what is this mystery pratt and whitney tool?

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

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

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

well, here is the catalog page for themicrometer -
http://www.swissprec.com/CGI/ISPDFF?PMCTLG=01&PMPAGE=19
It claims an accuracy of 16 microns, the .00005 is the display resolution -
I don't have any jobe blocks to check the calibration with, but in general
SPI is a pretty good company. I won this directly from SPI in a drawing at
a trade show - that was pretty nice....

rodger on the "looks like", but of course, it isn't..... I'm quite sure it's
part of some piece of measuring equipment - I guess if I don't find out,
I'll call it a 1/2 inch "minus" plug gauge and keep it for that purpose....

In article ,
"Bill Noble" wrote:

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

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

well, here is the catalog page for themicrometer -
http://www.swissprec.com/CGI/ISPDFF?PMCTLG=01&PMPAGE=19
It claims an accuracy of 16 microns, the .00005 is the display resolution -
I don't have any jobe blocks to check the calibration with, but in general
SPI is a pretty good company. I won this directly from SPI in a drawing at
a trade show - that was pretty nice....

rodger on the "looks like", but of course, it isn't..... I'm quite sure it's
part of some piece of measuring equipment - I guess if I don't find out,
I'll call it a 1/2 inch "minus" plug gauge and keep it for that purpose....

I was wondering if the pointy end of it might be some sort of dead
centre...

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg

Bill Noble wrote:

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

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

well, here is the catalog page for themicrometer -
http://www.swissprec.com/CGI/ISPDFF?PMCTLG=01&PMPAGE=19
It claims an accuracy of 16 microns, the .00005 is the display
resolution - I don't have any jobe blocks to check the calibration with,
but in general SPI is a pretty good company. I won this directly from
SPI in a drawing at a trade show - that was pretty nice....

I was thinking of the thermal expansion/contraction of the work being
measured.


rodger on the "looks like", but of course, it isn't..... I'm quite sure
it's part of some piece of measuring equipment - I guess if I don't find
out, I'll call it a 1/2 inch "minus" plug gauge and keep it for that
purpose....

You could always use it to clean your nails, I suppose.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Alan Baker wrote:
In article ,
"Bill Noble" wrote:

"Dan" wrote in message
...
Bill Noble wrote:
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
well, here is the catalog page for themicrometer -
http://www.swissprec.com/CGI/ISPDFF?PMCTLG=01&PMPAGE=19
It claims an accuracy of 16 microns, the .00005 is the display resolution -
I don't have any jobe blocks to check the calibration with, but in general
SPI is a pretty good company. I won this directly from SPI in a drawing at
a trade show - that was pretty nice....

rodger on the "looks like", but of course, it isn't..... I'm quite sure it's
part of some piece of measuring equipment - I guess if I don't find out,
I'll call it a 1/2 inch "minus" plug gauge and keep it for that purpose....

I was wondering if the pointy end of it might be some sort of dead
centre...


In that case it would be a conical point to avoid damaging the work,
would it not?

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

"Dan" wrote in message
...
I was wondering if the pointy end of it might be some sort of dead
centre...


In that case it would be a conical point to avoid damaging the work,
would it not?

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

the "pointy end" does have a 60 degree point exactly like a dead center -
originally I thought it went in a head/tail stock of a measuring instrument,
but I don't think the precision of the point is what one would expect
there - the only precision ground part is the cylinder - and the taper of
the flat part is intriguing, to say the least. My friend, who handed me
this thing, has another one that someone has sharpened into a boring tool,
but that clearly was not its original usage - this one appears to be as P&W
intended it.

By the way, for those interested in such things, the P&W measuring tool
company (not the engine company of the same name) has a very nice 1~50 page
history of the company with lots of photos and stuff on-line as a set of PDF
files - it's on their main site. (and no, I couldn't find a hint as to what
this was in there either....)

"Dan" wrote

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.

Man, you are one _sick_ puppy! That's just ........ WrOoOnG !!!

;-))

Then again, I _like_ it! I may have to fix me up one! g

In article , Dan
wrote:

Alan Baker wrote:
In article ,
"Bill Noble" wrote:

"Dan" wrote in message
...
Bill Noble wrote:
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
well, here is the catalog page for themicrometer -
http://www.swissprec.com/CGI/ISPDFF?PMCTLG=01&PMPAGE=19
It claims an accuracy of 16 microns, the .00005 is the display resolution
-
I don't have any jobe blocks to check the calibration with, but in general
SPI is a pretty good company. I won this directly from SPI in a drawing
at
a trade show - that was pretty nice....

rodger on the "looks like", but of course, it isn't..... I'm quite sure
it's
part of some piece of measuring equipment - I guess if I don't find out,
I'll call it a 1/2 inch "minus" plug gauge and keep it for that
purpose....

I was wondering if the pointy end of it might be some sort of dead
centre...


In that case it would be a conical point to avoid damaging the work,
would it not?

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Yes, but isn't the very end of it a conical point?

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg

On Fri, 9 Oct 2009 18:06:55 -0400, "Morgans"
wrote:


"Dan" wrote

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.

Man, you are one _sick_ puppy! That's just ........ WrOoOnG !!!

;-))

Then again, I _like_ it! I may have to fix me up one! g

dont be a ******* :-).
reminds me of the disassembly of my Auster. armed with a full set of
good quality A/F spanners I was horrified to find that not one spanner
fitted The entire aircraft had to be disassembled with two adjustable
jaw spanners.
why the poms used BA I'll never know.

Stealth Pilot

Stealth Pilot wrote:
...
reminds me of the disassembly of my Auster. armed with a full set of
good quality A/F spanners I was horrified to find that not one spanner
fitted The entire aircraft had to be disassembled with two adjustable
jaw spanners.
why the poms used BA I'll never know.

Stealth Pilot

..er... the BA was an effort at going metric! Then there was BSF, BSWhit
BSBike, BSPipe, RAS and several others that I forget.

Brian W