OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

266015 Erik Levin 2018‑06‑16 I have seen this before, but I can't identify it
I know (or think I do) that I have seen this before, but I can find nothing
after a number of hours searching on line.


I picked the tool up at a yard sale (no, I can not drive by one without
stopping). At first glance, in a box of junk, I thought it was a saw wrest, as
all I saw peeking out was a handle and slots on the end. When I picked it up,
the deja vu hit. It, in some ways, reminds me of a clamp used when drawing
skins, but for the slots and holes. They are reminiscent of horology  tools, or
maybe jewelers tools. But I just can't find it.


End to end is about 130mm. Width of the jaws is 42mm. Thickness of each jaw is
3mm. The holes are 1.49mm, 1.62mm, 1.83mm, 2.13mm, 2.34mm, 2.56mm, 2.81mm,
3.04mm,  and 3.21mm. They are not measurably tapered, and line up moderately
well between the jaws, but the axes are not quite parallel.

The slots are 0.65mm, 0.85mm, 0.85mm (two of these),  1.05mm, and 1.45mm. The
slots are about 1.7mm deep.


The notch in the inside of the handle is in the form of a tapered dovetail,
though it may not have been originally, and is 3.9mm wide at the narrow end at
the surface, 4.5 at the wide end, 1.5mm deep, and I can't get a reasonable
measure of the widths at the bottom.


When closed, the jaw faces fit neatly with no perceptible gap. When I grab a
0.2mm thick feeler in them, there is clear contact near the pivot and I can fit
another 0.15mm feeler in at the wide end. It would appear that the faces are
quite parallel when the jaws are closed.


The ring over the handles clamps the tool well when drawn out. 


The touchmark is a bird (dove?) about 2.75mm tall and 3.5mm wide. It was made in
france.

Images: 

https://s25.postimg.cc/p5uw6tyof/mystery_tool_showing_jaws.png
https://s25.postimg.cc/ydn4niy0v/mystery_tool_touchmark_side_closed.png
https://s25.postimg.cc/o4z8vqhfz/mystery_tool_touchmark_side_open.png
https://s25.postimg.cc/duwtwhjun/mystery_tool_oblique.png
https://s25.postimg.cc/vjjza28pb/touchmark_logo_1_2.75mm_X3.5mm.png
https://s25.postimg.cc/ydn4niilb/touchmark_logo_2_2.75mm_X3.5mm.png
https://s25.postimg.cc/yqeitp8kv/touchmark_france_impression_9mm_X1.75mm.png

Watch or clock tool? Clamp for drawing skins? Something else completely? 


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Recent Bios FAQ