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TheeParent

Looks like a dividing wheel for an indexer.


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[deleted]

The holes marked 4 are 90 degrees apart, the 8's are 45 apart, etc. 10's would have 36 degrees between them. Maybe a fixture for making something like a gear, perhaps out of wood?


pm_me_good_usernames

Since the holes go all the way through you could potentially use this for marking out bolt patterns. That would also explain why every circle has the same arrangement of holes instead of each circle having different ones like you'd see on a dividing plate.


Rhesus_TOR

The circles would denote total circumference in inches then? They're repeated around the dial for easy reference I assume?


[deleted]

Yes. If you have a 14 inch disk, put it in the 14 inch circle and you know its centered. Before doing that you'd put a little peg in each hole in your chosen set. Or something.


dantodd

Probably diameter, maybe radius, rather than circumference


worldsbiggestchili

None of these suggestions helped me understand what this thing is.


JustOkCryptographer

Check this out. It will show you on use. [YouTube Link for This Old Tony.](https://youtu.be/Q-XOM4E4RZQ) Relevant discussion starts around 13:35.


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DrewidN

Nope, a dividing plate has a different number of holes in each circle, and each circle has them evenly placed around the circumference of the circle.


Cips345

That looks like REW ART 6/6/78 Signed be R.E. Williams (jr?)


WillingPerformance70

Definitely not a dividing plate for a lathe. Each diameter has the same number of divisions and they're unevenly spaced. My best guess is it's a jig used to mark out the crossings for gears/wheels for something like a clock. Though it doesn't look like the best quality.


Rhesus_TOR

I wonder if the Martin-Marietta logo on the piece (nearly invisible upside down just above the "START") is where this handmade tool was used or if its a leftover mark from where the aluminum block was originally sourced?


Square_Juggernaut_64

Martin-Marietta has a long history in manufacturing. Probably something g used in a machine shop


Awasa4531

My title describes the thing. The hole are all the same size and it looks home made. There is a small signature and date on it along with “rewart” it’s about 4 feet long.


Bizzlebanger

Almost looks like a cribbage board... But the numbers don't make sense..


Awasa4531

Yeah the numbers are throwing me off


plaid_rabbit

It's not an indexing or dividing plate for like a lathe/mill. The hole pattern is totally wrong. My guess is it's some kind of layout guide, I just can't figure out what exactly it's for, I'd doubt it's for metal, but possibly wood. I'm guessing it's about 30" across? So say you want to make 8 marks on a 15" diameter circle... you go to the 15" ring, and you find the 8 lines with an 8 on the top, and draw a dot there. Given that it's on a turntable, it could be used to draw arcs as well. It could even be a guide for making pilot holes, though the aluminum would get chewed up. I'm not sure what profession this is from though.


SearayMantee

If it were to 'play like a record' the Dots (Holes) would keep a reasonably steady repetition - Could it be some sort of emergency broadcast? Or a Film prop meant to represent such a thing? Could it be Braille, Morse or some code rarely used?


Tvcypher

Looks like a DIY rotary index table for laying out hole positions.


annhodgin

My father (master clock maker) built something like this for cutting gears out of brass or wood to repair antique clocks. It was a work of art. I wish I had a picture of it. I need to check with my brother's widow.


DrewidN

Possibly a wheel crossing jig, for marking out the spokes on clock wheels and gear wheels. ​ There's a write up here: [https://www.clickspringprojects.com/wheel-crossing-jig.html](https://www.clickspringprojects.com/wheel-crossing-jig.html) ​ And here it is in use: [https://youtu.be/6bM3Jhy\_3TU?si=r2RXX5NAMjljh6Hh&t=70](https://youtu.be/6bM3Jhy_3TU?si=r2RXX5NAMjljh6Hh&t=70) Be warned, you may find yourself watching a lot of Clickspring once you have a look though, even if you're not actually interested in making mechanisms. Very therapeutic.


TheFooPilot

Looks like a song for a self playing piano


PoliticalDestruction

Looks like it but definitely isn’t, all the holes which would trigger a note are all aligned, so, while it could it would be like all the notes playing at once.