# Auction plunder!



## trlvn (Jun 5, 2021)

Wel,, "plunder" might be a bit strong--I paid through the nose for what i got.  This was an online estate sale for a guy who's hobby was repairing watches and clocks.  Lot of specialized tools for that plus some more mainstream machining stuff.

I came away with:






I really like the looks of the drill stand:






Got 3 sets of parallels and 3 sets of v-blocks plus a couple of other pieces:






Snagged a set of adjustable reamers, a Starret level and Moore & Wright surface gauge:






And I think I'm set for small machinist clamps!






Don't ask what I paid.  It is going to be bad enough when my wife sees the credit card statement!  And I was the backup bidder on at least 5 more lots!

Happy Father's Day to me.  

Craig


----------



## 6.5 Fan (Jun 5, 2021)

A good haul and no junk.


----------



## DPittman (Jun 5, 2021)

Nice bunch of stuff that looks in good shape. Fun purchase and besides you have to pay alot for stuff anywhere now it seems these days so it's that or do without and doing without ain't no fun (I'm well experienced in that area) .


----------



## Tomc938 (Jun 5, 2021)

The first step is admitting you have a problem. (But nice bunch of stuff!)


----------



## Tom O (Jun 5, 2021)

What the hell is that plier looking thing behind the level?


----------



## RobinHood (Jun 5, 2021)

Tom O said:


> What the hell is that plier looking thing behind the level?



Hollow rivet setting tool maybe? Here is a picture of a more modern one


----------



## trlvn (Jun 6, 2021)

Tom O said:


> What the hell is that plier looking thing behind the level?



Good eye!  I didn't know what those were either.  They are labelled "KNU VISE P-400".  Even though they look ancient, I found that they are still for sale today (USD $20):

https://www.lapeermanufacturing.com/knu-vise/squeeze/pliers/p-400.html

Apparently they are a really tiny, quick-action, pliers-type, toggle clamp.  Max opening is less than 3/4 inch!  And the "P-400" is apparently because the clamp is rated for 400 pounds pressure!!  On eBay though, they are generally described as a "welding" clamp.  I guess really tiny parts get welded sometimes too but mine show now evidence of splatter.  

Craig


----------



## trlvn (Jun 6, 2021)

There were a couple of other items included in my plunder that I was checking out yesterday.  Like this little 45 degree set-up block:






Appears user-made since one surface is a rough bandsaw cut.  The other 5 surfaces all appear to have been ground to a quite fine finish.  I could see this being quite useful.

Then there is this block:






It is very close to 100 by 90 by 51 mm, ie all measurements being within 0.04mm.  All 6 surfaces appear to have been ground.  The corner radii have slight facets to them that make me think they were shaped with a file.  But pretty nicely done.  Don't want to hit it with a file to see if it is hardened.  Not sure what it was intended to be or do?  

Finally there was this oddball:






In case the picture is playing tricks, that is a V cut down the middle of the piece and there are generous chamfers on the outer edges.  Fairly crudely made; the chamfers are unequal sizes.  There is old green paint on the two larger faces.  Kind of makes me think of a high school shop where paint colour helped the students to know where to put stuff back.

This is the other side of the thing:






Appears maybe the tenon was clamped into something?  Maybe for pressing?

Craig


----------



## Brent H (Jun 6, 2021)

Hey Craig - That "odd ball" is a tooth out of a press for bending metal


----------



## trlvn (Jun 6, 2021)

Brent H said:


> Hey Craig - That "odd ball" is a tooth out of a press for bending metal


Would there normally be a mating part to press against?

Craig


----------



## Canadium (Jun 6, 2021)

Very interesting! Is there a thread somewhere for oddball stuff we can't ID? When I bought my South Bend some years ago there was a Bridgeport beside it. I think some of the stuff that was used with the Bridgeport ended up with my tooling for the South Bend. However not having a mill yet I don't know what they would have been for.


----------



## Brent H (Jun 6, 2021)

Hey Craig,  Yes, there is the other die that fits into the press.  We are back at the base and I can send you a picture tomorrow but this is the gist for a large press brake:


----------



## combustable herbage (Jun 6, 2021)

@trlvn  Is that a right angle plate beside the flashlight?


----------



## trlvn (Jun 6, 2021)

combustable herbage said:


> @trlvn  Is that a right angle plate beside the flashlight?



It is!  I already had small and medium angle plates so this bigger one rounds things out nicely.

Craig


----------



## combustable herbage (Jun 6, 2021)

What do you normally use them for just positioning or holding? I have seen them before I wasn't sure they had a single use or multiple uses I am thinking they would come in handy.


----------



## trlvn (Jun 6, 2021)

combustable herbage said:


> What do you normally use them for just positioning or holding? I have seen them before I wasn't sure they had a single use or multiple uses I am thinking they would come in handy.


"Use them?"  So far, it is pretty much theoretical for me...I'm very much a beginner!  

I have used the smaller angle plate for a crazy set up on the lathe.  I clamped a part to the angle block and bolted the angle block to the lathe's face plate.  Pretty scary turning on the lathe the first time but it actually worked really well.

For the future, I think they'll be useful for some set-ups on the mill.  Now that I've got some health issues behind me (knock on wood), I'm slowly trying to tame the avalanche of crap that has accumulated in my shop.  Maybe I can even start working on some of my own projects this summer?!?

Craig


----------



## combustable herbage (Jun 6, 2021)

I was having the same crazy thoughts Craig I have a cheap cross slide I would like to set up to do some milling on some aluminum on my lathe, I saw one in my travels I will have to pay better attention next time I see it, the one I saw had extra support on the back side it felt pretty rigid.
Adding a milling table to the mini lathe - YouTube  I saw this one too its attached to the tool post and I have that style of tool post I tried just putting a piece of aluminum in the just tool post and milled it with and end mill and it worked good this guy's machine was maybe too small mine cut great with a 12mm bit.
I am glad you are feeling better with all my troubles I feel pretty lucky to be able to do what I want to do physically heath is so important, gotta take care of yourself!!
Bill


----------



## Mcgyver (Jun 6, 2021)

I picked up a few things at the sale.  Best deal (for me) was Pratt Burnerd Grip True (same idea as a set true) chuck in excellent condition, $90.  The auctioneer had put the outside jaws and key in a another lot of misc stuff which I fortunately also snagged.


----------



## trlvn (Jun 7, 2021)

Mcgyver said:


> I picked up a few things at the sale.  Best deal (for me) was Pratt Burnerd Grip True (same idea as a set true) chuck in excellent condition, $90.  The auctioneer had put the outside jaws and key in a another lot of misc stuff which I fortunately also snagged.


I'm guessing that was lot #250 -- it also had a chuck key, didn't it?  

You didn't get lot 249, did you?  It had a couple of V-block clamps (no V-blocks) that I think might fit the V-blocks that were in my lot.

BTW, you would have driven past my subdivision to get to the sale site!  I'm immediately south of the QEW between Ford and Winston Churchill.

Craig


----------



## Mcgyver (Jun 7, 2021)

trlvn said:


> I'm guessing that was lot #250 -- it also had a chuck key, didn't it?



that's the one, it had the jaws and key.  I went searching for the jaws when I saw the chuck without them...still a bit of chance, no guarantee they were the right jaws.  I did notice in  the lots blocks without clamps and vise versa, a shame really....turns tools into scrap and forgoes high sale proceeds.

This sort of thing made think of a software add on for auction sites - an ability to message winning bidders.  ID of the sender will be revealed but not the recipient unless they chose to respond.  "I think I got a part you need", "in such and such a lot there was a widget, would you sell it, and so on".  Small improvement, but it would provide a bit of differentiation.


----------



## trlvn (Jun 7, 2021)

@Mcgyver That is awesome that the jaws fit your chuck.  

I tried a low tech message:  I wrote a note and asked the auctioneer to put it with lot 249.  So far, the winner hasn't contacted me.  Fingers still crossed.  I'm happy to pay the guy a reasonable amount if the clamps he has fit my blocks.  Otherwise, the odds are that the clamps are useless to him.

Craig


----------

