MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Tripps]

I was way out there. I thought it was a jew's (jaw's) harp. Didn't look close enough. Still - I enjoyed the music on Youtube.

[Tizer]

As well as being cork pullers they are also crown cork bottle openers as you can see from the sharp edged bit within the handle ring. The devices have two legs, so should they have been called leg pullers?

Here's a poor quality image but can any of you guess what's going on here?

[PanBiker]

Carrier pigeon release from a WWI tank?

[Cathy]

The hand is adjusting the tanks side mirror, hehe.

[plaques]

Launching a state of the art drone to bomb the enemy.!

[Stanley]

Joke picture taken by a diver on a sunken wreck? Alternately a genuine dead man's hand......

[Tripps]

It's Andy Capp sending a pigeon message to Florry to say he may be late for his tea.

[Gloria]

I'm with the pigeon taking a message in WW1.

[Stanley]

I can't even see the pigeon. Roll on a fortnight next Friday!

[Tizer]

Well done Ian, and those who agreed with him. Yes, message-carrying pigeon being released through a hole in the side of a WW1 tank. When I said I was putting the image on the Myst Obs thread Mrs Tiz said "That's not fair, it's a terrible image, they won't be able to tell what it is!" She under-estimated the ability of OG members! (Sorry Stanley, that one wasn't fair on you, I'll have to look for a clearer image next time!). Next please...

[Stanley]

Don't worry Peter, just one more difficulty to cope with! Try this admirably clear image.....

[chinatyke]

Definitely a door stop.

[Gloria]

A wild guess.....some sort of drive mechanism???

[PanBiker]

Hub from some sort of wheel or gear.

[Stanley]

It's obscure so you need a big clue. The boss at the back is threaded to fit on the mandrel nose of Johnny's big lathe.....

[Stanley]

Have I to kill this one?

[Stanley]

I think this one has got you. It's threaded to fit the nose of Johnny's big lathe and should have four pairs of hardened square headed set screws in the holes around the outside. It is bored out at the front to almost two inches and is a specialised four jaw chuck for holding the end of a length of material which could be any shape. Clever stuff, simple and if set up properly, dead accurate.
Next for shaving?

[Gloria]

A very clever and sensible bespoke piece of kit.

[Stanley]

That was Johnny all over Gloria, all his stuff looks beautiful as well. I wonder if there is any connection. Not really a mystery but here's another clever bit of kit. All right it's a Starrett tempered stainless steel ruler but what's different about it and give it it's proper name....

[Cathy]

It has 'cut-out teeth / notches' on one side.

[chinatyke]

It has an end piece to keep it square on the workpiece?

[Stanley]

No serrations Cathy, that must be a trick of the light.
You're right China, give it a name....

[Tizer]

One edge has divisions in 32nds and the other edge in 64ths so I reckon it's for measuring the capacity of a computer disk in kilobytes!

More seriously, is it for spacing out lines, channels etc at equal gaps?

[Stanley]

No Tiz, just an ordinary ruler. The answer is so banal it's going to drive folks daft. It's called a 'Hook Rule' simply because it hooks on to the end of what you are measuring to give an accurate zero. Dead simple and elegant whuch is why I've just bought myself one.
Next for shaving?

[Cathy]

I reckon China got that right then, yes ?