Posted 7 years ago
Piddlewick
(8 items)
Found this amongst an odd assortment of tools at a yard/car boot sale in France. The only markings are JIL, or possibly JAL and the number 15. Each hole is slightly different than the other in size, increasing as you get nearer the hande. Each centre hole is threaded. Anyone know what this is?
Thanks Thomas,
Hmmm, possible. But there are no measurements marked to indicate what size it would be. I was thinking a measurement tool also, but without sizes...?
Another guess - this looks to me to be more for cutting threads than measuring them.
Artfoot ~ do you mean one would try to screw a piece of metal through so that it becomes a screw?
More like you would turn the tool around the round bar stock, but yes.
Interesting, but I suspect it is not this. I have had a search of tools that cut threads and nothing comes even close to looking like this. They all deal with one size only. Wouldn't it need two handles to turn or hold if you were trying to screw something through it?
The man who had it told me (as far as I could understand in my very bad French) that you put it on the table and you put the screw in the corresponding hole, as a support if you like, and screwed through it. Why? No idea. I figured as a possible support to start a screw hole, but then of course you have to unscrew to then put the screw back in place to screw in. Seems convoluted. Now he could have meant metal, if we are going on the idea that you would make a screw out of going through the hole, but I can't see how one would get the force to get it through and hold this tool in place.
As I envision it, the metal would be held in a vise. If it is designed to cut, the varying sizes would allow you to work different sizes of stock without changing dies. Again, I should stress this is just a guess and I don't really know what this is - I'm experienced but not an expert.
You are at a disadvantage because the OP did not state the dimensions . Usually two to four inches long, this is a watchmakers screw plate. Used to repair or make threads on watch screws. Still made and sold today. They come with matching taps.
Thank you - I was thinking much bigger.
Slackjack - now that sounds very interesting. This is longer at a little over 6 inches long. Is that why there are the additional holes to each side of the screw hole? What are they used for?
Dimensions: The plate itself is 16cm long (6 1/8 in), 4.5 cm (1 1/2 in) wide at top, 3cm (1 in) wide at bottom. Handle is 8cm (3 in) long. The plate is 4mm (1/4 in) thick.
After searching on antique watchmakers screw plate, it is indeed that. A huge thank you to you all for your insights and for this site. I never would have found out what this was otherwise. Merci!