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Do You Know What This Automotive Tool Is?

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PAUL161

PAUL161

Great Pumpkin
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This old tool came out of my dads old tool box. I remember it as a kid and that's a long time ago. Made by The Crescent Tool Co, of NY, NY in 1946 or before, My dad bought it along with other tools after he came home from the war. I know it's intended purpose, do you?
evilgrin0013.gif

If you do know what it is, your telling on your age. If you ever used one for it's intended purpose, your probably older than you care to admit and deserve a lot of
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.
For those who don't know what it is, I'll tell you later, sometime, maybe.
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PS, This is testimony to my 91 year old dad, who's still with us, on how he took care of his tools. I did not clean this tool before taking the photos! It's right out of his machinists tool box.


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Tis a babbit bearing dresser. Gesh.
 
jlaird said:
Tis a babbit bearing dresser. Gesh.
Click to expand...

I agree. It looks like a scraper used for babbited bearings. My only exposure to them is on stationary engines used for water pumps, farm equipment, etc. but they were pretty common in cars into the 1940's I think, when shell bearings took over.
 
OK, OK, I now know I'm dealing with a bunch of, (hmmm, got to use a little finesse on this one), older senior type gentlemen. Could have said old ----- Oh well I've been called a lot worse, LOL!

Babbitt dresser is correct! I would be pretty sure that a lot of the younger folks out there wouldn't have a clue just what babbitt is. If I remember correctly, GM used it in their engines up until the mid to late 40s. To the younger folks, babbit was a lead/zink base material with some other additives, that was used for bearings among other things, and could be melted like lead and poured in place. The shell type bearings as we know today, were of a harder and much more durable material and easy to replace.

The tool was used by my dad on heavy machinery. The largest bearing he ever poured was on a 14 inch shaft, on a large dynamo, (generator today). It took two men, one on each side of the shaft to pour it at the same time. Very dangerous job as the babbitt could explode if there was any moisture down in the bearing cavity.
 
*SNICKER*
 
Hello Paul,

in the U.K. we call them scrapers and they were used on white metal (babitt) bearings as others have said. That was not their sole use, any bearing surface that need minute adjustment was scraped, and you would see the evidence in machine tool beds of that era, etc. Just a basic mechanical fitters tool.

Alec
 
Still got a set in my toolbox as well, from the good old days (mostly Ford 8 and 10 engines). As soon as the updated con-rods became available they were retired. Still a part of my app training I remember all too well.
Cheers Ric
 
piman said:
... you would see the evidence in machine tool beds of that era, etc. Just a basic mechanical fitters tool.
Click to expand...

Yep. We bought a machining center about 1985 and went to see it being built. (It was a US-made machine). They were using scrapers on the ways (precision surfaces on which the table and/or the head moved).
 
Wasn't Babbit that dude what had his tool offed
by his wife on the Jerry Springer show or something
like that?
 
Tinster said:
Wasn't Babbit that dude what had his tool offed
by his wife on the Jerry Springer show or something
like that?
Click to expand...

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif You are absolutely correct!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/winner1.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
(but I think she used some duller tool!!!) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cryin.gif
 
Or is that a Bobbit bob-it tool???? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif
 
or as Elmer Fudd would say "SILLY BABBIT"!
 
philknight said:
After dressing your babbit, can it be used to peal your taters and carrots before dropping it all in the stew pot?
Click to expand...

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What a great idea! Tater peelers. Never thought of that! Get them old scrapers out of retirement guys, a new use for them has just been discovered.
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