[R.H.]

The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob

[Jerry Foster]

"R.H." wrote in message
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob

1024 appears to be some sort of laboratory standard resistor.

As for the rest, ????

Jerry

[Robby Goetschalckx]

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob

1020 seems to be a sundial, which fires the small canon at noon, by
focusing the sunlight through the lens. The cannon should be loaded with
a small amount of gunpowder. Would be useful for me as an alarm clock if
the firing time would be adjustible :-)

robby

[Christian Stüben]

and again...
1019 some kind ov valve mechanism?
1020 as robby already said, a sundial, to wake you for lunch time
1021 a knife sharpener? for saw blades?
1022 obviosly an axe, but for which special use?
1023 mouse trap?
1024 no idea, jerry´s guess sounds good

greetings from germany
chris


"R.H." schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob

[Alexander Thesoso]

1020 Noon Gun Sundial. The adjustments on the lens frame are for latitude,
not time setting.

1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench.

1024 Current measuring shunt (ammeter shunt). Probably 1-ohm. The current
to be measured goes through the large terminals. A voltage measuring meter
is connected to the small terminals that are attached to the wire taps
inside of the large terminals. This takes the contact resistance for the
large terminals out of the measuring loop.

"R.H." wrote in message
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob

[Carl Byrns]

"R.H." wrote in message
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob

1021 is a saw sharpening jig.

[Brian Lawson]

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:34:15 -0400, "R.H."
wrote:

The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob
Hey Rob,

1019...Not a clue
1020...Don't know why, but it fires the little cannon when the sun is
"just right"
1021...Handsaw sharpener, including a vise.
1022...Adze to make square ends on furniture pieces, complete with a
gauge.
1023...String line tightener
1024...Medium current resistor grid

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

[Leo Lichtman]

"Alexander Thesoso" wrote:
1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This could be right, but a couple of things make me wonder: 1.) The valve
stems on all the fire hydrants I have ever seen have five sides, to keep
people from opening them with ordinary wrenches. 2.) Firemen's axes always
have a demolition spike on the head--not a hammer head. 3.) Since a
firemen's axe is used to break into burning buildings, it is much more
aggressive looking: longer handle, handle has non-slip shape at the free
end. This one appears to be wedge-shaped at the end, which is really
puzzling.

Could this be for the kind of fireman who stokes a steam engine firebox?
The square hole might then be for a steam valve.

[Rich Grise]

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:34:15 -0400, R.H. wrote:

The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


1019: Very expensive designer pipe bombs. ;-)

Cheers!
Rich

[DoN. Nichols]

According to R.H. :
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

O.K. I'll go into the answers a bit sooner today -- but posting
from rec.crafts.metalworking as usual.

1019) Not really sure -- but they sort of look like adjustable
length legs for something like a transit or other surveying
instrument.

But the slots look strange. If the ends slide in fairly easily,
they might be for a retaining string or wire threaded through
the slots on both ends to hold the end-caps in place. You would
screw the outer cap down on the wire or string going through the
slot on each end.

Perhaps it could even be a form for winding insulated wire to
form an electromagnet -- as the material (brass or bronze) would
not interfere with that.

1020) A noontime salute. The magnifying glass on the sundial will
focus the sun on a small pile of gunpowder, or a fuse in the
salute cannon, thus automatically firing the cannon (at least on
sunshiny days). Presumably, if the sun is not out, whatever it
is an activity signal for is not desirable. :-)

1021) For filing the teeth in a saw blade -- probably a carpenter's
ripsaw or crosscut saw since there is no clearance for a
stiffening back rib for a miter saw.

The black object hanging on the hook is either a tooth offset
gauge, or a tool to set the offset.

1022) Looks like a wedge for splitting logs, with perhaps the square
hole serving to allow prying it out when it gets stuck.

Or -- it is for cutting square tennions on the ends of something
(perhaps wagon wheel spokes), and the square hole is a gauge.
But the sharpening of the edge does not look good enough for
that use. (Perhaps it has suffered over the years.

The handle does not have the bulge near the handgrip end to keep
it from slipping out when swung, so I presume that it was to be
held in place and struck on the back rather than swung.

1023) Looks like a device to wind up a narrow strap or a string t
bind something together. Pull out on the "crown" to disengage
the ratchet to release it. The hooks either hold a loop of the
string, or spike into the material of the strap (or perhaps
engage a hole in a leather belts.

Hmm ... an adjustable buckle for a leather belt on a person?

1024) A high-current shunt for an ammeter. The current to be
measured is fed through the large binding posts, and the voltage
developed across the shunt is fed to the smaller binding posts
through the fine wires attached near the ends of the long folded
resistance element.

At a guess, I would say that it is for a minimum of 50 Amps
(with a fairly sensitive meter) up to perhaps 200 Amps (with a
less sensitive meter movement). Of course, the material of the
resistance element could affect that, with silver being for
higher currents or more sensitive meter movements.

Now to see what others have guessed.

Enjoy,
DoN.


--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

[whit3rd]

1021: saw sharpening jig; the acute angle is about
right for logger's 'misery whip" saws used on green wood

1022: firemans's axe sounds right. Don't know why the
end of the handle has a wedge, though.

1023: given the date, I'm guessing a corset cinch.

1024: four-terminal resistor, used probably as a current meter shunt

[Carl Byrns]

"R.H." wrote in message
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob
1019- Some kind of really nice go/no go guage set?

-Carl
--
This just in: a disturbing new study find that studies are disturbing. More
on this story as it develops.

[R.H.]

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Alexander Thesoso" wrote:
1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This could be right, but a couple of things make me wonder: 1.) The
valve stems on all the fire hydrants I have ever seen have five sides, to
keep people from opening them with ordinary wrenches. 2.) Firemen's axes
always have a demolition spike on the head--not a hammer head. 3.) Since
a firemen's axe is used to break into burning buildings, it is much more
aggressive looking: longer handle, handle has non-slip shape at the free
end. This one appears to be wedge-shaped at the end, which is really
puzzling.

Could this be for the kind of fireman who stokes a steam engine firebox?
The square hole might then be for a steam valve.


This tool isn't a fireman's axe, note the blade is not sharp but is actually
blunt, I read somewhere that it was manufactured that way. I know who would
use this hatchet, but I'm still researching to find out exactly what the
wrench was for and why the blade is dull.

Correct answers so far:

1020. Sundial that fires the cannon at noon

1021. Saw file guide

1024. Precision laboratory resistor or shunt


I've had a lot of guesses on the brass cylinders, most popular a
-for holding small parts
-a wire or string goes through the slots and the end is screwed down, but
for what exact purpose...
-used as legs for surveyors equipment or something similar

A few comments on them:
There is not really any visible wear and the numbers on the ends are hard to
read without a magnifying glass.
Someone found them in a machinist's toolbox.
The ends that slide into the cylinders are all a good tight fit.


I have feeling that this one might be unsolved for a while.


Rob

[bob kater]

1019- relinkable fuses
1020-range or elevation finder??
1021- sharpener of some kind
1022-????
1023-????
1024- heating element of some kind??
"R.H." wrote in message
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


Rob

[Dave Baker]

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Alexander Thesoso" wrote:
1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This could be right, but a couple of things make me wonder: 1.) The
valve stems on all the fire hydrants I have ever seen have five sides, to
keep people from opening them with ordinary wrenches. 2.) Firemen's axes
always have a demolition spike on the head--not a hammer head. 3.) Since
a firemen's axe is used to break into burning buildings, it is much more
aggressive looking: longer handle, handle has non-slip shape at the free
end. This one appears to be wedge-shaped at the end, which is really
puzzling.

Could this be for the kind of fireman who stokes a steam engine firebox?
The square hole might then be for a steam valve.

Look at page 104 of this pdf file of modern firefighting equipment.
Combination tool with axe head and hydrant wrench socket available with
square or hexagonal sockets to suit local hydrant designs.

http://www.ziamatic.com/PDF/Catalog07/07Catalog.pdf

1022 is an early version of what is still a modern tool.
--
Dave Baker
Resistance is useless (The Daleks)
Resistance is futile (The Borg)
Resistance is volts divided by amps (Georg Ohm)

[Dave Baker]

"R.H." wrote in message
...

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Alexander Thesoso" wrote:
1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This could be right, but a couple of things make me wonder: 1.) The
valve stems on all the fire hydrants I have ever seen have five sides, to
keep people from opening them with ordinary wrenches. 2.) Firemen's
axes always have a demolition spike on the head--not a hammer head. 3.)
Since a firemen's axe is used to break into burning buildings, it is much
more aggressive looking: longer handle, handle has non-slip shape at the
free end. This one appears to be wedge-shaped at the end, which is
really puzzling.

Could this be for the kind of fireman who stokes a steam engine firebox?
The square hole might then be for a steam valve.


This tool isn't a fireman's axe, note the blade is not sharp but is
actually blunt, I read somewhere that it was manufactured that way. I
know who would use this hatchet, but I'm still researching to find out
exactly what the wrench was for and why the blade is dull.

Your post came through while I was typing this elsewhere.

"Look at page 104 of this pdf file of modern firefighting equipment.
Combination tool with axe head and hydrant wrench socket available with
square or hexagonal sockets to suit local hydrant designs.

http://www.ziamatic.com/PDF/Catalog07/07Catalog.pdf

1022 is an early version of what is still a modern tool."
--
Dave Baker
Resistance is useless (The Daleks)
Resistance is futile (The Borg)
Resistance is volts divided by amps (Georg Ohm)

[Scott Lurndal]

"R.H." writes:

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Alexander Thesoso" wrote:
1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This could be right, but a couple of things make me wonder: 1.) The
valve stems on all the fire hydrants I have ever seen have five sides, to
keep people from opening them with ordinary wrenches. 2.) Firemen's axes
always have a demolition spike on the head--not a hammer head. 3.) Since
a firemen's axe is used to break into burning buildings, it is much more
aggressive looking: longer handle, handle has non-slip shape at the free
end. This one appears to be wedge-shaped at the end, which is really
puzzling.

Could this be for the kind of fireman who stokes a steam engine firebox?
The square hole might then be for a steam valve.


This tool isn't a fireman's axe, note the blade is not sharp but is actually
blunt, I read somewhere that it was manufactured that way. I know who would
use this hatchet, but I'm still researching to find out exactly what the
wrench was for and why the blade is dull.

Correct answers so far:

1020. Sundial that fires the cannon at noon

1021. Saw file guide

1024. Precision laboratory resistor or shunt


I've had a lot of guesses on the brass cylinders, most popular a
-for holding small parts
-a wire or string goes through the slots and the end is screwed down, but
for what exact purpose...
-used as legs for surveyors equipment or something similar

A few comments on them:
There is not really any visible wear and the numbers on the ends are hard to
read without a magnifying glass.
Someone found them in a machinist's toolbox.
The ends that slide into the cylinders are all a good tight fit.


I have feeling that this one might be unsolved for a while.

I suppose they could be machinist try-pieces.

scott

[DoN. Nichols]

According to bob kater :
1019- relinkable fuses

I don't think so. If the cylinders were an insulating material,
I might accept your suggestion, but with a conductive (brass or bronze)
cylinder between two conductive ends -- that pretty much shorts out any
fuse function. :-)


As for the rest (already snipped) there have been good answers
to these which contradict your suggestions/guesses, except that 1021
*is* a sharpener (for saw blades).

1024- heating element of some kind??

As for 1024 -- it may heat somewhat in use, but that is not its intended
function. It, too, has already been officially answered.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

[beecrofter]

On Jun 28, 4:34 am, "R.H." wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

Rob

noon cannon, no drinks served before it goes boom!

[Patrick Hamlyn]

(DoN. Nichols) wrote:

1020) A noontime salute. The magnifying glass on the sundial will
focus the sun on a small pile of gunpowder, or a fuse in the
salute cannon, thus automatically firing the cannon (at least on
sunshiny days). Presumably, if the sun is not out, whatever it
is an activity signal for is not desirable. :-)

It could be the 'Come in out of the hot sun before you get burned' warning. Not
really required on rainy days!
--
Patrick Hamlyn posting from Perth, Western Australia
Windsurfing capital of the Southern Hemisphere
Moderator: polyforms group )

[JohnM]

Go no-go testing tools.

Original bench-rest shooting weapon.

Saw sharpening fixture.

See-through hatchet.

Patent belt buckle.

Shunt.

[E Z Peaces]

R.H. wrote:


I've had a lot of guesses on the brass cylinders, most popular a
-for holding small parts
-a wire or string goes through the slots and the end is screwed down,
but for what exact purpose...
-used as legs for surveyors equipment or something similar

A few comments on them:
There is not really any visible wear and the numbers on the ends are
hard to read without a magnifying glass.
Someone found them in a machinist's toolbox.
The ends that slide into the cylinders are all a good tight fit.


I have feeling that this one might be unsolved for a while.


Rob



How about grounding? One may need a good temporary ground to weld, make
electrical checks, be safe, or transfer fuel. I often use alligator
clips for welding and electrical troubleshooting. They aren't reliable.

If I worked on a type of equipment with threaded or unthreaded studs
with diameters suitable for those brass tubes, I'd want a set. I'd
remove the ends from the smallest tube that would fit over the stud. If
the fit wasn't snug, I'd include a strip of foil, then twist the tube
down over the stud. Then I'd choose the cap best suited to clamp the
gage of ground wire I was using.

[George Weinberg]

Brian Lawson wrote in
:


1020...Don't know why, but it fires the little cannon when the sun is
"just right"

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.


You need a reason? Maybe I'm just being "US-centric", but I can't imagine
NOT wanting to have a miniature cannon that the sun sets off at noon.

George

[Dave Baker]

"George Weinberg" wrote in message
. 33.102...
Brian Lawson wrote in
:


1020...Don't know why, but it fires the little cannon when the sun is
"just right"

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.


You need a reason? Maybe I'm just being "US-centric", but I can't imagine
NOT wanting to have a miniature cannon that the sun sets off at noon.

I'd certainly like one that fires real cannonballs directed squarely at the
little sod next door and set to go off every time he starts playing his
bloody drums. This is rarely at noon however and more often than not in the
early evening when there isn't much sun. How you'd arrange this to work with
a magnifying glass I'm not sure.
--
Dave Baker
Resistance is useless (The Daleks)
Resistance is futile (The Borg)
Resistance is volts divided by amps (Georg Ohm)

[R.H.]

Your post came through while I was typing this elsewhere.

"Look at page 104 of this pdf file of modern firefighting equipment.
Combination tool with axe head and hydrant wrench socket available with
square or hexagonal sockets to suit local hydrant designs.

http://www.ziamatic.com/PDF/Catalog07/07Catalog.pdf

1022 is an early version of what is still a modern tool."


The fire axe does look similar but the one on my site was marked "Bell
System", though I can't say exactly how it was used.


Rob

[R.H.]

I suppose they could be machinist try-pieces.


I'm not familiar with that term, are try-pieces the same as go/no go gauges?


Rob

[R.H.]

Haven't found anything on the brass cylinders yet, and I'm waiting to hear
back from some people on the hatchet, but the rest of the answers have been
posted:


http://pzphotosan176-tr.blogspot.com/



Rob

[Scott Lurndal]

"R.H." writes:

I suppose they could be machinist try-pieces.


I'm not familiar with that term, are try-pieces the same as go/no go gauges?


Something a machinist makes to show his skill. May have no practical purpose.

scott

[DoN. Nichols]

According to R.H. :
Haven't found anything on the brass cylinders yet, and I'm waiting to hear
back from some people on the hatchet, but the rest of the answers have been
posted:


http://pzphotosan176-tr.blogspot.com/

Hmm ... "Bell System" ... I think that my guess for this is
that the square hole allows it to serve as a wrench for controlling
really high-current switches to the battery banks which keep the
exchange running through power outages and such.

And the dull blade strikes me as usable for emergency severing
the high-current cables in case of a short circuit.

Hmm ... perhaps the square hole fits a water valve for
extinguishing a fire after the wires have been severed.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

[Jim Stewart]

DoN. Nichols wrote:
According to R.H. :
Haven't found anything on the brass cylinders yet, and I'm waiting to hear
back from some people on the hatchet, but the rest of the answers have been
posted:


http://pzphotosan176-tr.blogspot.com/

Hmm ... "Bell System" ... I think that my guess for this is
that the square hole allows it to serve as a wrench for controlling
really high-current switches to the battery banks which keep the
exchange running through power outages and such.

They look like they might be renewable
fuses or line protectors.


And the dull blade strikes me as usable for emergency severing
the high-current cables in case of a short circuit.

Hmm ... perhaps the square hole fits a water valve for
extinguishing a fire after the wires have been severed.

Enjoy,
DoN.

[DoN. Nichols]

According to Jim Stewart :
DoN. Nichols wrote:
According to R.H. :
Haven't found anything on the brass cylinders yet, and I'm waiting to hear
back from some people on the hatchet, but the rest of the answers have been
posted:


http://pzphotosan176-tr.blogspot.com/

Hmm ... "Bell System" ... I think that my guess for this is
that the square hole allows it to serve as a wrench for controlling
really high-current switches to the battery banks which keep the
exchange running through power outages and such.

They look like they might be renewable
fuses or line protectors.

I think that you're talking about the cylinders at the top of
the list, while I was just talking about the "hatchet".

And since the barrel of the devices is also brass or bronze,
just like the ends, I don't think that these could serve as
replaceable-link fuses, since there is already a short circuit (the
cylindrical portion) between the endcaps. Replaceable-link fuses have
an *insulating* body between the end-caps, so the replaced link becomes
the only path for current between the ends.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

[Scott Lurndal]

(DoN. Nichols) writes:
According to R.H. :
Haven't found anything on the brass cylinders yet, and I'm waiting to hear
back from some people on the hatchet, but the rest of the answers have been
posted:


http://pzphotosan176-tr.blogspot.com/

Hmm ... "Bell System" ... I think that my guess for this is
that the square hole allows it to serve as a wrench for controlling
really high-current switches to the battery banks which keep the
exchange running through power outages and such.


I was thinking more along the lines of a linesman tool. The blade
can be used to flatten a section of telegraph pole where a climbing
spike is to be inserted, and the square hold can be used to screw in
the climbing spike.

Dunno about the other end of the handle tho.


scott

[Patrick Hamlyn]

George Weinberg wrote:

Brian Lawson wrote in
:


1020...Don't know why, but it fires the little cannon when the sun is
"just right"

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.


You need a reason? Maybe I'm just being "US-centric", but I can't imagine
NOT wanting to have a miniature cannon that the sun sets off at noon.

George

Nope... that's not US-centric, pretty well everyone wants a miniature cannon. I
know I do.
--
Patrick Hamlyn posting from Perth, Western Australia
Windsurfing capital of the Southern Hemisphere
Moderator: polyforms group )

[DoN. Nichols]

According to Scott Lurndal :
(DoN. Nichols) writes:
According to R.H. :
Haven't found anything on the brass cylinders yet, and I'm waiting to hear
back from some people on the hatchet, but the rest of the answers have been
posted:


http://pzphotosan176-tr.blogspot.com/

Hmm ... "Bell System" ... I think that my guess for this is
that the square hole allows it to serve as a wrench for controlling
really high-current switches to the battery banks which keep the
exchange running through power outages and such.


I was thinking more along the lines of a linesman tool. The blade
can be used to flatten a section of telegraph pole where a climbing
spike is to be inserted, and the square hold can be used to screw in
the climbing spike.

That makes sense -- but I would think that sharper would help
when doing the flattening.

Dunno about the other end of the handle tho.

That might simply have been modified after it got out of Ma
Bell's hands.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

[Matthew T. Russotto]

In article , Dave Baker wrote:

"George Weinberg" wrote in message
.33.102...

You need a reason? Maybe I'm just being "US-centric", but I can't imagine
NOT wanting to have a miniature cannon that the sun sets off at noon.

I'd certainly like one that fires real cannonballs directed squarely at the
little sod next door and set to go off every time he starts playing his
bloody drums. This is rarely at noon however and more often than not in the
early evening when there isn't much sun. How you'd arrange this to work with
a magnifying glass I'm not sure.

Connect the magnifying glass up to a tympanum. Set up a ring of
photodetectors connected to an electric ignitor, and set up the glass
so its focus is in the center of the ring. Drums make noise, glass
shakes, moves focus to photodetectors, ignitor fires, canon goes off
:-)
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

[Matthew T. Russotto]

In article ,
DoN. Nichols wrote:

Hmm ... "Bell System" ... I think that my guess for this is
that the square hole allows it to serve as a wrench for controlling
really high-current switches to the battery banks which keep the
exchange running through power outages and such.

And the dull blade strikes me as usable for emergency severing
the high-current cables in case of a short circuit.

Hmm ... perhaps the square hole fits a water valve for
extinguishing a fire after the wires have been severed.

I'd think a multi-purpose tool like that would be a field or lineman's
tool rather than a central-office tool.

This site indicates it's a lineman's hatchet:
http://www.mjdtools.com/tools/list_978/113856.htm

But they don't know what the hatchet blade is for either.

One person on this forum claims the blade was used for blazing the poles
(to mark them for replacement)

http://www.line-man.com/forums/index...=#entry7823 9
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

[Dave Baker]

"R.H." wrote in message
...

Your post came through while I was typing this elsewhere.

"Look at page 104 of this pdf file of modern firefighting equipment.
Combination tool with axe head and hydrant wrench socket available with
square or hexagonal sockets to suit local hydrant designs.

http://www.ziamatic.com/PDF/Catalog07/07Catalog.pdf

1022 is an early version of what is still a modern tool."


The fire axe does look similar but the one on my site was marked "Bell
System", though I can't say exactly how it was used.

This is on Ebay at the moment. May be related to yours.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Bell-Sys...QQcmdZViewItem

[E Z Peaces]

Matthew T. Russotto wrote:

I'd think a multi-purpose tool like that would be a field or lineman's
tool rather than a central-office tool.

This site indicates it's a lineman's hatchet:
http://www.mjdtools.com/tools/list_978/113856.htm

But they don't know what the hatchet blade is for either.

One person on this forum claims the blade was used for blazing the poles
(to mark them for replacement)

http://www.line-man.com/forums/index...=#entry7823 9

If they didn't have paint I think they would have used a big-headed nail
rather than further weaken the pole.

The owner said the blunt edge was 3/8" wide. That sounds like a giant
screwdriver, not a hatchet. I think it was for prying things loose.
You would use a hammer to drive it in like a wedge, then use the handle
to twist.

[E Z Peaces]

DoN. Nichols wrote:


And since the barrel of the devices is also brass or bronze,
just like the ends, I don't think that these could serve as
replaceable-link fuses, since there is already a short circuit (the
cylindrical portion) between the endcaps. Replaceable-link fuses have
an *insulating* body between the end-caps, so the replaced link becomes
the only path for current between the ends.

Enjoy,
DoN.

I wonder how many thousandths of an inch are the bores of the three
tubes. I wonder what gages of stranded copper wire could be clamped in
the four sizes of notches.

They look appealing for welding. An arc welder usually has a big
grounding cable and a clamp. Three problems may be movement of the
clamp, a small contact area, deterioration of the clamp, and
deterioration where the wire is attached to the clamp. If I clamp onto
steel I may not even be able to strike an arc. Once I get an arc, the
current can cause a hot spot where the clamp contacts the steel, and
this can cause resistance to fluctuate. Trying to weld can be frustrating

I wonder if the tubes are sized to slide snugly over the threads of
three common sizes of machine screws. In that case, I'd keep some brass
screws about 1-1/2" long in these three sizes, along with brass washers
and nuts. I'd find a hole in the steel, clean away paint and corrosion
around the hole, apply electrically conductive grease, and attach a
brass screw, nut, and washers. I'd apply the grease to the threads and
tube and slide the tube on. Then I'd put the cap in place and clamp in
a wire.

At 100 amps and a 50% duty cycle, 8-gage wire would have to dissipate 2
watts per foot, so many welding jobs wouldn't need a fat ground cable.
I'd have a solid connection with low resistance from the steel to the
washers to the screw to the tube to the cap to the wire. Maintenance
would be easy because the brass screws and washers could be replaced and
the wire could be renewed by snipping off the end.

I wish I knew where to buy some of those brass things for my toolbox.