Somebody must know what this tool is for

[Dave Gallaher]

I recently picked this up at a garage sale in a box with tools I really wanted. This has got me thinking. What is it for? Any help would be great. It's made by E. C. Stearns & Co.

[Roger Bell]

It is a hollow auger.

http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tools/hand/hollow-augers/

[Pedro Reyes]

Tenon cutter? Round tenons, like those found on rustinc chairs/furniture, my guess.

/p

[Ian Gillis]

Hi

That is a round tenon cutter. I think it's primarily a chair maker's tool for putting consistent diameter tenons on spindles.

[or a wheelwright's tool! Thanks Roger!]

I picked one up for curiosity's sake a couple of years ago. I have only used it once, to make a 3/4" tenon on an 1 1/8" dowel (aka old broom handle). I don't have instructions for it, but I started by making a short taper in the dowel so it would fit into the 3/4" opening.

My result was a pretty rough and slightly crooked stub tenon - there's a depth stop to set the tenon length.

I think if you could center your stock (round or square) and run the cutter in a post drill, it would be ideal. To do it free hand, like I did, would take a bit of practice to yield accurate results.

The next time I try it, I plan to bore a hole through a block for the dowel. Then I can run the base of the cutter on the block and keep the sides of the dowel square. Getting it properly centered is another question.

Cheers
Ian

[Frank Townend]

Holy cow Dave, in your first picture it looks like your floors are so well polished you can see yourself in them. Now I am thinking you took the picture on a glass table top.

[Dave Gallaher]

Thanks I thought it might be for a dowel type setup but just wasn't sure. Thanks to all.

[willie sobat]

Roger is right. It is a hollow auger (adjustable). They are for cutting tenons.

[harry strasil]

Hollow Auger, Tenon Cutter, Spoke tenoner, all right, there are many variations of these made by different companies,some are one size only, but most were the adjustable size kind like yours. Basically a Wheelwright tool.

The other tool needed to start them is called a Spoke Pointer, 2 different sizes of this tool are shown in the upper left of the picture below.

In past years people were always borrowing mine when replacing the rungs in old wooden extension ladders.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox07.jpg

I also have a small one with a sq tapered shank that was made for pointing dowels in my tool box.

[Alan Schwabacher]

It is a hollow auger as has been said. They work surprisingly well. It looks like yours has been modified for use in an electric drill chuck by cutting off the tapered square end that would fit into the chuck of a brace.