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
1326: Well log
1329: Sales tax token from the days when sales taxes were less than 1%, so
you needed something worth less than 1 cent. (Funny how the government
never seems to do with less, isn't it).
1330: Old voltmeter
--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:47:43 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Stealth Pilot" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:00:51 -0700 (PDT), whit3rd <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>1326: a ship's log (counts off length of line to a
>>>float tossed into the water)
>>>
>> dont think so. this one should have a little spiral propeller at the
>> end of a stout line that is dropped in the water. it spins and drives
>> the instrument much like a car tacho I think.
>
>Yeah, that's a screw log. I think they also called them "taffrail logs," but
>the original type of taffrail log (which I used to make out of Honduras
>mahogany in small quantities and sell to the wooden-boat crowd, back in the
>'70s) was just a flat board attached to a knotted line. The board had a peg
>in it that would pull out when you jerked the line, which allowed the board
>to plane its way back to the boat when you pulled the line.
>
>Those original logs date back centuries. The screw logs came in sometime in
>the 19th century, I think.
the mechanism of operation is quite different. your mahogany log
should have been pie slice shaped with a weighted edge. it would sit
vertical in the water so that it's resistance kept it pretty well
motionless and would pull a knotted line overboard. an elegantly
simple piece of technology.
Stealth Pilot
On 2008-06-11, R.H. <[email protected]> wrote:
> As I mention on the site, the answer page will probably be posted on
> Saturday or Sunday.
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
After missing a couple for various reasons -- including a
24-hour power outage, I'm back -- from rec.crafts.metalworking.
1326) I already saw the answer to this (taffrail log), and I agree
though I can't claim credit for the answer. Luckily the one
which I saw had only that one answer.
1327) I think that it is designed to hold a workpiece so it can be
quickly swiveled between the forge and the anvil.
Looks as though it is shaped to hold a specific kind of
workpiece.
1328) Looks like a device for counting and stacking for rolling
a specific denomination of coin. Since it does only one, I'll
guess that it is for counting bus or subway tokens rather than
standard coins. For standard coins, it would be able to
separate the denominations and count each separately.
1329) Some form of token -- perhaps for paying a fractional cent tax.
1330) An electrical meter. Given the non-linear scale, I would say
that it is likely AC, and given the 125 full scale value, it is
likely for measuring domestic US power -- which over the years
has been 110V, 115V, 117V and 120V. I seem to get 117V here,
FWIW. :-)
It is quite old, as indicated in part by the wood mounting, and
in part by the uninsulated binding posts for connecting it to
the voltage to be measured.
It also looks as though the object to the lower left on the wood
is a pushbutton, so it reads only during the time the button is
depressed.
1331) Either for crimping lids on jars, or a sadist's foot measuring
device. :-)
Now to see what other guesses are out there.
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: <[email protected]> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---