Tool Talk

What's-It Forum => What's-It Forum => Topic started by: northkid on December 09, 2012, 02:19:30 PM

Title: iron with handle?
Post by: northkid on December 09, 2012, 02:19:30 PM: Another find. Name on top is Troy. Botton is slightly rounded and not smooth(grated style?). Looks to be original handle.
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: gibsontool on December 09, 2012, 04:01:19 PM: Wild quess. An iron of some type.
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: Lostmind on December 09, 2012, 07:04:38 PM: Another wild guess - a metal shaping( shrinking) tool?
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: john k on December 09, 2012, 07:36:52 PM: My guess is an early inner tube repair vulcanizer. Get it hot on a stove, place over rubber patch, press down til it sizzles. That would explain the waffle pattern on the working face. Could also have been use to vulcanize boots inside tires?
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: junkfisher on December 09, 2012, 08:40:10 PM: my first thought was bacon press. I switch to vulcanizer cause it makes more sense. I'm just in the mood for some bacon.
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: rusty on December 09, 2012, 08:54:30 PM: Handle seems too short for a meat searing tool, hmm....
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: Billman49 on December 10, 2012, 11:50:13 AM: Small irons like this were used for pressing the brims of felt hats (top hats, bowlers etc with a stiff brim)
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: Batz on December 10, 2012, 01:27:54 PM: Quote from: Billman49 on December 10, 2012, 11:50:13 AM
Small irons like this were used for pressing the brims of felt hats (top hats, bowlers etc with a stiff brim)

This is correct, I know someone who collects irons and has many small and wierd ones. They even made special irons to press pleats and collars. I'm guessing you have one of them.
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: amertrac on December 10, 2012, 02:52:32 PM: I wiil bet by the time the iron gets hot the handle is hot too. bob w/
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: Bill Houghton on December 10, 2012, 03:12:11 PM: Quote from: rusty on December 09, 2012, 08:54:30 PM
Handle seems too short for a meat searing tool, hmm....
Oh, I don't know; get it good and hot, grab that handle barehanded, and I imagine there'd be some meat seared...finger foods, as it were.
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: Billman49 on December 11, 2012, 12:13:37 PM: Many old irons for clothes had metal handles - it was common to hold them in a damp cloth to prevent the handle burning the hand.

see: http://www.patented-antiques.com/Backpages/Irons_Bkpg/hatter.htm or http://www.antiqbuyer.com/All_Archives/IRONS_ARCHIVE/HatIrons.html

Old lead soldering irons were heated to red hot (the lead was actually welded rather than soldered). They had a curved iron handle with a large egg shaped head - they too were held in a damp cloth, but being much hotter the water soon turned to steam. After years of work old-time plumbers often had deformed hands from holding the irons day after day....
Title: Re: iron with handle?
Post by: Bill Houghton on December 11, 2012, 08:04:37 PM: Interesting. That's very different from the soldering coppers used on sheet metal, which don't work well if they get too hot.