Bill Noble wrote:
"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?
Just for giggles you might want to check your calibration/instruction
sheet for your mike. Taken out to that many places it's only accurate at
one specific temperature.
The more I look at this thing the more it looks like an eccentric
wood boring spade bit.
Then again, I have known people who would expend a lot of energy
making such a thing as a joke. When I flew RC in the 1970s I would carry
a prop wrench that wouldn't fit any nut known to man. I was always
willing to loan it at the field. I got the idea from an article in RCM
magazine.
Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired