Archive for the 'Name This Tool' Category

Unknown Spanner

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
UnknownSpanner-450.jpg

Mike, a Toolmonger reader, wrote us about a tool he saw in a YouTube video (see the screen capture above). He says:

“I’ve been looking at some bicycle repair videos on YouTube and found one where this fella has this outstanding little wrench. It looks like it has two dice-shaped ends with multiple wrench sizes. I’ve looked all over online and couldn’t find one though.”

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Posted in Amazon, Name This Tool, Reader Question, Unusual Tools | 26 Comments »

Name This Tool

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
ScytheSharpener450.jpg

I’m cheating — the owner of this tool told me what it was, but I had to ask. He said it was frozen stationary, but he finally managed to loosen it up. The stone on the right-hand side now spins and moves back and forth in an arc when you crank the handle. He mentioned it’s about a hundred years old, but I don’t have any more detail than that.

Post your guesses here before you check out the notes I posted on my Flickr account with an additional picture.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

Posted in Antique Tools, Flickr Pool, Name This Tool | 14 Comments »

Name This Tool: The Mystery Bolt

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
funnybolt.jpg

It’s time for another edition of Name This Tool here on Toolmonger. Photo pool member sheepslinky ran across this odd bolt, and he doesn’t know exactly what he’s got here. People have suggested it could be some sort of valve bolt or pin lock bolt, but it’s just guessing at this point — nothing definitive yet. We have to admit: we aren’t sure either.

So which one of you Toolmongers can school us in funky bolt identification? We’re looking for the name of the fastener and what it’s used for.

Any ideas?

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

Posted in Fasteners, Name This Tool | 12 Comments »

Name This Tool

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007
post-namethistool3.jpg

I know this is a truly lousy picture, but this is the only one I have.  Sadly, this got away from me a few years ago, but I’ve always been really bummed that I never figured out what it is.  Maybe you can help.

There’s a moving table on the back side of it — you can see an adjustment crank at the middle left of the photo — and there’s a cutter head as well.  It almost looked like a tubing notcher with the horizontal cutting head, but there’s no mechanism to use it in that fashion.

Any ideas?

Posted in Name This Tool | 15 Comments »

Name This Tool

Wednesday, August 1st, 2007

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TM reader Lee writes: “I recently purchased this tool at a junk sale for a few bucks because it looked neat, but I don’t know what it is.  It has the ‘Thor’ logo on it, but no part number.  After some Googling I found out that it was made by the Thor Power Tool Company (by matching the logo to those on Wikipedia), but that’s it.   I can’t find any more information on the tool or the company.  It’s an electric tool that resembles a drill.  When you plug it in and pull the trigger, it sounds like a drill, but instead of a drill bit it’s got what appears to be a miniature torch.  It’s also got three air/gas inlets/outlets.  I have no idea what this tool is.  Can you guys help?”

Well, you Toolmongers identified the last tool we posted like this in less than a day.  Look past the jump for add’l pics.

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Posted in Name This Tool | 28 Comments »

Name This Tool

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

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Brad posted a picture of this tool to the Toolmonger Flickr photo pool hoping that some of you Toolmongers could help identify it.  My first guess: it’s a stake to hold a rain gauge or other apparatus in the ground.

Have a better idea?  Share with us in comments!

The Larger Photo [Flickr]

Posted in Name This Tool | 14 Comments »