Could you please identify these tools?

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wypth2
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Could you please identify these tools?

Post by wypth2 »

I recently found these old hand tools in my late Dad's garage. Can anybody help me identify them and what they are for? Some of them are numbered, for example, 36, 25 etc and I think this may relate to the number of grooves in the end of some of the tools.

Thanks in advance.

Pete
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by ayjay »

A couple of pics might help.
One day it will all be firewood.
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Bikergirl »

Was he into leather work of any kind? They look like they may have been to put a texture on something, but I'm just guessing. Do they look like they have been hit with a hammer?
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Rorschach »

Thread chasers, used for woodturning.
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by wypth2 »

Thanks all for your very helpful replies.
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Dave54 »

They are thread chasers. For metal though I think originally at least. The rectangular ones at the top come in sets of three or four, and fit in a head to make a sort of die, used for cutting threads by machine. Or in the old fashioned type of ratchet head for cutting threads on pipe. Difficult to say what the threads are. Probably imperial. BSW and BSF, (British Standard Whitworth and British Standard Fine) but may be BSP (Pipe) or "Cycle thread" (very fine thread). Could be anything though.
Something similar here. http://www.indiamart.com/mayur-welding- ... ading.html
The other ones are hand chasers. not much experience with those personally, but they are used to cleaning up or adjusting the size of threads. I have some very similar inherited from my father in law who was an engineer.
The one in the bottom right looks like an engineer's scraper, for scraping metal faces or plain bearings to get an accurate fit.
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Rorschach »

Dave54 wrote:They are thread chasers. For metal though I think originally at least. The rectangular ones at the top come in sets of three or four, and fit in a head to make a sort of die, used for cutting threads by machine. Or in the old fashioned type of ratchet head for cutting threads on pipe. Difficult to say what the threads are. Probably imperial. BSW and BSF, (British Standard Whitworth and British Standard Fine) but may be BSP (Pipe) or "Cycle thread" (very fine thread). Could be anything though.
Something similar here. http://www.indiamart.com/mayur-welding- ... ading.html
The other ones are hand chasers. not much experience with those personally, but they are used to cleaning up or adjusting the size of threads. I have some very similar inherited from my father in law who was an engineer.
The one in the bottom right looks like an engineer's scraper, for scraping metal faces or plain bearings to get an accurate fit.
They are all for wood, for metal the dies are much smaller and are a different shape as you need proper relief angles etc.
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Dave54 »

We'll have to agree to disagree then. :-)
Die head is what the top ones are for. Sometimes one or more of the chasers is angled off the radius which explains the angled thread cutting part. As I said they're also used for pipe threading.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_head
With respect, I've never seen anything like that intended for wood threading.
These type of threads are engineering threads which are really meant for metal. I've never really tried threading wood, but I would imagine that the types of wood that can be threaded with the Sorby system are limited to very hard close grained ones. The chasers shown in the lower apart are for hand use as I've always understood it, although machine versions with no "tang" are seen. Traditional external wood threading tools cut a very coarse, very rounded section thread, and are basically a wooden screw box with a sharp, gouge type cutter in it.
On the Sorby site it even says that their tools are specifically made for woodturning rather than being "traditional engineer's hand chasers."
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/threadcutsys.htm
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Rorschach »

Dave54 wrote:We'll have to agree to disagree then. :-)
Die head is what the top ones are for. Sometimes one or more of the chasers is angled off the radius which explains the angled thread cutting part. As I said they're also used for pipe threading.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_head
With respect, I've never seen anything like that intended for wood threading.
These type of threads are engineering threads which are really meant for metal. I've never really tried threading wood, but I would imagine that the types of wood that can be threaded with the Sorby system are limited to very hard close grained ones. The chasers shown in the lower apart are for hand use as I've always understood it, although machine versions with no "tang" are seen. Traditional external wood threading tools cut a very coarse, very rounded section thread, and are basically a wooden screw box with a sharp, gouge type cutter in it.
On the Sorby site it even says that their tools are specifically made for woodturning rather than being "traditional engineer's hand chasers."
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/threadcutsys.htm
We will have to disagree, the top picture is just a different angle shot of the same items in the lower picture ;)

It's possible they were intended for metal but that would make them very old since screw turning lathes have been around for a very long time, much more likely they were for wood or plastics, pen turners for instance would use the small sizes.
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Dave54 »

OK I'm wrong about the top ones being for a die head. :-)
The hand ones are generally for cleaning up damaged or rough threads, or easing them slightly I've always been told. There is another type which is like a file with multiple sizes of teeth to suit different threads. That's the one I've used myself.
I'd assume you could cut threads with the chasers if needed. Presto still make them. I've just looked at the ones I have with the metal turning lathe I inherited. Internal and similar to those above. Quite a marked rake angle. I can't see why father in law would have had them for threading wood or plastic. Not saying you couldn't do that, just that I don't think it was the intended main use.
Fountain pens are from a time when screw cutting lathes were available surely? Most I've seen have multi start threads.
Not many wooden screw threads on little wooden boxes I've seen. I believe that they are (or were) sometimes done with ornamental turning type lathes.
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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

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Re: Could you please identify these tools?

Post by Dave54 »

jaeger wrote:I refer to my post
http://www.ktmp.co.uk/Robert%20Sorby24.htm
No doubt at all that those are designed for cutting threads in wood.
If you read about them on the Sorby site, which i linked to above, it says that, and also says that they are different to engineer's chasers IIRC.
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