What is this mystery object my grandmother found in her home?
August 20, 2013 5:30 PM Subscribe
What is this mystery object my grandmother found in her home? Pics inside.
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It's a hand-operated tool. You can squeeze the handle repeatedly to further withdraw the inner plate. The metal "trigger" part releases the inner plate, and the plate will plunge forward with considerable force from a spring. There are no markings on the object to indicate a manufacturer. It's entirely metal except for the rubber grips. She doesn't know where it came from.
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two
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It's a hand-operated tool. You can squeeze the handle repeatedly to further withdraw the inner plate. The metal "trigger" part releases the inner plate, and the plate will plunge forward with considerable force from a spring. There are no markings on the object to indicate a manufacturer. It's entirely metal except for the rubber grips. She doesn't know where it came from.
I think it's a jar opener-- the curly metal part hooks around the edge of the jar and then the tension created by the handle loosens the seal.
posted by charmcityblues at 5:34 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by charmcityblues at 5:34 PM on August 20, 2013
No idea what it is, but here's another resource if AskMe can't identify it:
http://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing
posted by Jacqueline at 5:38 PM on August 20, 2013
http://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing
posted by Jacqueline at 5:38 PM on August 20, 2013
It looks like a punch of some kind.
posted by sciencegeek at 5:39 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by sciencegeek at 5:39 PM on August 20, 2013
Response by poster: There's not really a way for it to latch onto a jar.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:39 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:39 PM on August 20, 2013
Could it be for putting grommets in fabric?
posted by sleepykitties at 5:40 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by sleepykitties at 5:40 PM on August 20, 2013
Response by poster: Could it be for putting grommets in fabric?
She says "It ain't that 'cause I got one of them."
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:43 PM on August 20, 2013 [18 favorites]
She says "It ain't that 'cause I got one of them."
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:43 PM on August 20, 2013 [18 favorites]
Umm dog nail trimmer?
posted by sleepykitties at 5:45 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by sleepykitties at 5:45 PM on August 20, 2013
Response by poster: There's no trimming action, just a pulling action.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:46 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:46 PM on August 20, 2013
Some kind of cable puller? Does it have an inner "grip" or grabber? For CatV to pull the lil' copper center wire out?
posted by Max Power at 5:48 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by Max Power at 5:48 PM on August 20, 2013
Some sort of tack or nail puller gun thing?
That u-shaped tongue just inside the cavity on the left looks like it would slip under something with a head and pull it.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:48 PM on August 20, 2013
That u-shaped tongue just inside the cavity on the left looks like it would slip under something with a head and pull it.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:48 PM on August 20, 2013
Looks very similar to my rivet gun. Maybe she has one for grommets and one for rivets?
posted by carsonb at 5:50 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by carsonb at 5:50 PM on August 20, 2013
Response by poster: Plausible, Thorzdad.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:51 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:51 PM on August 20, 2013
Isn't this for putting bottle caps on bottles?
posted by oceanjesse at 5:55 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 5:55 PM on August 20, 2013
Just saw your update: definitely not.
posted by oceanjesse at 5:56 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 5:56 PM on August 20, 2013
Response by poster: Isn't this for putting bottle caps on bottles?
It ain't that, 'cause I got one of them.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:56 PM on August 20, 2013 [4 favorites]
It ain't that, 'cause I got one of them.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:56 PM on August 20, 2013 [4 favorites]
Looks like a nail, tack or cable staple setter; with the thing fully ratcheted back, how long is the space between the plate and the u-shaped guide in the front? Could you put a nail/tack in there and drive it into a wooden surface?
posted by scruss at 5:58 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by scruss at 5:58 PM on August 20, 2013
Response by poster: I don't think the spring is strong enough to drive it in anything. The gap starts flush and goes to about an inch.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:00 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:00 PM on August 20, 2013
Does she (or did she) do any sewing? Could it be for rhinestones or something along those lines?
posted by jquinby at 6:07 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by jquinby at 6:07 PM on August 20, 2013
Response by poster: She does a ton of sewing, so she knows it's not related to anything like that.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:16 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:16 PM on August 20, 2013
Is it a cable tie tightening tool? It looks fancier than the models I have seen but appears to function the same.
posted by Talk To Me Goose at 6:19 PM on August 20, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Talk To Me Goose at 6:19 PM on August 20, 2013 [4 favorites]
Way out on a limb: my Dad thinks it is for tagging/un-tagging livestock?
posted by sleepykitties at 6:22 PM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sleepykitties at 6:22 PM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
is it the handle part of a one of those long grabber arms for short people to reach things up high?
like this
posted by TheLibrarian at 6:26 PM on August 20, 2013
like this
posted by TheLibrarian at 6:26 PM on August 20, 2013
You know, I think sleepykitties might be right. Check out the some of the livestock taggers on this website.
posted by Elly Vortex at 6:28 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by Elly Vortex at 6:28 PM on August 20, 2013
I looked at livestock tag applicators too, but I dunno...
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:30 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:30 PM on August 20, 2013
I think Talk To Me Goose is close, put "tie gun" into google image search and you'll see a lot of things that look really close.
posted by 445supermag at 6:33 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by 445supermag at 6:33 PM on August 20, 2013
Is it a capo?
posted by MayNicholas at 7:52 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by MayNicholas at 7:52 PM on August 20, 2013
It looks like a stapler to me so I am going to say stapler which looks strange because it is made for people with disabilities, stroke or arthritis. And I'm guessing she bought it on a show of gadgets for senior citizens.
posted by cda at 7:57 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by cda at 7:57 PM on August 20, 2013
It looks vaguely like an old-fashioned nutcracker that my grandma had. Vaguely, but not exactly. Or maybe a bottle opener (for beer or soda).
posted by RRgal at 8:05 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by RRgal at 8:05 PM on August 20, 2013
Best answer: Though I've never seen one, a bit of lucky keyword guessing suggests it's an
anchor tool, presumably for tugging on the center pins of expanding anchors.
(Like many here, I immediately thought it was a cable-tie puller, but on closer inspection the mechanism doesn't really seem to work properly. There's nothing to grab the cable, and no way to clear the broken bits.)
posted by eotvos at 8:42 PM on August 20, 2013 [5 favorites]
anchor tool, presumably for tugging on the center pins of expanding anchors.
(Like many here, I immediately thought it was a cable-tie puller, but on closer inspection the mechanism doesn't really seem to work properly. There's nothing to grab the cable, and no way to clear the broken bits.)
posted by eotvos at 8:42 PM on August 20, 2013 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: Booyah. Thanks, MetaFilter. Grandma will know this tomorrow.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:40 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:40 PM on August 20, 2013
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posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:33 PM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]