Ok... No looking it up in the old catalogues, just use your best guess. I will tell you the answer this weekend, December 10th.
8 1/2" long (straight measure, end to front tip) - 1/2" thick in the back down to a 1/16" to the tip.
I picked it with a lot of other tools off an old farm. For a week I and a few other tool buddies couldn't figure out what it was. I scoured the internet and Ebay but couldn't find a picture of it, absolutely nothing. I finally found it listed in one of online Plomb catalogues. My hats off to the people who scan and post those items..
I will guess it is a seal pick.
The ends don't look flat enough for a brake adjustment tool so I'll agree with Pawpa any a seal or O ring pick.
Cotter pin puller
I updated measurements... Great guesses so far.
8 1/2" long (straight measure front tip to back) - 1/2" thick in the back down to a 1/16" to the tip.
Used like a drift punch>? For aligning holes?
Well they made a bunch of plumbers tools for caulking dwv pipe, so my guess is caulking iron, so I googled it and found this pic. close?
to scratch an itch if your hands are dirty !
Hoof cleaning tool ? Horse ??
Cotter pin pick?
I'd lean toward the plumbing caulking tool, too. Seems too blunt for a cotter pin or seal puller.
Is there a prize?
I'd like to say but I'll let you guys stew on it for a while and see what happens.
Wow great guesses! My first guess when I glanced it was a punch, easy guess, because it was in a box full of chisels, punches, and other items... Then the reality of physics took over and I got a Zonk on that guess. I never thought of the cotter pin puller, I like that one... It does make a good back scratcher.
If you don't want to wait until this weekend you can always look it up on a Plomb catalogue 1939 and most of the 1940's. Just don't say what it is..
Thanks..
#1) cotter pin remover
#2) hole alignment tool
I have some of those. The guy I bought them from told me they were brick jointers.
Plumbing caulk tool?
It looks like a brick jointer to me, although it seems odd that Plomb would make one.
I know what it is, but I've ran a lot of copper. It isn't for making guitars, that's for sure.
Chilly
Ok... So what's your guess? If you know what it is please post it and let us know how it was used... It was a bit unclear when I went back to the person I bought it from.
Thanks.
Plumbers Bending Iron
Used to finesse the end of dented lead pipe, when jointing.
You got it! Great diagram of the tool and how to use it.
Good to know. I also learned about the shave hook. Had seen them, but not aware of their purpose.
https://archive.org/details/plumbingworkingm00grayrich (https://archive.org/details/plumbingworkingm00grayrich) is the book from which that page was garnered.
Quote from: Northwoods on December 07, 2016, 04:54:49 PM
Good to know. I also learned about the shave hook. Had seen them, but not aware of their purpose.
Interesting - I thought those shave hooks were woodworking scrapers. That's what they're sold for now.
Quote from: UncleBill on December 07, 2016, 01:21:38 PM
Ok... So what's your guess? If you know what it is please post it and let us know how it was used... It was a bit unclear when I went back to the person I bought it from.
Thanks.
Sorry, I didnt want to ruin the fun.
They are still usefull, when you pull a tee in copper. And copper gets really soft when brazed, type m moves like lead sheet. A smooth iron pushes it back in place.
Besides pipe it was used a lot at fittings. Many of which could be made from sheet. For pipe re-rounding a swage makes short work.
I think that a lead soil pipe craftsman would be almost impossible to find. I can only imagine that their life expectancy was less than most.
The box this tool came in was partially filled with early Plomb Calking and Yarning Irons plus a few Protos. A few of those items were worked down to the nub and some barely used. It was fun finding out a little bit of the history of the owner and to see his assortment of old tractors and vehicles.
Thanks to everyone who guessed at this..