Some antique Precision Machinist Tools - What are they?

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I found some old tools in a machinist chest I bought many years ago in an estate sale. I really never looked at them closely until now. Most of the chest is precision measuring tools and gauges I recognize. Starrett is the main brand. There are taps, dies, and the associated drills for size 0 through 3/4" in both coarse and fine, plus some metric taps/dies. There are a dozen or so really nice tap/die handles the likes of which you don't see anymore. Most of the tools and micrometers are pre-WW2 and some are much older.
In the drawers are some measuring tools that I have an idea what they do, but really only a guess. Maybe some of the machinist fellows will recognizes them.


First, We have a Starrett set of indicator points and the micrometer type holder. It appears that one end fits into some measuring device, and the other end has a chuck to hold the extension tips.. Some of the tips shown are not for this micrometer. The ones that fit the chuck all have a collar and a square end, perhaps for turning it. The ones with no collar seem to fit the next device.


Next, is a Starrett tool I think is for checking runout on a lathe. It appears to fit the cutter holder and the end is gimballed so it can be locked and an indicator pointer swung back and forth. The gimbals can be locked down with thumb screws, as can the angle of the tool. When the gimbal is locked, the tip will swing back and forth on one plane only. I put one of the points from the above set in the chuck on the gimbal.




Last, we have a tool I can't figure out what it does exactly. It clearly measures height/travel/runout in some way. It is a Koch Test Indicator Patent 1906. I can't find much on it except that it seems to be rare. You can see a clear photo of it in the picture of the lathe measuring tool above. One side has a thumb screw to lock it onto san arm, i presume. The other side has a slide cover and an indicator scale. I slid the cover off so you could see the inside mechanism. The post and tab on the end opposite the measuring tip seem to lock into the device it mounts on. The spring loaded plunger rod moves the indicator needle along the scale on the cover slide.





This photo isn't as old as those tools, but it is an old friend of mine. It is a casting torch that runs off acetylene It has a rosebud type tip and creates a crazy large and hot flame. It has many uses in the hot shop as well as melting metals for casting. The tips are quick-change and just snap in the collet. My friend at ARC3 says he has never seen one before. A you can see, it is in prefect condition. I have Prest-o-lite torches and regulators going back to the 1920's. Somewhere I have a 1910 Prest-o-lite gas headlight for a Ford car.

 

[Ken H>]

Stacy, the first photo of the box of stuff - is that not a inside micrometer set? The micrometer part is the barrel at the upper left corner of box, and the rest are interchangeable "rods" for ID measurements, from small ID to fairly large ID. Does that sound reasonable?

The other stuff is interesting, but I have no clue.

 

[tiguy7]

Stacy, the first photo of the box of stuff - is that not a inside micrometer set? The micrometer part is the barrel at the upper left corner of box, and the rest are interchangeable "rods" for ID measurements, from small ID to fairly large ID. Does that sound reasonable?

The other stuff is interesting, but I have no clue.

I agree. It is good for measuring cannon bores. The Koch indicator looks like a primitive version of a dial indicator with a plunger tip. The only gimbals I have run into held small baskets to support cans of beer in speed boats or as compass mounts in slower boats.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Ahh, inside micrometer. That makes perfect sense. Each extension probably has an exact measurement marked on it. The end opposite the chuck has a rounded nub, which would work right for measuring inside a cylinder or other void.

I took a good look at the Koch Indicator again. It must snap into something to pre-load the measuring arm. Then the indicator moves across the scale as the arm is pushed back by whatever is being measured. It has no numerical markings, just a set of scale marks. I believe it is a rise and fall type indicator, or perhaps used to indicate runout on a shaft/tool.

 

[Pinoy Knife]

Stacy
#2 is a wiggler type of tool like for finding a center or edge (probably for a lathe) from the looks of it.. i think ....
the #3 looks like a tramming tool to make sure your table if flat. like on a drill press/mill .. as it rotates it shows the bar moving telling you what needs to move (pre cursor of a dial indicator)
#4 the Torch well i have no idea (but i want it) (he he)..

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I know the torch. It is an old quick change Prest-o-lite acetylene torch. It is WAY more powerful than the normal Prest-o-lite torches. I only took a photo of it because it was sitting next to the machinist chest.
I figured the lathe tool was for marking or centering something. Wiggler is a good term for it.
The rise/fall tool would be god for tramming, and that would make sense.
Thanks

 

[Mecha]

That torch is awesome. I've never seen a torch that only uses acetylene before. I'd love to get ahold of something like that, since MAPP gas ain't what it used to be. It used to have acetylene in it as an ingredient, but the new stuff "mapp-PRO" does not and is not as good.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

All Prest-o-lite torches run on acetylene, MAPP, or propane. They aspirate the air and mix it to make a good hot flame. Some folks used to call them a brazing torch or a plumbers "B" bottle torch. You can get tips small enough to do jewelry work and ones big enough to melt metal for casting. The one with the rosebud tip seems rare.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I had a great big MAPP tank and torch many years back. It was from a welding company that went out of business, and I bought the whole setup for $20. The torch looked like a large Prest-o-lite type, was on a 50 foot hose, and had a big heating tip on it with a large rosebud head. It heated a good square foot of metal surface at one time. The tank held probably 10 to 15 gallons of MAPP gas. That torch made the one in the photo look like a Bic lighter. I used it only a few times, and eventually gave it to a fellow who had a home welding shop. He used it for pre/post-heating things.

 

[Mecha]

I had a great big MAPP tank and torch many years back. It was from a welding company that went out of business, and I bought the whole setup for $20. The torch looked like a large Prest-o-lite type, was on a 50 foot hose, and had a big heating tip on it with a large rosebud head. It heated a good square foot of metal surface at one time. The tank held probably 10 to 15 gallons of MAPP gas. That torch made the one in the photo look like a Bic lighter. I used it only a few times, and eventually gave it to a fellow who had a home welding shop. He used it for pre/post-heating things.

Sounds like a great torch setup. I had a MAPP brazing torch for years that was hot enough to braze a go-kart frame together without any added oxygen. Years later, the torch just didn't do the job anymore and I didn't know why. Turned out that real MAPP gas went out of production in 2008, and I was using the new stuff in the yellow cylinders which is fake, MAPPpro. It barely even seems any hotter than just propane, while real MAPP gas was almost as hot as an oxyacetylene flame.