Whatsit?

[DJH]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Keith Bowman]

Thatcher's step - thing for standing on?

 

[DJH]

! Yep. Spot on Keith. Sometimes called a thatcher's stool.

and these are?



Doug

 

[Keith Bowman]

! Yep. Spot on Keith. Sometimes called a thatcher's stool.

and these are?



Doug

I know because I have used them - somebody else's turn!

 

[Keith Bowman]

Sheesh! It must be me he's spying on - google bot back again :shock:

 

[Penners]

On a similar theme . . .

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[DJH]

It's not just you Keith...it's on here with me now. It can't be that fussy... 8)

Try a guess at these. They are sieves of course, but for what?



FF, is there a patent on that selfie? I could make a bob, well Euro or two over here selling them in fact, I've got two of my own here as it is...

Doug

 

[LadyArowana]

! Yep. Spot on Keith. Sometimes called a thatcher's stool.

and these are?



Doug

For once I don't think they are anything to do with cheese. Might be a troll's knitting needles, or something for marking out straight lines? most likely the former

 

[88v8]

Those stringy things are line pins, do these have a particular application?

And the baskets, are they cheeeese moulds, Grommet?

Ivor

 

[DJH]

No, afraid not Ivor. They are sieves used to sieve out dust from grain/feed for horses.

Any idea what this is anyone? I'm not sure myself what it is but I'm sure someone on here does...



Doug

 

[malcolm]

Wire gauge.

 

[Keith Bowman]

But most wire gauges have rather more slots. Perhaps for measuring the thickness (code?) of lead sheet? Doug might be amused to note that a surveyor's specification we once received had presumably been dictated and then typed by his secretary: it specified "code for lead" . Perhaps she thought he was really working for MI5?

 

[Penners]

The code for lead is Pb (ssssh - don't tell anyone).

 

[DJH]

and a sickle can be used... 8)

Doug

 

[mardinor]

A keyhole template?!

 

[Keithj]

I have no idea what it is, but I have one. It was in father-in-law's toolbox that I inherited in the 1970s. I'll be keen to know!

 

[Keith Bowman]

I have no idea what it is, but I have one. It was in father-in-law's toolbox that I inherited in the 1970s. I'll be keen to know!

What did father-in-law do? It looks like a wire or plate gauge (although Mrs B has a version for knitting needles): I was merely pointing out that standard wire gauges usually have a greater range. I can't remember offhand how many mine has, but around 20 at a guess. I just thought that there were likely to be fewer standard thicknesses of lead sheet and such a gauge was more likely to turn up eg in the sort of auction lots which would attract Doug. You can actually make and use a tool like that for setting saw teeth if you have a good eye, but whether any were manufactured I'm not sure.
Going even further off-topic, apparently code 4 lead meant lead sheet weighing 4lbs per square foot. Presumably code 3 meant 3 lbs/sq ft etc? Come in Doug!

 

[DJH]

Thanks for your suggestions. The tool doesn't belong to me (yet... 8)) but I was asked by a friend to identify it if I could. He found it when he was clearing out the pub he used to own and stumbled across it while tidying up after making a mess in his workshop. It doesn't look like a blacksmith or home made tool but, with a pointed end it must be made to fit into a hole maybe but not an anvil as the shank would be tapered I would imagine.

My first reaction was to say that it was a nail or screw size gauge but looking closer I could see that there were no markings to indicate the size for each slot and that the holes are all the same size when I would have thought that they would correspond to the relevant shank size.

I'm inclined to agree with you Keith that it's a tin plate gauge rather than a wire or screw gauge which has many more holes. I can't find mine at the moment to show a picture of it. however here's one of a modern lead gauge...it's been on here before, page 28.



It has the same number of holes and they look very similarly sized to the mystery tool.



Nearly time I bought a new tape measure...

That's right Keith. Lead sheet is remarkable in that a square foot 3/64" thick (Imperial wire gauge 18) weighs 3lb hence 3lb lead was used to describe it's thickness as does 4lb, 5lb, 6lb and 8lb (code 4,5,6,and 8 ) etc. I'm afraid I still call it by it's pound weight in unguarded moments...

Doug

 

[Flyfisher]

Sounds like the sort of thing that determines the 'bore' of a shotgun. 12 bore means the diameter of a ball of lead that weighs 1/12th of a pound, I.e. 12 such lead balls to the pound. Thus, the larger the bore number the smaller the actual bore of the barrel.

Random fact of the day

 

[Penners]

Thanks FF! I've always wondered what the "bore" classification of a shotgun refers to!

A day when you learn something is never a waste!