What is it? CCXVI

[R.H.]

Set number 216 has just been posted:

[John Husvar]

extension ladders. The notched bars adjust for level so a board can be inserted onto a pair. Makes a narrow temporary scaffold.

[Alexander Thesoso]

1206 Adjustable depth guide for a hypodermic needle.

[J. Clarke]

should be able to find on the shelf at Home Depot.

looks like a dandy little windlass for some purpose or other. Maybe for securing a load? The principle is very similar to a strap clamp.

[Leon]

if the hammer is simply turned over the name would be all over it.

[Lee Michaels]

"Leon" wrote

But that would make it easy then, wouldn't it?

R.H. couldn't have that.

[Scotchdrnkr]

Just discovered this blog. Been going thru the archives. Knew some of them but not most. #1206 Looks like a sewing machine attachment #1207 You can buy these at any hardware store. Its made by Stanley tool. Not sure what they call it. Great for small demo work. #1208 Some kind of Windlass for lifting things.

[John]

#1206 - cutter for quilting squares? The "teeth" would hold fabric without damaging it.

Possibly for cutting squares of veneer for inlay work? The slot for the blade would provide support on both sides of the cut.

John

[DoN. Nichols]

1203) Hmm ... a solar-powered ancient Egyptian pool ball? :-)

A new model of the Death Star?

Really -- other than that round grille, it looks purely decorative.

1204) Perhaps something for adjusting the height of a plow or other agricultural implement? 1205) Hmm ... the statement:

...the plates are slightly notched like a fine file and would mar a photograph.

does not seem to indicate that someone actually tested it with a photograph.

My guess is that it is intended to cut a photograph to fit behind a round border. You manipulate it so the part which you want seen is totally covered by the upper plate, clamp it, and cut/rotate until you have a square to fit the outer frame.

As for the fancy carrying case (most of which is not shown), I suspect that it was used by a traveling photographer. It does look really nicely made.

1206) Hmm ... the brand on it "B-D" suggests to me that it is for holding a hypodermic syringe -- perhaps for controlling the depth of penetration of the needle. 1207) An interesting combination tool. It is:

A hammer

A prybar

A nail puller

And a wrench to grip something like a single size of pipe or hex nut.

And it looks as though the hammer has a hard face joined to what looks like a lighter alloy (perhaps aluminum or titanium?

1208) Looks as though it is intended to take up slack in some kind of rigging -- perhaps when harnessing a horse to a wagon?

Now off to see what others have guessed.

Enjoy, DoN.

[Matthew T. Russotto]

1203: Fancy magic eight ball 1204: Brace. Short end against a wall, long end against whatever you're holding up 1205: Doesn't look like it would work for anything tougher than cardboard 1206: Looks like part of a sewing machine 1207: Another multi-tool. Hammer, prybar, nail-puller, and wrench. The wrench probably indicates who is expected to use it, hopefully someone else recognizes it. 1208: OK, you hang the hook on something, hang something else on the loop, and you have a ratcheting handle. Presumably used for winding rope, tied through the hole. But what it's for? I dunno.

[Andrew Erickson]

1203 - This looks to me rather like a puzzle--try to disassemble the various parts by turning the rings. Maybe the louvered portal is because some noisemaker inside plays a part in the solution. 1204 - Height adjustable holder for...something, maybe some saddle or other tack being worked on. The longer hooked bar would presumably be hooked on the underside of a beam or pipe, and supported somewhere towards its middle, with the toothed bar hanging down. If the smaller hooked piece were rotated 180 degrees (about the vertical axis, as seen in the photo), it would appear to hang roughly vertically from the notched bar when the latter was vertical. 1205 - Maybe this was used to trim veneer work or thin metal (brass?) identifying plates/plaques? Pure guesswork. 1206 - Sewing machine attachment? No idea what magic stitching it would enable, though. 1207 - I'm guessing a demolition tool. There's a pry-bar and nail puller at the one end of the handle, and a hammer head and (perhaps) 2x4 tweaker at the other end. 1208 - Tensioner for a wire cable; the cable gets wrapped around the drum with the handle, and the ratchet keeps it tight. I'd assume this would be for some fixed use where the tensioner remains attached to the cable, such as holding loads on a truck or guying a traveling amusement ride or similar service.

Now to see the other guesses.

[Steve R.]

1203 A small timer or clock?

[Barbara Bailey]

I KNEW that I'd seen that somewhere. It's a puzzle called an ISIS ball:

"Welcome to the ISIS Adventure, possibly the most difficult puzzle in existence. As seen on Dragon's Den and the Jonathan Ross Show!

The ISIS Ball is an interactive mind puzzle which involves trying to open an alloy metal ball which is constructed in layers and covered in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Every ISIS is unique, and handmade in England by precision engineers.

Once you pick the ISIS puzzle up it becomes a real obsession and is hard to put it down. There are literally millions of combinations and the game promises to challenge the most astute and intellectual of minds.

solve the puzzle - unlock the reward

Crack the combination (if you're up to it!) and you will reveal a special key inside, which has a unique serial number stamped on it.

The key will open one of the ISIS golden pyramids which are hidden in secret locations throughout the UK.

Each golden pyramid contains thousands of pounds - a gold coin worth £500 and a number of silver coins worth £20 each."

[Alexander Thesoso]

1208 At the risk of being a me-tooer, I think the people who call this a windlass or tensioning device are correct... It looks like a 19th-century grandfather of the general purpose come-along. Lacking a spring on the pawl, I'd guess it is intended to be used with the open hook pointing generally upward, with gravity holding the pawl against the ratchet. I assume great caution is needed in releasing the tension.

[Andy Dingley]

If they're _that_ valuable, I've got a Gordian Milling Machine waiting.