Sometimes you buy a pile of stuff to get one item that's in the pile. The result is often that you acquire a mystery item that just happens to be in the pile. I've never seen this before.
I'm guessing it's a guide that clamps on something you're drilling and keeps all your holes the same distance from the edge. Am I on the right track there?
My guess is a doweling jig.
That is correct - it is a Stanley No. 59 doweling jig.
I believe there are additional pieces that go with it.
I believe you're right. It looks like a "dowelling jig" which is designed to make all your dowel holes in the edges of pieces of wood, be the same distance from the flat surfaces so they will align properly when assembled. It's a very fancy one, obviously adjustable in several ways.
The small movable vise will accommodate different sizes of guides, for drilling different size holes for different size dowels. It is adjustable, according to the thickness of the plank.
The other side is a clamp that holds the whole thing firmly on the plank, with the large flat side sitting on the "smooth" side of the plank, so all holes are the same distance from that edge. This allows different thickness planks to be glued together with their smooth surfaces aligned.
The only thing I don't see is the alignment indicator. The normal way this is used, is that the planks are 'trial fitted' together, and a pencil mark is made across the crack wherever a dowel is to be put. Then each plank is separately drilled. The adjustments on the guide make sure the dowels are aligned with each other up-and-down, but the pencil mark makes sure they are aligned side-to-side. Somewhere there will be a hole or notch that you align with the pencil mark on each piece. It's probably there, but the angle of the pictures doesn't show it.
1929 Calalogue #34 Page 136
No. 59 with 5 Guides $2.80
Damit Steve, I hope you didn't pay to much!
Regards
Art
By the way, you can still order some parts . . .
http://yhst-14955502022428.stores.yahoo.net/miscellaneoustools-dowelingjig.html
Thanks, Art. It was in the box that contained the brand new grinder disk I was after. I paid $2 for the box, so I guess I saved 80¢.
Hey Steve,
Now you can make frames and go into the sign business!
You find all the net stuff at an auction. All I ever get in a box at an auction are mice nests.
Nice find... this is the contemperary unit from The Homo Depot. You did good! BTW... thats pegged 5/4 teak for a windshield base. troop
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I bought mine back in 1977. A few months ago I opened the box for the first time and used it to build the body for my 1913 Brigade car. I must have put in almost 100 dowels. It works great. When I bought it I thought it automatically found center on the board... it does find center, but not automatically, you have to use the scale imprinted on it and make allowance for the diameter of the dowel.
It comes with about 3 different size guides. To make it work really slickly you need to get some dowel centers. After drilling the first hole you put the center in then line the pieces up and whack the new piece with a mallet. This transfers the center to the new piece which you then move the drilling gig to being careful to keep the fence against the same side.
This is a huge time saver and a nice tool.
My only complaint with the tool is that when you open a 35 year old box it comes apart. The styrofoam package inside does ok, however.
TH
very interesting, I had no idea what it was.Thanks for sharing.