Mystery tool identification?!

[Welderpaul]

All I know is they are marking out jigs of some type, for old school plumbers. One is brass, the other copper.
Any ideas o wise-ones!

 

[gaz1]

depending on size could be worktop jigs

 

[More Amps]

Haven't a clue with regard to their intended use, but they appear not to have involved very high levels of precision (given the materials used in construction and the evident wear around the holes). I'm thinking some device for measuring distance from something to fit a manufacturer's range of sizes if that makes sense.

 

[Brad93]

Tankard patterns with spout. Milk jug maybe?

Who knows?

 

[not done it yet]

depending on size could be worktop jigs

Agree, a scale of some sort is required. How large/small are they?

 

[500e]

And a cat motif in the top left hand corner of the large one

 

[northwest]

@Hood may be able to confirm but I have seen very similar Gauges used to check lobster and crab sizes for size to ensure they are a legal catches.

 

[Dapph2]

@Hood may be able to confirm but I have seen very similar Gauges used to check lobster and crab sizes for size to ensure they are a legal catches.

That makes sense ,check out this modern eBay item
eBay item number:296672775945

But the OP says old style plumbing tools, I wonder if it is for marking & cutting copper pipe to sweat on or solder in a take off pipe & collar in it

Thinking on a bit I looked up " sheet metal scratch marking gauges " & got something that would be an improvement on the gauges shown in the OP's picture . One for brass & one for copper ????
eBay item number:166185052958

 

[Hood]

@Hood may be able to confirm but I have seen very similar Gauges used to check lobster and crab sizes for size to ensure they are a legal catches.

Don't think that is what they are as a lobster/crab gauge would have straight edges to the cut outs rather than the sloping edges on these.

 

[Misterg]

All I know is they are marking out jigs of some type, for old school plumbers. One is brass, the other copper.
Any ideas o wise-ones!

I wonder if they are somehow used for marking out sheet metal to roll into branches / transitions?

 

[Welderpaul]

I wonder if they are somehow used for marking out sheet metal to roll into branches / transitions?

This was what I thought they might be for. Perhaps to form a branch tee in lead? I couldn’t fathom how it would roll up though

 

[colnerov]

Could they be patterns for leatherwork, like terminating straps for bags or briefcases?

 

[Misterg]

This was what I thought they might be for. Perhaps to form a branch tee in lead? I couldn’t fathom how it would roll up though

If you cut along the edge marked in red and roll the piece up, the orange lines overlap and it forms something that does look like an angled branch for a larger diameter pipe. Could be coincidence though. The edges seem to have subtly different curves that could be for different angles ?

 

[Dapph2]

That looks right , do a soldered fell flat seam on the pipe .. could it be for hand made air ducting pipework

 

[Misterg]

could it be for hand made air ducting pipework

Taking a wild guess at the size of them, based on the texture of the vinyl(?) in the background, it might be lead water, waste, or gas pipes.

**IF** they work as I've assumed, the distance between the flat faces top & bottom would end up being the circumference of the pipe - measure this and divide by 3.14 would give the supposed pipe diameter.

Doesn't explain what the holes are for though.