"Dan" wrote in message
...
Bill Noble wrote:

"Dan" wrote in message
...
Bill Noble wrote:

"Flash" wrote in message
...

"Bill Noble" wrote in message
...
I originally posted this in the metal working newsgroup, some folks
there thought the part might be recobnized by somone here - so, it's
worth a try - any clues?

thanks:



I think this is probably quite old, but so far I have no idea what it
is (or
was part of) - there is another like it that has been sharpened to
use as a
boring bar - clearly that was not its original purpose. the one
pictured in
the drop box appears to be original - but orignal what, is the
question.

here are the links to the drop box:
http://metalworking.com/Dropbox/P-W-1.JPG
http://metalworking.com/Dropbox/P-W-2.JPG
http://metalworking.com/Dropbox/P-W-1.txt

Anyone got any clues about this item?

The text file from the drop box is reproduced below:

Mystery Pratt & Whitney tool - the cylindrical shank is exactly .500
inches,
it says on the

shank, the following:

NO. 32
HS.-36
E-12

P&W
MFD CT
Made in USA

it is NOT a drill bit. The part that extends beyond the 1/2 inch
diameter
shows a wear line

like it was riding in a keyway. The point seems to be lathe turned,
the 1/2
inch shank

appears to be ground
Bill -
www.wbnoble.com


--
Bill -
www.wbnoble.com

My first guess would be some sort of gagueing equipment. I have run
across quite a few truly odd P&W gages and accessories for gage sets.
They were willing to make some very specialized gages for a lot of
unique applications.

Flash


Yes, I would agree, though I think it is not a specialty item - maybe
part of something to measure camshafts and the like? I'd love to find
someone who could say for sure what it was


Specialized boring bar? The 1/2" round end reminds me of my boring
bars, but I have never seen a cutting end like this thing has. I suppose
it could be installed in a boring head and used to cut a groove beyond
the reach of standard lathe tools. I'm probably way off, but I can't
think of anything else.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

plausible, barely - but this thing is NOT sharp, I don't think it's
intended to cut anything -


It was the best I could come up with I hope you find out what it is
and tell us.

Over the years I have seen many specialized tools that no one outside
the trade could guess what they are for. Somewhere in my scrounge I have a
tool for shaping the points on the end of wagon spokes. It's good for
nothing else.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired


I've written Pratt and Whitney - we shall see if they have an answer -
meanwhile, here is my latest "brilliant" speculation - the ground part is
quite accurately ground to 1/2 inch - I just noticed that the flat part is
tapered in width, it is .194 near the pointy end, and .144 right next to the
ground round part. Further, the width of the flat part (until the very end
where it is much wider) is .565. So, if you now imagine that this tool is
slid into a 1/2 inch hole which has a keyway broached in it that is deeper
than 65 thousandths, then the thing will enter the hole farther as the
keyway gets wider - so that would make it a tool for measuring the width of
keyways.

Now, if my speculation were true, the ground 1/2 inch part would be just
under 1/2 inch so it would be a sliding fit - so I got out my best measuring
tool, an SPI digital micrometer that claims .00005 inch accuracy and I
measured it - sure enough,. 0.49950 - so it is 1/2 thousandth undersize.

This site shows some keyway width gauges
http://www.jayeshentp.com/products.htm which don't look like this at all

There is possible wear on the part that extends farther - it is .695 inches
in diameter - and it goes from .18360 to .19220 - which nicely spans 3/16
(.1875).

Ya think this could be it?