Author Topic: A Whatsit (Read 6003 times)

johnsironsanctuary · « **on:** August 21, 2011, 09:55:16 PM »

Hi,
I posted this mistakenly yo the welcome page. So I posted it again. Sorry for the error.
My friend Don and I take fiendish delight in stumping each other with whatsits. We came upon one that has us stumped. I have taken pretty good photos of it and will post a couple with this. The tool is a gray iron casting with four access doors in the top. It is about 8" X 8" X 3 1/2 high. It is painted green. There are four cams at the corners that clamp in each of the four tools. The tools are missing. The slots are about .060" wide and 5" long. The tools have a right angle bend at the cam end and there is a vertical slot in the tool about an inch from the cam end because the slot is not continuous. There is a"bridge" across the slot that is about 5/8" wide. The cams lock into 1/8" notches in the tool. There is a 11/16" bored hole through the center of the machine and a bushing on the base that is machined on the bottom. There are no handles for turning it. The only way to power it is from the top. There is a square boss formed by the cover hinges that could be used as a driver-maybe. It looks to be mass produced and not a one-off.

Papaw · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2011, 10:25:22 PM »

Welcome to Tool Talk! What a way to join! With a whats-it that might stump some of us, I certainly have no clue. I'm guessing the four arms can be "winged" out equally for some purpose. Any clue what kind of tools go there?
Usual questions- any marks? Numbers? Patent info?

johnsironsanctuary · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2011, 09:26:03 AM »

Thanks for the welcome! There are no marks, numbers or patents. I made a sort of a dummy tool out of cardboard. It slips down from the inside of the hopper and the tool can protrude from a few inches to as far as you want. Our first thought was a seeder of some kind, but the cam locks and the long slots don't work with that theory. Second thought was a milling head for making big rosettes. The area that the tools contact the wood is not very wide. The tools are probably the same thickness as a handsaw blade. The little cams only move about 10 degrees, enough to release the tool. Each tool has a vertical slot in it to clear the interrupted slot in the main casting and I think the tool has a round feature that slips into the slot where the cam can lock on it. There could be several slots for the cam in the round feature to set the depth of the tool.
I hope someone can shed some light on this one. Thanks.

m_fumich · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2011, 01:01:41 PM »

It is obviously meant to go on a shaft. Most likely a horizontal shaft. If I 's not keyed, it's not meant to stay fixed on the shaft but allowed to spin freely.

I'm still contemplating the rest.

m_fumich · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2011, 01:09:57 PM »

If there were a square flange on the shaft to fit the back side, it would rotate with the shaft. I doubt it would be used for precision cutting but any number of implements could be used on it. Perhaps FYR checking the inside of large pipe.

m_fumich · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2011, 01:21:28 PM »

I just noticed the size. At 8" x 8", it could function like a boring bar. The small boring bars I've seen only had one cutting bit but that was for motorcycle cylinders. The distance from the center to the corner is just under 5.75". With cutting bits, it would be the right size for a 12" diameter hole. None of that explains what those covered areas are for.

johnsironsanctuary · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2011, 01:52:44 PM »

Thanks M_Fumich,
Good thoughts. Below is a poor photo of my desktop tooling. (cardboard) The narrow side would machine the ID of a bore, But if you wanted to machine the OD of a cedar post for a finial on top, sharpening the right side and the bottom of the tool would make it a sort of a hollow mill. The height of the tools would determine the depth of the cut. My idea does not explain the need for the doors on top or the elaborate cams to clamp the tool and I'm not sure that the casting is sturdy enough for prolonged production work. More thought is required, but I think we are closer.

John

lzenglish · « **Reply #7 on:** August 23, 2011, 07:43:18 PM »

"Chuck" of some sort comes to mind when I look at it! Also, it is odd to me thet their is no keyway in the hole? It definatly looks well made, and most likley served an imprtant purpose of holding work, of some sort ????? Thats all i got at this time! Lol

Wayne

m_fumich · « **Reply #8 on:** August 23, 2011, 10:06:18 PM »

It wouldn't need a key way if there were a flange on the shaft to fit in that square area.

Branson · « **Reply #9 on:** August 24, 2011, 08:07:52 AM »

Looks to me like some kind of drilling guide, for what, I can't imagine. But it makes me think of some of the collars I've seen used many years ago on oil drilling rigs, just a lot smaller.

jimwrench · « **Reply #10 on:** August 24, 2011, 10:02:07 AM »

Any clues in where it came from ? Machine shop, garage etc. or from other things with it. I often get things at auction and get clues from what they were with.
Have no clue as to its function.

johnsironsanctuary · « **Reply #11 on:** August 24, 2011, 12:23:35 PM »

SOL on the location. I got the piece from a junkman who has since died. I REALLY miss him. He was a wonderful source for old tools. ( and a nice guy)

johnsironsanctuary · « **Reply #12 on:** July 21, 2012, 04:31:54 PM »

I'm posting this to bump the topic. This is what brought me to Papaw's Menagerie exactly a year ago today. No one was totally successful at calling it, so I thought that I would bump it and let everyone take another swing at it.

I don't want to say that Tooltalk has changed my life, but I've grown a lot of body hair, lost a few teeth and started wearing this Cheesehead crown. You can't imagine how hot this thing gets when you wear it all day

Billman49 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 21, 2012, 05:16:28 PM »

Haven't got a clue, but if the four hinged doors cover anything I would guess they must remain on top, so it would be used in a horizontal plane, on a vertical shaft. The square made by the door covers doesn't seem strong enough as a drive, and any resistance would cause damage, so I guess it revolves freely. There appears to be wear marks on the round boss, as though it sits on a collar of some sort.

A close up of the cam arrangement would be useful, and the angle piece attached to each of the doors - what do they do????