Hi All, First time posting on What's It, so be gentle.

Found this in a box I got at an auction.  At first glance, I thought it was a string reel or something, but the opening doesn't go all the way through the spindle.  Then I thought it maybe it held bits, but the inside of the spindle shaft seems threaded, or at least ridged.

The handle didn't turn at first so I opened it up and cleaned it a little.  The action is such that when you turn the handle, the spindle turns in one direction about half way, then turns back again to the original position.  So you keep turning the handle and the spindle just rotates back and forth, never going completely around.

Any thoughts?  And thanks!

maybe for lapping valves

for lapping valves

Thanks to both of you.  I did have to google 'valve lapping', but now that I am better educated, I've found a couple of these on eBay.  I'll have to look through the box for the stem piece that supposed to be with it.  Then it'll be going in the garage sale.  At least now I can sound smart when I tell people about it.

Here is the one from my Dunlap collection.
-Don

Fairly common item . Many makers before unleaded gas did away with valve jobs.
I usually have 3-4 for sale

Any one tried to "jeweling" or engine turning with one?a flat pad with a fine grit like lapping compound should work.
I use a round wire cup brush to do aluminum.

How about this one ! Syracuse Valve Lapper .

First time I've ever seen inside one of those.  Thanks for that photo rjake4!  You should find that as it goes back and forth it should also advance to some extent.  From the looks of the mechanism it will advance twice for every one backstroke.
Al

Here's one I picked up last Sunday at a local flea market. It was made by the Ideal Valve Grinder Mfg. Co. in Los Angeles. This would appear to be the "Cadillac" of valve grinders. It has a cast iron body, a cast handle with what appears to be a rosewood knob and at one time was entirely nickel plated, although most of that is long gone.

As Al mentioned, this one advances after several back and forth motions.  The patent is below.

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/f4/14/f6/e6533ba7337de2/US1015902.pdf

Mike

Quote from: amecks on March 11, 2019, 08:55:18 PM
First time I've ever seen inside one of those.  Thanks for that photo rjake4!  You should find that as it goes back and forth it should also advance to some extent.  From the looks of the mechanism it will advance twice for every one backstroke.
Al

After a couple day soak in Evapo-Rust, here is a better picture of the internal mechanism.

Thanks for all the comments.  I hope to get it in working order, but the shaft seems to be frozen.  I assume it's supposed to turn freely within that smooth cylinder it goes through.  And yeah, sorry, I don't know the technical terms for all those little thingies and doodads.

Quote from: rjake4 on March 14, 2019, 01:25:42 PMAnd yeah, sorry, I don't know the technical terms for all those little thingies and doodads.

Some of them may be frammises; I'm not familiar with the internal parts on valve grinders, either.

For those who couldn't afford the highfalutin new fangled mechanical ones, the fire starter type worked.

Quote from: mikeswrenches on March 12, 2019, 10:32:12 AM
Here's one I picked up last Sunday at a local flea market. It was made by the Ideal Valve Grinder Mfg. Co. in Los Angeles. This would appear to be the "Cadillac" of valve grinders. It has a cast iron body, a cast handle with what appears to be a rosewood knob and at one time was entirely nickel plated, although most of that is long gone.

As Al mentioned, this one advances after several back and forth motions.  The patent is below.

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/f4/14/f6/e6533ba7337de2/US1015902.pdf

Mike

If you decide to sell it, you could advertise it as the Gentleman's Valve Grinder....

For lapping valves. Should have come from the factory with several different tips as some valves had two holes and some just had a slot. Valves from different engine makers had holes with different widths between them requiring adapters with different spacing or a tool that is adjustable for different hole spacing. I still have my tools for working on old engines. I prefer to work on old and simple engines. I spent 32 years of my life working on modern engines at my last job. I modified lots of tools to suit my needs over the years. Rarely bought tools from the tool pushers. My good friend of 50 years has a wrecking yard he started in 1953 has machines that all use flathead engines except his 1937 Chevy 1-1/2 ton crane truck and his 1930's Cletrac bulldozer. Sometimes he needs to borrow a certain tool he may not have.

EvilDr235