What is it? CXLIV

[Rich the Newsgroup Wacko]

Bovine suppository inserter? =:-O

Cheers! Rich

[Wood Butcher]

824. A Commander. Used to in timber framing to coax recalcitrant beams into place. I've never seen a 2 handled one before.

Art

[Warren Weber]

#826 Corn sheller for removing dried corn kernals from corn cobs to use for animal feed.

[Doghouse]

I wouldn't be able to swing a 50-pounder. Mine is a pipe with a lead weight. Inside the pipe, at the bottom of the weight, is a piece of tire tread. It's heavy to lug around, but if I put the pipe over the top of a fence post, pick it up, and let it drop, it will transfer a lot of momentum to the post. A lighter hammer would tend to damage the end of the post and bounce off.

Sledge hammers are usually but not always used up and down.

There's a limit to the kind of tamping you can do with a 20-pound tamper. The force from the blow of a light weight doesn't last as long, so the material being struck may simply spring back. It would be hard to split firewood with a tack hammer.

I imagine the two-handled hammer could be used for moving railroad ties. I wonder where to find out what tools crews used.

As an iron hammer could be used on wood ties, it could be used on wood wedges. The limestone hammer surprised scientists because it could not be used on metal.

The size of a hammer can be important in splitting rock. If the hammer is too small for the job, all you can do is damage the iron wedge.

I have seen a photo of a two-handled hammer. It was a group posing in a foundry. Two men whom I would call "Sir!" are holding the hammer high as if about to swing down.

I wonder if it was to deliver a lot of momentum to a mold in order to make a casting pop loose.

[Leon Fisk]

With the latest image/clue, maybe a hardness tester? It looks like one of the pointy objects is made of brass or something similar.

[SW]

826 looks very similar to a scratter or scratcher for scrumpy making

[R.H.]

Thanks for the link, I was looking for one like mine on the web but didn't have any luck.

Rob

[R.H.]

Excellent guess, someone that I know who owns one has confirmed that this is correct. I had never seen one of these before, and then this afternoon I was looking for tools at the antique mall and saw another one, but it was marked nut cracker. The only difference was it was made of all wood and two small metal pieces, I'm sure it was marked wrong since it now seems obvious that it's a cork inserter.

Rob

[DoN. Nichols]

I came in too late this time (hectic life right now) to answer before the answers were posted. However I'll make come comments on a couple of items.

According to Christian Stüben :

I don't believe the "Finishing nails" part, as all finishing nails that I have seen have at least some bulge for a head.

Looking at the shaped points, I find myself wondering whether it could be electrodes for a TIG welding gun.

The numbers on the dial could be sizes, or materials.

the answers? I don't see a question left -- you seem to have it fully answered.

[ ... ]

828 was the only one which I was likely to really get before the answers came up. I've seen them advertised many times, but never actually handled one.

Enjoy, DoN.

[DoN. Nichols]

According to R.H. :

"sounding" with a line and weight from a boat?

the name "Cork Socker" -- and its function is to re-install the cork in a partially consumed bottle of wine.

The bottom cone is placed over the top of the wine bottle on a solid table, the shaft is raised and the cork is placed under it, then your hand is brought down smartly upon the knob, thus quickly re-inserting the cork.

Hmm ... with a 1/2" hole, perhaps it is for a smaller bottle than the typical wine bottle, but I'll bet it is for the same function.

Enjoy, DoN.

[R.H.]

Sounds like a good possibility, I'll see what I can find on your electrodes idea.

> Did you change the text on the "questions" page when you posted

Thanks for letting me know, I meant to modify the answer page but accidently choose the wrong site to edit, it's fixed now.

Rob

[R.H.]

Not sure what this one is, some people at the tool show thought it was for science experiments with steam similar to the Hero steamball, but the tubes are in the wrong place and point the wrong direction. A steamball can be seen here:

This tool is a cotter pin puller, patent number 1422201.

> C. Someone sent this one to me, here is his description of it:

Cork inserter is correct.

Rob

[kfvorwerk]

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