# More mystery tools!



## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

I find these things in every box I bring back from storage. I've tried googling, but not lucky so far. Can anyone ID these three? --5 images of the first one:




































Says B.M.Farland.
Could this be related to hand saw blade sharpening?









the Back end has a kind of star shape set of grooves, like where it could fit in a chuck or something.








This looks like a snap hook, but what for?? I have a bag full of them!


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

The Farland tool looks like it'd be used along with something else. If hand saw related my guess would be for setting the teeth, how much they bend to the side.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

cynrich said:


> View attachment 425937
> This looks like a snap hook, but what for?? I have a bag full of them!


The item above is used in sailing. example source for more; Hank, Brass Size:0 44mm - Budget Marine


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

Bob Bengal said:


> The Farland tool looks like it'd be used along with something else. If hand saw related my guess would be for setting the teeth, how much they bend to the side.


that was my first guess.


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

Dave McCann said:


> The item above is used in sailing. example source for more; Hank, Brass Size:0 44mm - Budget Marine


Excellent! I guess I can try to sell them, not having a boat.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

The bit with the penny looks like it belongs to a yankee drill. Just my two cents.😁
Mike Hawkins


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## kiwi_outdoors (Jan 15, 2020)

yes ,no 2 is for a Push-twist drill. We had a knockoff version of a Yankee before we bought our first Black and Decker power drill.


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## kiwi_outdoors (Jan 15, 2020)

no 3 looks like its for hanking (?) a jib into a forestay


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## kiwi_outdoors (Jan 15, 2020)

my Dad had an already old saw-setting tool for the teeth, no 1 is not such a tool.


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

firehawkmph said:


> The bit with the penny looks like it belongs to a yankee drill. Just my two cents.😁
> Mike Hawkins


Great! I have one of those, too!


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

kiwi_outdoors said:


> my Dad had an already old saw-setting tool for the teeth, no 1 is not such a tool.


I have another similar-looking tool that is shaped differently and has a smaller pointy bit, maybe it's just a different type?


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

if you have a (hand) rips saw and a cross cut saw, check the size of the teeth - that likely explain the smaller pointy bit....


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## Bob61 (Nov 7, 2020)

I can't see how that first tool could be used as a handsaw tooth set configured as it is. Either critical parts are missing or it's something else entirely, possibly a dedicated accessory to some machine?


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

I just spent the last 45 minutes going through all the pictures I could find for specialty pliers. I figured, with the job hanks, the pliers might be for sail work. But nothing looks close.
Same with metal work, jewelry work, etc. etc. etc.
And NOTHING comes up under B.M.Farland Tools.
Although they look very well made, they might be some one-off tool made by a good machinist.
Please let us know if you find out what those are !!!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

What exactly happens when you squeeze the handle? Show a photo of it in that position please:









A close up of the bar with the two threaded thumb knobs where they come through, would help


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Bob Bengal said:


> The Farland tool looks like it'd be used along with something else. If hand saw related my guess would be for setting the teeth, how much they bend to the side.


I agree with Bob. Looks like a tooth setter to me.

(A) The RH jaw clamps down on the tooth.
(B) The short thumb screw clamps the "clip" in place. The clip controls how deep the jaw engages the saw tooth. A fine tooth saw = less engagement where as a saw with larger teeth would require more engagement to reach the bottom of the tooth.
(C) The long thumb screw controls how much rotation can be applied to the tool, before the end of the screw hits the main blade of the saw. Thus, how much "set" is applied to each tooth.


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## kiwi_outdoors (Jan 15, 2020)

I am not buying the saw-set notion (says me, having used one decades ago).


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

woodnthings said:


> What exactly happens when you squeeze the handle? Show a photo of it in that position please:
> View attachment 426014
> 
> 
> A close up of the bar with the two threaded thumb knobs where they come through, would help


It'll take me a few days to get out there and take another few pics. The weekend slowed me down on work I have to do, so I made up for some of it today. Tomorrow is another busy day, but maybe in the afternoon I can manage it.


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## TobyC (Apr 30, 2013)

It's a saw set, they came in many different configurations and they were and are made all over the world. I can't find that exact one at the moment but HERE is a good resource for information.


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

Only guessing, I'd say this one is from the first half of the 1900s.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

TobyC said:


> It's a saw set, they came in many different configurations and they were and are made all over the world. I can't find that exact one at the moment but HERE is a good resource for information.


The two shown below are very similar to the tool in question.


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## TobyC (Apr 30, 2013)

With the one you have you grab the tooth and bend it over until the long screw touches the side of the blade, use the long screw to adjust the amount of "set".


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

Cool @TobyC , I was guessing the pliers attached to something while in use.

I admire people that can woodwork with just hand tools but I'm grateful to have modern power tools.


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## TobyC (Apr 30, 2013)

Bob Bengal said:


> Only guessing, I'd say this one is from the first half of the 1900s.


It's in really nice shape, but I generally agree,... most are post Civil War to pre WW2.


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

TobyC said:


> It's a saw set, they came in many different configurations and they were and are made all over the world. I can't find that exact one at the moment but HERE is a good resource for information.


Marvelous, TobyC!!


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

Did the same saw need to have it's teeth set more than once?


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## kiwi_outdoors (Jan 15, 2020)

teeth would be set repeatedly, because as you sharpened the teeth the whole cutting profile moved towards the back of the saw, and the teeth would had less net set sideways unless rebent. Tedious work, but the hardware store was not nearby to do it for you in many cases - especially if you lived and worked on a lighthouse station, as my parents and grandparents did.


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## TobyC (Apr 30, 2013)

Bob Bengal said:


> Did the same saw need to have it's teeth set more than once?





kiwi_outdoors said:


> teeth would be set repeatedly, because as you sharpened the teeth the whole cutting profile moved towards the back of the saw, and the teeth would had less net set sideways unless rebent. Tedious work, but the hardware store was not nearby to do it for you in many cases - especially if you lived and worked on a lighthouse station, as my parents and grandparents did.


Every time you sharpen a saw you joint first to make all the teeth the same height, then sharpen, then set. Many carpenters did this themselves and kept a saw vise, a proper jointer or at least a flat file, some taper files (not three square), and a saw set. I still have and use my old man's saw maintenance tools. If you can make something dull, you should know how to make it sharp again.


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## HicksBenedict (Aug 11, 2021)

woodnthings said:


> What exactly happens when you squeeze the handle? Show a photo of it in that position please:
> View attachment 426014
> 
> 
> A close up of the bar with the two threaded thumb knobs where they come through, would help


Mystery tool indeed... This is a unique one


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Older thread, but it is a saw set, I have one also. When I started woodworking we didn't have a set, we used the side of a sledge hammer that had an angle filed on the edge. Lay the saw on the sledge and hit it with a hammer. Worked for us.


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

TobyC said:


> It's a saw set, they came in many different configurations and they were and are made all over the world. I can't find that exact one at the moment but HERE is a good resource for information.


Thanks for that great resource TobyC!


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

BigJim said:


> Older thread, but it is a saw set, I have one also. When I started woodworking we didn't have a set, we used the side of a sledge hammer that had an angle filed on the edge. Lay the saw on the sledge and hit it with a hammer. Worked for us.


I was probably going to resort to something like that, but now, I have a tool!! lol


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

TobyC said:


> With the one you have you grab the tooth and bend it over until the long screw touches the side of the blade, use the long screw to adjust the amount of "set".


Thanks, I was wondering exactly what to do with it. I found another one in another toolbox that looks simpler, like squeeze, and it bends the tooth a bit.


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## HicksBenedict (Aug 11, 2021)

TobyC said:


> With the one you have you grab the tooth and bend it over until the long screw touches the side of the blade, use the long screw to adjust the amount of "set".


True, my friend owned one.


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## johnedp34 (Jun 30, 2016)

The star shaped bit could be used with hollow rivets. I use a countersink rose. Gives very neat finish..
johnep


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## TobyC (Apr 30, 2013)

cynrich said:


> Great! I have one of those, too!


I don't think that drill bit will fit a Yankee push drill, but it should fit a Goodell Pratt, I think it will work on their push drills as well as their eggbeaters. It's just a drill bit, they weren't spiral because they cut in both directions.


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

TobyC said:


> I don't think that drill bit will fit a Yankee push drill, but it should fit a Goodell Pratt, I think it will work on their push drills as well as their eggbeaters. It's just a drill bit, they weren't spiral because they cut in both directions.


I have two different push drills, and one of these days, I'll get around to seeing if it fits one or both. Right now I'm spending as much of the good weather I can get to refinish sewing machine tables. I need to do that outside and the weather has been pretty wet.


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