what kind of tool is this?

Cat carrier

wrote : (clip) I can't figure out what it does (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The picture is a little blurry, but it looks like a hacksaw, with a broken-off blade--teeth turned inward. Its shortness permits you to use up broken blades, and to work in close quarters.

I've used a tool like this, but the application was specific to interference fasteners in aerospace. The one I used was somewhat similar, and designed to press out a fastener that needed to come out toward you. This might be a specific tool that presses something in place, away from you, and it does so without stressing out everything in the area. Is the end opposing the rack open or hollow?

Yup, valve spring compressor. Also works to press out small U-joint bearing cups. Bugs

Yes, valve spring compressor sounds right. Those are gear teeth, not cutting teeth. I can see how it would work for valve springs. It sure didn't work on the cat. I'm still putting on bandaids.

thanks,

Dave

It looks like a valve spring compressor for overhead cam engines. There's another kind that looks like a small pulley puller which is used for overhead valve engines.

Well, it was an early version. It lacked the muzzle. And it undoubted lacked the essential directions, which state very clearly to "sneak up on the cat smartly."

Ron Thompson On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA

hobby pages are here: The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.

--Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

wrote: (clip) Those are gear teeth, not cutting teeth. (clip) It sure didn't work on the cat. I'm still putting on bandaids. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Now that I have heard the right esxplanation, I don't see how I could have thought those were cutting teeth.

How do you go about putting bandaids on an angry cat?