Anyone Know Wood Tools?

[Toolgal]

This might be the hardest identification of all, but I know you are up to the challenge.  It's not made of iron but I know many of you have a wide range of talents. I hope we can figure this one out.  This was found among a batch of what I suspect are handmade tools, all beautifully done.  It is 8 1/2 x 5 x 1 in.  I don't know if the dowel or the arms ever moved, but they are stationary now.  The other tools in the group are a molding plane, a block plane, a hammer, and a spokeshave.  They all have the same wood type, carving marks and are well polished and seem unused. Of course nothing says that the company my tool kept had any relevance to what it is, but that is all the info I have to offer.  My only thought is that it is some kind of "key" for an oxen yoke, I saw one in a book of weird tools, but it didn't explain its use. 

Thanks very much! ToolGal

 

[Jim Coke]

Greetings Toolgal,

            My guess would be a hole centering devise .  If you had 2 boards one with a large hole and the adjoining board with the smaller hole you could index the parts so other holes could be drilled and the parts properly indexed.  Just this ol boys 2c

 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

[JHCC]

An ox bow key is a strong possibility. A neck yoke for oxen has a heavy beam across their shoulders and bows around their necks,  and you need something to keep those bows from slipping out of the beam. A key like this could go through a vertical slot in the bow and be turned 90°. The flat section on the left and the crosspiece on the right would then rest flat on top of the beam, keeping the bow in place. The weight of the bow would keep the key in place, and the flat section and crosspiece would keep the key from pulling out. When unhitching the oxen, you would lift the bow up enough to turn the key and pull the flat section back out. 

Keys like this were, I gather, usually forged from iron, which has greater strength in a smaller cross section than wood. That means that you could have a narrower vertical slot in the bow, which would not weaken it as much as a larger hole. 

[Toolgal]

If indeed it is am ox bow key (and that really seems the right direction) I am curious why it is in such beautiful condition and like you mentioned, why it was made from wood. I do have some ox bows but they are obviously very well used.  My object may have been carved just as a carving exercise, or perhaps the carver wanted to memorialize an ox bow key and use it as a paperweight. I understand this, I found an artist's drawing of my favorite tool, a turpentine hack on view at the National Portrait Gallery in D.C. Never thought that would be used as a model in a work of fine art, but I loved seeing it.

If anyone could find a drawing or a video showing a key in use that would be great, I can't quite wrap my head around the attachment process. If there are other ideas for this wood item, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks, ToolGal

[Lou L]

Here’s a link to a diagram of the ox yoke setup along with a How To on making them.  I’m not seeing it. http://fliphtml5.com/wgak/ynsq/basic

Question, is the cube section of it waxed? 

 

[Toolgal]

No, no wax but it sure seems shiny and buffed, doesn't it? That's one of the mysteries.

Thanks for the Tiller's TecTalk article you sent, were you referencing the circled image below?  Actually it is one of only two images I had already found that looked anything like my piece.  The other image I found that first led me on this path may convince you a little more.  It is from an old Yankee Magazine publication, Book of Whatsits (1975). Take a look. There are two versions shown, one wood and one metal.  If you merge the two images you come out with something that looks a lot like mine. (Spoiler alert, the answer to the puzzle in the image is "bows").

                                                                                    

     Best, ToolGal                                                                                                Yankee Magazine pub.                           TA648

 

                                               

 

                      

                               

                                                                 

[Frosty]

I'd call it a key but don't know what it's for specifically. It'd hold the top on a box say to keep the Amazonian saber tooth Gerbils from running rampant and eating the tigers at the zoo. or a hold fast on a cabinet maker's work bench. 

There appears to be a set screw between what I think of as the handle or hold fast, and the shaft. The tapered piece on the right. This would allow the maker to adjust the depth of the key or perhaps how tightly it held two . . .boards(?) together.

So speculating and finding it in a set of wood working tools I'd call it a key for: clamping work together or to the bench or maybe to hold a lid or door closed on a chest or cabinet. Not a batton but for a similar use.

Frosty The Lucky.