Anyone know what this tool is for?

[MYSHERPA]

So I hit up a garage sale today and a widow was getting rid of all her deceased husbands stuff. So she threw all his tools in 5 gal. buckets and was charging $2.50 per bucket. Anyway, at the bottom of one of the buckets I found this tool. It is stamped Craftsman 5/8 on the side. I have no idea what it is used for and the only hint is that at one end it appears to have been hit with a hammer at some point like it may be a special chisel or something. I'm hoping it has some kind of great application in working on my LC, like a tool i never knew I always have needed or something. Any help in identifying what it is for is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[D'Animal]

Looks like a Hex chisel use to bore holes in rocks. After the several holes are bored, you can use several "peg and feathers" to split the rock.

 

[yohavos]

It looks like a really big philips head screwdriver without a handle


If it was hit, I'd say it was used as a punch maybe. As to what it is, I have no idea.


Hopefully you find a use for it.

 

[RalphB]

D-Animal is correct. It is used to "drill" holes in block or concrete. Hit it with a hammer and turn it at the same time.

You don't want to miss and hit your hand instead (I know this from personal experience)

 

[Koffer]

Looks like a Hex chisel use to bore holes in rocks. After the several holes are bored, you can use several "peg and feathers" to split the rock.

X2 as for what Dan said
My grandfather showed me how to use on many moons ago to make holes in concrete and other stone like stuff. You hit it with a hammer and turn it a little at a time between blows
Its a hand hammer drill

 

[MYSHERPA]

I like the ideas so far. I'm not sure what type of alloy this is made out of, but it doesn't seem up to the task of boreing through rocks, but i'm only comparing based on the look and feel of hammer drill bits i've used to drill through foundation walls and such. Plus there really isn't any "cutting edge" to the thing, it's pretty dull at every edge. Another thing that surprises me is that it is a Craftsman tool, I never really associated them with rock drilling equip, just shop tools and such...

 

[MYSHERPA]

So are you saying someone holds this thing while someone else swings a hammer at it?! And I thought I've had some crappy jobs...Or do you just hold it and swing a sledge at it with the other hand? (One-man operation)

 

[Paul_L]

It's called a Star Drill. It's for drilling into stone or masonry.

 

[MYSHERPA]

So this thing pretty much has no application in working on my 80.

 

[Paul_L]

It would make some big holes.

 

[inkpot]

It's called a Star Drill. It's for drilling into stone or masonry.

Ding ding ding ding!! We have a winner. Yup. Star drill, commonly used to drill holes into cement so you can place anchor pins. Most are not made hard enough for holding up in stone, other than really soft stuff like sandstone. John

 

[MYSHERPA]

Maybe I should just carry it with me in case I ever come across a boulder on a trail that I can't go over or around...at least until I get my lockers working.

 

[KLF]

It's called a Star Drill. It's for drilling into stone or masonry.

Exactly. We used them in surveying a lot to set drill holes in stone wall corners. Very common up here to use for monumenting property corners out in the woods. We usually were only drilling down about 1/2-3/4" deep.

All of ours had rubber handles on them to keep it from vibrating your hand while hitting it.

 

[scottm]

My dad has one of those, I've used it on concrete, probably would work on soft stone.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Still available today at your local Lowe's or HomeDepot

Personally I find a rotohammer much easier when it comes to holes in concrete or stone

 

[rove_mcanus]

So are you saying someone holds this thing while someone else swings a hammer at it?! And I thought I've had some crappy jobs...Or do you just hold it and swing a sledge at it with the other hand? (One-man operation)

Nah you just use it in an ordinary drill that has a hammer function.

As for using it on the 80, perhaps you could make some realistic bullet holes without the problem of shooting through the upholstery or vital go go parts.

 

[Blue77FJ40]

Yup, it's what they used before electric hammer drills came out. Good find.

 

[rusty_tlc]

So are you saying someone holds this thing while someone else swings a hammer at it?! And I thought I've had some crappy jobs...Or do you just hold it and swing a sledge at it with the other hand? (One-man operation)

It looks more like it's for use with a single jack(a 3 or 4 pound short handled sledge hammer)

A double jack is a larger hammer (~10#) and would be used by two people with a larger bit.

It use to be pretty common to find these around old mining claims here in Nevada. They were used to drill holes for dynamite during blasting. The shank is mild steel to prevent it from shattering or chipping the hammer face, the business end is hardened steel.

You can see how they turn the bit between blows in these videos


Single Jack hand steeling competition


Double Jack hand steeling competition

 

[prado t]

For cement, use tungsten carbide

For rock use diamonds

 

[titanpat57]

It's called a Star Drill. It's for drilling into stone or masonry.

DING DING DING DING ......


Give that man a cigar!

You have to remember that years ago cinder blocks were actually made out of cinders (made with coal cinders), and by todays standards...much, much softer than the common concrete block used in current construction applications here in the US. With a decent lump hammer you could get through a block in several swings (unless you were in the webbing ;p)...but obviously you don't hit it so hard you would knock the entire block out, or break it.

I put a couple of thimbles for woodstoves through the chimney block with one by drilling a series of holes, all the way around, then carefully joining the holes with a convientional masonary chisel.

but that was back in my Conan the Barbarian days....


now I'm a soft old bastard with every cordless tool know to man...and would never dream of doing anything so idiotic....well....maybe on a bet after 6 beers, just to see if I still could....