believe it is a twin knob adjustable bacon press
Dave
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John M Johnston (jmjhnstn)" 
To: ; "John M Johnston (jmjhnstn)" 

Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 10:41 PM
Subject: [OldTools] An interesting Whatsit


Galoots Assembled,



An old friend handed me this Whatsit, told me "It's old, it's a tool of some 
kind, so I thought of you.  Here, it's yours."   The guys I was camped with 
spent a long time studying it and trying to figure it out.  No one had a 
definitive answer so I said I would turn to the World's experts in 
identifying old tools.



Side 2 View

This view shows more of the sheet metal and nail repair to the wood around 
the left threaded thumb screw. It also shows a spring arm assembly that 
appears to form the bottom of the mouth with a double bevel blade forming 
the top of the mouth. The blade faces the spring arm assembly.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/Side2_view
.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/Side2_view.jp
g





Side 1 view

Side 1 shows the Whatsit in full view. There are metal posts on each side 
near the ends. The posts are smooth on their upper half and have symmetrical 
sets of rings and grooves on the bottom half. Also shown are two threaded 
thumb screws that are threaded into a stout double bevel blade, the back of 
which is seen in this view. Also seen is part of a sheet metal and nail 
repair to the wood around the left hand thumb screw.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/side1_view
.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/side1_view.jp
g





Top View

This is looking down on what seems to be the top or show surface of this 
tool. The corners are rounded, and a decorative groove is worked along each 
edge the length of the tool. In this view, the spring arm assembly can be 
seen with the spring screwed to the side and anchored on the right end by a 
pivot screw. An unthreaded thumb peg is seen on the other end of the 
assembly. A steeply sloping chamfer is cut forming what appears to be the 
exit as it falls away from the edge of the blade.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/top_view.j
pg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/top_view.jpg





Bottom view

This appears to be the bottom view as the corners are not rounded and there 
is no decorative beading. This view shows the tops of the two threaded 
thumbscrews that are threaded into the double bevel blade. The extent of the 
sheet metal and nail repair to the wood around the left thumb screw can be 
seen.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/bottom_vie
w.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/bottom_view.
jpg





Spring arm assembly closeup

Side 2 view shows a spring arm assembly anchored at one end with a wood 
screw. It is attached at is other end to one end of a metal bar through 
which passes a pivot screw and one end and a thumb peg at the other. The 
metal bar forms the bottom of the mouth with a double bevel blade forming 
the top of the mouth. By moving the thumb peg, the mouth bar pivots away 
from the cutting edge of the blade. The edge of the mouth bar that is closet 
to the blade's edge is chamfered the same length as the blade.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/blade_spri
ng_arm_closeup.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164
/blade_spring_arm_closeup.jpg





Possible depth adjuster?

This closeup shows what appears to be an unthreaded thumb screw (peg?) in a 
position that would allow it to be used as a depth adjustment for the 
possible thickness gauge formed by the spring arm. At present the end of the 
thumb peg is level with the underside of the arm in which it is affixed. It 
does not protrude and thus is presently not providing support for the spring 
arm assembly. The thumb peg is too rusted to move.

http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10164/Possible_d
epth_adjustment.jpg">http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/1016
4/Possible_depth_adjustment.jpg



Thank you for your help.



Cheers,

John



John M. Johnston

jmjhnstn@m...

"P.S. If you do not receive this, of course it must have been miscarried; 
therefore I beg you to write and let me know." - Sir Boyle Roche, M.P.