Re: What is it? LXX

Reading in rec.crafts.metalworking.

401. ice skate sharpener - run the blade along the cylindrical abrasive, and it leaves sharp edges on the blade. The "ears" on the clip part serve as a guide.

403. not sure - looks like it's for making parallel grooves in something.

405. The notched end is magnetic. It holds nails so you can start them without pounding your thumb.

unsolved

There is one thing that is a bit confusing: The handle. If it would be something like a hammer, the disk at the end would not be very pleasing to one's hand. Furthermore, it seems that the handle is gripped at the upper end, judging from the (more) polished look.

Stonemasons do have a hammer that resembles this one a bit. It is called Charrier-iron (from the french) and is used for roughening a surface.

Any useful hints, beside "yes" or "no"? :-)

Nick

Correct, it's a stone dressing tool, called a Crandall, though I'm not sure why it has the unusual handle.

Rob

Maybe a (wood?) handle fits around the metal shaft and is missing in this example.

This makes sense. Sometimes the easy answers are the hardest to find.

Nick

Domestic cars generally have the lighter socket always live. Japanese cars generally have it live only in ACC or ON. I don't know why this is.

Probably an American car feature. I bought my first American vehicle two years ago, it has non-switched lighter sockets. For the prior 20 odd years, I owned only European and Japanese vehicles, they all had/have switched lighter sockets. I don't recall if my parents' American cars had switched lighters - I know some didn't have lighter sockets at all.

I wondered that myself and thought switched lighter sockets are probably a European feature. Heck, radios used to be non switched too.

What do you mean "used to be ", my car radio can be turned on without a key in the ignition, it's a Ford Focus. Push the volume control and the radio plays for 1 hour.

--- snip --- | I wondered that myself and thought switched | lighter sockets are probably a European feature. | Heck, radios used to be non switched too.

Must be one of Ford's better ideas! The timer in the radio probably increased the cost of the radio by $50.