What Am I

[Mikes]

I picked this up from a heap that was destined to go in a skip together with some other bits. At first glance I thought it was a chuck but when I had 5 mins, I started to clean it up to see if it was usesable and I now think its some sort of external reamer as the 4 blades (for want of a better word) appear to have one sharp edge. Hopefully the photo shows this. This face remains parallel to the axis as they are adjustable via the two knurled rings and move in slots in a cone. For scale, the arbour is 1" diameter. Can't see any makers names etc.
Am I right in thinking this is for reaming the outside of a spindle or similar. Doesn't look to have ever been used
Suspect someone here will have the answer.

 

[Morrisman]

I was thinking a heavy duty wood dowel maker, but there's no cutting clearance on the outside of the blades.

 

[roofman]

Strange tool that as it cuts anti-clockwise

 

[julianthegypsy]

Looks to me like a cutter off a capstan lathe. Probably used to cut round bar to the right size before threading.

 

[Mikes]

Strange tool that as it cuts anti-clockwise

Did wonder about that but then thought that perhaps it's to go in a tool holder (perhaps a capstan) and remain stationary which would then make it cut in the right direction.

 

[Beeezer]

is it something special or just a Chuck?

 

[Morrisman]

Strange tool that as it cuts anti-clockwise

No, it doesn't. Think about it.

 

[Morrisman]

is it something special or just a Chuck?

That's exactly what the OP is asking. Did you read the post?

 

[Beeezer]

That's exactly what the OP is asking. Did you read the post?

I thinned the question down a bit…

 

[Morrisman]

I thinned the question down a bit…

Why?

 

[Johnnybravo]

The one inch arbor was pretty standard on capstan and cam auto lathes. First thoughts were it could be an over boring tool from an automatic lathe. Being left hand cutting could well be explained then,as most cam auto lathes ran predominantly left hand cutting tools in high speed and only had one slow right hand spindle speed for tapping. Always slow on with the die,and fast off. I have a couple of overboring tools but they are all replaceable insert tools. I used them in the milling machine when I made these cast u bolts for a Renault FT 17 tank.

It could just be the angle the photo was taken at, but it doesn’t look like the cutting edges are on centre.

 

[Seadog]

It looks right-handed to me. A turning box is, I think, is the term for it.

 

[Pete.]

It's not left hand cutting. Viewing the tool from the cutting end is why people sometimes put fly cutter bits in backwards.

 

[8ob]

Adjustable spot facing chuck, as in munch down on a drill and spot face

Bob

 

[Agroshield]

It looks right-handed to me. A turning box is, I think, is the term for it.

The ends of the jaws, or what we speculate are the cutting edges, are at 90 degrees to the tool's axis. There's no lead in to help it as it goes over the workpiece. So if would only cut on its end (and very badly too). On the picture Johnnybravo posted, you can see the very generous chamfer produced as the tool goes over the workpiece.

If we are thinking it is like an adjustable reamer, but inside out, we have to consider how the jaws are constrained in _both_ directions - the collars shown prevent the jaws moving outwards, sure, but what is to stop them moving inwards and then chattering badly as you first jam the tool over the end of the workpiece and they move outwards against the external restraint?

On an adjustable reamer, the grooves on the body are ramped and the blades are always bottomed out in those grooves, clamped from moving in or out by the adjustment nuts.

FWIW, I wonder if it could work as a kind of one way clutch - gripping as it it rotated in one direction, but slipping in the other.

 

[Fred Trevvett]

Random one, but what about some sort of tap holder? The four 'jaws' look like they would clamp tools with a square shank?

 

[Seadog]

It looks right-handed to me. A turning box is, I think, is the term for it.

After a stroll in 33°C the term roller box sprang to mind. Which it isn't

 

[Johnnybravo]

The ends of the jaws, or what we speculate are the cutting edges, are at 90 degrees to the tool's axis. There's no lead in to help it as it goes over the workpiece. So if would only cut on its end (and very badly too). On the picture Johnnybravo posted, you can see the very generous chamfer produced as the tool goes over the workpiece.

If we are thinking it is like an adjustable reamer, but inside out, we have to consider how the jaws are constrained in _both_ directions - the collars shown prevent the jaws moving outwards, sure, but what is to stop them moving inwards and then chattering badly as you first jam the tool over the end of the workpiece and they move outwards against the external restraint?

On an adjustable reamer, the grooves on the body are ramped and the blades are always bottomed out in those grooves, clamped from moving in or out by the adjustment nuts.

FWIW, I wonder if it could work as a kind of one way clutch - gripping as it it rotated in one direction, but slipping in the other.

The very generous chamfer on the parts I did were from the milling cutter I initially used to convert the d shaped casting to round. Finish over boring leaves a 90 degree shoulder .

 

[Johnnybravo]

This is what mine look like

 

[Brad93]

This is what mine look like

View attachment 355804 View attachment 355805

Bets that's one of those tools that gets used once in a blue moon but when you do use it I bet it's a time saver