What The Heck is This? Help Please

[Thogey]

Picked this up at an estate sale today. Paid a buck for it.

Only I have no clue what it is. The Tiles it's setting on are 12X12 tiles, for size reference.
It's Iron

[Rodebaugh]

Not sure but that Grout line is a little big....could give you problems down the road.

[moparal7]

Looks like a steampunk item.

[Thogey]

Not sure but that Grout line is a little big....could give you problems down the road.

Listen young man. Don't get too big for your britches. I know you've been around for 30 years now but in the southwest we have saltillo tile and like big groutlines. It's a special grout and I laid that tile back when you thought breastmilk was the greatest thing since amniotic fluid, and never had any problems.

Now make yourself useful and tell me what the Iron is!

[Thogey]

Looks like a steampunk item.

I'll bet I get 50 bucks if I offer it up as steampunk.

But I still want to know what it is.

[natsb88]

Not sure but that Grout line is a little big....could give you problems down the road.

My first thought too

[Copper Catcher]

You think what you have is a plumb-bob or a plummet i.e. a weight, usually with a pointed tip on the bottom, that is suspended from a string and used as a vertical reference line, or plumb-line.

The instrument has been used since at least the time of ancient Egypt to ensure that constructions are "plumb", or vertical. It is also used in surveying to establish the nadir with respect to gravity of a point in space. They are used with a variety of instruments (including levels, theodolites, and steel tapes to set the instrument exactly over a fixed survey marker, or to transcribe positions onto the ground for placing a marker.

[Hades12]

My vote would be Log Grabs.

[Copper Catcher]

You might want to shoot the picture over to this guy and let him tell you if it is that or not and get him to make you an offer. http://www.antiqbuyer.com/survey_acces.html

Commission please..

[Thogey]

My vote would be Log Grabs.

I'm thinking along these lines.

I'm pretty sure the ends are spikes because the tops are flat. But log grabs are usually longer.
These are short and stout.

Could they be designed for driving into rock?

[shinnosuke]

A weapon?

[natsb88]

Some kind of ice grabs/picks? The points look a little fat for that though...

http://www.ehow.com/how_4549994_use-ice ... picks.html

[Rodebaugh]

Not sure but that Grout line is a little big....could give you problems down the road.

Listen young man. Don't get too big for your britches. I know you've been around for 30 years now but in the southwest we have saltillo tile and like big groutlines. It's a special grout and I laid that tile back when you thought breastmilk was the greatest thing since amniotic fluid, and never had any problems.

Now make yourself useful and tell me what the Iron is!

Well said

I yield the floor.......the well tiled floor.......to the man from Arizona.

[Thogey]

Some kind of ice grabs/picks? The points look a little fat for that though...

http://www.ehow.com/how_4549994_use-ice ... picks.html

No not ice. I'm thinking some kind of grab tool. This is Arizona and a whole lot of mining goin on here.

Keep em comming guys. I'd really like to know what this steam punk thing is.

[silversaddle1]

Stone splitting wedges. Always in pairs.

[Thogey]

Stone splitting wedges. Always in pairs.

That sounds good.

are you pretty sure?

[RichardPenny43]

My vote would be Log Grabs.

I'm thinking along these lines.

I'm pretty sure the ends are spikes because the tops are flat. But log grabs are usually longer.
These are short and stout.

Could they be designed for driving into rock?

I would guess something like log grabs too.
The flat tops are for striking with a hammer and the chain attaches to a tow line.

I don't think it would be for stone working.
The points wouldn't last.
To split stone you drill holes then hammer wedges in, these don't look like the right shape.

Or it could be some kind of medieval torture device

[slickeast]

sex toy?

[Thogey]

I just noticed stamps that are barely visible on the face of each spike that says "3/4"

I measured the girth ( narrow edge) of the spikes they are 3/4 inch wide.

Why would a log grab be calibrated? Are these some sort of wedge use for somthing that required a 3/4" gap?

[RichardPenny43]

I just noticed stamps that are barely visible on the face of each spike that says "3/4"

I measured the girth ( narrow edge) of the spikes they are 3/4 inch wide.

Why would a log grab be calibrated? Are these some sort of wedge use for somthing that required a 3/4" gap?

Maybe they are for splitting stone
Drill 1/2" holes and hammer in the 3/4" wedges.

[Engineer]

I'm guessing its feathering wedges for rock cutting. The chain isn't tough enough to be useful for heavy lifting, and was likely used for measurement.

[Thogey]

Maybe so.

this is a precision tool though.

Great point Engineer.

The chain is 24".

Does the 3/4" to 24" ratio mean anything?

[Thogey]

Engineer,

That was a great observation. I kept thinking " why the chain? it is a skinny chain. For measurement of course!

[Engineer]

The chain is 24".

Does the 3/4" to 24" ratio mean anything?

I doubt it. They probably just figured out that 24" between wedges was the most efficient placement for whatever type of rock they were working...or maybe they just wanted 24" slabs.

[RichardPenny43]

I'm guessing its feathering wedges for rock cutting. The chain isn't tough enough to be useful for heavy lifting, and was likely used for measurement.

Wedge and feathers are three pieces, the wedge being one and the feathers two.
(That's why I said they were the wrong shape)
I think now the chain is so the wedges aren't placed too far apart to be effective in splitting stone.