Can a Hippie Out-Tool a Trucker in a Tyre Changing Contest?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around various hand tools, their designs, and applications, with participants engaging in a guessing game about specific tools. The conversation includes historical context, technical specifications, and personal experiences related to tool usage and construction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants discuss the design of the adze, questioning the rationale behind the shape of its handle.
  • There is a suggestion that the square handle of the adze may help prevent rotation, although others note that similar tools do not typically feature a squared handle.
  • A participant mentions a "stitching horse," describing its use in leather crafting and its design variations.
  • Participants share images and links to tools, prompting discussions about their functions and historical significance.
  • There is a debate about the purpose of certain tools, including a discussion on combs used for processing fibers, with references to their use in making yarn from wool and hemp.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the specific applications of certain tools, leading to further exploration and guesses.
  • Technical details about alignment telescopes are shared, with participants discussing their applications in measurement and alignment tasks.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the specific designs and functions of the tools discussed, with multiple competing views and interpretations remaining throughout the conversation.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about tool designs and functions are based on personal experiences and may lack comprehensive definitions or universally accepted explanations.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in hand tools, historical tool design, leather crafting, and fiber arts may find the discussion relevant.

houlahound
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images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSX4yYCPLZDkVygtFE5xECEYzW3BRVRbL0_XozDeiOwMvFA2MkTRQ.jpg


Use and design.

Ancient but still in use.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Adze
 
Correct, put more farm boys in hospital than any other hand tool.

Why square the handle? That is almost never seen on other similar tools.
 
Helps to prevent rotation of the tool shaft in users hands . More often oval in section but same reason .
 
upload_2016-11-22_6-44-2.jpeg


Can't be the full story cos this similar looking tool used for another app is never seen with a squared handle.
 
If it's...
houlahound said:
never seen with a squared handle.
It's a mattock ...

I've never seen a pulaski with a square handle, either...
 
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houlahound said:
Can't be the full story cos this similar looking tool
Lol... OK, disregard post # 6... I thought we were guessing tools... :blushing:
 
Interesting, the Pulaski images I found all have circular handles??
 
houlahound said:
Why square the handle?
I'm not sure the handle is actually square... the handle end is square, but that's to retain the head.
A square handle would be really hard to use... I mean, a shovel handle won't even fit my hands... :oldbiggrin:
Nidum said:
More often oval in section...
It might be, I tried to enlarge the picture... we'll see if it worked.

adze-various(1).jpg

Yeah, the handle looks more or less round or oval to me...?

Original picture come https://www.loghomestore.com/1025-long-handled-german-oxhead-adze.php ...?
 
  • #10
I wasn't very clear, I was referring to how the handle and head of the adze are coupled.
 
  • #11
test 2:

this device had a lot of antique dealers stumped on an antique show I watched.

any guess, bit harder than the last. be obvious when you know.

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRRPFC6Yk9dIqunSQjJfj0VTYFBFhcRW_23A1mc5WEUa3_Q9tLG.jpg


here is a modern one with dimensions;

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrhCDcoiUdMm7aDw32nwLr1dHtRNsiWF6Xx8bb4VfQpRQJUmV_yg.jpg
 
  • #12
houlahound said:
test 2:

this device had a lot of antique dealers stumped on an antique show I watched.

any guess, bit harder than the last. be obvious when you know.

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRRPFC6Yk9dIqunSQjJfj0VTYFBFhcRW_23A1mc5WEUa3_Q9tLG.jpg


here is a modern one with dimensions;

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrhCDcoiUdMm7aDw32nwLr1dHtRNsiWF6Xx8bb4VfQpRQJUmV_yg.jpg
If it is what I think it is it is part of something called a stitching horse. I have built one. It is used in leather craft. I believe they are typically mounted to a chair/bench affair and that whole assembly is called a stitching horse. The leather is clamped in the vise and the awl/needle and thread are pushed through the leather. Usually the jaws of the vise are positioned on the seat so that if you leaned ahead your nose could be tightened in the vise from the sides. The lower pic shows the base going off to the side so I would assume it is designed to mount to a workbench or something instead of mounted to a chair. I built one over 30 years ago and it is still used by the owner several times a week.
-
Edit: I wonder if the lower pic has a swivel on the base. Almost looks like it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=stitching+horse&biw=1280&bih=623&tbm=isch&imgil=iFmV4g3dlDmFXM%3A%3Bo5r-74c0bhm1WM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cascity.com%252Fforumhall%252Findex.php%252Ftopic%252C36076.0.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=iFmV4g3dlDmFXM%3A%2Co5r-74c0bhm1WM%2C_&usg=__PorGaEzeZyZ6lEQoxSx0xmAtATE=&ved=0ahUKEwi7s7TonLvQAhVI7IMKHSPXDSoQyjcIKg&ei=G6EzWPu5G8jYjwSjrrfQAg#imgrc=_
 
  • #14
houlahound said:
I was referring to how the handle and head of the adze are coupled.
Ah, got it... :ok:
 
  • #15
Averagesupernova said:
Click below to see what I based the one I built on. The one shown only had front legs and I thought it was a bit silly to have to use a chair so I put legs on the back too.

https://www.google.com/search?q=stitching+horse&biw=1280&bih=623&tbm=isch&imgil=iFmV4g3dlDmFXM%3A%3Bo5r-74c0bhm1WM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cascity.com%252Fforumhall%252Findex.php%252Ftopic%252C36076.0.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=iFmV4g3dlDmFXM%3A%2Co5r-74c0bhm1WM%2C_&usg=__PorGaEzeZyZ6lEQoxSx0xmAtATE=&ved=0ahUKEwi7s7TonLvQAhVI7IMKHSPXDSoQyjcIKg&ei=G6EzWPu5G8jYjwSjrrfQAg#tbm=isch&q=al+stohlman+stitching+pony&imgrc=UQbUNbPgqOmfOM:
full marks, a leather stitching vice.

the chances a member guessed it and has actually built one - good job.
 
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  • #16
who's putting up the next hand tool to guess?
 
  • #17
ps%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.M9b934a97ca0a40665ffe74ba927df7ebo0%26pid%3D15.1&f=1.jpg

Made of hardwood and leather. What is it for?
 
  • #18
is used to mount sandpaper on?
 
  • #20
It seems there's not a lot of trial, so here is the answer:

It is a slapper for metalworking

 
  • #21
give us some hints.
 
  • #22
Speaking of ancient (but still in use) tools: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34677838/tool2.jpg
 
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  • #23
Something to do with hair?
 
  • #24
houlahound said:
Something to do with hair?
Pretty close!
 
  • #25
Weaving?
 
  • #26
Without this tool, there would be no weaving, but it is not used directly for weaving.
 
  • #27
Preprocessing the fibre ...somehow?
 
  • #28
houlahound said:
Preprocessing the fibre ...somehow?

Yep! I'm going to give it to you. These are a set of hand combs for fibre. These particular ones would be used for wool, but other fibres will have different sizes and spacings of the teeth. They are used to take locks of wool and (a) line them all up, and (b) remove any short fibres, prior to spinning the fibre and making yarn/thread/rope/string.

Here's a picture of them in action.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34677838/8120441_orig.jpg

Of course, it is possible to make yarn/thread/rope/string without first combing the fibre. You might use a set of cards instead, or just use your hands to open up the lock of wool.

I like to bring up these sorts of tools, because it's worth taking a minute to think about what we'd do in a world without string. No clothes other than leather, no string to make traps with, no sails to explore the world...
 
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  • #29
That's for combing of the fibre, technical cannabis was used here for ages. First, cannabis had to be dried and combed, then it could be made into strings. I'm sorry a complete description would contain too many unknown English words :)

EDIT: sorry, I see the answer was added while I was writing.
 
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  • #30
Sophia said:
That's for combing of the fibre, technical cannabis was used here for ages. First, cannabis had to be dried and combed, then it could be made into strings. I'm sorry a complete description would contain too many unknown English words :)

EDIT: sorry, I see the answer was added while I was writing.

Yep! The English word for cannabis when used as a fibre is Hemp, by the way. :)
 
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