What is it? CLIII

Jan 18, 2007 37 Replies

Another photo for this week, on the link below is a picture of a hook that someone sent to me, it's 7-1/2" long:

formatting link
Anyone know what it would have been used for?

Rob

formatting link
It looks like a pot for Stellon Regd ointment.

Until next time, Marcey

AFAICT, Its a dental compressor. Look here on the top right:

formatting link

Denture acrylic is poured in a mold, and put inside this compressor to cure under pressure. It looks like this is a 'spring compressor' type. Here is a typical dental mold by Stellon with a similar engraving:

formatting link

--riverman

--riverman

It looks like a chain hook. Not uncommon, except for the flattened part at the top. It seems like it 'buttonholed' into a link on the chain, rather than the more common method of using a U-bolt to attach it.

--riverman

According to R.H. :

I agree.

This seems to make the press for fill ====================================================================== Cork cutters or cork borers, used in labs or drug stores to make small corks. ======================================================================

And I say that it is not to *make* small corks, but to make

*holes* in corks to pass glass tubing through -- including medicine droppers.

Later -- chem labs were supplied with pre-bored rubber stoppers with zero, one, two -- or possibly even three holes -- depending on the complexity of the setup.

Enjoy, DoN.

We have one on our boom truck at the end of the steel wire rope crane. It is held by a simple, single loop in the wire rope held by 3 wire rope connectors. The boom is rated for 5,000 #.

Thanks, seems to me that this is probably the correct answer.

Rob

The owner of it was mostly wondering how it was attached to a chain or wire since it didn't have an eye like other hooks, thanks for answering this one.

Rob

I'm going with the dental press answer for now since there were similar devices on the link, but I'm open to the idea of an ointment press if anyone can provide a link to a similar one.

According to the "Dictionary of American Hand Tools":

"The cork cutter was used in drug stores and similar establishments to make small corks."

I'm sure they could also have been used to make holes in corks for tubing, though he doesn't mention that in the book.

Rob

formatting link
Take a look the PPH 405.

The discs have etched sections, interupted by plenum rings. The paint follows the smooth path between the edged segments rather than the rougher/etched section. The etched sections also set up a Magnus effect, directing paint somewhat by increasing friction. The majority of the paint-spray is directed by high voltage electrostatic attraction. Different size discs are used to vary the relative speed at circumference as viscosity differences in paints dictate and 'leap-off" atomization occurs...

Anyone for a game of Balderdash?

881 (or is it 882?) Is a set of rubber or cork stopper hole "punches". Found in most college chemistry labs. You twist them into the rubber stopper - the sharp ends do the cutting.

charlie b

I have no idea what an 'ointment press' is. I figured ointment (such as lip balms, etc) were poured into their containers as liquids and allowed to cool, not compressed into them.

Knowing that Stellon was a dental equipment factory, I think the crucible-type thing on EBay was the container where you mixed up the acrylic before you poured it into the mold. I have no basis for this (yet, but I'm looking), but I suppose that the central metal cylinder in the press could have served two purposes: first it was stored in the press as a 'spacer' to hold the whole thing tightly together between uses. Then, the dentist or technician would place the cylinder beside the press, place the cruciable on the cylinder (maybe over a burner?) while they mixed the acrylic, and then pour it in the mold which was placed in the press until it cured.

Like I said, this is just supposition. Any dentists here, or dental technicians?

--riverman

--riverman

Here's a nice Flikr slide slow showing how this press was used.

formatting link

According to R.H. :

Nope! Go ahead.

Then the Dictionary is *wrong*.

Corks to fit in a bottle have a taper (except for wine corks, which are compressed through a necking device for the purpose of obtaining a snug fit). Anything produced by these would be straight sided.

Check out:

(or of that fails due to wrapping, connect to:

and use the search entry to look for "cork borer"

In particular, the description for one of those offered reads:

====================================================================== Cork Borers; Will bore holes in corks and rubber stoppers; Plated tubing; Smooth plastic handles; Handles stamped with number designation; Set of 3 ranging 4.8 to 7.8mm ======================================================================

And there are other sets going up to "Set of 15", all of whose descriptions are identical other than that.

Aside from the vendor being more likely to know the use than a dictionary writer, consider the term "borer", which is an object to make a hole in something -- not to make what came out of the hole.

Enjoy, DoN.

Wikipedia has a pretty definitive answer (as definitive as any resource that is not academic peer reviewed).

--riverman

OK, I'm convinced, I've looked around a little and didn't see any references that agree with the dictionary so I've changed my answer to agree with you and all of the other sources.

formatting link

Thanks, Rob

formatting link

I guess 879 could be a paint disc, but the disc on the link doesn't look much like the one on my site, and it's hard to tell what size it is from looking at the photo. I'll need stronger evidence before I agree that the air disc is for painting.

Rob

Thanks, looks like you nailed this one.

Rob

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required