Thread: What the heck kind of tools are these?

Maybe the pliers are for chopping ID into the ears of stock...pigs, cattle, sheep that sort of thing!? I've used something similar, and still can't get that *crunch* through cartlidge out of my memory.
The bar thing I don't know, but looks like a cross between a cold punch and a V gouge.
Do we get some closeups of the working end?

Good way to start the week Green 'chips!

The "screwdriver thingy" is for "drilling" holes in rock, concrete etc, give it a "tap" rotate it a bit give it another tap, repeat...

I had a couple of these as an apprentice (back in the dark ages) and we used to call them "manual percussion drills"

Hi guys.

Andy - I'm almost dead certain it ain't for knicking bits out of cow ears (I grew up on a farm myself, and I know the sound you're talk about). It looks like it's designed to punch more of a small round hole, or set a cap, or something.

Czk - Thanks. As you can see, the end of this thing has been mashed over with a lot of hammering. So how do you 'drill' with it? Obviously, it doesn't go into a drill! Do you simply hold it, whack it, turn it a quarter inch by hand, whack it, turn it again, whack it until eventually you get a hole? Is that what you were getting at?

Cheers,
GW

The long thing is a masonry drill. You hold it in your hand a hit it with a club hammer. You turn it 90 degrees after each hit. Surprisingly they are quite effective. Especially is sandstone.

The plier type thing looks like it could be used in fencing work.

The pliers look like a set of fencing pliers with the nose cut off.

The other one is a Star Chisel as czk says for drilling holes in rock, brick or concrete in the days before percussion or rotary hammer drills.

As he says hit and rotate and keep repeating it. But you don't tap it, you really give it a wack.

It really needs a bit of sharpening to be of any use and you usually ended up with a bruised hand from missing the end of the chisel and hitting the hand holding the chisel. DAMHIK.

Thanks, guys.

Okay, well that sorts out the 'screwdriver thingie'.

Bazza - I've used fencing pliers in my time, and these are the darned strangest-looking fencing pliers I've ever seen. I reckon it's something else. Unless someone can solve it to my satisfaction in the next day or so, I will take more detailed photos tomorrow and post them on Wednesday when I'm back in the office.

A fair guess, but I'm not convinced.

Cheers,
GW

The bar thing is called a star drill. As CZK said it was tapped and turned when drilling holes in bricks and concrete. It was used before electric hammer drills became readily available.

The pliers device could be used for ear marking as already suggested or I think I recall there was a similar device for joining wires where the two wires were placed in a special pair of pliers and molten metal was poured in the mould built into the pliers.

I agree they do look like fencing pliers with the nose cut off.
There are wire cutters on each side and I suspect the mouth of the pliers are used to pinch close a staple or clip. for example when attaching netting to wire in a fence.
Then again it may be somrthing else entirely.

Bids.

would need to see inside the jaws of the pliers but I think I would go with 'Bids'. They look a bit like the fencing clip pliers I have.

The old star drill. I have used a few of them in my time. As said, a drill for concrete etc before the days of tungsten tipped masonary bits and precussion drills. (tap rotate tap rotate tap rotate........... all day long )

Originally Posted by Green Woodchips

Hi guys.

Andy - I'm almost dead certain it ain't for knicking bits out of cow ears (I grew up on a farm myself, and I know the sound you're talk about). It looks like it's designed to punch more of a small round hole, or set a cap, or something.

Czk - Thanks. As you can see, the end of this thing has been mashed over with a lot of hammering. So how do you 'drill' with it? Obviously, it doesn't go into a drill! Do you simply hold it, whack it, turn it a quarter inch by hand, whack it, turn it again, whack it until eventually you get a hole? Is that what you were getting at?

Cheers,
GW

yup, a good whack (a very generous tap...)

The mushroom bit is actually the most dangerous part of these things, if they get too daggy then they can break off and become missiles when you whack them. The mushroom is usually taken off with a file or grinder from time to time.

You can sharpen the business end up with a mill bastard file (same as other cold chisels)

The star drills were used extensivily in coal mines for drilling holes to put an explosive charge in , were still in use in some mines into the 60's
They were as has been said a very effective stone drill

When I was about 12 to 14 (before OH&S ) dad who was the pit top carpenter and shaft inspector use to get permission to take guests down the mine he was at , usually on the afternoon shift. I often got to go if it wasn't too late.
On one occasion I remember seeing a similar drill used charges laid we all retired back a long way into a crib room and then hearing the explosion.

Rgds

I used the star drills in Telecom. They were issued brand new in the late 1970's and early 80's to techs and lineys.

The pliers look a bit like fishing pliers used for cutting & crimping trace, the inbuilt cutters sorta scream out "not stock id pliers" but I could be really mistaken.......again

I'm with Wood Borer. I drilled many holes with these Star drills for the old Telecom as a a liney in the 60s & 70s.
Macca