What Is It? Blog

What Is It?

What Is It? is a place for engineers to test their knowledge (and sense of humor). Each week (or month, or...) the CR4 team will post an unidentified picture of an object, tool, animal, something. We're looking for your best (or funniest) guesses at what it might be in the comments.

Yes, we take [appropriate] submissions. Send them to cr4admin@ieeeglobalspec.com.
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What Is It? for 2/8/2014

Posted February 08, 2014 12:00 AM
Pathfinder Tags: What is it?

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SolarEagle
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#1

Re: What Is It? for 2/8/2014

02/08/2014 1:42 AM

90º sheet metal hand notcher....

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Doorman
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Hobbies - DIY Welding - Don't Know What Made The Old Title Attractive... Popular Science - Weaponology - New Member United States - US - Statue of Liberty - 60 Year Member

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#2
In reply to #1

Re: What Is It? for 2/8/2014

02/08/2014 10:43 AM

Correct.

Looks like a Whitney Hand Notcher, in fact.

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horace40
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#3

Re: What Is It? for 2/8/2014

02/09/2014 7:10 AM

It's a device to speed up sheet metal work by cutting corners.

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Just an Engineer
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#4

Re: What Is It? for 2/8/2014

02/09/2014 3:22 PM

Could also be used as "ear marking pliers" for farm animals.

Different shapes were common including some letters. (My family used letter "L")

Large ones like this and another "half penny" were often used by thieves to remove the legitimate marks before sale.

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OldTechNewToys
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#5
In reply to #4

Re: What Is It? for 2/8/2014

02/09/2014 6:00 PM

Haha! That was my first thought too.

you can't take the country out of the boy...

But, I think Solar Eagle has it.
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Just an Engineer
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#6
In reply to #5

Re: What Is It? for 2/8/2014

02/09/2014 9:23 PM

Which was your first thought?

Ear marking pliers, or cattle duffing?

For ear marking, left ear for females, right ear for males. The other ear was used in a type of binary code to record year of birth by combinations of top/tip/bottom.

I knew they weren't marking pliers due to the plastic coated handles among other things.

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OldTechNewToys
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#7
In reply to #6

Re: What Is It? for 2/8/2014

02/10/2014 11:03 PM

Yeah, the ear marking pliers.

Dont think we used differing ears. My dad was the cattleman. I just remember helping out in the holidays etc.
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Users who posted comments:

Doorman (1); horace40 (1); Just an Engineer (2); OldTechNewToys (2); SolarEagle (1)

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