What the heck is this

[rebsr52339]

A friend of mine dropped this off and said, "What the heck is it" He got it from the fellow who oversees the land fill in my area of NC. It looks kinda new to me to be a turn of the century  tool, but? It may be a reloading or not. Could just be an adjustable crimping tool. Anybody ever seen anything like this?

[Forty Rod]

It's a helluva conversation starter if nothing else. 

Now I'm curious about something else.  Good thing my curiosity bin never gets full.

[rebsr52339]

Forty Rod, in photo one and two that rod with the head on it slides in and out of the frame. On the inside end of it, there is a concave partly round depression. When you squeeze the handles together the lever on the right side, by friction, holds that rod in any position. It seems to be a tool you load with two or more parts and by force assemble them when you squeeze the handles.

There is not a marking on it anywhere.

[Forty Rod]

I don't have a clue. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be cake decorator or spud eye remover or something like that.

[rebsr52339]

Now that is funny.     

BTW Its all cast iron.

[wildman1]

I am curious also. WM

[fourfingersofdeath]

Looks old, but has plastic handles?

[Wolfgang]

One of them things.  Used to see them all the time.  Kind of rare now.  The ones with the plastic handles were a special order item and very desirable to collectors.              

[Fairshake]

Wolfgang, If you look on page 147 in the Watcha ma Calla it book you will find that these models are fairly common and the ones that were made case hardened by Doug Turnbull are the models that bring the big bucks. My wonderful wife found one and even had Turnbull sign it for me. I almost fell over when I opened that box!!

[wildman1]

This is gittin purty close ta high boots or feet up time. WM

[rickk]

The red handled ones always worked the best. Other colors... not so good.

[Forty Rod]

This is gittin purty close ta high boots or feet up time. WM

As my old Uncle Mac from Maine used to say, "Aaayyyyuppp!"

[Noz]

When I try to get a better look, the resolution breaks down.
Could that be a device for using blank cartridges to set anchors in concrete?

[PJ Hardtack]

Actually it's a flammadiddle for adjusting the cam clearance on the double reciprocating flurbaflap, the later models.

[rebsr52339]

I just knew we would have fun with this. 

[rickk]

slightly more seriously, is it some sort of rivet setting tool ?

[Norton Commando]

Perhaps it's used to crimp the terminals on spark plug wires. 

[Howdy Doody]

Since the black handled ones were military, the red ones must have been for civilian use.