Help identify this cranky, spinny, thingy.

[Eric Sutton]

Greetings all,

I saw this thing at an antique shop and knew I had to own it. I wasn't sure what it was but I thought it should be in my shop instead of wasting away unappreciated on some shelf.



The top plate is dead flat (rusty) cast as is most of the rest of the machine. The hand crank spins the plate and oscillates an arm that rises from the base. At the top the arm is connected to a bar that slides back and forth on a roller. Under the bar are two metal clips attached to a leaf spring that apparently holds something firmly onto the spinning disk. The plate is 11" across and the whole thing stands about 14" tall. Any ideas what it was used for? I've got some ideas for what it will be but I'd like to know what it used to be. I'll have more (better) pictures when the DSLR camera comes home. Thanks for having a look, any thoughts would be appreciated.

Eric

[Dennis McGarry]

Not a clue, but nice find, if i had to guess, i would tend to think somekind of mill for like rice or wheat..

[Michael Faurot]

I don't know what it is either, but I'm thinking perhaps you could use to make your own rotary lapping machine.

[Joe McMahon]

I thought that you had a picture of my ex-wife!!!

[sean m. titmas]

Are there any stamped numbers or names on it? Im sure that it has to have some type of makers mark on it and that would help in finding out what it is.

[Zach England]

it looks like an excellent coffee table base. I'd seriously consider it in a modern-rustic-eclectic home.

[Dennis McGarry]

Make it a neo-modern rotary planner. Tape sandpaper to the top, make a jig to hold blanks on it and rotate!

[Brian Kent]

When Harry Strasil sees it, I bet he knows what it is, who made it, what parts are missing, and then he will show you his so you know what to aim at when it is all cleaned up and functioning!

[Wayne Hendrix]

Its a cordless WorkSharp with the optional extra-wide blade guide.

[Bob Easton]

No doubt, it's a pizza dough spinner.

[Jeff Willard]

Originally Posted by Wayne Hendrix

Its a cordless WorkSharp with the optional extra-wide blade guide.

NeanderSharp? GalootSharp?

[Wayne Hendrix]

Originally Posted by Jeff Willard

NeanderSharp? GalootSharp?

Exactly, true Neanders don't use power tools to sharpen their hand tools.

[Eric Sutton]

Thanks guys, for the helpful insight!
Dennis - one of my first thoughts was a grain mill of some kind.
Michael - It will, indeed, become a rotary lapping machine.
Joe - Apparently we have the same ex-wife. (Cranky and spinning out of control!)
Sean - I haven't found any numbers or names on it yet. I'm still poking and scraping several decades of crud off the whole thing.
Zach - A spinning coffee table...hmmm... Japanese buffet, perhaps?
Dennis & Jeff - My hopes are to attach abrasive disks to the top and make a sharpening machine. With the right jigs I could even touch up the 12" planer knives. But best of all....she shall henceforth be known as NeanderSharp! (So easy a caveman can sharpen his wit.)
And I'm still waiting to see what Harry's done with his!

Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming.

Eric

[Jeff Willard]

Originally Posted by Eric Sutton

....she shall henceforth be known as NeanderSharp! (So easy a caveman can sharpen his wit.)

"Capital Idea!", he said in his best Gomez Addams voice.

And I don't require any royalty payment either. Just keep me in mind when that Norris or Spiers smoother falls out of the sky that you just can't possibly imagine having any use for .

[harry strasil]

It appears to be some kind of honing machine. Sorry Brian! Or it might be a printers tool to mix inks with.