What is it? CXLIV

824. A Commander. Used to in timber framing to coax recalcitrant beams into place. I've never seen a 2 handled one before.

Art

Reply to
Wood Butcher
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#826 Corn sheller for removing dried corn kernals from corn cobs to use for animal feed.

Reply to
Warren Weber

I wouldn't be able to swing a 50-pounder. Mine is a pipe with a lead weight. Inside the pipe, at the bottom of the weight, is a piece of tire tread. It's heavy to lug around, but if I put the pipe over the top of a fence post, pick it up, and let it drop, it will transfer a lot of momentum to the post. A lighter hammer would tend to damage the end of the post and bounce off.

Sledge hammers are usually but not always used up and down.

There's a limit to the kind of tamping you can do with a 20-pound tamper. The force from the blow of a light weight doesn't last as long, so the material being struck may simply spring back. It would be hard to split firewood with a tack hammer.

I imagine the two-handled hammer could be used for moving railroad ties. I wonder where to find out what tools crews used.

As an iron hammer could be used on wood ties, it could be used on wood wedges. The limestone hammer surprised scientists because it could not be used on metal.

The size of a hammer can be important in splitting rock. If the hammer is too small for the job, all you can do is damage the iron wedge.

I have seen a photo of a two-handled hammer. It was a group posing in a foundry. Two men whom I would call "Sir!" are holding the hammer high as if about to swing down.

I wonder if it was to deliver a lot of momentum to a mold in order to make a casting pop loose.

Reply to
Doghouse

With the latest image/clue, maybe a hardness tester? It looks like one of the pointy objects is made of brass or something similar.

Reply to
Leon Fisk

826 looks very similar to a scratter or scratcher for scrumpy making
Reply to
SW

Most of them have been answered correctly this week:

823. Container with what looks to be finishing nails, though the points look different than regular ones. I'm not done researching these things, there were very few brass pieces and they aren't individually marked, so I'm not sure if they could be hardness testers as was suggested.

824. According to the owner, the large hammer was for knocking around railroad ties and rails.

825. Bell system conduit flaring tool, for lead conduit

826. Corn grinder

827. Sheet metal crimper

828. Hand sighting level

Several links, new photos, and more info have been posted on the answer page:

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Rob

Reply to
R.H.

Excellent guess, someone that I know who owns one has confirmed that this is correct. I had never seen one of these before, and then this afternoon I was looking for tools at the antique mall and saw another one, but it was marked nut cracker. The only difference was it was made of all wood and two small metal pieces, I'm sure it was marked wrong since it now seems obvious that it's a cork inserter.

Rob

Reply to
R.H.

I thought my photo indicated a hammer like that was used in a foundry, but I got it wrong. It came from an official collection of photos from Crewe Works, a railroad forge. However, this photo is labeled only with the name of a newspaper, and people familiar with Crewe Works don't recognize the setting. The face of this hammer appears to be flat. Could that mean it was made for purpose other than that of the hammer you found?

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Reply to
Doghouse

That's a rather broad definition and the tool is obviously meant for a specific purpose. Do you have any more information on it?

R
Reply to
RicodJour

I should have mentioned that the patent number is listed on the answer page, where they state that this tool is "for crimping the edges of sheet metal caps upon the flanged mouths of can spouts, and for other similar purposes." In the answer page for each set, I always list a patent number if I have one, also some items will have additional photos or links to more info.

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Rob

Reply to
R.H.

I would say that you're right, it's probably for a different purpose than the one in my photo, but I couldn't tell you what exactly. I'll have to see if I can find out more about them.

Rob

Reply to
R.H.

My apologies, Rob. I didn't check your web page for the answers, just responded to your post. It's Saturday - I'm allowed to be lazy. ;)

Thanks for the answer, information and entertainment. If I could get some fries with that, it'd be perfect!

R
Reply to
RicodJour

I came in too late this time (hectic life right now) to answer before the answers were posted. However I'll make come comments on a couple of items.

According to Christian Stüben :

I don't believe the "Finishing nails" part, as all finishing nails that I have seen have at least some bulge for a head.

Looking at the shaped points, I find myself wondering whether it could be electrodes for a TIG welding gun.

The numbers on the dial could be sizes, or materials.

Did you change the text on the "questions" page when you posted the answers? I don't see a question left -- you seem to have it fully answered.

[ ... ]
828 was the only one which I was likely to really get before the answers came up. I've seen them advertised many times, but never actually handled one.

Enjoy, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

According to R.H. :

Hmm ... perhaps for taking samples of mud from the bottom when "sounding" with a line and weight from a boat?

Not enough views to give me a clue.

This one I know. I *have* one (all wood). It was sold under the name "Cork Socker" -- and its function is to re-install the cork in a partially consumed bottle of wine.

The bottom cone is placed over the top of the wine bottle on a solid table, the shaft is raised and the cork is placed under it, then your hand is brought down smartly upon the knob, thus quickly re-inserting the cork.

Hmm ... with a 1/2" hole, perhaps it is for a smaller bottle than the typical wine bottle, but I'll bet it is for the same function.

Enjoy, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

Sounds like a good possibility, I'll see what I can find on your electrodes idea.

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Thanks for letting me know, I meant to modify the answer page but accidently choose the wrong site to edit, it's fixed now.

Rob

Reply to
R.H.

Not sure what this one is, some people at the tool show thought it was for science experiments with steam similar to the Hero steamball, but the tubes are in the wrong place and point the wrong direction. A steamball can be seen here:

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This tool is a cotter pin puller, patent number 1422201.

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Cork inserter is correct.

Rob

Reply to
R.H.

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Reply to
kfvorwerk

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