What is it? Set 329

[Rob H.]

A new set has been added to the web site:

[Esra Sdrawkcab]

1887 improvised posthole tamper? 1890 improved scythe?

[Alexander Thesoso]

1885 Tachometer (revolution counter)

1886 Guess Watchman post. Watchman inserts key, does something to prove he was there and awake.

[Lloyd E. Sponenburgh]

[Lloyd E. Sponenburgh]

"Alexander Thesoso" fired this volley in news:hofded$7r0$ [e-mail]:

Yes! I've seen one similar before. Time the revolutions for a time determined by the ratios (15-sec, 30-sec, 1-minute etc), then read the output.

LLoyd

[Zz Yzx]

[Steve W.]

1887 - Looks like a cannon tamp. Used to tamp the powder and ball charge in a cannon. 1888 - Adjustable stop of some type. Looks like whatever retained it has failed though... 1889 - Haberdashery tool? 1890 - Ice knife.

[Bill]

Note that the slots which would support a clamp around tubing.

Bill

[Bill]

for say, conduit or electrical wire.

Bill

[whit3rd]

1890: Looks like a sweep-style (ice?) scraper. A manual predecessor of the Zamboni?

[J Burns]

1890: How about planing a grove through high spots on a floor along a baseboard? Then a strip of narrow molding would seal out drafts and bugs, but you wouldn't have to plane the whole floor.

[J Burns]

Uh-oh... skinny 72" handle, too long for a floor.

[Bill]

temperature having 4 digits to the left of the decimal point).

Bill

[Rob H.]

I forgot to mention on the web site that I don't know what this is for.

This was my guess also, a tamper for sand, dirt, etc. Not sure if it could be a cannon tamp as others have suggested, I haven't seen any like it on the web.

Rob

[Rob H.]

Correct

This is partially correct, it's not really a tool but you're in the right ballpark.

Rob

[DoN. Nichols]

1885) Another mechanical tachometer. (The diamond point on the end of the shaft is the give-away, confirmed by the range of the dials.)

(If possible) zero the pointers -- otherwise note the readings. Hmm ... looks as though you can rotate the scales under the pointers to zero it.

Stick the diamond pont into the center hole on the end of the shaft and hold it there for sixty seconds, then withdraw it.

Note the new dial readings and you will have the RPM to three significant digits -- x,xx0 RPM since you can read the 100s dial to tens. How accurate your reading is is a function of your reaction time, and how good the second hand on your watch is.

There was an earlier one in here made by Starrett (I have one of these) which had concentric dials and a bump to feel to count full revolutions of the slower dial.

1886) An early night watchman's station? Stick a special key into the hole, turn it, and you have recorded that you were where you were supposed to be when you were supposed to be there. 1887) Looks like a ramrod for a muzzle-loading cannon. Normally they are wood, so you don't strike a spark while compressing black powder in there -- but this one looks like aluminum, not steel, so you are unlikely to strike a spark. Perhaps a modern one for re-enactments? 1888) Looks sort of like an adjustable height foot for something (perhaps leveling a camera or a transit), with a stop screw to define one end of the adjustment.

Appears to be made of anodized aluminum, so it is fairly recent.

1889) Some kind of trap trigger? I would like to see *all* of it, not the limited view we were given. 1890) An ice saw -- for converting a frozen over pond into a storeroom full of ice insulated by sawdust to last through the summer?

Now to see what others have suggested.

Enjoy, DoN.

[Nahmie]

I agree with Stegve W on 1890, only I think of it as an ice saw. Norm

[J Burns]

1890: The teeth are made to plane. The handle seems long and spindly, as if to reach somewhere besides foot level.

How about planing a groove in a soft mineral? Ibeams used to be fireproofed with blocks of gypsum. Suppose gypsum blocks were not sold with grooves to fit your ibeams. You'd use this tool.

[Rob H.]

You've got the right idea but it's called an ice plow.

The answers can be seen at the link below although I'm still not sure about a few of them this week:

[Dave Balderstone]

When I was a lad may grandfather told me that when I got older he'd show me his rat hole pounder, that he used to pound sand into rat holes.

I bet it looked just like this!