Mystery block- what the heck is it?

Here is something to add to the what the heck is it file.

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I got it from the machinist's estate I was clearing out a few months ago.

It is hardened and ground. Cross drilled for setscrews. The angles are around 65 degrees. The holes are 7/16"dia. The name stamped on it is the name of the owner (and presumably the maker) and it gives the impression of the sort of tool you would make during your apprenticeship.

It is very nicely made, but I'll be darned if I can figure out what it's for.

Paul K. Dickman

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Paul K. Dickman
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Strikes me as a fixture for holding rods to position a test indicator/dial indicator.

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Ecnerwal

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The one photo doesn't show all the details of the block but it is possibly for grinding tool bits of some type on a surface grinder.

John

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john

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It looks like it could be a test peice for some advanced metal working class. Some "alphabet soup" organization has a bunch of prints of peices like that to "certify" machinists. The shop teacher has a few of the advanced students starting on these this year. ...lew...

Reply to
Lew Hartswick

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It looks like the large hole is big enough to get a forefinger through, so maybe it was a disguised martial arts weapon like the "Travel Wrench" here:

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I think I first learned of the existance of these "wrenches" on a "What is it?" here about a year ago. They are inexpensive and I bought a few to give as gag gifts to some mild-mannered friends.

Jeff (Who isn't really being serious about this.)

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Jeff Wisnia

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Thought about that, but 7/16 is an odd size for a boring bar. You can slide a 5/16 sq bit in the holes but there does not seem to be any way to grind a clearance angle on the bit.

Paul K. Dickman

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Paul K. Dickman

Possible, but 7/16 seems like an odd size for an indicator rod.

Paul K. Dickman

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Paul K. Dickman

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Could be, but why bother to harden it. Also, it wasn't in a cigar box on the shelf, it was in a cabinet with vee blocks and angle blocks and other tools that would see regular usage. This guy finished his apprenticeship before WWII. I can't imagine he just liked to look at it for all those years.

I also thought it might be used with drill bushings. Either for cross drilling rods or drilling angled holes, but the angles are kind of oddball.

Paul K. Dickman

Reply to
Paul K. Dickman

I have a couple of blocks that are used for grinding threading tools that look sort of similar to that one and thought that it may have been used the same way.

Another possible use might be to hold an indicator and rod for indicating pieces on a milling table.

John

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john

"Paul K. Dickman" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news4.newsguy.com:

Looks to me like just a regular angle block used for fixturing in a vice. The holes are most likely for work stops.

Reply to
Anthony

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7/16 is the diameter of the rod holding the diamond of my wheel dresser...which has a multitude of holes drilled at various angles

Gunner

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Gunner Asch

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I'll second this, 7/16 is common for a diamond dresser. Differant mounting angles for even wear on your diamond.

Thank You, Randy

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Randy

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Looks like a class project.

Make the object in the drawings, get it graded, kinda thing.

Cheers Trevor Jones

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Trevor Jones

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This seems to be the best guess.

It explains the hole size, the multiple angles, and why the actual angles do not seem to match anything.

I do think it was some sort of apprenticeship project, just one that was also useful.

Paul K. Dickman

Reply to
Paul K. Dickman

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