1081. Precurser of the nail gun. Nails go in hopper, fall through
slots and get held by their head. Slide down to the end and you hit
the anvil with a hammer driving in the nail. I thought you already did
this one.
Thanks
Karl
On Sep 5, 10:21 pm, "R.H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> Just posted set 196:
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
> Rob
On 6 Sep, 06:32, "Snag" <[email protected]> wrote:
> R.H. wrote:
> > Just posted set 196:
>
> >http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
> > Rob
>
1084 looks a lot like the medallion/handle screws on my old Disston
hand saw
Ditto for an old Craftsman hand saw that I got from Grandpa. The word
"Craftsman" and some fancy frills are actually recessed into the blade
and painted blue.
On 6 Sep, 04:21, "R.H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> Just posted set 196:
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
> Rob
Maybe it's just the mood I'm in, but 1079, 1080 and 1081 all look like
they could be antique (and painful) gynecological instruments.
"Phil-In-Mich." wrote:
>
> > 1082 looks like a recording tape splicing block.
> >
> > -Carl
>
> I agree. Looks like a 1/4 inch recording tape splice block.
>
> Had them mounted right on the Apex 350 and 440 recorders.
>
> Phil
APEX? You mean Ampex.
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
People usually submit a photo to me when they are looking to identify an
object, but this morning I got an email with just a word description and no
picture. After first reading it I had no ideas, so I replied asking for a
photo to be sent. Five minutes later I reread it and an answer quickly came
to mind. I sent another email, with a link to a photo of what I thought it
was, and soon got a reply that my answer was correct.
So I figured I would post his original email here to see if anyone would
like the challenge of a "What is it?" word puzzle. Here's the email:
"Amongst my grandmother's things we found an object that looks like a giant
set of tweezers about 9" long but with two half circles of metal screwed to
the inner sides of the tweezers half way along. When you squeeze the
"tweezers" together the two half circles overlap to form a rough circular
shape of about 1.5" in diameter. One edge of the completed circle has a
serrated edge but the other edge is smooth."
-----
I had seen one of these before but had never owned or used one, it's not
very common among my friends and family but there are a number of them still
for sale.
Rob
> I don't know the proper name for it but I believe it's a device used
> to remove corn from the cob.
This answer is correct, though it was only posted on rcm so the other groups
didn't see it. The device is a corn cutter, like the one on this page:
http://www.cooksite.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0H/product-id/26414739.html
Rob
> 1083) Looks like a clamp for a bunch of parallel insulated wires or
> hydraulic lines. Eight lines would be about right for four
> hydraulic cylinders, though I would think that there was no need
> for wood for that -- steel or aluminum would be more likely
> choices I would think.
>
> As for the "made entirely of wood" bit -- are you sure about
> that? The main part -- of course. Maybe even the nuts, but it
> looks like rusted iron or steel in the visible threads.
I've shown it to a number of people and they all agreed that it was entirely
wood. The seller didn't know what it was, but I think that you are correct
in that it's a clamp for insulated wires, probably used temporarily.
Rob
"DoN. Nichols" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>> All but the first one have been answered correctly this week:
>>
>>
>> http://pzphotosans196-42.blogspot.com/
>
> O.K. Could you clear up whether 1082 is for 1/4" tape (as others
> have said) or for 1/2" tape (as I suggested)? Just measure the width of
> the groove. For 1/4" tape it will be just under 1/4" wide, for 1/2"
> tape, it will be just under 1/2" wide. The "just under" is to force the
> tape to cup down to the bottom of the groove, which has a gentle
> curvature.
>
> Is this one of your collection, or something photographed
> elsewhere? I would kind of like to add a 1/2" one to what I have.
The owner of the splicing block is away from home right now, but will
measure it when he gets back, he thought it was 1/2" but wasn't sure. I'll
find out it he wants to sell it, I forgot to ask in my first email to him.
Rob
"Lee Michaels" <leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "R.H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> All but the first one have been answered correctly this week:
>>
>>
>> http://pzphotosans196-42.blogspot.com/
>>
>>
> That first one, the tent slip, is a different shape than what I have seen.
> I have used these a lot when camping as a kid. I have even made them.
> Another one that got by me.
I didn't know what it was when I first saw it either, the ones that we had
were plastic and triangle shaped, I'm just glad the patent date was on the
back of the one on my site.
Rob
> A quick magnet test on the screws themselves could settle that.
> Anything which would rust to the color of those threads would be
> ferrous, and thus would respond to magnets.
I tried that with a neodymium magnet and there was no attraction at all.
The screws are a lighter weight than metal and the middle 1/3 of them are
not threaded. They appear to be made of some type of dark red colored wood.
Rob
> It looks as if it's for lines of about 1/3" diameter, but when it's
> screwed down, the space is about 5/8" high for three and 1" high for six.
> Strange clamp!
>
> In a situation where you are fastening wires with staples, why would it
> matter if the clamp had metal screws? I thought the old insulated wires
> were spaced much wider than the grooves in the clamp.
>
> Using nuts and a wrench sounds like a hassle for a clamp to hold wires for
> a moment, then be moved. Instead of screws, I would have used a varnished
> dowel sticking out each end of each bar. I'd tie a cord to one dowel at
> each end. I'd put a tapered groove in one of the bars at each end, the
> kind of groove used on a spool of sewing thread to secure the end. To
> tighten the clamp, I'd take three or four turns around the dowels at one
> end, pull tight, and tug the end of the cord into the groove. Then repeat
> at the other end.
>
> I think wood threads are less likely than metal to vibrate loose under
> light loads, due to greater friction and greater distortion. I think this
> device was to secure a bundle of hundreds of small strands such as yarns
> used in weaving in a cottage or a mill.
>
> In a mill you might wind thousands of yarns on a beam, then cart the beam
> to a loom. If loose ends got tangled it could be a costly mess. At some
> time the technique may have called for a clamp like this. As you got the
> beam wound, you'd clamp the ends in bundles. As you tightened the nuts
> you'd squish the bundle with your fingers to get it packed with even
> pressure so no yarns would slip out easily. The teeth would keep the
> bundle from shifting to one side after the clamp was tightened, which
> could let some yarns slide out.
A retirement aged electrical engineer that I work with said that he saw
something similar years ago in New York, and that it was used as a wire
clamp. I'm going to stick with this answer for now until I see some
evidence that points in another direction. I don't know much about weaving
mills but I'll do some searching and see if can find anything to verify your
idea.
Rob
>> I tried that with a neodymium magnet and there was no attraction at all.
>> The screws are a lighter weight than metal and the middle 1/3 of them are
>> not threaded. They appear to be made of some type of dark red colored
>> wood.
>
> O.K. Thanks! I'll accept that they are not metal, then.
>
> Dark red-colored? Could the screws be Bakelite? I keep
> thinking that it would be difficult to cut that fine a thread on wood.
The guy who sold it to me had said it was all wood, so I didn't look very
closely at it, and I could tell by the weight that it wasn't metal. But
after looking at it through a magnifying glass I believe you're right, the
nuts and the threaded pieces are all bakelite! Thanks for pointing that
out, I should have looked closer at them earlier.
Rob
>> If it was used for ballast, it would have been available to screw makers
>> in the days before metal took over. I wouldn't know how to tell it from
>> bakelite.
>
> Close examination under a magnifying glass should do it. A
> Bakelite suitable for threading should be the fabric reenforced style,
> and the cross-section of a cut will show the pattern of the woven
> fibers. So will any angle of cut, for that matter.
Yes, you can clearly see the fiber pattern on the nut in this photo:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083na.jpg
The threaded rod had the same pattern visible in the middle section.
Something that I didn't point out about this clamp, the two nuts that sit on
the shoulders are chamfered along one edge, as seen here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083n.jpg
Maybe a thin rope or rod could fit through the opening.
Rob
"E Z Peaces" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> R.H. wrote:
>>
>>
>>>> If it was used for ballast, it would have been available to screw
>>>> makers
>>>> in the days before metal took over. I wouldn't know how to tell it
>>>> from
>>>> bakelite.
>>>
>>> Close examination under a magnifying glass should do it. A
>>> Bakelite suitable for threading should be the fabric reenforced style,
>>> and the cross-section of a cut will show the pattern of the woven
>>> fibers. So will any angle of cut, for that matter.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Yes, you can clearly see the fiber pattern on the nut in this photo:
>>
>> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083na.jpg
>>
>> The threaded rod had the same pattern visible in the middle section.
>>
>>
>> Something that I didn't point out about this clamp, the two nuts that sit
>> on the shoulders are chamfered along one edge, as seen here:
>>
>> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083n.jpg
>>
>> Maybe a thin rope or rod could fit through the opening.
>>
>>
>> Rob
>>
> I miscalculated the pitch. It looks like 3/8" - 11, very coarse.
>
> I have a new idea: about the time Bakelite came along, radio was growing,
> with more transmitters, higher power, and higher frequencies. An
> adjustable coil is used to couple a transmitter to a given antenna at a
> given frequency.
>
> You might make an adjustable transmitter coil by taking eight turns of
> insulated wire around a tube several inches in diameter and about 5" high.
> You put the groovy half of the clamp against the outside of the tube to
> hold the turns of wire in place, put the other half inside, and screw them
> tight.
>
> At this point the wire is probably not wrapped tightly around the drum and
> the spacing between turns is probably not even all the way around. So you
> loosen one nut, leaving only one end of the wire mashed tight. Now you can
> pull the wire tight and use a gage such as a screwdriver to space the
> turns evenly on all sides as they are spaced in the clamp. Now tighten the
> loose nut.
>
> You'll want to power it up to be sure it adjusts evenly through its range
> and doesn't arc. Metal screws would alter the coil's characteristics. A
> baked, varnished wooden clamp would be okay, but maybe engineers thought a
> threaded wooden fastener could absorb enough moisture to cause trouble in
> a high-powered RF field. A better explanation is that the radio engineers
> were enamored with Bakelite.
>
> If it passes the test, you apply insulating, waterproof adhesive to secure
> and protect the insulated wire, then remove the clamp.
Sounds reasonable, I've done a lot of searching and haven't been able to
prove any of the guesses, this could be one of those that never gets
verified.
Rob
> It looks as if somebody filed a ninth goove, perhaps so it could be used
> to make coils up to nine turns.
Looks like you might be right about the ninth groove.
>
> I need a comprehensive history of Bakelite screws! If 3/8" - 11
> Bakelite threaded rods and nuts were off-the-shelf items, the clamp may
> have a one-of-a-kind for a small manufacturer.
>
> Maybe it was a repair shop. Maybe the manufacturing process was more
> efficient but the manufacturer went out of business or quit supporting
> the old model. So hams or police departments or broadcasters have these
> radios, and the coupling coils tend to go bad like ignition cables, and
> a repair shop devises this jig to rebuild them.
>
> Did the electrical engineer tell you anything more?
Haven't seen him yet, hopefully I'll talk with him in the next day or two.
Rob
Willem said:
> R.H. wrote:
> ) "Amongst my grandmother's things we found an object that looks like
> a giant ) set of tweezers about 9" long but with two half circles of
> metal screwed to ) the inner sides of the tweezers half way along.
> When you squeeze the ) "tweezers" together the two half circles
> overlap to form a rough circular ) shape of about 1.5" in diameter.
> One edge of the completed circle has a ) serrated edge but the other
> edge is smooth."
>
> A device to open tight jar lids ?
...or tight lips, perhaps. The tool adopts the reflexology principle
that you apply the device to some /other/ part of the body; curiously,
the effect is indeed to part the lips, admittedly somewhat noisily.
--
Richard Heathfield <http://www.cpax.org.uk>
Email: -www. +rjh@
Google users: <http://www.cpax.org.uk/prg/writings/googly.php>
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
"R.H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just posted set 196:
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
1082 looks like a recording tape splicing block.
-Carl
--
The future isn't what it used to be.
On 8 Sep 2007 02:12:08 GMT, [email protected] (DoN.
Nichols) wrote:
>According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>> All but the first one have been answered correctly this week:
>>
>>
>> http://pzphotosans196-42.blogspot.com/
>
> O.K. Could you clear up whether 1082 is for 1/4" tape (as others
>have said) or for 1/2" tape (as I suggested)? Just measure the width of
>the groove. For 1/4" tape it will be just under 1/4" wide, for 1/2"
>tape, it will be just under 1/2" wide. The "just under" is to force the
>tape to cup down to the bottom of the groove, which has a gentle
>curvature.
>
> Is this one of your collection, or something photographed
>elsewhere? I would kind of like to add a 1/2" one to what I have.
Hi Don,
If it is exactly 5 inches long as claimed in the original
page, it then measures 0.41 inches from edge-to-edge of the
groove (starting where the flats stop).
I measured the image and calulated pixels to determine this
(I know, you could have done this too :).
--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email
E Z Peaces said:
<snip>
>
> I've read that the specific gravity of solid bakelite is 1.36, so it
> would sink. I guess some treated woods sink, too.
So will some untreated woods (e.g. lignum vitae, and some flavours of
ebony).
--
Richard Heathfield <http://www.cpax.org.uk>
Email: -www. +rjh@
Google users: <http://www.cpax.org.uk/prg/writings/googly.php>
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
"R.H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>> I don't know the proper name for it but I believe it's a device used
>> to remove corn from the cob.
>
>
> This answer is correct, though it was only posted on rcm so the other
> groups didn't see it. The device is a corn cutter, like the one on this
> page:
>
> http://www.cooksite.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0H/product-id/26414739.html
>
>
That was my first impression too.
But I did not follow through because;
I thought that the inch and a half was too small.
I did not see the sense of having both smooth and serrated circular edges
(cutters).
Oh well, I guess they just came up with better corn cutters. This was an
early model.
On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 07:23:31 +0000 (UTC), Willem <[email protected]>
wrote:
>R.H. wrote:
>) "Amongst my grandmother's things we found an object that looks like a giant
>) set of tweezers about 9" long but with two half circles of metal screwed to
>) the inner sides of the tweezers half way along. When you squeeze the
>) "tweezers" together the two half circles overlap to form a rough circular
>) shape of about 1.5" in diameter. One edge of the completed circle has a
>) serrated edge but the other edge is smooth."
>
>A device to open tight jar lids ?
Oh. It's to cut corn off the cob for canning or freezing. -- One of
these whatchees.
<http://www.mileskimball.com/mileskimball/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?CID=Kitchen&SCID=Gadgets&CollectionID=DC0000558&SiteNum=0&SourceCode=3570830&Affid=1>
"Swingman" wrote in message
> "Lee Michaels" wrote in message
>
>> Oh well, I guess they just came up with better corn cutters. This was an
>> early model.
>
> When I was a kid we used a sharpened shoe horn to slice corn kernels off
> the cob ... we thought that was "high tech".
>
What???
And you did not think to submit this priceless bit of cajun technology to
this tool and puzzle forum?
Shame on you. ;-)
"R.H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> People usually submit a photo to me when they are looking to identify an
> object, but this morning I got an email with just a word description and
> no picture. After first reading it I had no ideas, so I replied asking
> for a photo to be sent. Five minutes later I reread it and an answer
> quickly came to mind. I sent another email, with a link to a photo of
> what I thought it was, and soon got a reply that my answer was correct.
>
> So I figured I would post his original email here to see if anyone would
> like the challenge of a "What is it?" word puzzle. Here's the email:
>
>
> "Amongst my grandmother's things we found an object that looks like a
> giant set of tweezers about 9" long but with two half circles of metal
> screwed to the inner sides of the tweezers half way along. When you
> squeeze the "tweezers" together the two half circles overlap to form a
> rough circular shape of about 1.5" in diameter. One edge of the completed
> circle has a serrated edge but the other edge is smooth."
Hair crimping tongs ?
--
Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines
According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
> Just posted set 196:
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
O.K. Posting from rec.crafts.metalworking as usual.
1079) Looks like the end of the handle for a cooking pot of some
kind. It slips on over a short wooden stub, and provides
a ring to hang the pot near the stove when it is not in used.
1080) Some sort of sales display -- perhaps for a wristwatch or a
bracelet.
1081) Some kind of maritime flare gun, perhaps? Looks as though it
can hold three flares to be shot in sequence.
1082) This one is obvious -- a recording tape splicing block. It
looks as though this one is for 1/2" wide tape, instead of the
1/4" wide tape which mine handles..
The two pieces of tape are placed in the dished groove oxide
side down, overlapping at the point of splicing. Then a
single-edge razor blade is used to cut through both (your choice
of the right-angles groove for closed timing, or the angled one
to minimize thumps as you play through.
1083) Looks like a clamp for a bunch of parallel insulated wires or
hydraulic lines. Eight lines would be about right for four
hydraulic cylinders, though I would think that there was no need
for wood for that -- steel or aluminum would be more likely
choices I would think.
As for the "made entirely of wood" bit -- are you sure about
that? The main part -- of course. Maybe even the nuts, but it
looks like rusted iron or steel in the visible threads.
1084) If *I* had those, they would probably go in my seldom-used
collection of cuff links. :-)
They might have been quality badges to go in some kind of
furniture or leather goods.
Now to see what others have guessed.
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: <[email protected]> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
According to [email protected] <[email protected]>:
> > Just posted set 196:
> >
> > http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
> 1082. Splicing block for 1/4" magnetic tape. These actually worked
> better than the more complicated devices. Hmm, I had one --- I wonder
> what happened to it.
I still have mine -- double-stick foam taped to the head cover
on my Ampex 440B. I just went down to verify that, and I am still sure
that this one is for 1/2" tape, not 1/4". That groove is just too wide
for 1/4" on a 5" length. (My machine could handle 1/2" tape, but I
never had the heads for that. :-(
> 1084. Bolts for a handsaw handle
I should have spotted that. You're right, for sure.
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: <[email protected]> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>
> > 1083) Looks like a clamp for a bunch of parallel insulated wires or
> > hydraulic lines. Eight lines would be about right for four
> > hydraulic cylinders, though I would think that there was no need
> > for wood for that -- steel or aluminum would be more likely
> > choices I would think.
> >
> > As for the "made entirely of wood" bit -- are you sure about
> > that? The main part -- of course. Maybe even the nuts, but it
> > looks like rusted iron or steel in the visible threads.
>
>
> I've shown it to a number of people and they all agreed that it was entirely
> wood.
A quick magnet test on the screws themselves could settle that.
Anything which would rust to the color of those threads would be
ferrous, and thus would respond to magnets.
> The seller didn't know what it was, but I think that you are correct
> in that it's a clamp for insulated wires, probably used temporarily.
Perhaps while staples were affixed to hold them in place, and
the fixture was moved down the beam (or whatever) for the next row of
staples? (Though the opening seems a bit small for a normal beam.)
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: <[email protected]> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
> All but the first one have been answered correctly this week:
>
>
> http://pzphotosans196-42.blogspot.com/
O.K. Could you clear up whether 1082 is for 1/4" tape (as others
have said) or for 1/2" tape (as I suggested)? Just measure the width of
the groove. For 1/4" tape it will be just under 1/4" wide, for 1/2"
tape, it will be just under 1/2" wide. The "just under" is to force the
tape to cup down to the bottom of the groove, which has a gentle
curvature.
Is this one of your collection, or something photographed
elsewhere? I would kind of like to add a 1/2" one to what I have.
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: <[email protected]> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
DoN. Nichols wrote:
> According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>>> 1083) Looks like a clamp for a bunch of parallel insulated wires or
>>> hydraulic lines. Eight lines would be about right for four
>>> hydraulic cylinders, though I would think that there was no need
>>> for wood for that -- steel or aluminum would be more likely
>>> choices I would think.
>>>
>>> As for the "made entirely of wood" bit -- are you sure about
>>> that? The main part -- of course. Maybe even the nuts, but it
>>> looks like rusted iron or steel in the visible threads.
>>
>> I've shown it to a number of people and they all agreed that it was entirely
>> wood.
>
> A quick magnet test on the screws themselves could settle that.
> Anything which would rust to the color of those threads would be
> ferrous, and thus would respond to magnets.
>
>> The seller didn't know what it was, but I think that you are correct
>> in that it's a clamp for insulated wires, probably used temporarily.
>
> Perhaps while staples were affixed to hold them in place, and
> the fixture was moved down the beam (or whatever) for the next row of
> staples? (Though the opening seems a bit small for a normal beam.)
>
> Enjoy,
> DoN.
It looks as if it's for lines of about 1/3" diameter, but when it's
screwed down, the space is about 5/8" high for three and 1" high for
six. Strange clamp!
In a situation where you are fastening wires with staples, why would it
matter if the clamp had metal screws? I thought the old insulated wires
were spaced much wider than the grooves in the clamp.
Using nuts and a wrench sounds like a hassle for a clamp to hold wires
for a moment, then be moved. Instead of screws, I would have used a
varnished dowel sticking out each end of each bar. I'd tie a cord to
one dowel at each end. I'd put a tapered groove in one of the bars at
each end, the kind of groove used on a spool of sewing thread to secure
the end. To tighten the clamp, I'd take three or four turns around the
dowels at one end, pull tight, and tug the end of the cord into the
groove. Then repeat at the other end.
I think wood threads are less likely than metal to vibrate loose under
light loads, due to greater friction and greater distortion. I think
this device was to secure a bundle of hundreds of small strands such as
yarns used in weaving in a cottage or a mill.
In a mill you might wind thousands of yarns on a beam, then cart the
beam to a loom. If loose ends got tangled it could be a costly mess. At
some time the technique may have called for a clamp like this. As you
got the beam wound, you'd clamp the ends in bundles. As you tightened
the nuts you'd squish the bundle with your fingers to get it packed with
even pressure so no yarns would slip out easily. The teeth would keep
the bundle from shifting to one side after the clamp was tightened,
which could let some yarns slide out.
R.H. wrote:
>
>> It looks as if it's for lines of about 1/3" diameter, but when it's
>> screwed down, the space is about 5/8" high for three and 1" high for
>> six. Strange clamp!
>>
>> In a situation where you are fastening wires with staples, why would
>> it matter if the clamp had metal screws? I thought the old insulated
>> wires were spaced much wider than the grooves in the clamp.
>>
>> Using nuts and a wrench sounds like a hassle for a clamp to hold wires
>> for a moment, then be moved. Instead of screws, I would have used a
>> varnished dowel sticking out each end of each bar. I'd tie a cord to
>> one dowel at each end. I'd put a tapered groove in one of the bars at
>> each end, the kind of groove used on a spool of sewing thread to
>> secure the end. To tighten the clamp, I'd take three or four turns
>> around the dowels at one end, pull tight, and tug the end of the cord
>> into the groove. Then repeat at the other end.
>>
>> I think wood threads are less likely than metal to vibrate loose under
>> light loads, due to greater friction and greater distortion. I think
>> this device was to secure a bundle of hundreds of small strands such
>> as yarns used in weaving in a cottage or a mill.
>>
>> In a mill you might wind thousands of yarns on a beam, then cart the
>> beam to a loom. If loose ends got tangled it could be a costly mess.
>> At some time the technique may have called for a clamp like this. As
>> you got the beam wound, you'd clamp the ends in bundles. As you
>> tightened the nuts you'd squish the bundle with your fingers to get it
>> packed with even pressure so no yarns would slip out easily. The
>> teeth would keep the bundle from shifting to one side after the clamp
>> was tightened, which could let some yarns slide out.
>
>
> A retirement aged electrical engineer that I work with said that he saw
> something similar years ago in New York, and that it was used as a wire
> clamp. I'm going to stick with this answer for now until I see some
> evidence that points in another direction. I don't know much about
> weaving mills but I'll do some searching and see if can find anything to
> verify your idea.
>
>
> Rob
>
>
>
>
I'm curious about its use as a wire clamp. Did he see it used? Were
other pieces wedged in to hold the wires? Why wooden screws?
According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>
> > A quick magnet test on the screws themselves could settle that.
> > Anything which would rust to the color of those threads would be
> > ferrous, and thus would respond to magnets.
>
>
> I tried that with a neodymium magnet and there was no attraction at all.
> The screws are a lighter weight than metal and the middle 1/3 of them are
> not threaded. They appear to be made of some type of dark red colored wood.
O.K. Thanks! I'll accept that they are not metal, then.
Dark red-colored? Could the screws be Bakelite? I keep
thinking that it would be difficult to cut that fine a thread on wood.
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>
> "DoN. Nichols" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
[ ... ]
> > O.K. Could you clear up whether 1082 is for 1/4" tape (as others
> > have said) or for 1/2" tape (as I suggested)? Just measure the width of
> > the groove. For 1/4" tape it will be just under 1/4" wide, for 1/2"
> > tape, it will be just under 1/2" wide. The "just under" is to force the
> > tape to cup down to the bottom of the groove, which has a gentle
> > curvature.
> >
> > Is this one of your collection, or something photographed
> > elsewhere? I would kind of like to add a 1/2" one to what I have.
>
>
> The owner of the splicing block is away from home right now, but will
> measure it when he gets back, he thought it was 1/2" but wasn't sure. I'll
> find out it he wants to sell it, I forgot to ask in my first email to him.
Thanks,
DoN.
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
According to Leon Fisk <[email protected]>:
> On 8 Sep 2007 02:12:08 GMT, [email protected] (DoN.
> Nichols) wrote:
[ ... ]
> > O.K. Could you clear up whether 1082 is for 1/4" tape (as others
> >have said) or for 1/2" tape (as I suggested)? Just measure the width of
> >the groove. For 1/4" tape it will be just under 1/4" wide, for 1/2"
> >tape, it will be just under 1/2" wide. The "just under" is to force the
> >tape to cup down to the bottom of the groove, which has a gentle
> >curvature.
[ ... ]
> If it is exactly 5 inches long as claimed in the original
> page, it then measures 0.41 inches from edge-to-edge of the
> groove (starting where the flats stop).
>
> I measured the image and calulated pixels to determine this
> (I know, you could have done this too :).
I could have done so -- but distrusted the accuracy, since it is
a angular projection rather than a square on photo. But 0.41" is enough
to say that it is *not* a 1/4" splice block.
I suspect that it is closer to 0.490" than to 0.410".
Thanks,
DoN.
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
DoN. Nichols wrote:
> According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>>> A quick magnet test on the screws themselves could settle that.
>>> Anything which would rust to the color of those threads would be
>>> ferrous, and thus would respond to magnets.
>>
>> I tried that with a neodymium magnet and there was no attraction at all.
>> The screws are a lighter weight than metal and the middle 1/3 of them are
>> not threaded. They appear to be made of some type of dark red colored wood.
>
> O.K. Thanks! I'll accept that they are not metal, then.
>
> Dark red-colored? Could the screws be Bakelite? I keep
> thinking that it would be difficult to cut that fine a thread on wood.
>
It looks like 5/16 x 20. Is that about like a toilet-seat screw?
Most machine screws were wooden until about 1800. Maybe the 5/16 x 20s
were made of maple or basswood.
Wood threads seem to have been standard in carpentry clamps as of 1900.
I imagine it was because metal threads tended to loosen from the
vibration of hammering or sawing.
Perhaps nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate lacquer was applied to the
screws of the pictured clamp to make the threads stronger. That would
make them glossy. Those materials had been made as of 1865, but I don't
know if the lacquers were available before 1910. Maybe some other
lacquer was used for wooden threads before that.
458,964 is an 1891 patent for for a wooden cleat to clamp three
insulated wires. It uses two slotted screws, keeps three insulated
wires widely spaced, and can mash each wire nearly flat. The mystery
clamp intrigues me because it's so different.
E Z Peaces wrote:
> DoN. Nichols wrote:
>> According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>>>> A quick magnet test on the screws themselves could settle that.
>>>> Anything which would rust to the color of those threads would be
>>>> ferrous, and thus would respond to magnets.
>>>
>>> I tried that with a neodymium magnet and there was no attraction at
>>> all. The screws are a lighter weight than metal and the middle 1/3 of
>>> them are not threaded. They appear to be made of some type of dark
>>> red colored wood.
>>
>> O.K. Thanks! I'll accept that they are not metal, then.
>>
>> Dark red-colored? Could the screws be Bakelite? I keep
>> thinking that it would be difficult to cut that fine a thread on wood.
>>
> It looks like 5/16 x 20. Is that about like a toilet-seat screw?
>
> Most machine screws were wooden until about 1800. Maybe the 5/16 x 20s
> were made of maple or basswood.
>
> Wood threads seem to have been standard in carpentry clamps as of 1900.
> I imagine it was because metal threads tended to loosen from the
> vibration of hammering or sawing.
>
> Perhaps nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate lacquer was applied to the
> screws of the pictured clamp to make the threads stronger. That would
> make them glossy. Those materials had been made as of 1865, but I don't
> know if the lacquers were available before 1910. Maybe some other
> lacquer was used for wooden threads before that.
>
> 458,964 is an 1891 patent for for a wooden cleat to clamp three
> insulated wires. It uses two slotted screws, keeps three insulated
> wires widely spaced, and can mash each wire nearly flat. The mystery
> clamp intrigues me because it's so different.
With the "handle" notch, this isn't a clamp per se, I'm thinking as it
would be clamping anything like just a wire...
I have no real idea what it actually was, but the conjectures so far
aren't convincing to me, anyway...
--
According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
[ ... ]
> > Dark red-colored? Could the screws be Bakelite? I keep
> > thinking that it would be difficult to cut that fine a thread on wood.
>
>
> The guy who sold it to me had said it was all wood, so I didn't look very
> closely at it, and I could tell by the weight that it wasn't metal. But
> after looking at it through a magnifying glass I believe you're right, the
> nuts and the threaded pieces are all bakelite! Thanks for pointing that
> out, I should have looked closer at them earlier.
Thanks for the double-check. This feels better than plain wood
with such find threads.
Enjoy,
DoN.
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
DoN. Nichols wrote:
> According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>
> [ ... ]
>
>>> Dark red-colored? Could the screws be Bakelite? I keep
>>> thinking that it would be difficult to cut that fine a thread on wood.
>>
>> The guy who sold it to me had said it was all wood, so I didn't look very
>> closely at it, and I could tell by the weight that it wasn't metal. But
>> after looking at it through a magnifying glass I believe you're right, the
>> nuts and the threaded pieces are all bakelite! Thanks for pointing that
>> out, I should have looked closer at them earlier.
>
> Thanks for the double-check. This feels better than plain wood
> with such find threads.
>
> Enjoy,
> DoN.
>
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/prodimg/ms/pdf/MS-THRDCH.pdf
This article by Fred Holder recommends that the beginner start with 16 -
24 threads per inch. Apparently coarser is more difficult.
His first obstacle was discovering what woods worked. He recommends
lignum vitae,
boxwood,
Osage Orange,
desert Ironwood,
redheart,
African Blackwood (the best).
He says oak, misquite, and black locust will also work, and he has used
glue to harden apple enough to cut threads.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3983/is_200306/ai_n9286278
This article says wooden screws and nuts were very common in 19th
Century tools. For example, carpentry clamps had wooden screws until
the Jorgensen Patent Clamp appeared in the 20th Century.
It specifies the pitch of one screw. The beechwood handle of a plane
was tapped for a 1/4" - 20 brass screw that clamped the depth gage.
The usual set of thread-cutting tools went from 3/8" to 3", but sets for
sizes down to 1/4" were common.
Thread pitch wasn't standardized. Most were about the same as a
coarse-pitch metal screw of that diameter.
R.H. wrote:
>>> I tried that with a neodymium magnet and there was no attraction at all.
>>> The screws are a lighter weight than metal and the middle 1/3 of them
>>> are
>>> not threaded. They appear to be made of some type of dark red
>>> colored wood.
>>
>> O.K. Thanks! I'll accept that they are not metal, then.
>>
>> Dark red-colored? Could the screws be Bakelite? I keep
>> thinking that it would be difficult to cut that fine a thread on wood.
>
>
> The guy who sold it to me had said it was all wood, so I didn't look
> very closely at it, and I could tell by the weight that it wasn't
> metal. But after looking at it through a magnifying glass I believe
> you're right, the nuts and the threaded pieces are all bakelite! Thanks
> for pointing that out, I should have looked closer at them earlier.
>
> Rob
>
I suppose that would date it after 1920 or so. The only bakelite screw
I've read about is for one brand of coffee maker.
I wonder what advantage bakelite would offer for a clamp screw and nut.
Reinforcement with paper, canvas, linen, or nylon can improve
mechanical strength, but would that work in a screw? Fred Holder says
before cutting fine threads in apple, he applies a special glue to
harden the wood. I wonder if treated wood would look much different
from bakelite.
I've read that the specific gravity of solid bakelite is 1.36, so it
would sink. I guess some treated woods sink, too.
Richard Heathfield wrote:
> E Z Peaces said:
>
> <snip>
>> I've read that the specific gravity of solid bakelite is 1.36, so it
>> would sink. I guess some treated woods sink, too.
>
> So will some untreated woods (e.g. lignum vitae, and some flavours of
> ebony).
>
African blackwood, which is supposed to be the best for fine threads, is
one of the species called ebony. It has the same density as bakelite.
It ranges from dark brown or purple to black and finishes to a
brilliantly polished surface.
It's popular for woodwinds. Manufacturers discovered it because ships
carried to for ballast. Apparently it was available for ballast because
it was too hard to cut with an axe for firewood, so trees would stand
alone in fields.
If it was used for ballast, it would have been available to screw makers
in the days before metal took over. I wouldn't know how to tell it from
bakelite.
According to E Z Peaces <[email protected]>:
> Richard Heathfield wrote:
> > E Z Peaces said:
> >
> > <snip>
> >> I've read that the specific gravity of solid bakelite is 1.36, so it
> >> would sink. I guess some treated woods sink, too.
> >
> > So will some untreated woods (e.g. lignum vitae, and some flavours of
> > ebony).
> >
> African blackwood, which is supposed to be the best for fine threads, is
[ ... ]
> If it was used for ballast, it would have been available to screw makers
> in the days before metal took over. I wouldn't know how to tell it from
> bakelite.
Close examination under a magnifying glass should do it. A
Bakelite suitable for threading should be the fabric reenforced style,
and the cross-section of a cut will show the pattern of the woven
fibers. So will any angle of cut, for that matter.
Enjoy,
DoN.
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
According to R.H. <[email protected]>:
>
>
> >> If it was used for ballast, it would have been available to screw makers
> >> in the days before metal took over. I wouldn't know how to tell it from
> >> bakelite.
> >
> > Close examination under a magnifying glass should do it. A
> > Bakelite suitable for threading should be the fabric reenforced style,
> > and the cross-section of a cut will show the pattern of the woven
> > fibers. So will any angle of cut, for that matter.
[ ... ]
> Yes, you can clearly see the fiber pattern on the nut in this photo:
>
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083na.jpg
Very clear that it is a fabric-reenforced Bakelite.
> The threaded rod had the same pattern visible in the middle section.
O.K.
> Something that I didn't point out about this clamp, the two nuts that sit on
> the shoulders are chamfered along one edge, as seen here:
>
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083n.jpg
Interesting.
> Maybe a thin rope or rod could fit through the opening.
I think that it was in case the notch towards which it faces was
not cut fully square -- which suggests that both the wood parts and the
Bakelite ones were mass produced -- at least somewhat.
BTW My spelling checker insists that Bakelite be capitalized.
Enjoy,
DoN.
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R.H. wrote:
>
>
>>> If it was used for ballast, it would have been available to screw makers
>>> in the days before metal took over. I wouldn't know how to tell it from
>>> bakelite.
>>
>> Close examination under a magnifying glass should do it. A
>> Bakelite suitable for threading should be the fabric reenforced style,
>> and the cross-section of a cut will show the pattern of the woven
>> fibers. So will any angle of cut, for that matter.
>
>
>
>
> Yes, you can clearly see the fiber pattern on the nut in this photo:
>
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083na.jpg
>
> The threaded rod had the same pattern visible in the middle section.
>
>
> Something that I didn't point out about this clamp, the two nuts that
> sit on the shoulders are chamfered along one edge, as seen here:
>
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083n.jpg
>
> Maybe a thin rope or rod could fit through the opening.
>
>
> Rob
>
I miscalculated the pitch. It looks like 3/8" - 11, very coarse.
I have a new idea: about the time Bakelite came along, radio was
growing, with more transmitters, higher power, and higher frequencies.
An adjustable coil is used to couple a transmitter to a given antenna at
a given frequency.
You might make an adjustable transmitter coil by taking eight turns of
insulated wire around a tube several inches in diameter and about 5"
high. You put the groovy half of the clamp against the outside of the
tube to hold the turns of wire in place, put the other half inside, and
screw them tight.
At this point the wire is probably not wrapped tightly around the drum
and the spacing between turns is probably not even all the way around.
So you loosen one nut, leaving only one end of the wire mashed tight.
Now you can pull the wire tight and use a gage such as a screwdriver to
space the turns evenly on all sides as they are spaced in the clamp.
Now tighten the loose nut.
You'll want to power it up to be sure it adjusts evenly through its
range and doesn't arc. Metal screws would alter the coil's
characteristics. A baked, varnished wooden clamp would be okay, but
maybe engineers thought a threaded wooden fastener could absorb enough
moisture to cause trouble in a high-powered RF field. A better
explanation is that the radio engineers were enamored with Bakelite.
If it passes the test, you apply insulating, waterproof adhesive to
secure and protect the insulated wire, then remove the clamp.
R.H. wrote:
>
> "E Z Peaces" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> R.H. wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>> If it was used for ballast, it would have been available to screw
>>>>> makers
>>>>> in the days before metal took over. I wouldn't know how to tell it
>>>>> from
>>>>> bakelite.
>>>>
>>>> Close examination under a magnifying glass should do it. A
>>>> Bakelite suitable for threading should be the fabric reenforced style,
>>>> and the cross-section of a cut will show the pattern of the woven
>>>> fibers. So will any angle of cut, for that matter.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Yes, you can clearly see the fiber pattern on the nut in this photo:
>>>
>>> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083na.jpg
>>>
>>> The threaded rod had the same pattern visible in the middle section.
>>>
>>>
>>> Something that I didn't point out about this clamp, the two nuts that
>>> sit on the shoulders are chamfered along one edge, as seen here:
>>>
>>> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/album%207/pic1083n.jpg
>>>
>>> Maybe a thin rope or rod could fit through the opening.
>>>
>>>
>>> Rob
>>>
>> I miscalculated the pitch. It looks like 3/8" - 11, very coarse.
>>
>> I have a new idea: about the time Bakelite came along, radio was
>> growing, with more transmitters, higher power, and higher frequencies.
>> An adjustable coil is used to couple a transmitter to a given antenna
>> at a given frequency.
>>
>> You might make an adjustable transmitter coil by taking eight turns of
>> insulated wire around a tube several inches in diameter and about 5"
>> high. You put the groovy half of the clamp against the outside of the
>> tube to hold the turns of wire in place, put the other half inside,
>> and screw them tight.
>>
>> At this point the wire is probably not wrapped tightly around the drum
>> and the spacing between turns is probably not even all the way around.
>> So you loosen one nut, leaving only one end of the wire mashed tight.
>> Now you can pull the wire tight and use a gage such as a screwdriver
>> to space the turns evenly on all sides as they are spaced in the
>> clamp. Now tighten the loose nut.
>>
>> You'll want to power it up to be sure it adjusts evenly through its
>> range and doesn't arc. Metal screws would alter the coil's
>> characteristics. A baked, varnished wooden clamp would be okay, but
>> maybe engineers thought a threaded wooden fastener could absorb enough
>> moisture to cause trouble in a high-powered RF field. A better
>> explanation is that the radio engineers were enamored with Bakelite.
>>
>> If it passes the test, you apply insulating, waterproof adhesive to
>> secure and protect the insulated wire, then remove the clamp.
>
>
>
> Sounds reasonable, I've done a lot of searching and haven't been able to
> prove any of the guesses, this could be one of those that never gets
> verified.
>
>
> Rob
>
It looks as if somebody filed a ninth goove, perhaps so it could be used
to make coils up to nine turns.
I need a comprehensive history of Bakelite screws! If 3/8" - 11
Bakelite threaded rods and nuts were off-the-shelf items, the clamp may
have a one-of-a-kind for a small manufacturer.
Maybe it was a repair shop. Maybe the manufacturing process was more
efficient but the manufacturer went out of business or quit supporting
the old model. So hams or police departments or broadcasters have these
radios, and the coupling coils tend to go bad like ignition cables, and
a repair shop devises this jig to rebuild them.
Did the electrical engineer tell you anything more?
In article <[email protected]>,
"R.H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> Just posted set 196:
>
> http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
1079 -- I'll guess a tap for maple sugaring or similar industry (rubber
harvest?)--although it looks as though the bucket might tend to fall off
the end, or the whole contraption fall off the tree, probably just at
the time you have your toe directly underneath.
1083 -- no idea, except a badly failed design for a carrier for a bunch
of 1079's!
--
Andrew Erickson
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot
lose." -- Jim Elliot
"R.H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> All but the first one have been answered correctly this week:
>
>
> http://pzphotosans196-42.blogspot.com/
>
>
That first one, the tent slip, is a different shape than what I have seen. I
have used these a lot when camping as a kid. I have even made them. Another
one that got by me.
On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 06:22:10 -0400, R.H. wrote:
>
>> I don't know the proper name for it but I believe it's a device used
>> to remove corn from the cob.
>
> This answer is correct, though it was only posted on rcm so the other groups
> didn't see it. The device is a corn cutter, like the one on this page:
>
> http://www.cooksite.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0H/product-id/26414739.html
>
I had my "Aha!" when I saw that the "semicircular parts" make a hoop, not
a disk. ;-)
Cheers!
Rich
R.H. wrote:
) "Amongst my grandmother's things we found an object that looks like a giant
) set of tweezers about 9" long but with two half circles of metal screwed to
) the inner sides of the tweezers half way along. When you squeeze the
) "tweezers" together the two half circles overlap to form a rough circular
) shape of about 1.5" in diameter. One edge of the completed circle has a
) serrated edge but the other edge is smooth."
A device to open tight jar lids ?
SaSW, Willem
--
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for any of the statements
made in the above text. For all I know I might be
drugged or something..
No I'm not paranoid. You all think I'm paranoid, don't you !
#EOT