What's that tool for?

[scholar]

Well, I have commenced sorting out my late dad's tools; many of these were his father's or his grandfather's. I am not looking at these things as having monetary value, but they do have sentimental value to me and so i propose to clean up and use any that still have life left in them. I am in the early stages, just going through a few drawers so far and i have five tool-chests to deal with in due course.

A few of the tools are inherently interesting, either having the name of some tool manufacturer I had not heard of, prompting numerous google searches, or having some features whose purpose is not obvious to me. I will post a few details and see if anyone has any ideas. There could be others to follow - we'll see what the tool-boxes hold.

Item 1
Amongst about 20 pairs of pliers is this pair, on the face of it a straightforward tool; however it has a dovetailed cut out on one side of the jaws, and flat cut away section inside the jaws. Any ideas what the specialist purpose would be for these?



Item 2
These "pliers" have a boss for hammering I guess? But what are they for?



Item 3
This double-ended tool seems to be cast from bronze or brass; it has a strong resemblance to the second tool shown below, that is forged steel and I guess it is a filling/pointing spatula? But what would the first one be for?





Item 4
This looked simple - a pair of pincers, but I am wondering what the two serrated grips inside the jaws are for? (I thought for gripping a pipe or something, but that only really works for a particular diameter of pipe.)



Item 5
I know what these wire cutters do, but am posting for general interest - they are WWII issue and work very nicely. They are marked 30KV, but I won't be testing that! A quick google of the details shown gives lots of info on them from WWII militaria enthusiasts.



That's enough for now - would be interested in any insight people have.

Cheers

 

[undergroundhunter]

Item 3 is a sand casting tool, I have a bag full that my granddad used when he worked in the steel works. I don't have a clue on the others.

Matt

 

[Austinisgreat]

Item 4 - tile nippers?

Andrew

 

[novocaine]

item 2 are fencing pliers I think. as you say, hammer in the nail, loop the wire and snip off. they normally have a blade, which makes me think they may go with item 5 which would have been used for cutting off loops (yes they claim 30kv, they weren't used for that very often)

 

[Chrispy]

Item 2 look like webbing stretchers the lump is for levering against.

 

[novocaine]

the other suggestion for item 2 could be shoe makers pliers.

 

[scholar]

Many thanks everybody

Item 1: unsolved

Item 2:

the other suggestion for item 2 could be shoe makers pliers.

This is it - lasting pliers or lasting pincers - I found an explanation of how they are used http://www.raisedheels.com/blog/?p=613

Item 3:

Item 3 is a sand casting tool...Matt

This is it - in fact the other forged one I showed is the same - they are called slicks and used for repairing or smoothing a sand casting mould before casting



Item 4:

Item 4 - tile nippers? Andrew

I tried that and could not find an example with the strange grips inside the jaws - the tile nippers seemed to have a more squat jaw pattern also.

As always, the combined knowledge of the forum is impressive and much appreciated - I will revert with more queries (don't worry, there will be plenty of woodworking tools!)

Cheers

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Could #1 be some sort of crimping tool ? Perhaps the slots retain a contact whilst it is (crudely) crimped ? Guessing wildly here.

 

[NazNomad]

Number 4. Schlüsselzange (Wrench Gripper) - from a 1950's poster.

http://www.knipex.com/uploads/pics/1950er_plakat_03.jpg

The images show it to be more of a 'multitool' type thing.


... and they're Knipex, so they will last longer than forever.

 

[bugbear]

Number 4. Schlüsselzange (Wrench Gripper) - from a 1950's poster.

http://www.knipex.com/uploads/pics/1950er_plakat_03.jpg

The images show it to be more of a 'multitool' type thing.


... and they're Knipex, so they will last longer than forever.

The word, "Schlüsselzange", seems to be specific to Knipex, and some models are still made.

GIS shows them (in the current era) to be mainly of this type:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue-and-groove_pliers

BugBear

 

[NazNomad]

#2 does appear to be for shoes http://www.rushdenheritage.co.uk/shoetr ... sting.html

 

[NazNomad]

Some more ...

 

[NazNomad]

#1 Might the dovetail slot been used to accommodate a set of secondary jaws? #long-shot

 

[novocaine]

I'm thinking that item 1 is possibly a set of linesman pliers with replaceable cutters.

 

[scholar]

Item 4

Number 4. Schlüsselzange (Wrench Gripper) - from a 1950's poster.

http://www.knipex.com/uploads/pics/1950er_plakat_03.jpg

The images show it to be more of a 'multitool' type thing.


... and they're Knipex, so they will last longer than forever.

That's it - thank you. Yes they are very nicely made - when you look more closely, one arm end is a screwdriver, the other a pry bar; there are the grip jaws and a hammer head on one side. The original multitool!

Item 1

Could #1 be some sort of crimping tool ? Perhaps the slots retain a contact whilst it is (crudely) crimped ? Guessing wildly here.

#1 Might the dovetail slot been used to accommodate a set of secondary jaws? #long-shot

Thanks I will continue looking; it's now becoming a mission..

Thank you again everyone.

cheers

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I'm thinking that item 1 is possibly a set of linesman pliers with replaceable cutters.

That was my other thought. I wondered if they might also crimp on those lead (?) connectors used on telephone wires - the ones like a little cap, you poke the wires in the hole in one end, then crimp (crush more like) it over them.

 

[Billy Flitch]

Scholar there is something going on with Item no 4 in the fist pic there is clearly to see the letters CK in a circle. This is the trade mark for Carl Kammerling who are still in business to day they make mostly electricians tools among other tools there Carpenters tools IMHO can best be described as only mediocre.In the second pic you show the leg of a set of pliers with the name Knipex on them a firm that is also still in production and IMHO a producer of tools of a higher quality, they are two separate firms and just for my money Naz has it right to what they are. HTH.

 

[Dee J]

Item 2, the pliers with the hammerhead, look very much like shoemakers lasting pliers. The jaws are used to pull the leather around the bottom of the wooden last, the the hammerhead is used to start the tack that holds that piece of leather.

 

[blackrodd]

Item 3, for sand moulding, we used similar tools, spoons, shaped for repairing plaster moulded ceilings in listed buildings.
As far as I'm aware you can still get various "batten" sizes, 1"x1" 2"x1"etc in plaster board like paper finish to build up the solid areas before the mould profile.
Rodders

 

[Billy Flitch]

Rodders I think the tool your thinking of is called a Plasters finger, it was the first thing I thought of also, but it looks a little different in its shape. Who knows?