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Mystery Tool?
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 5:57 pm
by rpd
The other day a I bought this tool at the local Restore. It was made by Robert Sorby for Delta.
When I bought it I thought it was a lathe scraper that someone had butchered but on further examination I am not sure it has ever been used. The end is rounded, the cross section is a trapezoid, the sides are hollow ground so the only parts that are close to sharp are the top edges of the long sides.
Top view.

- sorby1.JPG (262.83 KiB) Viewed 3554 times
Side view

- sorby2.JPG (319.95 KiB) Viewed 3554 times
End view.

- sorby3.JPG (228.49 KiB) Viewed 3554 times
Any ideas what it might be made for?
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:19 pm
by charlese
Hard to tell from your photos.
Could it be a parting tool?
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:21 pm
by benush26
rpd wrote:The other day a I bought this tool at the local Restore. It was made by Robert Sorby for Delta.
When I bought it I thought it was a lathe scraper that someone had butchered but on further examination I am not sure it has ever been used. The end is rounded, the cross section is a trapezoid, the sides are hollow ground so the only parts that are close to sharp are the top edges of the long sides.
Top view.
sorby1.JPG
Side view
sorby2.JPG
End view.
sorby3.JPG
Any ideas what it might be made for?
It looks like a rest/guide for a thread cutting/ making chisel. Rather than resting the chisel on a tool rest, they set it on the handled rest. I think it's for more control when cutting threads. The lip goes up.
Just my guess since I don't have any thing like it, though cutting threads and making threaded stoppers for jar openings would be fun.
Be well,
Ben
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 11:45 pm
by JPG
I am calling it a round nose scraper.
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:33 am
by everettdavis
If it has never been ground, I suspect it is some sort of domed scraper or bowl gouge.
If it has been ground, I think it started out as one of those profiles.
I am just speculating.
Everett
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:36 am
by Mike907
To me it looks like a bedan that someone turned into a round nose scraper.
Mike
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 9:46 am
by rpd
Here is a close up of the end.

- sorby4.JPG (257.56 KiB) Viewed 3414 times
The tool appears to be original factory ground and never used. The end has no sharp edges, rounded top to bottom, straight side to side.
My thought was perhaps for burnishing or metal spinning.
I noticed there is a small center punch mark on the top near the end so it is possible that it was to be drilled and tapped to take a carbide cutter.
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 10:41 am
by JPG
Bedan it 'was'.
Learned my new thing fer today!
I think that round over is not a factory grind and indeed it was destined to have that dimple drilled and tapped until it was realized the tool was harder that the tools needed to drill and tap.

Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:50 pm
by reible
I like the metal spinning idea but I'd think the edges a bit to sharp????? I think it was Highland that use to sell something like that but could find it now. In fact I don't see any metal spinning stuff there so maybe I'm not remembering right.
Ed
Re: Mystery Tool?
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 3:51 pm
by rpd
Mike907 wrote:To me it looks like a bedan that someone turned into a round nose scraper.
Mike
JPG wrote: Bedan it 'was'.
Learned my new thing fer today!
I think that round over is not a factory grind and indeed it was destined to have that dimple drilled and tapped until it was realized the tool was harder that the tools needed to drill and tap.

Ok. I think we have a winner, a modified bedan.
Thanks to all who replied.
