What’s this for?

This topic has 31 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 16 October 2017 at 12:33 by John MC.

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14 October 2017 at 14:39 #321428
John MC
Participant
@johnmc39344
Hopefully 3 images should appear with this post. Its something that I can remember seeing in my fathers toolbox 35+ years ago, its now in my workshop. It's a top hat shaped bit of metal with a rubber sucker in the middle.

I've googled "Dagplate" and "Buck and Hickman" and when I've been able looked at their catalogues and found nothing. I've even asked B&H reps if they know what it is.

So, its over to you to satisfy my curiosity.

John
Advert

14 October 2017 at 14:39 #25558
John MC
Participant
@johnmc39344
14 October 2017 at 18:02 #321444
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
I think it's for holding a glass blank during some sort of optical process like polishing. DAG might stand for 'Diamond Abrasive Grinding'
14 October 2017 at 18:58 #321456
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Except you wouldn't use diamond to polish glass.
14 October 2017 at 19:20 #321458
Mike
Participant
@mike89748
….and it's clearly meant to be used as in the last picture, otherwise the Buck & Hickman plate would be upside-down.
14 October 2017 at 19:24 #321461
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
Posted by Neil Wyatt on 14/10/2017 18:58:05:

Except you wouldn't use diamond to polish glass.

Or would you…
14 October 2017 at 19:24 #321462
Watford
Participant
@watford
Does the rubber insert remove, and does it reveal anything interesting – like a thread?

What, approximately is the major diameter?

Mike
14 October 2017 at 19:36 #321465
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
Dag is used in some circles as short for Daguerreotype the early photographic technique. It is quite possible it was a device (or part of) to hold photographic plates for polishing. As pointed out by Mike it must have been used that way up. I suggest if the rubber is slightly proud of the surface it would grip a plate placed on it while the top surface of said plate was being polished.
15 October 2017 at 08:51 #321522
John MC
Participant
@johnmc39344
Sorry, should of given some indication of size. The two diameters are 100mm and 75mm, height is 30mm.

The small rubber sucker gives very little holding force. When "sucked" down on to my glass surface plate the device moves around quite easily but stays in contact with the plate.

Removing the rubber sucker reveals nothing more than a cavity to accommodate it.

John
15 October 2017 at 09:24 #321524
Roger Provins 2
Participant
@rogerprovins2
There's no mention of it in the 1958 B&H catalogue.
15 October 2017 at 10:34 #321541
mark smith 20
Participant
@marksmith20
Looks like something off a metallurgical sample lapping machine,you dont say the size of it??
15 October 2017 at 10:57 #321544
Watford
Participant
@watford
A Google on "patent dagplate" produced a possible answer.

A Daguerreotype or Dag plate was a silver coated copper plate used in early photography to capture the image. The plate needed to be very flat and smooth..

The Dag Plate holder was used (in several forms, some of wood) to hold the plate whilst it was buffed and polished.

I suspect that John's Dagplate, marketed by Buck and Hickman, was such an example and is probably a very rare beast.

Mike

Edited By Watford on 15/10/2017 10:59:55
15 October 2017 at 11:09 #321545
Watford
Participant
@watford
The daguerreotype was the first successful commercial photographic process, and was well within the timescale for Buck and Hickman to be producing such kit.

Daguerrotypes were current from 1839 to around 1860. B&H started around 1830.>>

Mike>>

Edited By Watford on 15/10/2017 11:17:06
15 October 2017 at 11:22 #321548
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
It says patent applied for, is it possible to search for that sort of thing on line?

Ian S C
15 October 2017 at 11:22 #321549
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
It says patent applied for, is it possible to search for that sort of thing on line?

Ian S C
15 October 2017 at 11:47 #321558
mark smith 20
Participant
@marksmith20
I just dont think this thing is any older than the 1960s ,1950`s possibly , so daguerreotype is doubtful.

Also they didnt open any branches until 1901.

Edited By mark smith 20 on 15/10/2017 11:49:10
15 October 2017 at 12:14 #321565
John MC
Participant
@johnmc39344
Many thanks for the replies. I think the daguerreotype connection unlikely, the process was more or less forgotten about by the mid 19th century.

The "hammerite" paint finish would probably date it to the early 1960's.

John
15 October 2017 at 12:29 #321571
Bizibilder
Participant
@bizibilder
Could it be the top of some kind of test tube shaker? It does look a bit too "heavy" for that but who knows? The idea of the shaker is that you put the base of the test tube in the "sucker" and an eccentric causes the whole metal lump to vibrate thus stirring the contents of the tube.
15 October 2017 at 13:18 #321577
mark smith 20
Participant
@marksmith20
the patent i can find is for some sort of pressure instrument but cant see the full patent.
15 October 2017 at 13:27 #321580
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Posted by John MC on 15/10/2017 12:14:17:

Many thanks for the replies. I think the daguerreotype connection unlikely, the process was more or less forgotten about by the mid 19th century.

The "hammerite" paint finish would probably date it to the early 1960's.

John

I thought the same
15 October 2017 at 14:19 #321586
Rik Shaw
Participant
@rikshaw
Buck and Hickman very clever ladies. Also known as Bing & Grondahl in the US. Produced to save space in the shop the customer simply soaks the item in water overnight to get one of these:

**LINK**

Honest !!!!!

Rik
15 October 2017 at 14:20 #321587
ega
Participant
@ega
Posted by Roger Provins 2 on 15/10/2017 09:24:00:

There's no mention of it in the 1958 B&H catalogue.

Nor (according to the index) in the 1964 catalogue.
15 October 2017 at 15:03 #321590
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
May not be be popping up in catalogues because the item was usually included with a machine; it's not a hand tool.

As I said earlier, I think it supports something like an optical blank. In use, (I guess), the blank is placed on the plate and loosely held by the suction pad. Then the plate plus blank is inserted in something like a lens grinding machine and the door closed on it. After a few hour of carefully guided mechanical grinding the plate plus new lens is removed from the machine. Possibly the lens is turned over on the plate to grind the other side, or put through a sequence of machines whilst still on the same carrier. No sticky fingers allowed on the glass.

Did Buck & Hickman ever sell optical grinders, precision grinding or lapping equipment?. If so, the plates may have come with one of them, and wasn't sold as separate item.

Dave
15 October 2017 at 15:41 #321594
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 15/10/2017 15:03:57:

In use, (I guess), the blank is placed on the plate and loosely held by the suction pad. Then the plate plus blank is inserted in something like a lens grinding machine and the door closed on it. .

Dave

But surely the plate would need to be securely and accurately located, and all its potential 'locating' faces are hammerited.

Neil
15 October 2017 at 15:50 #321596
Sandgrounder
Participant
@sandgrounder
Posted by ega on 15/10/2017 14:20:57:

Posted by Roger Provins 2 on 15/10/2017 09:24:00:

There's no mention of it in the 1958 B&H catalogue.

Nor (according to the index) in the 1964 catalogue.

Or the 1971-72

John
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