Any idea on what this item is?

It says clockmaking to me. Dial engraving, in particular.

Tim

Certainly they could, but applying Occam's Razor I doubt they are likely do have been designed like this - the pins would not all be on one side and would have been larger I suspect.

I think Nigel was on the right track when he suggested it was something that has been repurposed. Looking at the light weight and 'spindley' construction stirs memories of engravings in Victorian books and ornamental turning equipment.

Certainly they could, but applying Occam's Razor I doubt they are likely do have been designed like this - the pins would not all be on one side and would have been larger I suspect.

I think Nigel was on the right track when he suggested it was something that has been repurposed. Looking at the light weight and 'spindley' construction stirs memories of engravings in Victorian books and ornamental turning equipment.

It looks as though there is a fiducial mark on the peg to the left of the worm bearing nearest the hand-wheel as well as the minutes markings on the worm shaft.

Having worked in an industrial R&D environment for 31 years I got quite used to seeing odd bits of equipment like this that were made up for special purposes where one or a few off measurements were needed and/or suitable ready built kit wasn't readily available. The mounting plate has again probably been re-purposed from some scrapped machine and just happened to be suitable for the job - pretty heavy and solid.

R&D scientists/engineers tend to be pretty resourceful when they need to be and re-purposing odd bits of kit was part of the fun.

Hi Nigel, I think it is a good possibility and I was thinking that it may have been made by or for a University student as part of his own studies, and maybe even for photography uses. As it is, the base and table are obviously a marriage, but could have been done in house by a commercial company.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 07/02/2021 11:24:20

The tee slotted table would have gone in the scrap bin of any self respecting factory, it's too advanced for a school workshop - the slots are very wobbly, just look at the edges. So the base has come from someone else's shed not the original builder.

Someone had a thread cutting lathe, but no access to larger bar stock as there is no reason for two fixing rings otherwise unless the original base was wood.

I think this was made in a shed to drive something accurately that moved very easily through 90deg via the slot and stood off from the table surface by the pins or there would be scuffs showing.

I think the slotted table is a later addition. The worm and wheel part could be off a gunnery range finder with the addition of a telescope. I have a bronze worm and wheel with a micrometer thimble which once was part of an admiralty range finder and reads seconds of arc. I have to say mine is higher quality with a sprung loaded worm and a micrometer around 1 1/2" dia. Several of these were at one time repurposed for the prototype X-ray diffractometers being developed at the time (40's-50's) in Cambridge and at the Davy/Faraday Lab.

I snaffled it during a clear out at work partially because I thought it could be usefull and partially because I couldn't stand to see it junked. (I have a lot of thinks like that).

regards Martin

I would vote for the old optical device of some type. There is little to stop dirt getting in to the works, so I think it would be used in a clean enviroment.

Hi Dave, don't delude yourself too much, I worked for one for many years and you might be surprised at some of the in house rubbish they would use and I've also seen in other factories where I've worked as a contractor in other employments also, one or two well know companies at least.

Regards Nick.