[jules4]

I need some help identifying a few of the tools in my great-grandfathers tool chest, and hoping there are some old-timers (or fellow old-timer-wanna-bees) on this site who can help me out.

(Correction to pictures: I should have labelled the objects 'UDTs,' since I think they were all produced in Canada.)

For what it's worth, here's the tool chest in question:

 

[jules4]

UDT (unidentified domestic tool) 1:

Edited to add: has been identified as wire pliers

 

[jules4]

UDT 2:

Edited to add: has been identified as a sanding block

 

[Bud Cline]

Post #3 is a sanding block I think. Those things are still available today in a plastic version.

The sandpaper is cut the width of the block and long enough to be tucked first into the narrow slot then wrap around the block one time and again tuck into the other slot. There are reliefs in the edges of the blocks for a finger grip.

 

[epson]

UDT 2:

My guess is that this is some kind of support that is designed to slip over a wire (no idea what it would be supporting though).

That’s an old sanding block. You cut the sand paper to size, bend it over and place into the groves and sand away…

 

[jules4]

UDT 3:

I really, really hope someone knows what this is, because it's been driving me nuts trying to figure it out.

One end appears to be designed to be held by a brace, the other end - I don't know, maybe it fits over a nut of some sort?

And I have absolutely no clue what the complicated mechanism in the middle is supposed to accomplish - it slides up and down, and locks into position, and the amount of slide can be increased by partially unscrewing the two sections (but they can't be unscrewed to the point of coming apart).

Sliding the sections does not cause either end to rotate and there is no ratcheting mechanism involved.

ARRRRRG!!! What is this thing :wallbash:

Edited to add: has been identified as a Yankee bit extension # 2150
*does happy dance*

 

[Bud Cline]

Post #2 looks like an early version of a "Lineman's" pliers. It has three cutters and the square notch in the nose portion if for gripping two wires together for twisting.

 

[jules4]

UDT 4:

I think all three of these objects are for bending pipe, can anyone confirm this?

 

[epson]

UDT (unidentified domestic tool) 1:

My first guess was that it was some sort of fancy wire cutter, but it has no cutting edges. I then though it might have been used as a crimper - but why would you need to crimp 3 things at once?

And there’s the matching ‘v’ notches in the upper and lower jaws (they form a square opening about the same size as the three pairs of offset notches).

That looks like an old fencing plier which was a good general purpose cutting, bending and tying tool to have around when you were making a wire fence.

 

[Bud Cline]

Post #6
May be a furniture makers nut driver. In the day all threaded nuts were square. The adjustment would serve as a "stop" so as not to over-tighten the nut against the wood. Just guessing.

 

[jules4]

UDT 5:

Last one - is this a hand drill for rock?

It feels like it's made from regular old iron, so I can't imagine it would be hard enough to drill rock, but not sure what else it could be. (I could really use a rock drill, so I may just give it a shot with this thing and see what happens.)

Edited to add: has been identified as probably a hand-made awl

 

[jules4]

Post #3 is a sanding block I think. Those things are still available today in a plastic version.

The sandpaper is cut the width of the block and long enough to be tucked first into the narrow slot then wrap around the block one time and again tuck into the other slot. There are reliefs in the edges of the blocks for a finger grip.

That’s an old sanding block. You cut the sand paper to size, bend it over and place into the groves and sand away…

Awesome - I could use another sanding block!

 

[epson]

UDT 5:

Last one - is this a hand drill for rock?

It feels like it's made from regular old iron, so I can't imagine it would be hard enough to drill rock, but not sure what else it could be. (I could really use a rock drill, so I may just give it a shot with this thing and see what happens.)

this is what they are: http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/feather-and-wedges.html

 

[DexterII]

Yup, the sanding block is obvious enough, probably a bit more recent that the other items, and my money would be on the pliers being for fencing. Have you tried a bit in the end of the long piece? It may have considerable wear, but my guess is that the thumb catch allows you to turn the end piece, so that you can line up the flats, insert the bit, turn the end piece back in place, and have an extension for boring through larger timbers. The last item is probably a hand made awl, and, sadly, the items before that are similar to what many of here have in our boxes or drawers; accessory items for something else, of which you may or may not ever identify the mate, as it may even have been tossed at some point. I would definitely hold onto them though, as it may hit you in the middle of the night sometime.

 

[DexterII]

By the way, I might clean it up with some Murphy's soap, or something like that, but would not make any attempts beyond that at restoring the box. As for the bevel and other items, I have had great results maintaining the originality while making useful some of my dad's and granfathers tools, as well as others that I have picked up along the way, with a little motor oil and very fine steel wool, then rinsing the rusty residue off with WD40.

 

[jules4]

Post #2 looks like an early version of a "Lineman's" pliers. It has three cutters and the square notch in the nose portion if for gripping two wires together for twisting.

That looks like an old fencing plier which was a good general purpose cutting, bending and tying tool to have around when you were making a wire fence.

Fencing tool seems a very likely suggestion (I found a heavy-duty wire tensioning tool in the chest) - I'll have to do some further investigating of how such contraptions were used.

 

[jules4]

this is what they are: http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/feather-and-wedges.html

Feather and wedges? :confused1:

I don't think it would function well in either of those roles.

 

[epson]

Feather and wedges? :confused1:

I don't think it would function well in either of those roles.

look around and see if you can find the feathers for the wedges...

 

[jules4]

By the way, I might clean it up with some Murphy's soap, or something like that, but would not make any attempts beyond that at restoring the box. As for the bevel and other items, I have had great results maintaining the originality while making useful some of my dad's and granfathers tools, as well as others that I have picked up along the way, with a little motor oil and very fine steel wool, then rinsing the rusty residue off with WD40.

Have no fear, I ain't gonna touch the box - I love it just the way it is.

As for the tools, I've been taking the rust off the items I want to use in an electrolytic bath (a slow, messy process but no risk of removing sound metal) and then scrubbing and oiling or re-japanning as appropriate.

 

[jules4]

look around and see if you can find the feathers for the wedges...

I really don't think that object I posted a picture of could be a wedge due to it's having one end twisted in what looks like a very purposeful manner (see the second, close-up picture I posted of it). I think it has to be some sort of drill. Unless they sometimes used drill-tips on wedges for some reason?

Edited to add: definitely no feathers around, I had my eyes peeled for masonry tools while unpacking the box.