Please see this photo ...
Thanks much.
Looks like a center for wood stock. It would actually bite into the end of the piece.
Looks like an auto-centering center punch to spot the end of a shaft. Appears from the photos that the outer sleeve and 4 angled blades move together, and independent of the center rod. Would work best with stock that has been turned square on the end. Place flat against the end of the shaft, slide the sleeve/blades down until it's centered up, smack the center rod to spot for center drilling.
Jon
Which would make it perfect for centering a chunk of square stock for a wood lathe. Beats marking it with a pencil and hoping you get the point in the right spot between grain marks.
It is a Goodell-Pratt "Bell Centering Punch" No 529 up to 1" or 534 up to 1 1/2". PAGE 438 IN Catalog 15. If you wish a photo copy I can send one to you. However, I will not be able to do so for two weeks.
Chuck P.
It should work with round stock as well i.e. finding the center.
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