Another Mystery Tool

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

This device was sold to me as a 'Stop-Tap Key' … but I'm sure it is not.

Apologies for the quick & dirty photo, but hopefully it gives the essential information.

I think it is some sort of tensioning device; maybe for fencing-wire or strapping, but would appreciate [some] other suggestions:

… crossbow loader ?

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

Looks like the middle out of an old shoe stretcher. The short cross-bar locks into the wooden wedges and the heart shaped metal bit pushes the wooden wedges apart as the handle is turned.

John

edit: add photo

Edited By Journeyman on 22/03/2017 18:28:52

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Brilliant … Thank You

MichaelG.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Plus 1 for Journeyman. I've just put a modern version into one of my new shoes. Do we all have one foot longer than t'other?

[larry PhelanParticipant @larryphelan54019]

I think you are all wrong. There is no doubt in my mind that that item is what is known as a "Wasim"

You may ask "What is a wasim?" Well a Wasim is something that no one knows what its for,but it looks too good to throw out. My place is full of them !

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Can be the result of a stroke. Since mine, I have a size 8 right foot, and a size 9 right. One of these bits of kit might be the answer to my problem!

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by larry Phelan on 22/03/2017 19:37:43:

… that item is what is known as a "Wasim" …

.

I'll buy that, Larry

… in fact, I did.

MichaelG.

.

Interestingly; it has a square thread; much coarser pitch than any of the shoe-stretchers I have seen. … It may be very old and/or super quality, or just odd. … but yes, it's certainly a "Wasim".

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

The other object is also an interesting one.

When I was in school the label 'Shatter Resistant' was always seen as a challenge

Neil

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Don't mean to hijack Michaels thread.

But I was at my mates last week and saw this. – I meant to ask him what it was but forgot.

Nick

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

At a guess , Nick … it's a Barson Hammer Drift

MichaelG.

.

Seriously … I think it's a drift for extracting Morse Taper tooling: with a built-in slide-hammer.

Nice 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 22/03/2017 20:31:31

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Nick, it's a tray of bits and bobs But I think you are referring to the brass thing, which at a guess looks like a brass mallet with the handle missing, perhaps that's what the lump of wood is for, but I'm probably wrong.

Regards Nick.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Nick[s],

Just found an earlier thread **LINK**

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=108630

Looks like it's spring-loaded, something like an automatic centre punch.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 22/03/2017 20:44:47

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

It's definitely a hammer drift, for releasing Morse taper drills from radial arm drills usually, remember using one of these when I was apprentice.. & later, The brass hammer bit was exactly that, a brass hammer for seating items in the drill vice much as we do with mill vices today, being brass it wouldn't mark the work piece, but also commonly when the sliding hammer action wasn't enough to release the taper you would use a separate drift & give it a 'good welly', especially when the drill was a big one, 1.1/2" +

​George.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

It is a Barson hammer drift I used them on a radial drill a few years ago, they came in three sizes and you used the brass hammer to knock in the drill to the morse Taper and the weight of the brass slides down to release the drill etc from the spindle.

David

Edited By David George 1 on 22/03/2017 22:50:13

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

George & David

So … was I correct in my first assumption, that it's just a slide-hammer action ?

The older thread that I linked to mentions a spring

Grateful if you could clarify

MichaelG.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

So … was I correct in my first assumption, that it's just a slide-hammer action ?

The older thread that I linked to mentions a spring…

​Correct… the spring, iirc, was to assist the hammer to return to it's original starting position& to prevent the drift from sticking into the brass hammer… + possibly to ensure the drift did not 'bounce' & was kept in contact with the tang of the drill being ejected. 

​George.

Edited By mechman48 on 23/03/2017 12:55:17

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, George

MichaelG.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I've got one of those Barson drifts. Don't use it very often as a drift, as I don't use MT very often and even then mostly in the tailstock which self-extracts. I use it more as a brass hammer.

The spring always struck me as being rather too stiff. And I always cringe at the thought of the blood blister that would result if you caught your finger between the moving parts….

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Posted by Robbo on 22/03/2017 19:03:56:

Plus 1 for Journeyman. I've just put a modern version into one of my new shoes. Do we all have one foot longer than t'other?

No, I've got one foot shorter than the other

Mike

[the artfull-codgerParticipant @theartfull-codger]

I picked one of those Barston drifts up for a couple of quid 20 odd yrs ago as the end was snapped so I just welded my M T drift that I used to use on it & i've used it on my meddings drill ever since, the best bit is you can hold the chuck with 1 hand & drift it out with the other,previously you hammered the drift with a hammer & ended up with it falling down or dropping the chuck.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

There is not a reason why your feet should be the same size. My left foot is longer than the right but my right hand span is greater than the left! Bit like topsy, that's the way they grew.

[John GardenerParticipant @johngardener91897]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 22/03/2017 18:04:29:

This device was sold to me as a 'Stop-Tap Key' … but I'm sure it is not.

Apologies for the quick & dirty photo, but hopefully it gives the essential information.

I think it is some sort of tensioning device; maybe for fencing-wire or strapping, but would appreciate [some] other suggestions:

… crossbow loader ?

MichaelG.

When I was a plumber, years ago, someone gave me exactly the same piece of kit. It was in my shed for years and I think I left it behind in a house move. I never knew what it was, test piece was my only conclusion. I can die happy now. Thanks

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 22/03/2017 20:18:41:

The other object is also an interesting one.

When I was in school the label 'Shatter Resistant' was always seen as a challenge

Neil

They used to say "SHATTERPROOF" now that really was a challenge

– Nick

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

There are lots of words ending in "proof" which really are a load of rubbish. My favourite is "bulletproof." In practice, you can break anything if you hit it hard enough. That should be written into the basic laws of physics. Maybe it is somewhere, and it is me who is not well enough educated.

[Author]

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