Another mystery tool

[droopsnoot]

This was found in the bottom of a tool chest, and I was wondering if anyone could identify it. It has no marks on it other than the paint dots that you can see. At the "bottom" end, one side has the slightly protruding ping that you seen in the photo, and the other has a small hole in the same spot. I wondered whether the tool slides around something, the pin located in a recess below it and the hole is used as a drill guide, but that's just a guess. I didn't put anything in the picture for scale, I'd say it was around 10" long, maybe a little longer.

 

[julianf]

I always click on these threads thinking that, one day, it will be my moment to shine, with clear and concise information as to what the object is, and its operation.

...today is, again, not that day!

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Looks like a giant pair of tweezers to me.

 

[James1979]

it’s a hole finder for sheet metal work

You put a panel over a series of holes, slip the tool in, and then use the pin to find the hole below and mark it with the hole above.

I’ll find a gaztube to illustrate it. Will photo mine when I’m back later to show what I mean

Edit - here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16296744...RBRY5mxSPi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

No gaztube as I’m busy

 

[julianf]

it’s a hole finder for sheet metal work

You put a panel over a series of holes, slip the tool in, and then use the pin to find the hole below and mark it with the hole above.

I’ll find a gaztube to illustrate it. Will photo mine when I’m back later to show what I mean

Edit - here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16296744...RBRY5mxSPi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

No gaztube as I’m busy

In the photos in this thread, it looks like the open end is the bent end, and the join is at the straight end?


I guess it's just the photo angles? I'd have definitely got it otherwise.... Honest.

 

[James1979]

No you’re right.

They come in all sorts of shapes and bends. It was probably made for an application. With restricted access maybe.

The dots probably tell someone somewhere what that was.

Possibly even rivet size as skin pins / clecos are colour coded

 

[droopsnoot]

Thanks, I'll feed that back to the guy that found it. So the idea is that you've got something like a frame that will hold a plate, you put the plate in place and then use this tool to mark where the hole needs to be? Similar to what I guessed, a bit.

The open end is the bent end, I guess it's a home made tool for a specific job.

 

[James1979]

They’re all home made usually. Mine all are.

It’s one of those things like skin pins and rivet fans which I don’t understand how people who do sheet work can function without!

Here

 

[bricol]

I guess its another one of those things where if you don't know about them, you don't know about them.
I've designed sheet metal, and still do on occasion, so of course I detail hole positions and as if my magic, they usually line up, so no need for such a device, so I've never seen or heard of one.

Another bit of knowledge to store away until I need it

 

[James1979]

I've designed sheet metal, and still do on occasion, so of course I detail hole positions and as if my magic, they usually line up, so no need for such a device, so I've never seen or heard of one. So no one can ever access them

Fixed that

 

[SierraV6]

I’ll confess to having not came across one of these before, but I now realise I need an extra long reach version!

 

[mtt.tr]

I guess its another one of those things where if you don't know about them, you don't know about them.
I've designed sheet metal, and still do on occasion, so of course I detail hole positions and as if my magic, they usually line up, so no need for such a device, so I've never seen or heard of one.

Another bit of knowledge to store away until I need it

I can see this being a big saver if replacing a panel.

Sure if you are designing from scratch for laser cut panels it's easy to work out.

 

[James1979]

I’ll confess to having not came across one of these before, but I now realise I need an extra long reach version!

You can make them to whatever you need. Mine are made.

The best stuff to use is banding from bricks. The metal stuff.

Fold it in half and then drill at the opposite end to the fold. Needs to be about 2mm. Open out the lower hole to your rivet size and Just bond a rivet in there.

 

[James1979]

Grabbed a random one for a pic

 

[Beanwood]

What a simple thing - and yet I can instantly recall a couple of times when I needed one, and struggled without.