Large rotary tool holding device

[Craig BrownParticipant @craigbrown60096]

I'm pretty sure that for the time being this is the last tool I have that I dont know its use. If anyone could shed any light on it I would be interested to find out.

The cross hole at the top I guess is for tool holding around 1/4" hole. Undoing the knurled knob that holds that section down gives coarse motion back and forth. The graduated dial (0.1" per revolution) gives fine adjustment back and forth with a scale on the side reading +/- 1".

The whole thing can then rotate freely on a graduated rotary part that has 2 stops that can be adjusted.

Some kind of radius turning device is what springs to mind for me but it's relatively large but obviously that's only relative to the machine it's designed to be used with.

Any ideas?

Thanks again, Craig

[Craig BrownParticipant @craigbrown60096]

Another tool in my arsenal that I would like to know its use

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

I would say that it's very likely a radius dressing tool for abrasive wheels. The hole is to hold a dressing diamond.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Pete Rimmer on 20/05/2020 19:44:46:

I would say that it's very likely a radius dressing tool for abrasive wheels. The hole is to hold a dressing diamond.

I'll believe that.

Neil

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Hi Craig

I would be tempted to cut the vertical part off and fit a vice to the topslide, the adjusting knurled nut would be used to offset the job off centre and the rotary moved between stops, typically for rounding off ends of bar is one use.

Emgee

[alan ord 2Participant @alanord2]

Pete you are spot on. It is used on surface grinders to put a radius on the grinding wheel. Have used one on many occasions during my toolmaking days.

Alan

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Thanks Alan, it appears to be in typical Jones and Shipman blue and a quick search on google images brings up several matching items.

It's a Jones and Shipman Radius Dresser. Should fetch a pretty penny Craig if you decide to sell it.

[Craig BrownParticipant @craigbrown60096]

Thanks for all the prompt replies. Top marks to Pete, it most certainly is a "Jones and Shipman radius dresser" and as you say seems to hold a certain amount of value. My illness with anything like this though is, although I have no use for it now, if I ever wanted one in the future I would hate to have to pay face value knowing I once had one in my possession, and to that order I'm probably unlikely to part with it 😅

Thanks again for all the replies

[Craig BrownParticipant @craigbrown60096]

In the interest of completion, for anyone other than me who may be interested, this is the very item as documented on lathes.co.uk

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