Can somebody recognize this unusual mystery all-metal vintage or antique lathe needle or pointer attachment for a lathe?

[Romak]

Dear machinists! I have this unusual all-metal attachment with a needle or a pointer and I believe it is from an antique or vintage lathe. Does anybody know what this is properly called and maybe for what type of machinery this attachment was designed for?

Thank you!

 

[winger]

Its called a surface gage and used on a surface plate. The sharp end can be used to scratch a line or transfer a point to a precision rule to measure and item or feature. Can also be set up to hold and indicator.
Dave

 

[Romak]

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Georgineer]

Also called a scribing block. It can sit on a flat surface or astride a cylindrical work piece. Yours appears to be chrome plated - if it is, it's the first I have seen - and has no maker's marks, so I suspect is is hand-made. It was a common apprentice piece - I still have both mine and my father's.

George

 

[Jim Christie]

Rivett 608 member of this forum has posted pictures of his collection of surface gages on this forum and can probably identify who made yours if it isn't shop made if nobody else does .

Trivia game with a prize..... can you name the?

How about some fun........ can you name the makers of all the surface gauges shown in these photos? For the first person that can I will send you a gift of one of the antique surface gauges I did not use in the exhibit...... now for some rules. 1. Name can be company, model number or...

www.practicalmachinist.com

This picture from his website is easier to see

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/db3067_22a2a35ff86b4b74898050d402ad3c17~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_675,al_c,q_85,usm_1.20_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/surface%20gauges.jpg

Tool Show 2009 | RobertsonMiniatures

"300 years of Fine Tools" exhibit at the Toy and Miniature Museum designed, built and curated by Wm. R. Robertson. It was one of the largest antique tool exhibits mounted by a museum in years, it also included Mike Santos power tool collection.

www.robertsonminiatures.com

Providing some measurements would be helpful.
It looks much like a small L.S. Starrett one I have that someone on this forum Identified the model number for me a long time ago .
I can't find the thread at the moment and don't remember the number.
The only identification on mine is a small stamp mark near the base of the post L.S. Starrett Atholl Mass. Patented Mar. 17 , 1899
Yours doesn't have the two pins in the base on the back end that can be pushed out to follow an edge that mine has .
Yours must be a different model if it is a Starrett and not a shop made copy or copy by another manufacturer .
Jim

 

[MrStretch]

I would guess the op's gage has had a recent and unfortunate encounter with a buffing wheel.

 

[plastikdreams]

I would guess the op's gage has had a recent and unfortunate encounter with a buffing wheel.

Rare and unusual it is

 

[rivett608]

Thanks Jim, The OP's surface gage looks like a shop made copy of a Starrett #57 that has been over cleaned.

 

[Jim Christie]

Thanks Rivett .
Zooming in on one of the O.P.'s pictures it almost looks like there is a stamp similar to the one on mine with the patent date.

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/attachments/img_9520-jpg.431379/

Maybe a different picture under different lighting ,magnification or a better image editing program than mine would show something .
Jim

 

[Romak]

Also called a scribing block. It can sit on a flat surface or astride a cylindrical work piece. Yours appears to be chrome plated - if it is, it's the first I have seen - and has no maker's marks, so I suspect is is hand-made. It was a common apprentice piece - I still have both mine and my father's.

George

Fantastic George!!! It is so nice you noticed sich details!!!

 

[Romak]

Thanks Jim, The OP's surface gage looks like a shop made copy of a Starrett #57 that has been over cleaned.

It has not been cleaned at all. It is a totally chromed piece.

 

[Romak]

I would guess the op's gage has had a recent and unfortunate encounter with a buffing wheel.

Nothing unfortunate. It has not been cleaned at all. The shiny surface is chrome.

 

[john.k]

These were often set as apprentices test pieces ...........and its possible someone wanted to preserve a son or fathers work with chrome plate............50 years ago chrome plating was very cheap ,before the EPA.

 

[Georgineer]

These were often set as apprentices test pieces ...........and its possible someone wanted to preserve a son or fathers work with chrome plate............50 years ago chrome plating was very cheap ,before the EPA.

Not only cheap, but very fashionable from its introduction in the 1930s. Looks amazing, no need to clean and polish. What's not to like?

George

 

[James H Clark]

I think someone just spent time with buffing wheel on it. It look to me like it still has some of the original scale on it. If it has some chrome on it, that would be like lipstick on a pig.
JC

 

[L Vanice]

Nothing unfortunate. It has not been cleaned at all. The shiny surface is chrome.

It is hard to tell bare polished steel from chrome plated polished steel in a photo. But it is quite obvious in the photos that this surface gage base was rusty before it was polished. In other words, I suspect it was not brand new, whoever made it, before it was plated.

My first encounter with a metal lathe was in 1953 in 8th grade shop class. I made an all steel cross pein machinist hammer with a filed square head and a handle turned and knurled in a 9" South Bend lathe. The head was case hardened in the gas furnace in the shop. A boy in the class offered to have my hammer chrome plated along with his by some relative with the right connections. It did look cool. Until I used the hammer to make and repair flint arrowheads and found the case hardening was not very hard or thick and rounded over a corner of the head.

Larry

 

[lazz]

If you poke the pointy end on some part of your anatomy.
You will give this item a name.

 

[Georgineer]

My first encounter with a metal lathe was in 1953 in 8th grade shop class. I made an all steel cross pein machinist hammer with a filed square head and a handle turned and knurled in a 9" South Bend lathe. The head was case hardened in the gas furnace in the shop. A boy in the class offered to have my hammer chrome plated along with his by some relative with the right connections. It did look cool. Until I used the hammer to make and repair flint arrowheads and found the case hardening was not very hard or thick and rounded over a corner of the head.

Larry

Dad told me that he made a wood-handled cross-pein hammer when he was an apprentice. He proudly took it home to show to his grandfather who was an engine smith. Grandfather hefted it and said "Hmm.. balance is all wrong" and handed it back with no further explanation. I never met him, but I understand that he was a peppery old gent! I remember the hammer from when I was little - I presume one of my brothers inherited it.

 

[Frank R]

If you poke the pointy end on some part of your anatomy.
You will give this item a name.

Yes, a very colorful name too.

 

[Doozer]

Glass bead blast is a faster restoration method than polishing. LOL lol LOL lol LOL

-D