Whatsit?

[DJH]

The Whatsits from long ago are Lead Dot Moulds. They were used to make fixings in lead sheet and other uses say for lead brackets. They are for both horizontal and vertical use...





Sorry for the delay in replying...i've had to master resizing pictures on a tablet.

The pictures show the mould used to fix a soil pipe bracket. No battery drills back then...

 

[88v8]

I'd never have got that in a million years.

Is this a better method of securing to coping than, errm, whatever is used now?

Ivor

 

[DJH]

Yes, it was a difficult one Ivor. As I said I've never seen them before only as illustrations in old books. I spotted them in amongst a box full of old lead dressers and other tools on ebay and couldn't believe my eyes. I gave a hundred quid for the lot and was very pleased with myself. I suppose now that I shall have to tell herself what rare things they are so that she won't chuck them in the skip when I pop off... :roll:

An apt saying I came across lately.....When I die my greatest fear is that my wife will sell my tools for what I told her I paid for them... :?

I don't see any reason why dot moulds can't be used for intermediate fixings on stone or concrete cornices and copings provided, of course, the correct sizes of lead sheet are used and adequate allowance is made for expansion without overfixing the lead. The most common failures of lead sheet are oversize pieces for the thickness of the lead and over fixing which restricts thermal movement leading to stress fractures.

I suppose Health and Safety might take a dim view of people wandering around on scaffold with spoonfuls of molten lead... :shock: :shock:

Intermediate fixings nowadays in these locations, should be stainless steel screws and washers lightly screwed into elongated holes (which allow for expansion) and then capped with a small piece of lead welded on with oxy/acetylene 8) These fixings help to resist wind lift on wide projections but the main provision to prevent this is a stainless steel or copper clip fixed at the drip edge with the lead welted under it.

I recall many years ago caulking a lead flashing cut into the top of a sloping water tabling where I hammered lead wool into the chase first and, where the surface was smooth used a strip of steel over the chase and poured the lead down through the top. Where the surface was rough I used clay to seal the joint to give a smooth finish to the lead. Happy days..

LWOG I'm afraid Ivor...

Doug

 

[DJH]

Oops

 

[88v8]

Been a while since we wotsitted

Any ideas?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383077510045?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true

 

[Flyfisher]

That's a 'retort boss clamp' used in chemistry labs (and similar) to construct expeimental apparatus.

Typically used in conjuction with retort stands and a variety of other clamps, usually with rubber-coated prongs, to hold laboratory glassware in place.

It's interesting that the ebay link mentions 'Griffin & Tatlock'. I'd never heard of them but I remember that 'Griffin & George' was a major supplier of lab equipment to schools so I did a quick search and it seems that Griffin & Tatlock was established in 1889 but was superseded by Griffin & George.

https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp887/griffin-and-tatlock-limited
https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp3539/griffin-george-limited

Thanks for stirring up some school/uni memories.

Here's a photo I found showing how it would typically be used:

 

[Gothichome]

OK, so it’s not a thumb screw I was thinking a Victorian scaffolding clamp.

 

[88v8]

And there was I thinking it was a temporary affixer for rustic woodwork.

Retort Boss - aka the wife.

Ivor

 

[DJH]

I wonder if this has a similar function? I bought it along with a big toolbox of old plumbing and leadworking tools and I'm certain they aren't either, well not that I've seen before..

 

[LadyArowana]

Would it be something for holding cheese making equipment :lol:

 

[Abi Cott]

I was thinking it was for holding a vessel containing molten metal (I've forgotten the word) the clamp looks like it was designed to hold a fairly sizable vessel

 

[88v8]

Mmm, could be for mounting a dial test indicator.
I use something similar but more ramshackle, for measuring endfloat on the Land Rover's hubs.

Ivor

 

[Flyfisher]

Not a 'period' whatsit this time, but I was clearing out my workshop today and found a sealed plastic bag containing these:



I'm guessing they make up some sort of fixing kit for something I've bought in the past but I have no recollection of what that something might be.

Any ideas?

 

[Me!]

Washing machine transportation locking kit?

 

[Abi Cott]

Washing machine transportation locking kit?

That works for me

 

[Feltwell]

I agree - look like transport spacers to lock the drum to the outer casing and stop it wobbling about in transit. Well spotted "Me!"!

 

[Flyfisher]

Interesting. We outfitted a new kitchen about 6 years - oven, hob, dishwasher, fridge freezer - but I’m pretty sure we brought our washing machine with us when we moved here (yes, it’s getting on now!) so I doubt I’d have kept any such fixings that long. But I know what you mean and it sounds reasonable. Are such things used for the aforementioned appliances, even though they don’t have moving internals?

 

[LadyArowana]

Looks like “ Viktig “ to me

 

[88v8]

Is it a pneumatically operated cartoon character?

 

[tobydog]

They look far too sophisticated for washing machine drum retainers. Also, if you were trying to lock a drum in place, why would you have springs? It should be fixed rigid. When I unwrapped a washing machine recently I recall it was just a case of a few bolts going through the back panel and then through very simple hollow rigid spacers before locking into the drum. The bolts above look like they have threads that only screw into the plastic. I think the jury should still be out!