Another what is it thread

RWanke

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I found this in a Kennedy tool box of tools I bought from a friend of mine (they where his Dad's tools). I have no idea what it is or what it's for. It is marked K&D and Patd Sept. 8 1903.

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"Watchmaker truing calipers", missing the finger.
 
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Caliper. I should remember.... I'm almost as old as the Patent date but I can't remember how we used them.
 
Watchmakers truing calipers missing the finger? Where does a finger go and how are they used?
What kind of caliper and for what because it seems to me it was made for some special purpose?
There doesn't seem to be any adjustment on them at all. The little pins in the end look fixed to me?
Might work as thumb cuffs because that's about the size of the holes but no lock?

They have a "bump" almost like a locating pin, on opposite "jaws" on one side and one set of "jaws" have pins protruding from the tips. They seem to be very well made as there is no discernible slop anywhere in them and you can see machining marks across the flat surface on both sides. They look like they where machined with a 1/4" end mill.
 
Maybe take it to a watchmaker in your town and ask that person to demonstrate for you…Dave.
 
"Watchmaker truing calipers", missing the finger.

This looks like a winner to me... Goggle "Watchmakers truing calipers" and see all the pictures. Also looks like there might be some YouTube videos available.

Ted
 
yes, Watchmakers Truing Calipers. They are used to make sure that the watch balance is straight. The axel of the balance is held between the bumps and the finger positioned near the balance to visualize deviations. Once you know what the finger looks like, maybe if you are lucky, you will find it in the tool box. Some of these came with a small notched bar for bending the balance. K&D is Kendrick and Davis. You might find some catalog copies on the web.
 
Ding Ding Ding looks like we have a winner. Watch makers truing calipers it is (I did all kinds of internet searches before asking here and couldn't find anything). I will be seeing Chris next week and I will ask him about his Dad ever doing watch work. I know from what he has told me he was a good machinist and built muzzleloading rifles, lock stock and barrel. I've seen his work on those. Forged all his lock parts and hardware and turned all the screws for all of them. In fact I helped Chris sell the rifling machine his Dad built and am the proud owner of some of the tools he built. Beautiful work. Chris gave me a ton of his stuff for helping him clean out his Dad's garage including a whole tool box full of taps, dies, and reamers. He also gave me a drawer full of new, still in the box files of about every shape and size you could want. I bought the Kennedy box with his machinist tools in it if you want to call $100 buying it. His price not mine. He said he wanted them to go to someone who would enjoy them and use them.
 
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