Can anyone identify this tool??

[2manyparts]

It seems to be some sort of jig for polishing or truing up some part or something...it's about 1 1/2" long X1 1/4 " wide and 3/16 " thick

 

[Bila]

Aren't these a jig for the purpose of filing the heads and slots of screws

 

[gmorse]

Hi 2manyparts, and welcome to the forum,

It seems to be some sort of jig for polishing or truing up some part or something...it's about 1 1/2" long X1 1/4 " wide and 3/16 " thick

It's known as a bolt tool, and is used for flat polishing small items, particularly screws, which are held in one of the slots in the clamp at the bottom of your pictures. The first picture is of the top of the tool with the adjusting screws, and the second is the underside, showing the two levelling screws, and is the side where the screw heads are mounted. In use, the two levelling screws are adjusted so that the screw or other part is level with the flat surface of the oilstone or polishing plate. There are other, more complicated versions of this tool, but they all work the same way to achieve the desirable truly flat polish on the object.

Regards,

Graham

 

[Skutt50]

It resembles a tool I have for grinding pallet jewels. The jewel is pinched in the jaws and the screws are used for setting the angle.....

 

[roughbarked]

Flat faced polishing. Maybe a little off topic but one may wonder how they did it by hand.
You see I have this tool in my possession which is one of 21 known specimens the other 20 being much younger and made from ground and polished hornsfels. The 20 were studied by a Dr Richard Cosgrove and dated to around 5,000 years.
Mine being shaped by pecking from vesicular basalt and could be much older but as with the others, the working face was ground and polished so well that I couldn't slip a cigarette paper in anywhere along its length when sat on a straight edge. Although the ends were rounded from use.
The tools? They are known as Ooyurka and as yet nobody really knows what they were used for though remnants of plant materials were found under electon microscopy by Dr Cosgrove.
Dr Cosgrove determined that they were used in tropical rainforest but mine was located a couple of thousand kilometres apart from the others and in an area where tropical rainforest hadn't existed for at least 50,000 years. Perhaps I should try to get the collection dated but they were dug up in the 1950's and some of them have been in Denmark since then. I have them all back now apart from the ones that went to the museum local to where they were found.

The oldest known ground edge axes are from Australia and dated at 48,000 years.

The ooyurka.




Hmm some linked photos don't show?

 

[howtorepairpendulumclocks]

gmorse has it spot-on, its a bolt tool. Daniels say used on a zinc plate.

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Hmm some linked photos don't show?

I re-added your photo. Let's see if it works.

 

[2manyparts]

Hi 2manyparts, and welcome to the forum,



It's known as a bolt tool, and is used for flat polishing small items, particularly screws, which are held in one of the slots in the clamp at the bottom of your pictures. The first picture is of the top of the tool with the adjusting screws, and the second is the underside, showing the two levelling screws, and is the side where the screw heads are mounted. In use, the two levelling screws are adjusted so that the screw or other part is level with the flat surface of the oilstone or polishing plate. There are other, more complicated versions of this tool, but they all work the same way to achieve the desirable truly flat polish on the object.

Regards,

Graham

Thanks so much, I guess I was overthinking it. New to this obsession and so far just happy to get everything back together....polishing will come later, maybe!

 

[DeweyC]

Every once in a while someone decides they will make a run of these with an improvement. A third foot making it a tripod. They will insist this is the correct design betraying their lack of understanding of its use.

 

[sharukh]

gmorse has it spot-on, its a bolt tool. Daniels say used on a zinc plate.

I haven't read Daniels, but wouldn't that be tin and not zinc ?

Sharukh

 

[gmorse]

Hi sharukh,

I haven't read Daniels, but wouldn't that be tin and not zinc ?

No, it's definitely a zinc plate. You should read it sometime!

Regards,

Graham

 

[Jerry Kieffer]

It seems to be some sort of jig for polishing or truing up some part or something...it's about 1 1/2" long X1 1/4 " wide and 3/16 " thick

View attachment 634336 View attachment 634337

Giving the appearance of being shop made, its anyones guess as to what it was made for.

However, giving its general configuration, it was almost certainly for polishing screw heads as suggested by Graham. Personally, I find the variations quite interesting for my tool collection, but are time consuming and skill oriented in use.

Again personally, I prefer to to take a page from the manufacturing methods of the last 150 years or so. In doing so, I use the lathe as follows.

(1) First, a diamond lap is permanently mounted to a solid collet blank per first photo. The solid collet blank was bored for mounting the lap to assure that it runs true.

(2) the screw/screw head is mounted in a collet in the tool post per second photo and the head is lapped square to rotation with the diamond lap.

(3) The inner part of the Lap is fitted with whatever polishing plate material is desired and either dressed or faced off parallel to the diamond lap utilized to polish the head.
In this case, the lap arbor is made of some unknown soft aluminum like material. For whatever reason, it has performed superbly when impregnated with very fine diamond polishing compound.

For anyone who may try this, a couple of operational notes.

(1) I use a very slow rpm determined by actual performance and tools/compounds used.

(2) The lathe is equipped with a reverse switch that will reverse the spindle instantly during operation without stopping the lathe. Each screw requires about 5 minutes and the spindle is reversed about every 30 seconds providing a faster and superior finish.

(3) The finish applied while in operation, can be maintained when contact is instantly broken with the polishing plate. To assure this happens, the Lathe carriage is spring loaded per third photo. In doing this, all backlash is removed from hand wheel operation.

Flat wheels and other parts can also be polished in this same manner by mounting in machined pot collets and mounting in the tool post collet holder

Jerry Kieffer

.

 

[gmorse]

Hi Jerry,

...it was almost certainly for polishing screw heads as suggested by Graham...

I venture to suggest that 'almost certainly' should be abbreviated to 'certainly'. I have made and used these for flat polishing, as have generations of watchmakers for as long as watches have been made by hand methods. That other methods have been developed which utilise machinery is equally certain, but this tool's purpose is clear.

Regards,

Graham

 

[howtorepairpendulumclocks]

Graham is right. This is primarily a new making tool used in watch work hence the name "bolt".

 

[Jerry Kieffer]

Hi Jerry,



I venture to suggest that 'almost certainly' should be abbreviated to 'certainly'. I have made and used these for flat polishing, as have generations of watchmakers for as long as watches have been made by hand methods. That other methods have been developed which utilise machinery is equally certain, but this tool's purpose is clear.

Regards,

Graham

Graham

You are "Certainly" correct.

My thought process for the comment was based more on the condition of the tool and how it could have gotten that way as a tool collector. Another words the short third post with no particular purpose and angles on the adjustment feet unless distorted by the photos etc.
As a tool collector, I have purchased tools from individuals who were using a particular tool for a specific purpose and had no idea what the tool was actually designed for.
There is no doubt the maker copied a tool for polishing screws heads , but it would be fun to know if it was actually used that way and or modified for something else.

Jerry Kieffer

 

[DeweyC]

Giving the appearance of being shop made, its anyones guess as to what it was made for.

Jerry,

I can categorically say it is not "anyone's guess". First, it is not shop made.

Watchmakers know exactly what it is. It was a very common pattern made early in the 20th century. What it is for is flat polishing. Either screw heads or springs.

For those who do not know (and I was surprised no one asked why a tripod does not work) The work is fixed to the underside of the tool (screws fixed in the clamp head down, springs shellacked or superglued). The two screws are adjusted until the polish strokes are witnessed to be across the full face of the work. Best practice is to keep the adjusting screws off the polishing/grinding surface.

When set up correctly, a flat surface can be repolished very quickly.

As the Swiss say, why invent a new tool when the back of a tweezer will do.

 

[2manyparts]

Jerry,

I can categorically say it is not "anyone's guess". First, it is not shop made.

Watchmakers know exactly what it is. It was a very common pattern made early in the 20th century. What it is for is flat polishing. Either screw heads or springs.

For those who do not know (and I was surprised no one asked why a tripod does not work) The work is fixed to the underside of the tool (screws fixed in the clamp head down, springs shellacked or superglued). The two screws are adjusted until the polish strokes are witnessed to be across the full face of the work. Best practice is to keep the adjusting screws off the polishing/grinding surface.

When set up correctly, a flat surface can be repolished very quickly.

As the Swiss say, why invent a new tool when the back of a tweezer will do.

Respectfully just guessing here, but think that possibly the third steel "leg" which does not appear to be adjustable is there simply to slow down/prevent the brass body of the jig from being ground away while polishing the screws/bolts...or it was possibly adjusted just a hair proud of the jig surface and then slipping the bolt to be polished down to that same point ...essentially the polishing surface, and then securing it.....Now that I said that I tried un threading it and low and behold it too is slightly adjustable albeit without a locking bolt....there is about one thread left above the body......perhaps it started out significantly longer but was slowly worn away over the years as most of the pressure I assume would have been applied on that side if the jig and it would be slowly simutaneously polished away with the bolt heads. Your best practice tip is no doubt true but I would think you could have all 3 legs on a true and flat polishing surface (avoiding the added variable of trying to keep 2 separate plates/planes parallel) although I guess keeping the leveling legs off the surface explains why they are longer..... anyway the benefit of 3 would be that they are always stable as opposed to 4 which would be continually frustrating to keep in unison so to speak and 2 which would not provide any stability at all....it's what makes tripods so great....occasional redressing of the polishing stone would keep the surface true. Someday I will give it a go on a flat hard Arkansas stone and depending on the results maybe post a pic ! Thanks

 

[DeweyC]

Respectfully just guessing here, but think that possibly the third steel "leg" which does not appear to be adjustable is there simply to slow down/prevent the brass body of the jig from being ground away while polishing the screws/bolts...or it was possibly adjusted just a hair proud of the jig surface and then slipping the bolt to be polished down to that same point ...essentially the polishing surface, and then securing it.....Now that I said that I tried un threading it and low and behold it too is slightly adjustable albeit without a locking bolt....there is about one thread left above the body......perhaps it started out significantly longer but was slowly worn away over the years as most of the pressure I assume would have been applied on that side if the jig and it would be slowly simutaneously polished away with the bolt heads. Your best practice tip is no doubt true but I would think you could have all 3 legs on a true and flat polishing surface (avoiding the added variable of trying to keep 2 separate plates/planes parallel) although I guess keeping the leveling legs off the surface explains why they are longer..... anyway the benefit of 3 would be that they are always stable as opposed to 4 which would be continually frustrating to keep in unison so to speak and 2 which would not provide any stability at all....it's what makes tripods so great....occasional redressing of the polishing stone would keep the surface true. Someday I will give it a go on a flat hard Arkansas stone and depending on the results maybe post a pic ! Thanks

AHHH!. You are looking at it upside down. The center post is for your finger to hold the tool/work flat against the abrasive. The adjustment screws have been worn down by improper use. The screws should be off the abrasive and only the work on the abrasive. You can replace the screws. Many of us remove the center post since it can be uncomfortable.

The third leg of the tripod will be your work.

Those adjustment screws should be about 1/4 inch (6mm) long (beneath the table).

FWIW, these are called bolt tools. No idea why.

Everything becomes simple once the answer is known. Things only get complicated when we refuse to show our ignorance. I am glad you kept at this.

 

[roughbarked]

Probably because the screws are classed as bolts?

 

[D.th.munroe]

They are also called "frogs" Boley still sells them with that in the description.

 

[Jerry Kieffer]

Jerry,

I can categorically say it is not "anyone's guess". First, it is not shop made.

Watchmakers know exactly what it is. It was a very common pattern made early in the 20th century. What it is for is flat polishing. Either screw heads or springs.

For those who do not know (and I was surprised no one asked why a tripod does not work) The work is fixed to the underside of the tool (screws fixed in the clamp head down, springs shellacked or superglued). The two screws are adjusted until the polish strokes are witnessed to be across the full face of the work. Best practice is to keep the adjusting screws off the polishing/grinding surface.

When set up correctly, a flat surface can be repolished very quickly.

As the Swiss say, why invent a new tool when the back of a tweezer will do.

Dewey
First, see post #15

While there can always be exceptions, generally, differences in shop built tools and commercial tools are easily observed when displayed side by side.

In this case as I recall, I have a couple of each as part of my accumulated tool collection. The better quality commercial one is probably a little over the top. All flat surfaces are jeweled, adjusting screws have a very fine uncommon thread and the tips are jeweled. Work pieces are held using WW collets.
It has a fitted wood box that also contains a small surface plate for use and appears to be from the early 1900`s or so I am told.

Jerry Kieffer

 

[DeweyC]

They are also called "frogs" Boley still sells them with that in the description.

Now that is a new one to me. It is interesting how things come to be named across cultures.

 

[roughbarked]

I think you'll find that frog was used a long time before in blacksmithing?

 

[D.th.munroe]

I remember something about a frog to do with blacksmithing, not the actual frog called "blacksmiths frog".

DeCarle said they were called bolt tools because they were originally made to polish the bolt of "swing movements" huh?

He also calls the pull-out-piece a bolt.

 

[gmorse]

Hi Dan,

DeCarle said they were called bolt tools because they were originally made to polish the bolt of "swing movements" huh?

This is the case bolt:



Regards,

Graham

 

[D.th.munroe]

I had figured thats what he meant, I had never heard the "swing movement" term before

 

[DeweyC]

I remember something about a frog to do with blacksmithing, not the actual frog called "blacksmiths frog".

DeCarle said they were called bolt tools because they were originally made to polish the bolt of "swing movements" huh?

He also calls the pull-out-piece a bolt.

Hi Dan,



This is the case bolt:

View attachment 634887

Regards,

Graham

Thank you both! I never took the time to research the derivation, I just used the thing (shame on me).

Ya larned me some stuff! Thank you.

 

[howtorepairpendulumclocks]

Just to say I've really enjoyed this thread! Yup. I sometimes wonder about de Carle. Swing out movement Isn't that just a watch movement as shewn by Graham... with the bolt. Swing tool on the other hand, since we were talking about black polishing...

As a distraction from me actually doing some actual work, here's a picture of my bolt tool. Home-made (not by me). It has locking screws which seem frowned upon by Daniels (he probably thought they wasted time...) )

 

[gmorse]

Hi howtorepairpendulumclocks,

It has locking screws which seem frowned upon by Daniels (he probably thought they wasted time...)

How do you finish a short screw with a shallow head with the locknuts on that side of the plate?

Regards,

Graham

 

[howtorepairpendulumclocks]

You don't! You have to put the locknuts on the other side. The design first shown in the thread is better with locking screws threaded into the side of the body of the tool.

 

[gmorse]

Hi howtorepairpendulumclocks,

You don't! You have to put the locknuts on the other side.

That's what I thought, and I agree that the screws in the edge are a neater idea.

Regards,

Graham